I returned from Fernie to find about eight inches of snow at home. Most has melted but some remains where the sun does not shine on it. I didn't know what to expect at the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail but I was ready for snow or mud.

The trail turned out to be in great shape. There was snow in areas where the trail is tree covered and a leaf carpet covers the areas that would be muddy.

I had to take advantage of the day. The sun was brilliant and the sky was cloudless. I took a few moments to enjoy it from one of the benches that overlooks a pond. The waterfowl were gone. I wondered where the swan family settled for the winter. It was great fun to watch them through the summer.

I could hear Mother Nature's choir on my travels through the forest. The bluejays called. The squirrels chattered. The chickadees sang. A pair of moose were browsing in the woods. They heard the crunch of frozen grass under my boots and took off through the trees. A grouse flew up from the underbrush. 

I was there in mid morning. The sun was beginning to melt the frost. Leaves were holding drops of water that reflected the light. The forest carpet sparkled. It was a great day for a hike.

I had a road trip planned for today until I stepped onto the deck this morning.  It was calm and warm.  I wondered why I would waste a day like this cooped up in my vehicle.

The alternate plan was to try a new trail at Elk Island National Park.  I decided on the 16km long Wood Bison Trail.  Estimated time to walk the loop is 5 hours.  Now that is the way to spend a beautiful autumn day!

My backpack held enough snacks for the day, extra clothing and some of my camera gear.  I left home at 9:35am and was ready to hit the trail at 10:00am.  It was not as wide or as well worn as the trails that I frequent on the north side of the park.

I just about turned back because I could hear the traffic noise from the Yellowhead Highway.  That was the last thing that I wanted to hear.  I was about 3kms in before I didn't hear the traffic anymore.  Instead, I heard woodpeckers and chickadees.  

I saw a cow moose feeding on some willow branches.  She was camera shy and took off into the trees before I could get a photo.

There was a bluebird sky overhead.  The warm sun shone down so it didn't take long for me to make a pit stop to remove the jacket I was wearing.  At 11:25am, I was at the south end of Flyingshot Lake.  I had hoped to see cranes or swans on the lake but no such luck.  The only waterfowl out there were ducks.

At the half way point, I found a log that served as the perfect bench for me to sit, take in the beauty and have lunch.  There was not a sound and not a soul out there.  It was just me and Mother Nature.

The colors were spectacular.  I was lucky to see a male ruffed grouse in full regalia.  He looked like he meant business but as I approached he flew into the trees to join a female.

The trail took me through a mix of very different landscapes.  I hiked past a lake, marsh areas, open meadows and a ravine filled with colorful larch.  There were a number of downed trees across the trail and a number of wood boardwalks to cross to get over wet areas.

At 3:25pm I arrived back at the parking lot.  I made good time considering that I was carrying a backpack, a camera bag and my tripod and that I had stopped for lunch and for many photo ops.

This was definitely the right way to spend the day.  Fresh air, sunshine, animal sightings, bird calls, the colors of autumn and crunching leaves made for a perfect outing.

Oh yes, and one more thing... NO bugs!

As I looked out the back window to watch the sun rise, I noticed that the wind has stripped the autumn color from the trees.  I heard the gusts through the night and this morning, the backyard is littered with leaves.

It is still windy so the efforts to rake them would be fruitless.  I need a few bags of leaves to mix into my raised garden beds so the first chance I get, I'll be collecting that backyard carpet and mixing it with the black soil.

On Saturday when I got back from the farm, I was unloading my vehicle and saw birds overhead.  This time it was not sandhill cranes.  There were pelicans swooping and swirling!

The Canada geese are not on the move yet.  I noticed many flocks in the harvested fields; picking up what the farm equipment left behind.

The chickadees and nuthatches are busy feeding in the backyard.  I've added some suet and peanut feeders to attract more woodpeckers and blue jays.  There has been lots of action at all the feeders.  The sunflower seeds need to be filled daily where through the summer I filled those feeders once per week.

