"Aussie Coastal Bushwalk" Conquer 2022 Virtual Challenge Progress March 31, 2022

It's official, I altered the route I designed for my Aussie Coastal Bushwalk Conquer 2022 Virtual Challenge! I decreased the distance by 528 kilometres. Now, instead of conquering 2550 kms, I now have to conquer 2022 kms.  My new finish line will be at Cape Howe Marine National Park on the border of New South Wales and Victoria.  So that is the official announcement for now!!!  This is the updated map.  To get the distance necessary, I will detour inland in various locations along the way, accessing as I go.  The finish date remains the same which is finish by end of day December 31, 2022.

After inputing into the challenge site the ten kilometres I walked today, it brought me to the 464 kilometre mark along this virtual challenge. When I called up google maps to add the distance there, once again the flood alert warnings appeared for northern New South Wales and bordering on southern Queensland.  I have approximately three dozen kms to cover to bring me to Coffs Harbour.  I kept looking at my map on the cork board every time I added a distance and it felt like I would never reach Coffs Harbour.   Now there is a light at the end of this section of the tunnel!

Over these past few weeks, I took a few hours in total to learn about some of the places I virtually hiked through and passed by.  The photos are from google maps and I also included a snap shot from a tourist site about the forest bathing and information about a grade level of hiking.

Yamba Lighthouse:  

I love anything lighthouses so delved a little deeper into learning about this one.   Yamba Lighthouse sits on Pilot Hill which is the highest hill in Yamba.  This current functioning lighthouse was built in 1955 and measures 18 metres tall.  The original lighthouse was built in 1866 and was a wooden structure that sat on a platform and was lit by a kerosene lamp.  

Woody Head:  

When I reached Bundjalung National Park, I saw an advertisement offering a forest bathing experience.  I was curious as to what what type of forest existed on the north eastern coast of New South Wales that would lend itself to become immersed in.   

This is what I found!  This type of forest bathing would be a win win situation offering the best of both worlds.  Where a forest like this meets the beach and ocean like this, I would love to forest bath here!  

Squeakygate Retreat & B&B:  

The route I am following veered inland a bit to a place called Ashby which sits on the Clarence River.  Here I discovered the inviting looking Squeakygate Retreat & Bed & Breakfast.  It looks like the ideal spot to get away from it all.  

While looking at the photos from their site, this one stood out.  

I like what that sign says!

Brooms Head:  

This beach front town sits in the heartland of Yuraygir National Park.  Like most of the villages along the coast, Brooms Head too is a beach treasure offering great spots to watch for whales and dolphins.  It is known for red cliffs and comes with a guarantee that you will see kangaroos.    

This one way hiking track that starts at Brooms Head looks like it would be quite enjoyable.  I was curious  how their rating system works and found a good explanation for what a Grade 3 level would involve.

Corindi Beach:

This small village community is located approximately 33 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour.  Corindi means "grey" in Indigenous language and that refers to the pipeclay on the beach.  The islands, ocean, headlands and estuaries around the area are in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. You will find long rolling beaches, sections of coastal rainforests and many walking areas to enjoy during your visit.  This location is known for being a blueberry producer.

Once I reach Coffs Harbour, my next big milestone to reach will be Sydney which will be another roughly 500 kms or so to cover.  I will see what I can accomplish over the next couple of weeks before in reality heading off to Spain.  While there I will definitely track my distance as there will be lots of ground covered sightseeing.  

spring time "outing & abouting"

It has been such a pleasure frequenting local trails these past few days!  The snow is gone, the trails are mostly clear of ice, warm layers get left behind and I can feel the warmth from the sun!  The birds are arriving on a daily basis from their winter habitats, even the "snowbirds" are returning.  I have been "out & about" a lot and these collages show what spring time looks like right now closer to home!

 

On this day I hiked for three hours at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.  I went early with hopes of seeing a colourful sun rise but that did not transpire. What colour I did see that stood out was the blue of a Mountain Bluebird!  It was the first one for me to see this season.  This is a male Mountain Bluebird that I saw within a matter of minutes of beginning my hike.  It was still somewhat dark but I was able to get close enough to capture a decent photo.  I almost stepped on the American Tree Sparrow, once again it was still somewhat dark.  There were plenty of American Robins foraging on the ground.  I believe these two deer knew I was there but they did not bother to check me out.  While in the sunny open areas, I checked for crocuses but no luck spotting even a bud.  

On this day I made a visit to Confluence Park covering the Birth Forest, Nose Creek and the surrounding meadows and hills.  Upon arrival at the Birth Forest, I was greeted with much colour from this male House Finch.  Surely his crimson shade will attract the ladies!  The pathways were dry and clear of ice and snow but I imagine as the day went on there could be an issue with mud in sections.  Nose Creek is mostly running free of ice and now the Mallards are stopping by for visits. 

On this day I spent a few hours meandering around the trails and boardwalks at Dale Hodges Park.  There was a hiccup in the weather over night and a thin layer of snow was covering everything when I arrived.  I could hear many bird songs but mostly the Canada Geese and the Mallards were drowning out that sweet music. Some of the trails I followed were through thick forests and it was difficult to spot the small birds. I did spot a White-Breasted Nuthatch who stood upright long enough to get this photo.  The lady Mallard had lots to say while the male Mallard presented a perfect reflection in the pond.  The majority of the ponds were frozen.    

