Dylan Phillips Photography
Blog
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So what is a picture AND a thousand words worth? My blog posts detail some of my favourite outdoor adventures with historical anecdotes, photography tips and tricks and the stories behind the photos. Sign up with your email to get new blog updates!
Twisting Metal
“Disaster struck as the locomotive, Union Colliery No. 4, crossed over the Trent River. The trestle, only ten years old, gave way under the weight of the locomotive, hurling it into the canyon below. The loaded coal cars and passenger car were dragged along behind it killing six people and injuring many others.
The disruption to the coal market was felt by James Dunsmuir immediately. He tasked engineers to find a lower point to cross the Trent River and within a week a new trestle was in service. “
Gazing Into The Abyss
There’s a lot of speculation as to whether the Abyss is caused by seismic activity or has something to do with the blasting that took place in the coal mine below. Like anything mysterious there is many rumours and stories connected to the Abyss.
“It has no bottom” - Not true.
”It’s connected to the mine tunnels” - Also not true, and if it were, you’d have to be a moron to attempt it.
I followed the dirt path towards the Abyss for the first time in over a decade. As I got closer I started to encounter warning signs put up by the City of Nanaimo.