Skaia?

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Today we decided to pursue a little sub-alpine stroll that Gary had long boasted about and, as it turned out, with good reason. The Skaia walk involved a drive to the south , crossing Arrow Lakes at Faucier and then driving about fifteen minutes or so towards the Monashee before a left turn up into the mountains via logging roads. The logging road was generally good and we crept slowly upwards in elevation, passing the occasional fat cows that had clearly been making the most of the season’s growth. We parked a ‘car park’, a flattened grassless section where clearly some of the cattle had been gathered previously. My first act was to stand in a large relatively cow pat that Gary had carefully warned my children about.

Anyways soon the cows and their products were forgotten as we strolled aimlessly towards a ridge. The habitat was sub-alpine meadows and between the occasional Fir and Spruce trees a garden of flowers grew. Many of the annuals were on-the way-out and many flowers had moulted some of their petals and here and there their stems had begun to droop due to the summer’s heat. Occasionally though we found a slight depression where the moisture had been allowed to gather longer and here the colours of summer were still bright, advertising the past full summer bloom. The weather was cloudy and the air just cool as we slowly made our way upwards, chatting and, of course, picking out the odd bird. Savanna, White-crowned, Chipping Sparrows had, with Dark-eyed Juncos, started to gather and, particularly on our walk back, several trees held large flocks, particularly the white crowned. A generous flock of Pipits flew around the small perched lakes at the ridge’s top, a site we had selected as reasonable for a picnic. Sadly the first lake had evaporated over the last week and the larger lake was devoid of birds – a Baird’s Sandpiper recorded a week earlier. Clark’s Nutcrackers, Grey Jays, and Boreal Chickadees further reminded us that we ere high in the mountains. The view was, perhaps expectedly, breathtaking. A sea of mountain tops surrounded us extending to the horizon in all directions and despite the fact that it was now September last years snow occasionally had lingered in high valleys shaded by even high peaks to the south.  

The meadows extended over a vast distance and one could easily imagine the sight of a Grizzly lumbering across the land. WE had to imagine seeing no such thing however we did see evidence, albeit from perhaps last year, of the bear’s visit. The meadow rang with the squeals of Chipmunks and Ground Squirrels and we found a few older attempts to remove these squirrels which must have been the work of a hungry bear.

Our visit was interrupted by the darkening of clouds and so our pace back towards the vehicles was forcibly quickened. And before we could get there it started to spit and then drizzle such that we had a slight dampening.

view north from Burton Bridge

A quick visit to the Burton Flats before returning...........

Burton Flats

Another great day….