Author: lacdesroches

Slowly, we are getting used to the idea that we must accept our expanding crop of dandelions every year.  Considered weeds by many, neighbours agree that the sooner we accept the dandelions as a positive sign of summer and relish in their vibrant colour and many uses, the better off the neighbourhood will be.  Dandelion leaves are edible and while most residents who have tried them in a salad find them to be bitter, the backyard chickens love them and attribute their bright yellow yolks to them.  One neighbour has made sweet dandelion wine which makes a lovely aperitif with any meal.  There is no doubt they attract the bees to the neighbourhood, a necessary pollinator for all the flower and vegetable gardens enjoyed in the area.  Another neighbour commented that she used to use the dandelion flowers on her lawn as a signal for when it was time to mow the grass until she realized that those little yellow flowers have a tendency to duck just before the lawnmower gets to them and only stand up again when the lawnmower is tucked safely back in the shed.  Having witnessed this phenomena several times, she just might be on to something there.  Considering dandelion flowers react to sunshine by opening and closing, perhaps they react to noise as well?  Hmmm.

 

 

The heavy rain experienced at Lac des Roches since the May long weekend is unlike anything many residents have experienced here before.  Small feeder creeks are raging high above their banks and the lake water level is creeping up some of the lower level yards at the west end.  The ground is so saturated, the excess rain water is either running in newly developed streams, pooling in low spots or bubbling down through the air pockets in the grass forcing the worms up out of their dark havens.  There are no evident risks due to all the rain but it is depressing to think of the freshly planted vegetable seeds giving up hope and succumbing to the inevitable rot and mould this type of weather can cause.  We have enjoyed the odd sunny break during the last 2 weeks which have presented some breathtaking rainbows but… the best story of enjoying the rain comes from a neighbour who entertained her young grandchildren during the May “monsoon”.  Dressed in relatively water proof clothing, the young adventurers accompanied the adults on several walks along Boultbee Road.  Not only did the tykes challenge each other to boat races in the rare running water all along the road but the young heroes worked their way along the road for several hours, “saving the worms” from deadly vehicle traffic by plucking them off the road and tossing them into the side ditch.  This act of heroism, albeit short-lived as those silly worms spend hours crossing the road during rain storms, were truly a sunny break in the otherwise bleak days.  Hooray for grannies with great rainy day ideas.

                         Beautiful rainbows at Lac des Roches

Four of the large lakes in the Lac des Roches watershed are tested for water quality throughout the ice-off months.  Volunteers from the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake Society take bi-weekly measurements at Lac des Roches, Little Lac des Roches, Birch and Phinetta Lakes.  2014 marked the third year of Level 2 testing on the 3 smaller lakes.  Level 2 testing is performed in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and is ideally timed within days of initial ice-ff in the spring.  For the first time, this year’s testing indicated that both Little Lac des Roches and Phinetta Lake do not “turnover” completely.  This means that the lower level of the lake does not get mixed in with the rest of the water of the lake that flushes out through normal, albeit slow, lake water flow.  Impurities and contaminates that may end up in the lake from both natural and development sources will settle on the bottom of the lake.  Undisturbed, they will accumulate over time and when eventually disturbed, likely through natural events such as lake turnover, can result in a reduction of water quality when the lower level impurities are mixed with the everyday contaminants introduced to the lake through various types of development.  Detailed reports on the lakes’ water quality will eventually be produced by the B.C. Lake Stewardship Society but initial results have ministry staff showing some concern over the new information.  A fourth year of level 2 testing by the ministry is under consideration, to confirm this year’s new data.

A single vehicle accident on May 21 has left broken glass mirrors and plastic lenses scattered on a well-used trail which parallels Highway 24 approximantely 1 km east of the McDonald rest stop.  Local hikers and riders are very familiar with the section of old highway where the pile of large boulders appeared a few years ago and the truck tire is wedged in the barbed wire fence.  About a 100 meters east of the tire is where the vehicle rolled off the highway and landed on the old road.  Residents have cleaned up much of the debris but residual hazards, hidden in the long grass, could harm people and their pets.  Tiny rocks or pieces of glass are easily launched from boot treads and find their way inside low-cut boots and sneakers.  Dog paws could also be at risk of the jagged edges.  For those interested, local witnesses indicated that the woman and young child involved in the car accident had minor and non life-threatening injuries although each was taken to hospital by ambulance.

