It was a great weekend for a road trip. Snowy peaks against a bluebird sky made for some great views along the Cowboy Trail (HWY 22).

The trip to Fernie, BC takes me longer than most because I like taking in the scenes. I love the snow covered mountain tops! I could park and stare at them in wonder for hours on end.

On the way I stopped at Lundbreck Falls. I noticed the sign on previous trips but had no idea that they were so close to the highway. 

There's a nice little parking lot with picnic tables and washroom facilities by the falls. Two viewing areas allow you a glimpse of the falls from above and a staircase takes you down to the catch pool at the bottom.

The falls were frozen with only a small area of open water. The staircase was covered in snow and once down at the bottom, you couldn't tell what was rock or shelf ice. Not a good time to venture close to the falls.

This is definitely a location that I will visit during a summer trip. I'll be sure to check out the provincial campground at the same time!

As I was leaving the the falls, a small herd of deer grazed alongside the rail line. They didn't seem to be bothered by my photographic intrusion.

Highway 3 took me west through the Crowsnest Pass where my windshield was filled with mountain scenes all the way to Fernie. 

The lakes were still frozen but the small streams were beginning to flow. Deer and sheep grazed beside the highway. Fly fishers were trying their luck in the open areas of the river.

I brought skis, cleats and snowshoes for the weekend adventure. Next week...views along the Trans Canada Trail, now known as The Great Trail.

Snowy mountain tops along Highway 22

Lundbreck Falls

Some of the Lundbreck locals

It was an experience like no other. I've never had a wild bird eat out of my hand. I've tried to entice the chickadees in my yard but they wouldn't have any of it so needless to say when the redpolls landed in my hand, I was shaking with excitement.

The redpolls were late in arriving this season but when they showed up, they have been providing me with lots of entertainment since that day. They have also been emptying the feeders daily. This is what happened when I decided to try getting them to eat out of my hand.

The willow tree next door was filled with redpolls just a chirping away. They were waiting for me to fill the feeder. I filled my hand first and that was enough to lure a couple brave birds out of the tree.

They were so light that they were landed and feeding before I even realized what was going on. You have no idea the excitement I felt when this happened. I was even more excited when a couple of them were having a little squabble right on my arm!

Nature amazes me every day. This experience proves that you can enjoy it in your backyard. You don't need to head out to the middle of no man's land. You just have to go outside. There are natural experiences every where.

There is something magical about having a wild bird eat from your hand.

I checked the forecast last night before bed. What was supposed to be -28C overnight turned out to be -39C. The red extreme cold banner is back. How much longer can it last? It's March 2 after all. I'm dreaming of gardening season.

The backyard birds have been trying desperately to keep warm. Sunflower seed minis appear to be their favorite food. When the little birds are not hiding in the spruce boughs they are fluffed up and waiting for a turn at the feeder.

The redpolls have been really greedy. They share with no other bird. In fact, there are times when they don't share with their own kind. I've been witness to some aggressive behavior in the feeder just outside my window. Beaks were snapping at each other.

If something happens to scare the redpolls off, the mild mannered little chickadees and nuthatches fly in to take their turn. 

I had a good laugh this morning. A chickadee was not going to let the redpoll bully him at the feeder. It flew down to the snow and then up to the underside of the feeder. The sunflower minis were small enough and the holes in the bottom of the feeder were large enough for the chickadee to feed from below. The redpoll was outsmarted!

The larger birds have been visiting as well. The hairy and downy woodpeckers came for the suet. The bluejays came for suet and seed. The pileated woodpecker made its presence known by pecking at the power pole in front of my house. The sound resonated through the entire neighborhood. It was louder than usual because of the cold. I don't know what it was going after but it was really trying to get at it.

If there happens to be seed left in the feeders at the end of the day, the deer have it finished off by morning. They have a well worn path through my yard from the woods to the feeder.

It was too cold this morning to be outside so I looked back at my archived photos to see what was happening during the first week of March in years prior. I found a lot of photos with a lot of snow but much warmer temperatures.

I sure hope it warms up to a bearable temperature soon. I'm outside when it's -25C if there is no wind but the wind has created temps near -41C when windchill is factored in so I've had more days of hibernation than I would like.