Although our temperatures are not as chilly as that of our neighbours to the north, we got a rude awakening to winter’s cold when we were hit with the arctic vortex November 10th and our night time temperature dipped to -12 C. Several protected bays as the west end of the lake have iced over with clear, smooth ice. Although the ice is still too thin for use, if the cold temperature persist for another week as predicted and the snow storms stay out of the forecast, skating along the shore and in the bays will be the best ever. Hooray for winter sports!
A thin sheet of clear, smooth ice in McCarthy Bay on the morning of November 11th.
With all the roads and trails amid the residential areas of Lac des Roches there is no shortage of public places to walk or hike. Walking through the bush during Autumn is particularly appealing due to the simple fact that vision is improved as the leaves fall from the branches. Even though bear sightings have not been reported since this spring, it is comforting to have some extra visual distance between yourself and whatever might be out there when you are bushwhacking. One doesn’t have to walk far from their residence to find the unusual, disturbing and pleasing sights that turn a simple walk into an adventure at Lac des Roches. The number of beetle-killed pine trees that are discovered down on the trails now is boggling. Falling trees seems to be a daily occurrence on the more wooded trails, thus completing the devastating cycle of the pine beetle infestation. Although it is rare to find human garbage on local trails, those that skirt the highway are often littered with a surprising number of beer cans and disposable coffee cups which reappear annually, despite the clean-up efforts of several residents and the many warning signs along the highway. On a lighter note, there are some tasty gems in the woods, even this time of year. Although somewhat dry and frozen, there are plenty of rose hips still hanging onto bushes which are a seedy treat if you have the patience to spit out the dozen or so seeds as you chew on it. Or better still are the many clumps of high bush cranberries which have only a single seed. Despite their bitter taste, they are juicy and thirst-quenching and as a bonus, the tough skin will last for quite some time, kind of like nature’s chewing gum. Other sights out there will easily cause a second look and make yourself question what you are seeing. Was that big dark brown thing there yesterday and is it a moose or the dirt on an uprooted tree? Below are two strange sights on a local path that, despite being passed on a regular basis, always stir an emotion, a koala bear and the hanging tree. What an adventure playground we have at our doorstep!
The knot on this cottonwood tree trunk looks like a koala bear.The base of this dead aspen is 2 feet off the ground – a hanging tree.Frost bitten cranberries – juicy fruit gum!
Daryl Llewellyn, one of our obviously talented resident photographers, captured this cute little fellow in his yard recently. The Downy Woodpecker is one of the hardy little critters that will stay in our chilly area throughout the entire winter.
Downy woodpecker caught on film by Daryl Llewellyn.
The bidding starts at $1.00 and increases in 25 cent increments. Add to that, twenty or so neighbours, friends and strangers, throw in a pinch of two generous hostesses supplying coffee, tea and comfy chairs and sprinkle with a whole lot of laughter. Voila, you have the formula for another successful evening out for a “ladies only” auction. For the third time, the Boultbee ladies filled a car with themselves and their arm loads of “stuff” and set out for a Bridge Lake residence for a fun night of swapping unwanted items on November 8th. One never knows what they will sell or buy but the range and quality of items that move through the auction is astounding. One lady was certain she had accomplished all her “Christmas shopping” in just a few hours there. While the hostesses continue to encourage others to take on the task of conducting an auction they seem quite happy to continue the tradition and plan to hold another auction sometime in March. Notices are put up at all the local establishments along Highway 24.
