A New Hiking Trail Of the Vermilon River. A Post To My World Tuesday ( See Note Below)

Entrance of New Trail.



Entrance




Entrance



This is not an especially new trail, but one I have not been on for about eight plus years. I don't drive anymore as a result of my accident so I've avoided this trail which is about a half mile away. It's the north part of the River, actually running north and west towards its beginning about 400 hundred miles as the crow flies. The weather is overcast and to see the sky you'll have to wait until the midpoint of the hike when we reach the Vermilon. To get here I took the commuter bus which the Valley of Death runs to the outlying areas. The entrance is over a small tributary of the Vermilon, which I've shown in the introductory shots. The finish of the hike I'll post on Saturday.

Bush in Bud



Seeding Pussy Willows


I need to sharpen up my flora iding, but the photo may be Dogwood. The state of the budding is probably showing you how far behind you we are. 

Unknown




Blue Jay




Female Purple Finch



At start of the hike this Blue Jay spotted  me and proceeded to announce to the world that I was in the forest. It probably scared off any four legged creatures, but its influence with the birds was minimal. The female Purple Finch although less colourful than her male counterpart is a favourite of my as I find her markings incredible.


Male Purple Finch




White-throated Sparrow




White-throated Sparrow




White-throated sparrows are in abundance; yet, last year were in short supply. Again I never tire of them.


Male American Goldfinch




The North-west flowing Vermilon.





This is the mid-point in our journey. You can see from the sky that the weather is overcast again. Despite the amount of rain the woods is dry, and aircraft are flying their fire patrols.

A couple of other points. My new backpack really makes this journey possible. Also a lot of you have remarked on my good fortune to live in such an area. That is true!! But this is a regenerating forest. It was destroyed by the people who still live here or their children. Yes they would blame the open pit smelting and then the companies who built smelters that continued to do the same thing. The regeneration is a result of some courageous and forward thinking people, and the legislation that was passed..Equally so for the RR's who contaminate the water and their land with diesel fuel, and obsolete equipment. But generally and I mean the bulk of the people who live here also and dump garbage in the bush. Tires, furniture, plastic bags!!

I lived in Europe for a while and this situation would not be condoned. Before everybody who lives in NA tells me their preserves and parks are not like this, let me say this. This is a wilderness forest, not a park where your tax money goes to keep it clean. This and some other provinces, in their northern areas, are the last wilderness areas that are not parks or preserves in our world, and certainly in NA. I'm gradually arriving at the decision that we simply don't have time for  people who contaminate in any way, shape, or form.


Just a note: This was orginally a post to Sky Watch Friday and then the lights went out. I don't think many people saw it so I'm publishing it again. Sorry if you've seen it.