Just a short distance along the road, one arrives at the eastern edge of MacLeans Cove and directly thereafter, one is alongside the mouth of MacKenzie Brook, where the two Glen Ponds lie at the foot of North Mountain (though only one is visible from the road). Although not as wide as those at MacLeans Cove, the same gorgeous views of the highlands on the far side of Denys Basin are available from this vantage point as well. The photos on this page come from this area.
ISO 200 30 mm ƒ⁄9 1⁄320 sec
Taken 2013 August 15 in Valley Mills from the Marble Mountain Road
4.2 km (2⅝ mi) from its junction with the South Side River Denys Road
GPS 45°52.106′N 61°02.560′W
Photo #1 was taken just east of the bridge looking north across the small cove formeed by the mouth of MacKenzie Brook at the Denys Basin and the highlands in the distance. Skye Mountain is at the left and Whycocomagh Mountain is at the centre and to the right, with Salt Mountain obscuring the northern part of Whycocomagh Mountain. Although a bit hard to see in this compressed version, there are good stands of Queen Anne’s Lace all along the eastern shore of the small cove.
Photo #2, taken from the west side of the bridge, is a telephoto view of the “notch” on Whycocomagh Mountain at the centre left and Salt Mountain at the right. Stoney Point (or MacLean Point) is still out of view at this vantage point, which requires one to be further east to see. A stand of dead spruce is at the left on the shore of the Denys Basin; the damage occurs everywhere, not just in the highlands. A goodly breeze had come up here, seen in the white caps on Denys Basin.
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ISO 200 105 mm ƒ⁄7.1 1⁄800 sec
Taken 2013 August 15 in Valley Mills from the Marble Mountain Road
4.2 km (2⅗ mi) from its junction with the South Side River Denys Road
GPS 45°52.128′N 61°02.603′W
ISO 200 30 mm ƒ⁄9 1⁄320 sec
Taken 2013 August 15 in Valley Mills from the Marble Mountain Road
4.2 km (2⅗ mi) from its junction with the South Side River Denys Road
GPS 45°52.113′N 61°02.609′W
Photo #3 looks south at the visible Glen Pond (another, smaller one lies hidden behind the trees at the centre left of the photo) from before the bridge. As best I can determine, there is no dam that creates this pond; MacKenzie Brook has its source in the Little Beaver Lakes on North Mountain and its course can likely be seen as a cleft in the mountain at the centre of the photo. The brook enters the pond at the centre of the photo. But there is nothing to preclude waters from the Denys Basin from entering the pond as well. The pond’s surface is relatively calm, compared to the white caps on the Denys Basin.
Photo #4 is another look at Glen Pond, this time from the other side of the bridge, providing a closer view of the eastern shore, as well as showing more of North Mountain to the west. It was certainly a pretty spot on a gorgeous day!
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ISO 200 28 mm ƒ⁄10 1⁄400 sec
Taken 2013 August 15 in Valley Mills from the Marble Mountain Road
4.2 km (2⅝ mi) from its junction with the South Side River Denys Road
GPS 45°52.106′N 61°02.559′W
ISO 200 28 mm ƒ⁄9 1⁄320 sec
Taken 2013 August 15 in Valley Mills from the Marble Mountain Road
4.2 km (2⅝ mi) from its junction with the South Side River Denys Road
GPS 45°52.111′N 61°02.563′W
Photo #5, taken from the same spot as photo #1, looks at the bridge over the mouth of MacKenzie Brook; as you can see, there is nothing that would inhibit the passage of water in either direction. As can also be seen, the road is paved here and remains paved for the rest of this section of the Bras d’Or Lakes Scenic Drive. I do not recall the precise point where the gravel road turns into a paved road, but it is well past the fire hall in Valley Mills and, I think, before MacLeans Cove.