Back by popular demand

It has been over a year since I posted new images and have had many requests for more. So here they are.

For the last year I spent on average twenty days a month working away from home and for the most part I spent this time in the Pitt river valley, a beautiful rugged place with towering mountains, icefields, natural hot springs and lots and lots of wildlife. 

Corbold creek falls. Pitt Lake, BC

Starting at its headwaters in the mighty Coast mountains the upper Pitt river meanders through canyons and valleys till it empties into Pitt Lake. At the south end of the lake the lower Pitt river become a broad sluggish brown expanse of water which eventually joins the Fraser river, which in turn empties into the Pacific ocean.

Upper Pitt River Valley, BC

Pitt Lake is one of only a handful of freshwater intertidal lakes in the world. This creates a unique ecosystem supporting an incredible variety of wildlife. Massive sturgeon roam the depths of the river right up into the south end of the lake. Multiple species of trout and salmon inhabit the lake, and the Pitt river sockeye salmon run is an incredible event to witness.

This year saw the biggest return in a hundred years. An estimated 39 million sockeye returned to spawn in rivers along the west coast. A far sight better than last year which saw less than two million fish.

Intertidal marshes are home to eagles, great blue herons and numerous other varieties of wading birds. Spawning sockeye weighing upto 15 pounds carpet the river starting in early September and the water seems to boil with fish. Seals swim all the way up to the mouth of the upper Pitt following the salmon, and bears, elk, deer, coyotes, wolves and cougars are just a few of the other wild animals that inhabit the mountains here.

 

A great blue heron hunts for dinner. Pitt Lake, BC

Spotted fawns. Pitt Lake, BC 

A young black bear, probably spending its first year fending for itself is frightened up a giant hemlock by Dakota the bear chasing dog. 
Pitt Lake, BC

 

 Seals on the log booms. Pitt Lake, BC

After spending days hiking up and down the mountains looking at giant firs and cedars a visit to the natural hotsprings is exactly what you need to relax.

Fifteen years ago someone diverted the scalding hot water seeping out of a crack in the canyon wall and built two concrete walls to create two pools. This was quite a feat considering the access to the springs is not for the faint of heart.

A quick hike through the forest brings you to a tree leaning out over the edge of a cliff. Using the ropes tied to the tree you need to lower yourself down the cliff to the rivers edge to get to the pools. Since the pools are right beside the river they flood during spring runoff when the winter snows melt. In February however, when this image was taken, the river was low and calm.

Pitt river hot springs, BC

Old growth cedar. Pitt Lake, BC

This is a small tree. I've seen some which are at least double its size.

That is all from Pitt Lake...for now anyway.

These next images are some other interesting ones taken over the last year.

 Ice breaks up on the river as spring arrives. Fraser river, BC

 Window frost. Minus 38 degress Celsius. Horsefly, BC

Needless to say we did not work this day. I spent the morning taking pictures of frost instead.

Climbing IcyBC. Marble Canyon, BC

Electric skies light up Kamloops, BC 

That is all for now folks.

"The world we've made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking."
Albert Einstein