Monday, May 16, 2011

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.

23 comments:

  1. so since you have to take the bus to this site, i guess boomer couldn't accompany you here?

    i think we'd all agree that trash and pollution are terrible. we have lot of folks here in the country that think dumping is acceptable behavior. i always said my next job would be working for the county as a road trash collector - picking up rubbish and road kill just to tidy things up...

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  2. A new hiking trail! How exciting. Love the vibrant yellow of that goldfinch.

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  3. Hi Gary

    I have to agree about dumping. I have been walking the coutry road by the farm for 20 years, this year is the first time I have seen garbage and people have started dumping their RV tanks as well.

    All that aside I love the screaming jay.

    Hi to Boomer.

    Guy

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  4. Looks like you had a nice hike, you sure photographed some lovely birds and plantlife!

    Have a great day!

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  5. Lots of great shots of the little birds. We have county parks around here that are full of trash due to park ranger budget cuts. People just don't bother to be clean. We do have a volunteer coastal cleanup day each year but it doesn't help the inside parks.

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  6. Great shots! So many different birds you got to see :) Have a nice weekend!

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  7. Great shots, Gary, I love your area, and viewing it through your lens!!!

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  8. Gary, you are fortunate. More fortunate than most for the appreciation of your surroundings and the anger that mounts when it is not taken care of. Too much of our wonderful lands have been soiled by the inconsiderate or just lazy thinkers. We must keep on reminding so our GrandLoves can someday see the beauty we occasionally see again.
    BlessYourCourageousHeart

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  9. Gary,
    I saw it and commented but my comment has disappeared. I guess it got lost in the Blogger mess. It's a post definitely worth revisting.

    I had to smile when I read about the screaming Bluejay. Great photographs!

    -Marissa http://lifenbetween.blogspot.com

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  10. Great images and a lovely read.
    A lovely post.

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  11. Great to have the camera isn't it? Enjoy the nature both when you are on your trips and then when home again :)
    Did Boom go with you this time?

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  12. Incredible photos as always, Gary, and your post is indeed a lovely read! I'm so glad you share your beautiful world with us! Hope you and Boomer have a great week! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  13. happy to finally see spring signs in your world. have a lovely week.

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  14. I was just scrolling through your wonderful walk and bird photos when your comment came into my inbox - YES, those wind turbines must be stopped. I think they are very over-rated for the green energy they produce.

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  15. Wonderful photos, Gary, and a shame people throw things out in wilderness areas. I don't know what can be going through their heads when they do such things—or when they set out to do such things. "I think I'll go mess with Mother Nature, take this refrigerator and a few old tires with me." Duh.
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  16. That's quite a hiking trail. You got some great pics of birds and such. Your comments about how some people are hard on the surroundings resonates with me. Here in Oklahoma most people try their best but there are still too many people for whom the world is their toilet.

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  17. A wonderful hiking trail and right on your doorstep too! Things look chilly there, but hurray for the buds of flowers now opening!

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  18. Wonderful shots of the place and the birds. I love the shot of Goldflinch bird.

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  19. Hi - good set of picture and words - when I lived in the UK ALL the woodland was regrowth - the woods have been cut down and grown back for years!

    Cheers - Stewart M

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  20. a half mile does not seem that far to me. Wilderness is a strange concept in our modern world I think. I am glad it still exists a little of it.

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  21. Thank you for taking me with your wonderful walk. The color of female purple finch is chic, I like her better than male one colorwise. I could meet my favorite blue jay and Boomer on the top. Your season is behind mine, but looks like surely getting closer to your real spring.
    Thank you for sharing, and have a nice week.

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  22. Oh, I enjoyed the tour with you very much. Nature is no ours. We are temporarily
    keeping it to hand it down to the next generation. Some people really do not understand how precious a wilderness forest is!
    Have a nice day.

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  23. Looks like a great place for bird watching. - Margy

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