Well still not to the lake.

There is a lake up on the Ridge that I haven't been able to locate while hiking up in the area. This day I figured I would try again. And again I did not go far enough. Turned out I was 5 minutes away from it, and took the wrong turn.

Most of the travelling is on fire access roads like this. Still snow patches in sheltered spots.

Few outcrops once you get to the top. No views from here. mostly 30 year old plantation trees.

Back to Ridge to sit for a while and see what might show up . From here you can see the lake and the sooke Hills with the Olympic mountains on the horizon.

There was a Bald Eagle calling , whistles and chirping sounds, from the top of a tree behind me.
I look up to see where it is sitting, and High above the eagle a Peregrine Falcon is gliding out southward over the valley .

It heads out about a half mile or so, and then flaps a few of times before going into a incredible swift dive. dropping about 500 feet almost instantly. It was far in the distance but I could see it pull out sharply from the dive before it disappeared in the background of the trees behind.
Shortly after that the eagles called again and way up above them was another adult bald eagle heading out the direction of the peregrine. It got out about as far as the falcon but made a 180 degree turn and headed back over the eagles again and they again called out in disgruntlement.

  Next, a Pygmy Owl starting calling and I noticed one up in top of Fir tree in the direction of the bald eagles. Another called from behind me answering the first. As they were flitting around back and forth the eagles started up again.  this time they were really putting up a fuss. I heard a rush of wings from behind them and then they both exploded out of the tree one heading to the right and one heading to the left, and in the middle comes this diving Golden Eagle scattering both. The Golden chases one of them right down to within 100 feet of me and they both lock talons for a second.  The Balds quickly gather themselves and head off to the west. The golden sticks around for several minutes slowly circling several times and drifting to the south out of site. Don't piss off a Golden Eagle, I think is the lesson here.

Northern Pygmy Owl in the Garry Oak

Turkey vultures migrating by the ridge

Heading down I walked the stream trail back to the car. 

a Hike through the Rainforest and then HUH!

took a trek along a newish marked trail through the Macdonald Rainforest. I have explored this area in the past when there were no human trails. Now, a trail has been blazed through in the last few years and is easy to hike along now.
The trail starts at the Humpback reservoir and follows the shoreline for a bit before heading through the rain forest.

Ice was still covering the reservoir and snow patches still lingered here and there in the woods. the snow in the forest was slushy and melting while the snow out in the open was frozen and I could walk on top of it.

Lots of trees have fallen from the heavy snow and maybe some light storms that have come through the area. these are 3d images and if you cross your eyes and stare at the middle image you get a 3 dimensional image as if you were right there.

There is a rocky hill to the east of the trail that I climbed for a view of Mt Finlayson in the distance. 

 A log I like to photograph whenever I am in the valley. A large old tree came down and balanced on top of an erratic left behind by the glaciers receding.

The trail ended up on an access road that led to the hydro power line that feeds from Bear Reservoir out near Jordan River. Huh! Didn't expect a an open roadway out there.

On the way back I walked along the old waterflow line that dumps into Humpback reservoir.

Tzouhalem end to end

Hiked this horizon of Tzouhalem the other day in January from end to end and then back along the road. We started at the Church of St Ann's on Tzouhalem road.

The church that was built in 1903.  Trail starts just next to the church and follows a pilgrimage path to the Cross on top of the escarpment that looks over the church. The Way of the Cross is an annual pilgrimage that happens on Easter Fridays. A steep climb of about 1200 feet.























The trail of course starts off in the woods on old logging roads, but eventually turns into just a beaten path that opens up on the conglomerate rock outcrops. The whole mountain looks like it is build completely out of this sedimentary rock.

The trail continues past the cross and sticks to the cliff top most of the way along the ridge. Lots of great views of Cowichan Bay and its valley beyond. You can even see Mt Whymper far to the northwest, a snow covered pyramid shaped peak.  A few signs have been erected to guide the visitors.

When you get to the far end of the ridge you begin to see over to the gulf islands, Saltspring appears quite close.

There were very few birds this day, a group of Nuthatches had been harassing something in the trees above, with their " nat nat nat" scoldings. Maybe an owl but I couldn't find it in the dense Firs . No eagles soaring because there was no wind at all , calm. Only when we got down to the road below did we see a few eagles and a young Peregrine falcon fly over us at treetop level.
Not as steep a climb on the way down through the Garry Oaks and Arbutus trees. and then a long walk along 40 minute walk on the road back to the car .

Bald Eagle nest 

Forensic hiking in the snow on Vancouver island.

Hiked up the ridge today to check out the ice at  falls, Garry Oak slopes and the Golden Eagle. The Falls were a little disappointing but the icicles on the cliffs were kind of fun.

  From the falls I climbed straight up the bank through the Sword ferns to the railway tracks a hundred feet above.  Easy climbing today because the ground was still frozen so it didnt give away under foot as usual. On the way up through the Salal and Oregon Grape I noticed Elk scat littered the ground. Interesting, the Elk winter on this slope in some years. They forage on the Salal, Oregon Grape and the invasive Holy .

 I made it up to the open slopes and was hiking along the top of the opening when I disturbed a big bird. I realized it was the Golden Eagle as it swooped out from underneath a large Fir and landed a 100 feet from me in on a bow of a larger Fir tree. I stood still for a few moments to see what it was going to do. It didnt move.  a couple of Ravens called and flew out from deeper in the woods and landed near where the Eagle had been. Now I knew there was something there, a carcass of an Elk!..or a deer, or maybe just a rabbit.

 A yearling buck it was. Steller's Jays now scolded me from above. They too were enjoying the fresh meal that a presumed cougar had provided them.  A swept up pile of moss and deer fur next to the carcass was evident.
   I watched the Eagle in the tree for a few minutes, it then took flight and chased off a Bald Eagle that had come to close for its comfort. It then circled and drifted off to the north.

 
   I headed down now, off the open slope and down the very steep slope through the Salal and Oregon Grape into the Old Growth Firs and Hemlocks.

Elk droppings were quite prevalent around here as well. Once I dropped down to the fire access road below, it was easier going. No more following the deer trails through the 6 foot Salal. The road was covered in  an inch of snow and I could make out some tracks.  Looked to me like two adult Elk with a yearling following. At first they were walking slowly, distinct clear foot prints in the snow, then they started to appear to scuff the snow as they walked, possibly speeding up there gait.  I wondered if they just ahead of me or maybe something else spooked them. I started looking for more tracks, and there they were,  small cougar prints in the snow.

 Only about 3 inches across, I assume they were from quite a youngster, maybe looking to take down the yearling Elk. I followed the tracks for some time until they veered off into the thick salal stands under the old growth firs. I continued on my way back to the car, watching my back as I went.

Tower Point on an unexpected beautiful fall day