"Aussie Coastal Bushwalk" Conquer 2022 Virtual Challenge Progress February 28, 2022

 

After today's little road trip then hike around Wyndham Carseland Provincial Park, plus it being the last day of February, also passing the 300 kms marker, it's a fitting time to draw up a progress report on my Conquer 2022 Virtual Challenge!  I always look forward to opening my saved google map, adding the latest distance covered then seeing the locations I passed and where I would be virtually stopping for the day.  This time when I opened the map I voiced an "OOOHHH NOOO", the flood warmings for Northern New South Wales were front and centre.  Wishing them safe times through this storm!

While doing this progress report, that also means it's time for my geography lesson!  

Broken Head Nature Reserve:  Any place nature related and especially protected reserves, captures my attention. This description from the Reserves website best puts into words what this place is all about. Whether you’re a botanist or just a nature-lover, it’s not hard to appreciate the incredible biodiversity at Broken Head. This small reserve protects three endangered plant communities: littoral and lowland rainforest, headland grasses and woodlands. There are 240 different plant species here, 12 of which are threatened in NSW and six in Australia, such as the white lace flower rainforest tree, which you might see standing tall along the entrance road in summer dotted with fluffy white ball flowers.

(The website lists a closure from Feb 28 to March 7 due to widespread severe flooding.)

Lennox Head:  This seaside village is located in the northern rivers region of New South Wales which is a two hour drive south of Brisbane, Queensland.  It was initially established for the timber and land then came dairy and cane farming.  There are many things and places that make this a popular village, two of those are Lake Ainsworth and Pat Morton Lookout. The lake is tannin stained from the tea trees which grow on the waters edge.  They say this lake contains healing powers.  The Lookout is a popular place for hang-gliders who love the views in front of them as they lift off then soar. These photos are from google maps. (Wind and flooding alerts are in place for The Nature Reserve at this time.)

Broadwater National Park:  When I read this National Park is known for birdwatching, I was immediately intrigued.  The Park also has a well known lookout called Broadwater Inland Lookout. The following highlighted information is from the Parks visitor site . It’s a short steep walk through wooded forest dominated by coastal banksia and grass trees up onto Broadwater Headland for magnificent scenic views over the Pacific Ocean and south to Evans Head and Goanna Headland.  From the Lookout you can spot whales and birds of prey.  I like that their hiking "trails" are called "tracks'.  I found these photos while searching google maps.  (As I write this post, the area is closed due to severe flooding.)

I am approximately 100 kilometres behind on this challenge!  My focus to get the kilometres covered has not been at the forefront, rather "taking the time to breathe" when I am "out & about" has been.  At some point down the road, I may alter the distance I chose at the beginning in favour of something that feels more manageable.  For now though, one step at a time, one hike at a time, one day at a time! 

just an eye on my week

Getting "lost in the woods" is such a great way to rejuvenate, escape, refresh, renew and so sometimes is getting "lost in the details".  On this day when I felt the need to get away from it all, yet with a -40C windchill to the start of our day, getting away from it all was not going to happen by getting out the door to get "lost in the woods"!  Following tutorials on how to sketch eyes was exactly the distraction that gave me what I needed.  My first try was with a graphite pencil and it took many attempts to get it looking like it looks.  Next I was ready to sketch an eye with coloured pencils and thirdly sketching an eye with much more detail.  These projects required full on focus that filled a few hours for each eye. There will be another next and that is to sketch a green eye!  

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As we exited another deep freeze, I then headed up Nose Hill!  I had not been since the fire ravaged a long stretch of the grassy open area lower down. The higher I climbed I could then see to where the fire was and it was now mostly covered in snow.   Yet, as I write this post, we are back into a warm spell and that snow is probably already gone. On this morning that new layer of snow glistened from the glow of the sun shining on it. The open sections high on The Hill were wind swept and the reflections were pretty & plentiful.   A coyote did cross the path in front of me but scurried up a slope the split second it spied me.   Once it felt safe, it stopped and looked back to make sure I was keeping my distance.  It then trotted off into the woods.  I headed in the other direction into other woods to where I could find my soul!  

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I want to see what they are seeing!  I check my resources to see what others in the group are spotting and from that I then go with open eyes. On this day I went to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary with hopes of seeing what they saw!  I arrived just after sunrise.  Upon arrival the place was already buzzing with activity and from what I heard and saw, it was mostly courting activity!  Some of what they saw, I had success with seeing for myself and that was the Townsend's Solitaire which is shown in the middle bottom photo.  It stood true to its name in the sense there was only one and it is uncommon to see one at this time of year in a place like this.  The Northern Flickers (one in top, left) were in full on courting mode vocally and with pecking.   The Juvenile Bald Eagle flew around for the first while after I arrived and then it was gone.  The Black-Capped Chickadees were plentiful and always add cheer to my visit here.  The Downy Woodpeckers were enjoying a game of chase.  While I had success with seeing the Townsend's Solitaire, I did not have success with spotting the Great Horned Owl whereas many others on previous days were successful.  I have an idea of the location and spent some time scanning the trees but it remained elusive.  As the weeks pass, the variety of seasonal residents should increase and I look forward to that!  