Last winter’s unexpected logging on the south hills was a disturbing time. Not knowing and not being able to get definitive answers about the logging plan while watching the 24 hour harvesting speeding down the hill towards the lake was, for many residents, the worst of the ordeal. For other residents, the new view of a clear cut mountain, directly out their front window, was the worst of the ordeal and will likely scar their enjoyment forever of living their remaining days on the lake. The most recent work on the south hill is not logging, but it stirs up a lot of emotion among residents, for different reasons. On November 6th and again on the 11th, the forester lit dozens of gigantic slash piles on fire which burned during the day and then all through the night. Air quality was definitely an issue for a short time but watching such huge flames shooting up through the trees, particularly through the dark night, roused unpleasant memories of devastating forest fires for some people. Other residents are quite emotional about their opposition to burning slash piles at all and feel more wood should be salvaged for fuel or gasification. It will be a welcome relief when all the logging reclamation work is complete and mother nature is left alone to work for the next 100 years of repairing the damage.
Daytime smoke and fire from the many slash piles on the south shore.Eerie night time glow from the many fire piles on the south shore.
Log hauling seems to have ceased on the Wavey Lake Forest Service Road. As always, that does not mean resident users should let down their guard. This is a very active road. There may be equipment being moved or serviced, forestry and logging inspections in progress and more likely, hunters still out searching for deer and grouse. Even the many outdoor enthusiasts, using the road to access hundreds – no thousands – of kilometers of back road trails to the lakes, mountains and valleys, keep this wilderness road a busy one. An alternative and popular route, the Eakin Creek Road or “old highway” to Little Fort has been blocked during the month of November due to logging along the corridor. Motorists must detour by using Highway 24 and will see notice signs at the Opax Mountain Cafe turnoff.
Congratulations to Boultbee Road resident, Ken Porth, for having his photograph showcased on Global TV’s evening news on November 4. Like a picture right off of a calendar, Ken captured a beautiful scene of the leaves turning to autumn colours at Lac des Roches. Although the aspen leaf miner has stolen the colour from so many trees that grow all around the lake, the cottonwood trees have been untouched by destructive beetles and have provided residents and visitors with a breathtaking symphony of colours this year. Ken is well-known for his photography skills and has kindly provided pictures of neighbourhood sites for past blog items. Way to go Ken!
After months of reports of bovine escape artists lingering around the Wavey Lake Forest Service Road access, a wayward cow and calf made their presence known along Boultbee Road and in several cabin driveways early in November. Cattle are notorious for their prolific waste and these two uninvited guests did not hesitate to show their appreciation for all the fresh foliage they nibbled on along the road, their very own private and pristine pasture. Their appearance was probably just about the time they would have been brought in and taken home from the permitted range land on the north side of Highway 24. Earlier this Fall, a resident called the range office with the Ministry of Forest to report a bull on the highway. Apparently there are three permit holders for the range nearby and the range office needed a picture of the brand to positively identify the bull’s owner. Not surprising, it was impossible to find a resident willing to get that close to the huge bull, so presumably he – the bull – enjoyed a long, albeit lonely, month or so foraging along the highway, relatively undisturbed.
On October 22, a hand full of residents met at the Lac des Roches Resort for the annual general meeting of Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake society. While the meeting is a necessary formality, it provides an opportunity for members and guests to meet some of the executive and make enquiries about stewardship activities around the lake. Membership to the society is open to anyone although most of the members are residents, full and part-time at the lakes in the watershed. Although much of the stewardship work done by the society volunteers is posted on this website for all to see, paid members receive regular updates via email of activities, issues and concerns about the society, the lake and the community. New members are always welcome.
For 3 months in a row, there have been confirmed cougar sightings at Lac des Roches. In August a cougar was seen at the east end of Boultbee Road and in September, it walked through a yard at he halfway mark of Boultbee Road. On October 20 and again on the 21, cougar droppings were identified at the east end of Boultbee Road and today, October 30, the cougar plodded through a yard at the west end of big Lac des Roches. The presence of this cougar, assuming it is the same animal, may account for the absence of everything else. So few deer, no wolves, coyotes or fox and absolutely no sign of moose. While normally very elusive, cougars in the neighbourhood are cause for concern and residents should be very careful with children and animals left alone outside. All of these sightings have been during daylight hours, ranging from 6:30 in the morning to late afternoon.