The birds are preparing for winter just as I was.  The firewood stand arrived and I put that together.  The log splitter arrived and the stack of wood is split, on the stand and covered up.  The new outdoor fire pit arrived and I assembled that as well.  I haven't had the chance to use it yet.  There is some prep work that needs doing in the old fire ring before the new one can fit inside safely.  

I can't wait to try it for the first time.  The forecast for the weekend is looking great and if the wind cooperates, I'm going to try my best for an autumn bonfire.  The best case scenario would be to have some leaves left over from the garden project.  Oh, how I love leaf bonfires in the fall.  I miss my old 'leaf trees' from the backyard.  They used to give me enough leaves for a bonfire to last all afternoon.

My arms feel like rubber bands but the wood is split and stacked.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.  The sun was shining.  The sky was blue with only a few wispy clouds. 

The birds kept me entertained all day.  They didn't seem to mind the noise of the log splitter.  White-breasted nuthatches and chickadees flew back and forth from tree branches to feeders.  Blue jays squawked and dived down to the seed feeders.

Whenever the splitter was off, I could hear cranes overhead.  At least 8 flocks of cranes came into view.  They circled and appeared to join together into one big flock.  They were on the move today.

A large pileated woodpecker came for a visit.  I heard it first and tried to determine where it was.  It flew into the yard from

the forest behind my yard and landed on an old poplar snag.  From the snag, it landed on a log on the ground.  There must have been some tasty bugs in that one.  It kept the woodpecker busy for a few minutes before it flew up to a stump just a few feet away from me.

I watched the woodpecker and it watched me.  Once it determined that I was no threat, it flew up to the suet feeder.  It amazes me that such a big bird can hold onto that cage and still be able to peck at the suet.

As I split the large logs, I found grubs inside of them.  I'm sure the woodpecker would have loved those juicy morsels.

I didn't get out to the trails but nature came to me and I enjoyed the show. 

 

I sure hope that the deep freeze that just ended has been the last for this winter.  The four evenings in a row with temperatures in the -40Cs and the days of mid -20Cs with windchill made for serious cabin fever.  I learned that when I do not move a vehicle for 3 days, I must still go out to start and run it for 15-20 minutes or the cold drains the life out of a battery.  Apparently I was not the only one that did not know this.  The tow truck driver that provided the boost said he had been doing a lot of that.

I also hope the cold has frozen all the 'bugs' out there.  I've had more than my share of stuffed heads and runny noses this winter. I am looking forward to being outside again in the fresh air to counter act the daytime close encounters of office germs.  

Almost three inches of snow fell over the past couple of days in addition to the cold temperatures.  Neither seemed to bother the backyard wildlife. The deer continued to visit their grain tub and the chickadees created a frenzy at the feeders.

I learned a couple of things from watching the action.  Those cute little black-capped chickadees can get aggressive.  The pot of sunflower seeds sitting on my deck rail was guarded by some black and white bullies.  There was quite the flurry of feathers when intruders tried to sneak in for a snack.

I also learned that white tail deer have large bottom teeth.  One of the young deer happened to 'smile' as I snapped a photo.  I was surprised to see the size of the teeth.  I would think that each could use a toothpick after eating all those sunflower seeds shells!

The warming trend is welcomed.  My granddaughters are coming for a sleepover this weekend.  They are registered into some x-country ski lessons and having comfortable weather will make the time outside all the more enjoyable.

 





 

It's a new year.  I don't make resolutions but will continue to make the effort to spend as much time as possible outside in the fresh air.  I am hoping to take a few more camping trips through the summer.  The snow-free days are a long way off.  I have to deal with snow shovel right now.  

After spending December 31 lazing around the house, I needed some exercise and fresh air.  The day began with shoveling the deck and driveway.  Over the past couple of days, there was another 4 inches of snow that came down.  There are still 3-4 months of winter ahead and I don't know where the rest of the snow is going to go.  The snowbanks in the yard are the biggest that I've had here in 11 years; that is after some melting that took place on +0C days.

The deer had cleaned out all the feeders and their grain tub so before leaving this morning, I refilled everything.

I wanted to start the new year off in the forest so I grabbed my snowshoes and drove to Elk Island National Park.  There were very few vehicles in the trail head parking lots so I knew the day would be quiet; just the way I like it.

