Explorations in this amazing landscape – the view from Bowen Island
Yesterday I was invited to watch as the fish hatchery on Bowen Island, operated by the volunteers of the Bowen Island Fish & Wildlife Club, released 32,000 coho salmon into local creeks. They will live in these fresh water creeks and ponds for a year before heading out on their long ocean voyage.
We thought that Sunday would be a quiet day of spring skiing on the abandoned slopes of the ski area in Cypress Bowl.
SAR helicopters above moguls run
Instead, as we skinned up Mt. Strachan, over on Black Mountain, North Shore Rescue was holding its third annual avalanche rescue exercises.
It was a major event. The scenario was that 12 snowshoers had been caught in a class 2 avalanche (big) and at least 6 were buried and did not have the benefit of location beacons (radio transceivers to facilitate finding someone under the snow).
About 50 search and rescue experts and volunteers participated. The miltary were there with their Cormorant helicopter, and North Shore Rescue were using their two Talon Helicopters. These machines were almost constantly in the air, often circling over our heads with stretchers and rescuers dangling from long lines.
The display of expertise and equipment was impressive. And as someone who loves to head into the backcountry, it is comforting to know that these people are well trained, dedicated, and excellently equipped to manage a rescue. (If someone who is new to our local wilderness mountains is reading this, let me add that I see a rescue as a backup to my mountain travel and avalanche training — I hope never to call on their services.)
The Canadian Military Cormorant helicopter
with the moguls run — where the avalanche exercises took place — behind
Dog trained for avalanche rescue
One of several North Shore Rescue vehicles
For more information, here is the blog for North Shore Rescue.
Global TV coverage of Snowman Rescue Drill
For me, I know that spring is really here when I see that the Skunk Cabbage is blooming in the wet places on Bowen Island.
Mount Callaghan
In October 2000, after stumbling around Mt. Callaghan for four years, two of us scrambled to the top. As mountaineering goes, this was not a very impressive accomplishment; but for this old guy who’d moved from the prairies a few years previously, it was high adventure.
If I’d been writing a blog in 2000, this would have been one of my yarns. It would be another six years before I discovered blogging. I’ve learned that I can write blog entries, and post them on almost any date I want. So now that old story comes to this blog, and — as if it were written at the time — you can read about it here.
9-foot diameter igloo 2012 December 29
It has been years since our group wanted to build an igloo. On Saturday morning at 7:45 am we assembled at the Hollyburn parking lot, and the igloo was completed about 1:15 pm. Click the image for the Clubtread thread about how we build these wonderful snow structures (this one is mentioned lower down in the thread). If you are in the Vancouver area it is easy to visit, here is a map with directions: http://goo.gl/maps/P07zO.
We have had lots of rain at sea level, so we expected there would be plenty of snow above 3000 feet. There was. The old forest was awesome with thick fresh snow on the trees and at least a couple of metres on the ground. The day was grey and misty. It did not photograph well (at least taking snap shots), but was almost spiritual with its sound absorbing silence. A walk in those woods is a wonderful uplifting cure for anyone depressed by the short days and rain at low altitudes.
Fine print: this igloo was made with the finest materials (Canadian snow) and excellent workmanship. Nevertheless any user enters the site at his/her own risk. Snow changes its characteristics over time and with local conditions. The igloo is very heavy, and the structure will eventually fail. Use your own judgment when approaching or entering it. It is not a kids’ play structure. It is, after all, just made of snow. Please repair any damage.
It has been a good year for the return of the chum salmon. As a result 200,000 eggs have been allocated to the Bowen Island Hatchery. They arrived today, December 14, 2012.
For more information contact the Bowen Island Fish & Wildlife Club http://www.bowenhatchery.org/
Edited to add: I was curious about the incubation trays that you can see being used by the Bowen Island Hatchery. This video, by the manufacturer, describes them as Marisource Vertical Incubators. A demonstration, describing how they are used, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHDTRWJH2ug
Probably all the images on this blog that show snow makes for some boring reading, but some of us are beginning to use this site as something of an anecdotal record of the snowpack and conditions in past years. For me living at 300 feet above sea level, any snow is always a bit of a novelty. So, yesterday — Saturday — was my first time this season in the local hills playing in the snow. Thinking that there would be very little snow, I borrowed a pair of snowshoes — it was my first time on snowshoes. I enjoyed the experience, but I am glad that when I decided to hike in the local snow (mid 90s) most people used skis… so that is what I learned.
We parked close to the Hollyburn Mountain Hiker’s trail at 2980 feet. The snow is not deep, but there would have been enough to ski
At 3300 Feet we left the trail and headed west into the beautiful high altitude forest. There was lots of snow
Sometimes, as we climbed the hill, the soft sun shone through the clouds. My friend had loaned me his modern hi-tech snowshoes. He was on old military spec titanium tennis-racket shoes
Creek-gully — creek not fully covered with snow
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