Aug 25-Sept 17, 2017 Circle route Jasper Park, Fort Nelson, Liard, Boya Lake, Stewart, BC, Cassiar and Alaska Highway

This year Dian and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  To relive some of the memories we retraced the trails where we met and married.  The following pictures were taken during the 3 week long trip.

This map shows the major routes we travelled on this trip.  We had a side trip to Edmonton and another to Jasper Nat. Park.

We started out in Alberta where we caught up with son Fred, Granddaughter Ashley, granddaughter Makayla and great grandson Zachary.  This corner gas shot was deliberately staged to capture the funkiness of Pickardville.

We saw a moose along the Maligne Lake road in Jasper last June and it was in velvet.  It was featured in the 2nd previous blog. We believe this may be the same moose a few months later.

Maligne also offered up this young Pika.

Muncho Lake on the Alaska Highway was an area we visited many times during our courtship in 1967, as we lived in Fort Nelson.

Our rig on the shore of Muncho.

Mountain Caribou on the Alaska Highway.

We hiked a few miles back into the mountains at Muncho.  Our hope was to see Stone Sheep.  No luck.

Dian searching.

When we returned to the road we found sheep.  This has happened so many times before, when we have searched for birds.  We often find them in the parking lot where we started.

Our honeymoon was spent at Liard Hotsprings 50 years ago.  We had to climb down a rough post ladder to get into the rustic pool at that time.  The bottom was mud up to the ankles back then.  Now the bottom is covered with pebbles and the stairs and deck are PVC.

A Lapland Longspur from the Liard parking lot.

Wood Bison were introduced to this area after we left in 1968 and now they are plentiful.  This majestic old bull was moving very slowly.  He seemed to be arthritic.  We doubt he will make it through the winter.

We rounded the bend at Watson Lake and headed south on the Cassiar Highway.  A few Ruffed Grouse were close to Boya Lake provincial Park.

Spruce Grouse were also in the area.

Boya Lake is one of the prettiest campgrounds in BC.  Although the lake looks small, the many inlets supply 24 Kilometres of shoreline.

Our site at Boya.

Spot our trailer on the far shore.

Boya Lake.

A few years ago I photographed a friendly Red Fox close to Jade City.  This year we encountered another fox.  This one was blind in one eye.

We knew it was late in the season for seeing bears at Stewart but we dropped in anyway.  This Black Bear was our only sighting there.  Grizzlies had been seen but just briefly.

Finally, some scenes of Salmon Glacier in the Stewart area.

And that's what we did for our 50th anniversary.

Scroll down for previous blog.

Jan-July 2017, Mallard/Pintail Hybrid, Bittern, Otter Encounter, Red-breasted Sapsucker

This blog focuses mainly on an encounter Dian and I had July 17 2017 with an Otter.  The first few pictures are an eclectic collection of birds we have seen this year but have not yet found a theme for a blog to suit them.  So I will insert them here.

Mallard/pintail hybrid Jan 2017 Beacon Hill Park Victoria, BC.  We have probably observed a half dozen Mallard/Pintail hybrids in the last 20 years.  This was the first opportunity to obtain a reasonable photograph.

Buffleheads although plentiful are difficult to photograph because of the stark white plumage.  I captured some of the detail here.  Taken in March in Abbotsford.

I just like to see them landing.

Hooded Merganser Feb 2017.  Wilband Ponds, Abbotsford.

Splashdown!!

American Bittern Mar. 2017 Wilband Ponds, Abbotsford, BC.  

Northern Shrike Feb 28 2017 Wilband.  Shrikes are difficult to approach but this young one let me get a few shots before it flew.  It was snowing that day.

Red-breasted Sapsucker June 25 2017.  This bird was gathering insects among a throng of beach goers at Rolley Lake.  The young ones must have been nearby.

The star of this blog is a River Otter.

On July 17 Dian and I were hiking at our local Wilband Ponds here in Abbotsford.

This Otter was running down the trail towards us.  I told Dian not to move and I started snapping pictures.  I had no idea what the settings were on the camera as everything was happening pretty fast.

It knew we were there but kept coming-mouth wide open all the time.

It was getting more difficult for us to hold our position as it kept coming.

When it got to within 3-4 meters it stopped and retreated into the grass on the side of the trail.  We watched the tall grass move as it circled around us and we wondered if it would come back.  I can't say what was on the Otter's mind as it definitely saw us walking the trail.  Our other encounters with Otters have them fleeing as they engage us but this one seemed intent on intimidation.  There have been a few reports of Otter attacks but these have been in water where people were swimming.  Otters are territorial so we may have been infringing on its territory-it may have had young nearby but I doubt this, as we would have expected young to be in, or near water and it didn't return to where it had come from. I think it may have merely been intent on travelling to another area and we were in its way.  The grass on either side was 2 meters high and very thick so it was probably looking for a spot where it could enter and get off the trail.   One thing for sure, it didn't look friendly.

End of this blog.  

Scroll down for previous blog.

Electric Bikes, Alter ego Bikes, eBike

In an effort to exercise and preserve our youth (without too much exertion), Dian and I purchased 2 electric bikes this spring.  They are Alter Ego brand, distributed by a fellow here in Abbotsford.  I have the 500 watt Velovillan and Dian has the smaller 350 watt Sidekick Ultralight.  For prices and specs go to their website: http://alteregobikes.com/home-shift#welcome
They can be folded and put into the trunk of a car and easily stored in a condo etc..  Our Swagman RV bike carrier can be attached to our trailer.  This allows us to explore areas that otherwise would be unaccessible to us.  These bikes are a lot of fun and I predict their popularity will increase over the next few years.  Here are a few pictures taken on the Matsqui dyke along the Fraser River.

End of this blog.  Scroll down for previous blog.