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I remember when I was a child, I would draw and colour on brown paper bags.  I now have a toned tan sketch book and have been looking for ideas on projects to render on those pages.  A funny thing I found while searching was numerous sites sharing information about sketching on kraft paper.  There were many lessons to follow so I picked a few to try.  Here are three.  My first try was with a bit of white and india ink.  The main focus was getting the moon right.  Many moons I sketched, I made fully bright white. This one looks more realistic.  For the second sketch, more white was added along with india ink and black coloured pencil.  The third project used the most white along with india ink and brown coloured pencils.  I was surprised at how quickly and often the white coloured pencil needed to be sharpened and I am now in need of more white pencils.   I like this look and have many more blank pages to fill in the toned tan book.

ode to the desert through my eyes & pencils & paints

While on my two recent mountain therapy escapes, thoughts of other types of get-aways that I experienced entered my mind.   For the longest stretch of years, at least once a year I headed south to somewhere desert-like.  The most recent was just as our world was changing but we were not with full knowledge yet of the magnitude that would face us.  It feels like that trip was eons ago when in fact it was only two years ago.  While reliving some of those adventures through my blog posts,  the artistic side of my brain began to percolate.  From this collage of photos from some of those trips.....

.....I put pencil and pen-brush in hand to create my ode to the desert!  

This is my first ode to the Saguaro Cactus.  It was done on watercolour paper using watercolour brush pens for everything except the saguaro cactus words and the cactus itself.  I eventually want to learn to journal with the brush pens but for now I used coloured pencils.  Any attempts I made at printing with the brush pens were disastrous.  I followed a tutorial to get the cactus to look like it looks.

This is my second sketch acknowledging the southwest desert and the Saguaro Cactus.  Once again I used watercolour paper.  The background wash was done with a colour from my Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colours Pocket Plus Half Pans.  I used my Faber Castell pencils for everything else.  My goal is for the entire project to be done in watercolour. 

The third project in my ode to the desert, combined the cactus with a view of Monument Valley.  I used mixed media paper yet the entire sketch was completed with Faber Castell coloured pencils.   I used my photos as a reference for the scenery.

I was finally feeling ready to go full on with watercolours on a page in my sketchbook.  I did not practice this on scrap paper, I just went for it.  I taped the paper to make a border and to control the spread of the paint as much as possible.  When I completed the project, I was not pleased with it.  I slept on it and when I woke the next morning, I felt thrilled with the outcome!  

Now my mind wanders to where else can I go with this process of 

"odeing" some where or some thing

through my eyes & pencils & paints!

Marathon to Athens Virtual Challenge Complete February 14, 2022

With all the unusual warm weather we had been experiencing, I was concerned the skating season might come to an end before being able to complete this virtual challenge in the time frame I committed to. My hope was to be able to find good skating conditions while out west on another mountain therapy escape.  I had success and then some!  I crossed the finish line of the Marathon to Athens Virtual Challenge on February 14th while skating on wild ice at Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park. 

This challenge was a marathon length of 42 kilometres and it took eight skating sessions to cover that distance.  I used the conversion factor provided by the Conqueror Team to calculate the percentage I could use of the total distance I skated during each session.  From Marathon to Athens, from start to finish, the route fully in blue now, I'm done!

I completed the challenge well within the time frame, with 21 days to spare.  As it is turning out, while I write this post, we are headed back into a deep freeze, so skating conditions outside within the city could be back on again. 

a few photos from when I skated my way along the virtual marathon route

After posting my skating distance from February 14th into the conqueror app, this notice popped up!  My understanding is this medal is another one with moving or removable parts.  In three weeks I will see for myself!  

two postcards from this virtual challenge

It's mid February, it's still winter!  I am not ready to put my skates away.  I am happy for this deep freeze and the snow that is forecasted to accompany it.  If I do get to skate again, the kilometres will now go towards the Conquer 2022 Virtual Challenge which is currently in progress and will be for the entire year.