I decided on visiting the Amisk Wuche trail.  It provides a variety of scenery and a good work out with all the hill-climbing.  After gearing up and hiking to the fork in the trail that creates the loop, I decided to start the year off as a rebel.  Yes, I hiked in the opposite direction of the arrow that marks the trail.  I've always hiked counter-clockwise but today I changed it up and hiked clockwise for a different perspective.  The trail is actually more scenic in this direction.

The light was dull and grey.  Snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground.  There was not a sound in the forest until I got to the first beaver pond.  The beaver lodge was snow-covered with animal tracks leading to the top of it.  The tracks continued east to the forest edge.  As I stood on the trail taking in the sight, I was entertained by a lone coyote.  Its haunting call echoed through the trees.

Further into the forest where the trees were closer together, a couple of squirrels chattered to each other.  A woodpecker worked to get underneath the bark on an old poplar tree.  Most of the hike around the loop was silent except for the crunching of my snowshoes on the snow.

As I neared the parking lot, three more hardy hikers were heading out and six more were suiting up by their vehicles.  I picked the perfect time to be out there.

On the drive home I saw a couple of coyotes loping across the frozen ponds, stopping now and again to hunt.  There were no other animals out today.

When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that the deer had visited while I was away.  Before heading inside, I refilled everything.  The birds were very active. I decided to do a short bird count in the backyard.  I tried tracking the birds at all three feeding stations but soon learned that it was impossible to count that many.  

I chose to track the station in the middle of the yard where a block of suet hangs in addition to a feeder filled with striped sunflower seeds.  In eight short minutes there were 55 visits by chickadees, one by a downy woodpecker and two by nuthatches.  It's no wonder they empty the

feeder almost as fast as the deer do.  

A pileated woodpecker flew into the yard but it spied me in the window so it flew out just as fast.  A squirrel was raiding the seeds in the tray feeder.

I was succumbing to the fresh air.  My eyes were closing; telling me that an afternoon nap was in order.  Well, the nap turned into a lovely 2 hour rest.  I glanced out the window to see if the sky had cleared and noticed that the deer had visited again while I was asleep.

The temperature is supposed to warm up overnight.  If that happens, I think tomorrow will be spent on the ski trails.

 

Since November 21, a single doe has been visiting my yard.  Yesterday, she brought friends; three to be exact.  I glanced out the window and saw the silhouettes.  They glanced up when I turned on an outside light but made no attempt to leave.  I watched as they raided the bird's feeder tray.  When that was empty, they found the tub of grain.  After 30 minutes of eating and frolicking in the snow, they filed out of the yard one by one.

I was off today. The sun was shining.  There was a long to-do list on my table but I just could not waste a perfect outdoor day.  I packed up and headed out the door at 8:15am for some trail adventures.

The sun was just coming up when I left.  As I drove through Elk Island Park, the sun's rays created millions of sparkling crystals on the hoar frost left from last night's fog.  The trees along Amisk Wuche trail wore white coats on their branches.  The contrast of white against the bright blue sky was amazing.  It was so peaceful.  It was Christmas card perfect. 

I got back to the trail head parking lot and knew that I didn't want to head home just yet.  The day was too beautiful to spend it inside.  I drove straight to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  I hadn't visited the snowshoe trail since it snowed.  It was packed down so I managed to walk it with boots and cleats.  

As I made my way along the trail, I heard the chickadees calling from the willow thickets.  A slight breeze blew through the tree tops, creating enough movement to shake the hoar frost loose.  It fell from the branches covering the trail like a blanket.   The peaceful silence was broken by the sound of the groomer.  I was glad that I was close to the parking lot.

My final destination for the day was the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area.  The trails have been groomed and track set.  I tried the Neon/Lost Lake trail.  The skiing was perfect.  I met up with a couple of hikers but no other skiers.  I'm proud to say that there were no wipe outs today!

As I traveled home, I noticed one of the deer that visited my yard last night.  I knew it was the same one by its size; double the size of the single doe that has been visiting.  She was making her way up an acreage driveway.  It will be interesting to see if the visitors come back this evening.

