The Swan Lake to the Kispiox River Canoe Route.

 

Outings with the Rod

   Scouring the overview maps of our planting job around Houston, the Whitesail, and the North of Babine Lake I find endless opportunites to throw the fly around in lakes to my choosing. I calculate the distances of bushwhacks that I hope to thrash around in. I look for where the little streams flow into the little lakes, assuming that the little rainbows will be hanging out there. The maps reek of adventure and I'm itching to get them underway.
  I remember the first lake that I went to this season. Just a little lake right off the Chisholm FSR. The lake had no name, I looked in many sources for the name, and no known trail to get to it. Seeing the lake from the road I pulled over and headed in a straight line to the lake.

Julie looking for the fish. An unnamed lake off the Chisholm Rd. Shot on the Nikon F100, Fujifilm 400iso

   I was much under prepared for this lake. I was wearing rubber caulk boots thinking that at least I'd be able to stand in the water up to my ankles without getting wet feet. Little did I know that the lake didn't really have a solid bank to stand upon and just trying to get the waterline involved hoping from grass clump to grass clump. Every step felt as if I'd break through the thick grass and plummet into the depths. Of course water surged up and over the boots and preceded to soak my feet. Ahh, so sad.

Julie not finding a dry spot to stand, she settles for a somewhat solid submerged island of grass. Nikon F100, Fujifilm 400iso 

   Bird Observations:

   1. American Three Toed Woodpecker

 Observed in Smithers BC at the Bluff mountain biking recreation area. 

Some ice pellets shrouding the forest across the valley. 

Bird Observations:

   1. Common Redpoll

   Observed at Call Lake Provincial Park just outside of Smithers, BC going east. They were flying in a group of about 30 birds or more.
   There is another bird who is extremely similar to the Common Redpoll, call the Hoary Redpoll. However, according to the Peterson's Guidebook the Hoary Redpoll has little to zero marking on the tail feather.

Morice Lake, BC Film 400iso

   "I want everything," she replied with a faint , wry smile. 

   "You know, I said that once, to a friend of mine, and he told me that the real trick in life is to want nothing, and to succeed in getting it."

- Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram

   Sometimes when I am far away, on some distant lake like this one, I like to build some kind of reminder that humans have been there. I then look at it and the loneliness is subdued. And maybe, one day another fellow traveler will see this little reminder, and remember that he is not alone. 

Randy chalking up on Hot Rocks, 5.11c in Joshua Tree

Be. And, at the same time, know what it is not to be.

That emptiness inside you allows you to vibrate,

in resonance with your world. Use it for once.

- Rainer Maria Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus

Bird observations:

   1. Pine Siskin

Male

   I found this guy just when I put the camera away in the backpack to start the trek up the bike path. Cursing my decision I slowly rifled the camera out. Quickly zooming and metering I managed to get some shots of this bird unbeknownst to me at the time. After the I checked the playback on the camera screen, a happy with the results, I noticed that he wasn't in much of a rush.

Female

   She came along once the male realized I wasn't a threat. They both just flew around doing their birdsongs.

   2. Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

   3. Mountain Chickadee