Expedition Canada

Again! The Creek beneath Shannon Falls It has not been a great year for Whistler, the snow was late arriving, closely followed by warm weather and rain.  The week-long freeze and subsequent snow did not lay enough of a base for Whistler to get through the latest warm, wet spell.   After our wet Whistler Christmas, we headed up the Sea-to-Sky highway on Monday 29th in rain, fog and 8c.  Waterfalls of varying sizes were cascading down the rocks alongside the highway from the combined rain and snowmelt and the creeks were thunderous.   We stopped off at the Shannon Falls  on the way up, the third highest falls in BC.  The volume of water was such that it was impossible to see the main falls because of the spray showering us from 50' away.   It was quite a sight and sound. We felt like we were in the falls! The creek running off at the base of the falls It is not only Whistler that it 'enjoying' the warm weather.  All three ski cen...

Foraging Course cancelled Sat Oct 16th We are gripped by an 'atmospheric river' according to a report on Friday's CBC news for BC.  Perhaps shrouded might be more accurate. Not some euphemistic term to describe the collective mood in bad weather or a mystic meaning aligned with one's inner-self.  They   are a like ' rivers in the sky '  according to a CBC report, 'that transport large volumes of water vapour from the equator', before dumping it down on us.  Canada gets several a year and the volume of rain can apparently, 'exceed the volume of water flowing into the ocean from the Amazon'.  It feels like it.  The rain started Friday morning and is due to continue until Sunday evening when 75mm to 150mm of rain is forecast to have fallen. We'd had 40mm by the end of Friday.  Roads are awash and running with waves of surface water, the small stream that usually trickles across the front of our property alongside the road is a torrent....

Running Creeks Sat Sept 18th Compared to Friday, Saturday was a beautiful morning Sun Sept 19th  Friday night's rain which took out our power, also took out the scheduled 18:55 ferry, which was cancelled.  So just as well Nick and Lizzie postponed coming over - it would have been a long wait at the ferry terminal.  With news reports during Thursday suggesting there could be power cuts, Fred bought a camping gas-lamp (the last one in the shop) and candles during her shopping trip on Friday morning.  Just as well.  At 5pm on Friday there was a loud bang outside and we lost power. We didn't anticipate needing them quite so soon. It felt quite cosy without electric lighting.  Fortunately the gas hob and gas log fire still worked.  We were comfortable, but turned in early not wanting to drain phone batteries.  BC Hydro engineers turned up just after 01:00 driving up and down the lane in the heavy rain using powerful lights to check the overhead ca...

Coyotes and Bears  Mon Aug 13 - Wed Aug 15 Looking across to what we think is Mt Windsor There is a saying in Manchester if you can't see the Pennines it's raining, if you can see them it's going to rain.  It is about to get like that here.   Small falls on Roberts Creek in Cliff Gilker Park This morning's red sky sunrise proceeded the rain alert from Gov.Ca for Thursday through to Friday and should have been sufficient warning.  It was the most vivid red sky I think I've ever seen.  In fact the incoming frontal system is bringing rain through to Tuesday.  We'll know if we can't see the mainland mountains it's raining, and if we can it's going to rain. The good news is that it will give the parched forests a much needed drenching. More importantly it is forecast to fall as snow above 1400m in Whistler.  I wonder if the mountain opposite  us  (Mt Windsor?)  will see snow before the residual patch from last winter final melts....

Super-Visas Approved  Lone Heron on a diving platform Hopkins Landing beach Thu Aug 26th BREAKING NEWS Having written all about bear encounters and rain, our lovely immigration advisor rang early afternoon to say out Super-visas had been approved.  We're over the moon. It means we can now stay for 10 years in 2 year chunks, longer initially if our visitor extension gets approved.  Should be enough time to get residency sorted!  Earlier in the day ..... Having complained in yesterday's blog about the risk of bears being attracted by people not taking their green food bins in at night, a large male black bear interrupted my dog walk home this morning.  One hundred yards from home he ambled down the entrance drive from one of the neighbouring properties and disappeared in the bend in the road.   Dilemma, he's between me and the house, proceed or 'phone a Fred'.  As it was a local walk I had no bear spray or bangers.  I opted for the ph...

Cooler and Quieter Hopkins landing beach and mainland mountains Mon Aug 16th Tues Aug 17th Temperatures have dropped 10c - 15c since the arrival of rain on Monday and Tuesday.  Much needed, long overdue and still not enough. After reaching 33c over the weekend we have struggled to get to 20c.  The rain didn't  reach the interior of BC in any quantity and was of no help to the wildfire fighters, struggling with   266 fires , up 10 in the two days. It was quite murky towards the end of the weekend, largely blamed on wildfire smoke.  The sun was a deep red morning and evening as it shone through the low level haze.  There was no obvious hint of smoke in the air. The end of the week is forecast to be sunnier, before rain returns at  the weekend. We hope the rain reaches the interior. Wildfire Map Our six month visitor stamps in the passport expire 3rd October. We have now formally applied for an extension for a further year, which has been organised b...

And then it rained! Sat Aug 7th An obscured Whistler Mountain Whistler Mountain seen on my bear abandoned morning walk.  You actually can't see the mountain because the low cloud and rain has at last arrived.  It dampened the dust on Lost Lake trail and produce a lovely wet pine aroma that has been absent for some six weeks. Yes, it was our fifth bear this morning.  For the first time I'd let Jack off the the lead as I'd started round the back of the lake with the hillside to the left and lake on the right.    One hundred metres further on a black blob appeared at the side of the path.  I called Jack back and put him on the lead and waited as the bear ambled up into the hillside.  I waited a few minutes and assuming it had gone, slowly continued on down the trail.  It reappeared, twenty metres closer and heading towards us.  We backed up and watched it head off down to the lakeside.  At this point the margin between lake and track was na...