When I got home, I realized that I had spent 5 glorious hours in the fresh air.  I visited all 3 of my favorite places.  As I listened to the news this evening, the weather forecaster was warning everyone of an approaching winter storm.  Tomorrow morning should still be okay but freezing rain is to move in during the afternoon.  A snowstorm with big winds and lots of snow is to follow.  I'm hoping that I can get to the ski trail in the morning before the weather changes because it looks like hibernation is on the horizon if the storm hits as predicted.



 

My Perfect Outdoor Day

"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees.  The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets.  It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day.  It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful.  Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."  ~Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899

I left home as the sun was coming up this morning.  My plan was to spend the day outside.  I started at the Strathcona Wilderness Center.  The air was crisp and the grasses and leaves were frosty.  It was the perfect beginning to a glorious outing.

 

The morning rays of the sun shone through the bare branches of the tall aspen trees.  The trunks cast long shadows on the trail.  The frosty leaf carpet glittered like gold.  

 

It was still calm and silent except for the little chickadees.  They were busy collecting seeds from the shrubs.  I stopped to watch as they flitted from branch to branch; singing their 'cheeseburger' song.

There were a number of little ponds along the trail that I was on.  I could see them through the trees.  The moose and deer created a well worn path to one of them.  I decided to follow it.  I'm glad that I did.

Moss covered logs lay on the edge.  The water was not deep but it was calm, clear and reminded me of a sheet of glass.  The bright yellow color from the few remaining leaves reflected in the water.  The area was like a little piece of heaven.

When I finished exploring at the SWC, I made my way to Elk Island National Park.  I wanted to revisit a trail that looped through the forest on the north side of Astotin Lake.  

 

Along the parkway en route to the lake, a young coyote searched for food.  It lopped through the ditch.  Every now and again it would pounce into the tall grasses but each time it came back out empty handed.  

As I made my way to the trail head, I could hear honking above me.  The snow geese were on the move.  Their white bodies against the blue sky were a sight to behold.

My first stop was at a bench that overlooked Astotin Lake.  The wind had picked up and was creating little white caps on the water.  Ducks and geese bobbed up and down in the waves.  This was an ideal lunch spot.  There was still some autumn color directly in front of me as well as on the island.  The bench was sheltered and the sun warmed me as I sat and took in the sights and sounds.

There are a number of rest stops along the trail where hikers can take a break and relax.  It was at one of the stops that numerous paths lead into the trees.  I followed one and found a skull leaning against a broken branch.

Chickadees and nuthatches provided entertainment as they were foraging in the spruce trees.  The forest smells were amazing.

I marveled at the scene around me.  There were decaying logs covered in a carpet of bright green fern-looking moss.  A tree stump was covered in a soft layer of brown/green moss.  Lichen grew upright through the layer; reaching for the small rays of sun that found their way through the thick boughs overhead.

My outdoor day was perfect.  I am so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area.  All my favorite activities can be found within a 10 minute drive from my home.  Hiking, x-country skiing, skating, snowshoeing, and so many natural areas for photography.  I take advantage of this every moment that I can.  There is nothing better than spending time in the forest.

Oh Happy Day!

What a glorious day!  Clear blue sky, sunshine and warm temperatures!  I watched the sun rise this morning as I sat at the kitchen table; the brilliant colors peeking through the trees.

The birds were chirping in my neighbor's willow tree as they waited their turn for a spot at the feeder.  It sure does not take long for them to carry away all the nuts that I put out.

I was trying to decide where to trek today.  It didn't really matter.  I just knew I wanted to be outside.  Something or 'someone' was motivating me to head to Elk Island.  I was so glad that I listened to that little 'voice'.

I didn't even make it to the park gate and had to pull over on the side of the highway.  I witnessed another first!  This winter I saw a pileated and a hairy woodpecker side by side on the same tree and a blue jay and a hairy woodpecker side by side at the tray feeder in the backyard.  Today's first was amazing to say the least; numerous white tailed deer and bison grazing on the same hill.  What a sight!  I was the only one that stopped to view that spectacle.  Traffic just kept zooming right on by.  It was too bad that everyone was in such a hurry.