 

Mountain Therapy Escape February 16, 2022

Icefield Parkway

Banff National Park & Jasper National Park

There are times in my life when the "stars align" and then there are times when the "Stars Align", and then times when the "STARS ALIGN" ! Well today the STAAARS ALLLIGNED!  As luck would have it, Adventure Designer and I would be enjoying a mountain escape in the same general area over some of the same days.  We were in touch with her stating she was designing an adventure and was I game to go off on this journey with her.  I have been a part of these designs before, I knew what I would be in for so I jumped on board just like that!  

She left her home away from home and dropped by mine to pick me up and off we went for a tour along the Icefield Parkway! I have never been here in the dead of winter and was excited for the day.  It's not a road I would take on at this time of year.  We decided to see how far we get given time and her level of comfort with the road conditions.

Not far along we were stopped by a patrol person who advised us they were cleaning up snow and debris from a controlled avalanche performed over night.  This was the view as we were give the go ahead to move along.  The plow had cleared enough roadway for us to get through.

This is a view from inside the vehicle.  

We drove the big bend and reached high elevation and now approaching Parker Ridge area.

We pulled off in this section to admire the view.  Parker Ridge is to the left and our plan is carry further along and assess as we go.  There was no traffic, we owned the road, so I went for a shot that shows my excitement for being here.  It's the dead of winter, it's remote, it's wild, it's desolate, but I felt so alive! 

This photo was taken from the vehicle.  

We crossed over into Jasper National Park and we are aiming for the Columbia Icefields.  

The road was plowed down to the parking lot for the Columbia Icefields.  We bundled up and went for a walk as far as we felt comfortable with.  This is looking up at the Athabasca Glacier in the centre of the photo.  It was cold here and there was a bit of wind every now and then but that blue sky and the scenery was incredible.  

here we are on a small ridge off the trail

Adventure Designer taking a few minutes to just be in the moment!

There is something so incredibly moving to be out here, right now!  

As we were heading back to the vehicle, we both kept looking back!  I didn't want to leave and I wondered why she kept looking back but we had so much more to experience and it was time to head further west.  We drove to the Tangle Falls parking lot and made this our turn around location.  Before carrying on back, we crossed the road to visit the Falls. How about the colour of those falls!  WOW!  

Tangle Falls

This photo was taken from the car as we drove back towards the Columbia Icefields.

More amazing frozen falls so we stopped again and crossed the road to see them.  There was a beaten path that lead in the direction of the falls that was probably used by ice climbers.  We did not venture any further, we respected the avalanche warning sign.  

This is a view from the vehicle showing how narrow this section of road is and how the ice and snow on the road is melting.  The sun was so intense and worked its magic on the road, at times the road was bone dry.  That was the case with the winding steep big bend section of road further back.

view from the vehicle as we carried along heading for Peyto Lake

The road to the lower parking lot at Peyto Lake was ploughed and the parking lot cleared.  This is the view as the Peyto Lake kiosk.  A few other cars were already here and as we hiked in to the Lake we met the people coming back out, all who were beaming brightly so we knew we were in for a treat. 

This is the pile of snow cleared from the parking lot! 

Of course, I had to climb it!

the trail through the forest heading towards the new viewing platform at Peyto Lake

We arrived at the platform and on this day at this time we owned it!  That never ever happens during other seasons.  This view is looking down onto Peyto Lake with it being snow covered.  Other times of the year this lake is turquoise in colour.  To me it is just as beautiful in winter!  

another view in another direction

Adventure Designer brought her Buffalo Plaid blanket and settled on it for some photo ops.

joining in on the photo opportunity

realizing the colours we choose to wear today were perfect

the biggest marshmallow I ever did see

It was time to continue further back east and stop off at Bow Lake for a walk around.  This is the view of Crowfoot Mountain just after we left the parking lot aiming for the edge of the lake.  The snow is wind sculptured into a perfect drift.

embracing the feeling of being out on Bow Lake in the dead of winter

There was no water anywhere to be seen so no reflections to capture.  

In this location it was all about the shadows!

Adventure Designer designing her shadow shot!

I am not much of a designer, this is mine!

this is our shadow shot

view of Bow Lake and Crowfoot Mountain from the little wood bridge

As we worked our way back to the vehicle, I stopped to admire the Lodge and to see the Canadian Flag waving in the wind. It will be another few months before the Lodge opens again for another season. 

This was our last stop before heading back to Lake Louise.  It was early evening by the time we arrived back at The Village and decided to dine in at The Outpost at the Post Hotel.  Once inside we checked our comfort level for being inside there and with an A.O.K we then picked the comfy sofa in the corner.  Two hours later, it was time to head on home. 

Today was absolutely amazing!  I kind of knew it would be with my friend being the designer of our day!  It was great that Mother Nature came on board and presented us with wonderful weather and parks people worked their magic to give us safe driving conditions.  Like I said early in this story, today in the dead of winter I felt so alive!