For The Love of Travel

Travelled for an hour and a half past market gardens and farms to get to the salmon run. Lovely clustering of trees on a farm on Yankee Flats Rd that begged for a photo to be taken.

The Sockeye Salmon Run at Adam’s River is an impressive event – over 30 million four year old salmon risk their lives in a once-in-a-lifetime chance to mate . They transform from silver to brilliant red bodies and green head and tails. By sniffing the water chemistry along their almost 500 km journey, the males find their way to where they were laid as eggs four years previously. They mass up in teeming pools waiting to restore their energy to surge up the river, at times even having to leap out of the water over rocks or fallen trees.They fight for their piece of the river and their partner. Once their deed is done, the adults succumb to their exhaustion and starvation, then slip away with the current. Awwwh!  Lovely day to stroll through the park. 

Laid back day on 18th, catching up on blog writing, visit to remedial massage therapist for much-needed attention to ouchy shoulder and left arm and then a little drive to a very expensive gated-estate with incredible water views over Lake Okanaga…just at the end of the road where I’m staying.

Jacqui, Jack and I went out to dinner at Station BBQ – not for vegetarians – major smoked meats place – ribs, brisket, sausages, pulled pork……I tried a new appetizer, “a frickle”- a tangy dill pickle in lightly battered breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Here’s a frickle photo (haha). Will always try once.

 

Yay, we get to photograph Lake Louise this morning. Same pack drill as yesterday and yes, I have made sure I come with memory card in camera. No clouds this morning to provide a special sky pizzazz, but very awesome daylight dawning nevertheless.

Today I am making for Vernon, to catch up friends Jacqui and Jack – it’s a road trip of 380 km on Trans Canada highway #1 going south-west.  I discover that the bulk of the places  along the way that I wanted to visit, are now closed for the winter. And there are many road works, so the journey time will be lengthened.

I take time to call into see the Giant Cedars in Mt Revelstoke N Park. They are awesome. The boardwalk takes you into the heart of the of park’s old growth forest, among cedars that are more than half a millennium old. Benches are provided so you can relax and breathe in the serene forest atmosphere. 

I drive to see Miller Lake but again disappointed as rangers have closed the access road for seasonal maintenance – did see a beautiful deciduous tree, sparkling in its yellow-orangey form.

Got to Vernon in time for dinner with mates and a week’s stay in the lovely Okanagan area. Woo hoo.

So I get all excited this early morn, because its sunrise photo taking time at Lake Louise – returning after 4 years, this time with tripod and capacity to do long exposures and use a filter. Perfect. Freezing cold with -2 degrees at 7am. Tripod and camera all assembled at the photo taking point, with about another 20 keen photographers. Turn camera on and I read a message “no memory card available”.  I freeze, but not from the cold. Good God, I’ve left the memory card in the computer last night after doing my edits. NOOOOOOOO! Lids is not taking a photo this morning after all. As I was travelling to the hotel, got to see what the sky was doing in the opposite direction. Very nice hues. Ah well. Lesson learnt.

After brekkie, travelled to see the renowned Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, crossing the border back into BC. Glad I got there before 10am, because after that, bus hoards descended. A 5.2 hiking trail circuits the lake, the first half of which is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. The lake is enclosed by mountains of the President Range, as well as Mount Burgess and Wapta Mountain. The vivid turquoise colour of the water, caused by powdered limestone, is most spectacular in July, as snow melts from the surrounding mountains. Still a lovely sight in October.  

Then onto Natural Bridge, an impressive rock formation that spans the Kicking Horse River, where the slower moving waters from the Field River flats begin their descent through a canyon to be joined by the Amiskwi River. It’s a powerful reminder of how much influence water plays in the shaping of a landscape!

 

 

 

 

 

Went back in the evening for sunset….