As I turned into the park entrance, a small herd of bison greeted me today.  Most were content to be laying in the snow, soaking up the sunshine.  They didn't appear to care that a crazy lady with a camera was taking their picture!

There were no vehicles in sight so I traveled at a leisurely pace along the parkway.  The snow has melted a visible amount.  All the bison 'fertilizer' is now visible on the snowbanks; having been removed from the road by the snowplow through the winter.  It's no wonder the grass in the ditches grows as tall as it does!

 It was great to be able to drive slowly through the park without having vehicles pull up behind.  I was able to notice a coyote plodding through the trees just a short distance from the road.  It didn't even stop to glance up at me when I pulled over.  I was hoping that it would stop in the open area but it was on a mission.

There were a number of small herds of bison alongside the park highway.  I'm sure that today had the greatest number that I've seen this winter.  One of the park rangers was out with his meter stick taking measurements of the snow pack in the trees alongside the road.  The bison paid no mind to him either.

Astotin Lake is only one stop away from the trail head that I was going to so I decided to drive into the parking lot area adjacent to the lake.  There were no vehicles yet but there was a lonely bison beside one of the picnic tables.  This was also a first for me.  In all the years that I've been visiting this park, I've never seen the bison in that picnic area.  I stopped there again after my hike and there were a few people milling around and the bison was headed to a quieter spot.

 I was undecided as to what to wear; snowshoes or hiking cleats.  I opted for the cleats and was happy with the choice.  The sun had not yet softened the snow so it was a pretty easy hike.  There is at least two feet of packed snow on the trail.  It will be July before the snow is melted in the treed areas.

The birds were very vocal.  Blue jays, crows, ravens, chickadees, and magpies could be heard in the distance.  I stopped at my favorite area where many large spruce can be found.  Their branches reach over the trail on either side, creating a tunnel that you have to walk through.  I heard a bird call that I had not heard before so I stood still and listened; hoping to hear it again.  

As if on cue, the little feathered friend flew to a nearby branch and sang for me.  It was a chickadee that I had not seen before.  I'm going to put my bird book and binoculars in my backpack for the next outing.  I had to wait until I got home to find out that it was a boreal chickadee.  Yey!  I had another first today!

I stood underneath the canopy and listened to those sweet sounds of mother nature.  The little chickadee sang.  A slight breeze was causing the loose bark on the nearby birch trees to flap back and forth.  A blue jay called from an evergreen stand in the distance.  I could smell the sap from the spruce boughs.  What a relaxing spot!  If only that moment could be bottled and shared with those who don't have the time to take in what mother nature offers.

I continued on my way back to the trail head.  The air was warming up nicely and the water was beginning to flow in the parking lot.  After I made my way out the rutted up driveway, I headed back to Astotin Lake to see if the bison was still there.  Just before I got to the turn off, I noticed a number of mule deer under the trees along the edge of the campground.  It was certainly a great day for wildlife sightings!

On my way home, I noticed that the bison herd had moved but the deer remained grazing on the sunny hill.  I also noticed that the vehicles on the highway kept whizzing by; probably oblivious to the fact that there were 8 deer right beside the road.  Many of those people may not have cared.

As long as I can remember, I've had an appreciation for nature and a love for being outside.  The farm that I grew up on has a creek that runs through it.  It flows in the spring when the snow melts.  I spent countless hours building rafts from tree branches and then filling my boots with water as I tried to set sail.  It was exciting to see the first marsh marigolds show their yellow blooms in the sloughs.  I watched for the first pussy willows to break through their hard coverings.  I recall the look on my mother's face on the day that I was going to sleep under the stars by the fire pit behind the house.  For some reason she kept mentioning the skunk that was in the yard the night before.

My love of nature has not changed.  My appreciation of the great outdoors has grown.  I find solace and peace in the forest after a hectic week at work.  Today is my birthday and I could think of no better place to spend the day.  My forest friends came out of the woods and the sunshine and warm temperature was spirit-lifting.  Oh happy day!