Tag: northern hawk owl
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The Spruce Who Remembers the Storm
Somewhere along the rugged sweep of Northern Vancouver Island stands an old Sitka spruce upon roots that grip earth and stone…. A weathered trunk leans slightly toward the sea. Gnarled branches bear marks of decades facing the full force of both fury and gentleness. Sitka spruce thrive along the Pacific coast, where ocean air feeds…
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A Companion for All Seasons
An Australian Shepherd is at the heart of our adventures, anchoring us amidst North Vancouver Island’s rainforest and coastal beauty. Our outdoor journeys begin and end with her bright eyes alight with excitement. Rosie’s warm gentle spirit fills us with a sense of companionship and belonging. Her loyalty constantly surprises as she explores in a…
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The Mystery of the Holberg Road Shoe Tree
Holberg Road, is a rugged gravel road winding through remote regenerating forest land, connects the community of Holberg to Port Hardy. The area is steeped in history, with roots in forestry, pioneer homesteading, fishing, and mining. Along it there is a cedar snag that has been collecting dozens of shoes for longer than anyone seems…
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The Company of a Ruffed Grouse
Before the sun gathers its strength and the world awakens, the forest holds its breath slowly revealing its secrets. Far from paved highways and city lights, a quiet lays softly on the land, profound and complete on Northern Vancouver Island. The silence broken only by the faint rustling of leaves as we walked towards an…
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The Birth of a Forest Waterfall
A faint mist rose like a delicate veil over the waterfall as Chris, Rosie, and I stood in the forest, feeling delighted this June morning. The sound of falling water was soothing, a chorus that echoed off rock and trees draped in step moss, and small Licorice and Maidenhair ferns. There, bathed in the Nimpkish…
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The Deep Silence of Devils Bath
For the adventurous and those wrestling with the weight of stress or uncertainty of a turbulent world, a wilderness embrace offers a graceful reprieve. A peace found not merely by an absence of city noise, but in the pleasing tonic of naturalness relaxing to a weary mind; a sensory odyssey reminding us that even amidst…
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A Birds Eye View
The wonder of a bird’s eye is more than just a metaphor; it’s a gateway to understanding Mother Nature’s ingenuity. The vision of each of our feathered friends is a result of millennia of evolutionary adaptations responding to ecological demands to eat or avoid being eaten. For instance, a birds flight environment in and of…
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The Eternal Fountain
A karst feature worth visiting. Hidden to the north of the Nimpkish Valley, deep within the Pacific coastal rainforest, the Eternal Fountain lies surrounded by maturing western hemlock trees whose branches form a dense canopy overhead. The remarkable site is situated in the northern heart of Vancouver Island, along the Alice Lake Loop, a rugged…
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The Northern Hawk Owl
There is great satisfaction writing about outdoor adventures. It allows me to revisit the feelings of special moments deepening my appreciation for natural wonders. We were fortunate to happen upon this magnificent owl in a place where our thoughts are easily held captive by elusive boreal inhabitants. As I write I again experience renewed amazement…
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An Omineca Story
A moose encounter in a nearby wood grove drew me back to a trail barely visible; subtle hoof impressions meandered aimlessly through a forest floor lit by shards of morning sunshine. Walking forward bush pressed against my wool jacket, leaving traces of white frost. I was hoping to capture the spirit of an Omineca moose…
