Expedition Canada

Trees Down Mon Jan 23rd One of the Douglas Firs that had crashed down across the trails. The Holy Grail of wildlife sightings in BC is to see Humpback Whales breaching.  Black Bears are great, but not a rarity; Coyotes are quite common (Jack startled a youngster in Cliff Gilker during the week), Cougars fortunately not so common - and we have not yet seen one - no rush.   During the Summer we enjoyed numerous views of Grey and Humpback Whale tails, fins and  waterspouts, but the sight of a whale fully breaching has evaded us, till Sunday.   I didn't have my camera.  I kept the video running on my iPhone, and every time I stopped filming, they breached, but you get to to see their water spouts! On the final leg of our Sunday sailing race back to Gibsons Marina, a race that had been shortened due to very light, and at times non-existent, winds our skipper thought he heard a distant explosion; a crack and thunderous roar like a loud firework (his words)....

It's Wet Mon Jan 16th Roberts Creek Towards the end of last year as the drought continued into Winter, if we had doubts about the area retaining the status of a Temperate Rainforest, we should not have worried.  It has been wet.  Not enough to cause the level of flooding that the UK and California has suffered, but wet.  The creeks are in full flood. In the mountains the snow has been abundant, unlike much of Europe - though that appears to be improving, but interspaced with warm and occasional wetter weather.  As a result the snowpack is Avalanche Warnings in SW BC unstable and the avalanche risk is at 3 of 5.  A "considerable" risk rating.  Off piste and backcountry skiing is not advised. The blue blobs at the top of the map are the Whistler area. Not that it affects us, we have cashed in our season passes as Fred's hip replacement is due in Feb.  I hope to get up for the occasional boys-day-out before the op and and when we get back f...

Where did Christmas go? Mon Jan 2nd 2023 Grantham's Landing the other side of Gibsons looking across Howe Sound - Christmas Eve Christmas seems to have whizzed by and in three months we will have been in Canada two years; it's hard to believe! Ball and snow = happy dog We hope you have all had a merry festive time whatever challenges have been thrown in your direction over the last year. We are very conscious from the UK news there have been a few, be it weather, strikes, health service pressures, et al.   You can take the Cronks out of the UK, but not the UK and friends out of the Cronks so it was great to hear from so many of you and catch up on personal news.  Many like us, adopted technology rather than snail mail for seasons greetings this year, not least with the UK postal strikes.  Zoom and Facetime, even a phone call from a close friend made it all seem very 'local'. Aside from the time  difference for catching up with family, Christmases here seem very ...