On this day I visited the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary to see who else has arrived for the season.  It was the Wood Ducks that captured my attention today although I did admire other species.  I spent quite a bit of time watching the antics play out between the colourful male Wood Duck and his lady friend.  The Sanctuary is an interesting place to visit these days as mating season is in full swing!  I did experience having to take a detour to avoid crossing paths with a Canada Goose pair!

 

Sunday Sunrise at Nose Hill March 27, 2022

When I woke this morning, I was in the mood to witness the dawning of a new day somewhere.  I had no idea what the sunrise would be like but I just knew I needed to be somewhere and hope for the best.  With the sun rising earlier these days, I had no time to waste so went for the short drive to Nose Hill Environmental Park, quickly huffed and puffed up the hill, then waited a few minutes.  I could tell right away it was going to be a gorgeous dawning and then this transpired!  This sight gives hope for a beautiful new day!  

I scooted up and down a few hills and watched the sky the entire time!  

After watching the sunrise, it was time to carry on with my hike.  

As I turned to hit the trail, the golden glow lit up every spot possible.  

I opted to stick to the tree lined dirt trails.

I eventually landed at Nose Hill Lake and it remains in an overflowing state.

I felt the clouds drew me towards certain trails.....

.....as did the birds' songs!  The Robins were there by the dozens.    

The Black-Capped Chickadees were plentiful too!  I noticed this little one with a couple of feathers sticking out on its side  I thought maybe they just needed to be fluffed a bit and would fall into place, but they remained like that.  

While I think I have heard sparrows, this is my first sighting this season, it's an American Tree Sparrow!

After hiking around the hills for a couple of hours, it was time to aim down hill along the slopes that get hit with lots of sun. It was here I checked for the beginnings of crocuses but I spotted nothing.  I will return in a few days and check again as they should be sprouting any day now!

Nordic Centre to The Legion Canmore March 24, 2022

The closer we got to Canmore this morning, the sketchier the conditions became with snow build up on the road, minimal visibility and vehicles off in the ditch.  I wondered what would transpire and what our hike would be like!  Our start location was at the Nordic Centre and it would be a one way hike up, some traversing, a few more ups and downs with a final descent to The Legion in Canmore townsite.  Then just like that, the closer we got to the Nordic Centre, the snow stopped, the sky cleared and this was our view as we hit the trail.  I noticed the flags flying today were of Alberta, Canada and Ukraine.  

We worked our way from the Nordic Centre, along a short portion of the 742 where we looked for a trail that would lead down to the reservoir. We found it, broke trail in the new snow down to where we hiked with views of the reservoir and the mountains to the north.  

reflection in the reservoir

We began the ascent where we were now aiming for the trail that would take us to Grassi Lakes.  

Now I could see the reservoir down below us.  

view of Ha Ling Peak

view of the mountains to the north

We arrived at Grassi Lakes and did a loop.  

I had been here many moons ago.  

It was nice to see this area at this time of year and especially on this day.  

reflection in Grassi Lake

view of Grassi Lake 

This photo of me was taken by 

my photograph friend (credit posted under photo) 

who was on the other side of the Lake.

photo credit Ann Nickerson

After a short break at Grassi Lakes, we carried on and aimed for the Highline Trail.  No one had been since the new snow so we broke trail.  At times we had to find where the trail was due to the amount of new snow.

It's called the Highline Trail for a reason!  

This is the view from along it.  

That's the reservoir down below.

view from the Highline Trail

view up at Ha Ling Peak from the Highline Trail

It was a steep descent in the snow at times getting off the Highline.  Thank goodness for spikes!  We made our way to Quarry Lake and this is the view from there.  

view up to Ha Ling Peak on the left and East End of Rundle on the right, both of which I have been up

We were nearing the townsite and it crossed my mind I should get a location shot.  

Our finish location was at The Three Sisters Legion Branch #3 in Canmore.  

Seeing as I was not a driver, I indulged in a Sheepdog IPA draft beer. 

This map shows our route in red.  The trails were new to me except for a short section around Grassi Lakes.  The one-way hikes are a treat and today there were many treats including the scenery, the friends and the beer!  

bare hills & sunflower meadows

Given a positive double digit forecast, I hit up Nose Hill without spikes or many layers.  I went early enough to enjoy dry trails before they turned to mud yet still feel the warm sunshine.  There is not much up there these days other than the pretty sights and a bit of ice here and there.  As for wildlife, today is was just a variety of birds that I heard and saw.   

I found my way to "Nose Hill Lake" expecting it to be bone dry as it was a couple of weeks ago.  We have had no moisture to speak of in any form so I can not figure out how it could be full to the brim and overflowing with water and ice.

The usual Woodpecker and Chickadee residents were nice to see and the added bonus was spotting a Northern Shrike and two American Robins. The Northern Shrike will soon be heading much further north for the spring and summer months.  My sense is the Robins are new arrivals and are not ones that spend the winter here.  The Robin has quite the detailed pattern on its rear-end.

a look that I like a lot

The sky looked big today if that makes any sense!

It will soon be time to begin the crocus search!

🌻sunflower🌻

Who ever thought that sunflowers would be so popular when it is not even their season!  Their prime time is still a few months away but they are at the forefront in the news and in peoples thoughts these days.  This beautiful cheerful colourful ray of sunshine is the national flower of Ukraine.  

I invested a few hours the past couple of days to learn how to sketch and paint sunflowers.  The first picture was done with coloured pencils and the following two are done with watercolour brush pens and brushes.   They are all "free" sunflowers meaning they are rendered in a loosely, nonrigid, non-uniform manner.