Saturday, April 22, 2006:
Nine Nats walked the Med DeAnna Trail on a pleasant, typical Spring morning. Many glacier lilies and some spring beauties adorned the rock mounds close to the trailhead. Some trilliums [is the plural trillia?] bloomed further along the way. Audubon warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, ruby-crowned kinglet, winter wren and black-capped chickadee sang cheerfully. On the lake were Barrow’s goldeneye, mallard, Canada goose and hooded merganser. The usual tree swallows were absent. We enjoyed the warmth of the sun during lunch at the second shelter. Thanks to Tom and Laima Allis for their leadership on our annual cleanup of this trail.
Saturday, April 29, 2006:
Ten WK Nats met at the Kinnaird Park for the start of the Kinnaird Orc Trails adventure. We walked down the water line for awhile, then along the swamp through rich fronds of fairy bells, Solomon’s seal and ferns. Then it was up a steep rocky bit and onto a barren rocky top with saskatoons in full bloom. On past a vernal pool in rocks we returned to civilization and unfortunately garage sales, where we nearly lost half of our party. The errant hikers were brought back to the fold with their booty and we went together through the birch groves bright with fresh green new leaves. We eventually came upon a relic stone structure and were soon passing through a cleft in the rock to the Inner Earth and the Orc Trails. The first stop was for lunch on the edge of a precipitous cliff. We then followed the Orc Trails to a stone age meeting place complete with stone benches and fire pit. Fortunately no Orcs were encountered and we followed a pine shaded trail back to civilization again.
Saturday, May 6th, 2006:
Observation Mountain, Grand Forks (aprox 3 hr return)
Two WK Nats joined four Boundary Nats for a very interesting hike. The terrain varied from quite steep and rocky to flat and grassy with Ponderosa Pines. Many spring flowers were starting to bloom, most notably two colourful Clamatis vines and large clumps of balsamroots higher up. Saskatoon trees/shrubs were blooming too. A snack and a rest was enjoyed by all at the top of the mountain. I found the views very interesting, seeing Grand Forks and the outlying areas from this vantage point. The weather was clear and sunny--just right for a hike!
Saturday, May 13, 2006:
The weather was absolutely perfect, not too hot yet and bright and sunny. We took the very short dramatic walk in to Tulip Creek Falls, admired the tremendous amount of water, took the obligatory photographs and got our morning shower. From the trailhead again, we headed up the east side of the creek (the west side of Ladybird Mountain) for a different, bird’s eye view of the falls. We had hoped that this route could take us further up the creek without too much difficulty, but that was not to be. We had an early lunch in a meadow on the hillside, then drove to the Deer Creek Falls trailhead. This trail is perfect for a hot summer day, as it is in dappled shade and a very easy one km walk down a gentle grade. When we arrived at the resituated picnic table 100 metres from the Falls, we decided that, since Mel DeAnna Trail is so very well maintained, it could go for a year without our annual nipping and clipping on Earth Day weekend. Instead, we decided to clear this trail. The main problem is a few downed trees, easily removed with a small chainsaw. It could also use a bit of the attention that we show to the other. Margo volunteered her chainsaw and gas, and other Nats offered to pack and make use of them. If we don’t keep this trail in good shape, no one else will, and in a very few years, we will not have the use of it at all. [Here are a few birds I was able to see and ID: Western Wood-Pewee, Bald Eagle, American Robin, Crow, Violet-green Swal
Saturday, May 20, 2006:
The rain started at the Bird Creek Marsh trailhead and didn't let up until we were all safely at home. Therefore, 9 Nats and 2 guests got completely soaked on our morning excursion into Bird Creek Marsh, near Blewett. Nevertheless, K. Linda Kivi, Martin Carver and Michael McMann were excellent leaders and provided us with information about the area, plants, ants, and raptors. The Kootenay River was very high, so we got excellent views of white water spilling over the river's dams. We tasted wild ginger root (very pungent!), had a good look at a garter snake, and learned about how beneficial the red ants are in breaking down the deadfall in the forest. The light was flat, so birding wasn't the best, but the highlights were a Bald Eagle and its nest, Townsend's Warbler, Kingfisher and Western Tanager, among others. Since it was our first trip to the location, we found it most interesting and will explore it again in less inclement weather.