Sunshine Meadows & Area, Banff National Park July 31, 2023

Feeling sunshine on my shoulders up on Sunshine Meadows was how I choose to say good-bye to July!  There was no rain in the forecast, the temperature high up there was forecasted to be ideal, and the fire- smoke trend showed it would be minimal for the day for this area.  After purchasing my ticket to ride the gondola to Sunshine Village, I hoped on a green car and savoured the sights surrounding me for the twenty minute ride.   

For this trek, instead of hiking up Rock Isle Road, I took the chairlift even higher!

that's me

coming in for a landing, the attendant was waiting for me

This was the view after I jumped off the chairlift and moved a bit down the trail.  

By now I could smell a hint of smoke and I could see it hoovering over the Kootenay area where just south west of that wildfires are still burning. When I looked to the west, there was a beautiful blue sky so instead of heading down into that valley area where the lakes are and also the smoke..... 

.....I veered right and aimed for the blue sky.

My expectations were for big bouquets of wildflowers everywhere!  That did not transpire!  There were loads of those crazy hippies on sticks but a few of everything else.  Also, what wildflowers there were, were minimal, stunted in growth or dismal looking.  Every other year that I was up on Sunshine around now, there was a wildflower explosion.   I did find beauties though!

This was the first time ever that I saw hippies-on-sticks looking like tiny little balls.  

This was about an inch in size.

Birds were not my focus but I did pay attention when they flew my way.  I captured a few photos of various kinds of sparrows and I thought this was one.  When I got home and ran my ID App on this one, it told me it is a Hermit Thrush.  Seeing this species is a "lifer" for me! 

At the junction, I took the trail left to ascend to the viewpoint overlooking the Simpson Pass area and off towards Healy Pass and the Monarch Ramparts. This time last year, this location was carpeted in red and pink Paintbrushes, today there were none, not even one.  

view from the viewpoint

This was the perfect spot for a snack.  While sipping and snacking, two Sunshine Employees came along, we chatted for a little while.  They were out checking the trails and monitoring for bears and bear activity. We discussed the bear digging along the trail from late last week. I did see it so knew I needed to be extra aware.  I just hiked along that trail and they were on the way there to check out the area again.  

After chatting, snacking and snapping shots, I geared up and headed downhill towards the open area leading to Simpson Pass.  I only ventured down along the trail for about thirty minutes.  It's not a busy trail, it is winding, narrow and secluded.  That's not where I cared to go today.  I picked stopping at this big rock crop.

view along a section of the trail to Simpson Pass

Investing about an hour down in this area was fulfilling enough, so I ascended back up to the viewpoint and aimed for the trail that I came here on.  I followed it back.  By now there was more blue and less smoke in the sky.  

I like orange!

view along the trail towards Rock Isle Lake

Rock Isle Lake

By the time I reached the view point and benches at Rock Isle Lake, I was ready for another snack.

Heading down to the other two lakes from Rock Isle Lake was not a location that was appealing to me today.  Instead, I headed uphill to connect with the trail heading towards Quartz Hill & Ridge.  That's them in the distance.  I did not plan on going to the Ridge, I just wanted to venture a couple of klicks along this trail.

Those couple of klicks got me to this point which I was content with.  

Once the couple of klicks back were completed, 

it was time to head to the gondola for the ride back down, 

then head on home!

trail to the gondola

view of Sunshine Village and where I would hop on the gondola

view in front of me as the gondola descended 

This was such a perfect day and way to usher out July!  

Nakasendo Trail Virtual Challenge Progress Report July 25, 2023

After completing the Chichen Itza Virtual Challenge, I took a day off to contemplate whether to take on another challenge!  On July 18th, I joined over 16,000 other virtual conquerors who have either completed or are currently working on conquering the Nakasendo Trail in Japan. This challenge is 552 kms in length and the route goes from Kyoto to Tokyo.  I picked a ten week time frame to reach the finish line  

While searching for information about the route, I came across some painting ideas so I put my brushes to paper.  This is Mount Fuji framed by cherry blossoms.  

What popped up in my search, was traditional Sumi-e Japanese Ink Painting. It's monochrome ink painting  that originated in China during the years 960 - 1274.   The Japanese adopted this idea during the mid 14th century.  For this technique, one uses sumi-e ink, special brushes and handmade paper.  I used my watercolour paint, brushes and paper.     

Once I signed up for this challenge, I received my race bid.  

I picked an autumn photo from September of last year, 

when I hiked up on the Sunshine Ski Hill,

to use as my marker.  

The route runs from Kyoto to Tokyo.

 

On July 18th, this is my marker at the start of the challenge!

Postcard I received once I entered my first distance.

today's postcard

These are my stats at the end of the day today.  I am behind my pacer by 4.7 kms.  I don't like being behind! I missed a few days due to heat and wildfire smoke.  From what I read in the forecast, the heat should behind us for the next little while, but the smoke could get worse with many more wildfires starting daily a few hours west of here.  

I have three short videos to share of some of the locations where I was "out & about" close to home.

Time for the Birds

Make time for birding is something I fit into each week.   A few hours of listening to songs and searching for sightings is all I need to feel fulfilled. Some excursions are more successful than others but any which way, I enjoy this connection with nature.  There was much success on this outing and I came away excited to download my photos to see what I captured.  While I have many more shots, these are the pictures where the birds stayed still long enough so I could get a clear photo.  Even though I have been birding now for three years and I have taken a few courses, I still have to use the app to identify some species, especially those little brown jobs called sparrows.  

Clay-Coloured Sparrow

Male House Finch

perfect reflection of a Wood Duck

Brown-Headed Cowbird (this is a baby that was being fed by a Yellow Warbler)

Mallard Mom and her Ducklings having a nap

Yellow Warbler

Black-Capped Chickadee giving me that sideways look

Great Blue Heron (I like the silhouette look)

Cedar Waxwing

American Kestrel (a species of Falcon)

Northern Flicker blending in with the wood

Eastern Kingbird

Yellow Warbler (just a ball of fluff)

a young American Robin