On Sunday evening, while pedalling a pedal boat around the bay near Carlos’ point, I saw, what first appeared to be a large muskrat zigzagging its way along the shore.  As it got closer, it turned out to be a beautiful brown beaver.  It has left signs of its movement and gnawing along several properties on both Boultbee and McCarthy roads, so the sighting was not unexpected.  Although we kept our distance, it swam within 10 feet of the boat.  It wasn’t until we turned away and it made its way around the point that it made its distinctive warning noise by slapping its tail on the water.  The next morning, the distinctive drone of a large float plane, a Beaver model, grabbed my attention as it landed in the lake and taxied to a stop just across from Carlos’ point.  Evidently, the plane was picking up passengers from Lac des Roches Resort as two resort boats met the plane and loaded people and luggage from the water.  Most would agree, it was an impressive looking plane.  That makes two “beaver” sightings in two days!

 

Wendy Marshall, our local birding enthusiast, has once again scheduled regular birding outings for Monday mornings throughout the summer.  Leading the Bridge Lake Naturalists club, Wendy reports that the small group recorded dozens of species on this year’s inaugural outing on May 12 to a nearby lake.  The next early morning walk is scheduled for Monday, May 26.  Anyone interested in attending should call Wendy for details at 250 593 2327.

A short power outage late in the afternoon on Sunday, May 18 interrupted the holiday dinner plans for several residents. The outage was initially estimated for 2 1/2 hours and was evidently caused by work on BC Hydro equipment.  Residents were able to use their outdoor bbq’s to make alternate dinner plans although one resident wisely abandoned her pizza plans and switched to grilled hamburgers instead.  Residents were pleasantly surprised when the power was restored shortly after 6 pm, 45 minutes earlier than estimated.  Since the outage occurred at a time when we were experiencing a break in the rain showers, not everyone was aware of the outage.  Thank you to all the residents who reported the outage to BC Hydro.  Despite the installation of smart meters, we have been advised that our location at the end of the power line and our community’s minimal demand for electricity can mean that an outage at Lac des Roches will go unnoticed.  It is important to call 1 888 769 3766 and report an outage.  And, if you stay on the line, you can register your phone number for the outage and be advised of updates of power restoration times.

 

 

Sixteen residents of Boultbee Road took time out from the rainy long weekend to enjoy a tea party at Marg Neill’s home on Sunday.  For most of the ladies able to attend, it was their first trip to the lake for the year.  Breaks from the rain during the weekend gave some residents enough time to attend to some of their spring chores but many tasks must wait until the ground dries up and the lake level drops since heavy rains saturated everything. 

Mid may rain showers and warm temperatures will likely contribute to a further rise in the already high lake level.  Since the ice melted without major shifting, most of the shoreline was unaffected this year and there is a noticeable reduction in the amount of debris floating in the lake this year.  Having said that, there are certainly some hazards out there that could cause some serious damage to a boat.  A grass-laden dock, moving with the wind during the past week, was spotted today in the middle of the west end of the big lake along with several logs of varied sizes.  Boats are having no problem getting through the channel between the two lakes and the boat launch at Access #7 seems suitable for any boat or trailer.

Although some residents would like to keep the rainbow trout fishing success at Lac des Roches a secret, it is hard to sit and keep quiet on a story so big, when it involves an 11 ½ pound fish fighting on a small chironomid fly for about fifteen minutes!  That is exactly what happened to resident fisher, Doug Fawcett on his first day out fishing this year and there’s a picture to prove it.  A week has passed since the lake ice disappeared and the fish are active and hungry.  Many fishers were observed  hauling in 2 – 4 pound trout over the long weekend, despite the persistent rain showers.

 

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