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Post by Curtis on Sept 23, 2005 18:39:56 GMT -8
The Oak Bay and the fact that you can walk above the Evacuation chute is cool that's a reason I made one part my area when im on the ship
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Post by Ferryman on Sept 23, 2005 18:58:26 GMT -8
I wonder what they'll do different with the Surrey compared to the Oak Bay, seeming they left a few more windows on the car deck on the Coquitlam compared to the Cowichan. They seem to come up with a new idea everytime another ferry goes through the midlife refit process.
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 24, 2005 23:14:46 GMT -8
Hi gang: Thanks for the nice comments. I haven't been here for a few days, due to our short vacation at Brackendale (not a ferry ride this time, darn!). Just for fun, same pic, cropped lower to show more Howe Sound water. I prefer the mountains as a backdrop. On another forum, I posted a few dog-related pics of Bowen Island from Tuesday 20 Sep. One without ferries or dogs was well-received, because a doggone eagle flew thru the scenery. Pesky birds ...
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 24, 2005 23:36:46 GMT -8
.. and thanks to all who asked about Bo. He's pretty happy on inland trips, as this photo shows: He led Jeannie and I - and enthusiastic Virginia - on a hike from Brandywine Falls to Callaghan Creek. The short (3.8 km) but challenging trail rambles through swamps, over rockfalls, into deep cedar woods to the Calcheak suspension bridge. Beauty, beauty, beauty all the way. We returned on the easier trail which was part of yesterday's Cheakamus Challenge cycle race. Black dogs, turquoise water:
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 24, 2005 23:42:42 GMT -8
I can't leave without a Bowen dog photo. On the wharf by the BCF dock. Dog lovers, it's good (and we have children, too):
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 25, 2005 0:36:59 GMT -8
A late PS:
Our Friday morning at Brandywine Falls reminded me how attractive BC is to tourists. We passed a family group on the short path to the falls.
I heard conversation in a language I didn't know, but one said "Japanese Spitz" as we passed by. Minutes later, we let Bo and Virginia off their leashes. Bo disappeared back up the path.
I found him cuddling these folks. Israelis from Jerusalem; middle-aged parents, daughter and son-in-law.
First and only time in North America. They chose BC because they had seen a photo in a magazine! And they were so happy, because BC was even better than its photo.
They had been to Victoria on one of the Spirits. They rented a camper and drove to Calgary and back by some adventurous routes.
In the Cheakamus valley they were starry-eyed at the wonders of coastal BC. Their English was good, and their questions showed they were paying attention.
"Why is there desert at Lillooet and rainforest an hour west?" "Why is Vancouver city so big, but the country is wilderness?" And much more ... I explained what I could, and maybe made up BS for the gaps.
All the while, Bo was cuddling one person after another. (I did manage to explain that he and Virginia were Schipperkes, not Japanese Spitzes)
Our brief meeting reminded me that BC's attractions are no longer a secret. And their very high praise of BC Ferries' service pleased me a lot, too.
Nice people, a happy morning.
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Post by Ferryman on Sept 25, 2005 8:36:28 GMT -8
That's neat that you were up here Brian! Brandywine is a really nice water fall. I thought by the creek that goes along that highway that it would be just a small one, yet there was alot of hype about it. So I decided to have a look myself, and was really suprised and amazed. How are the fish doing in the rivers after that train wreck? All of the rivers and Howe Sound is still closed to fishing all the way down to Lions Bay.
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Post by Shane on Sept 25, 2005 11:30:22 GMT -8
Nice pics! Brian, do you have a website were you have all your pictures on?
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 27, 2005 17:53:40 GMT -8
Shane:
Thanks for the nice compliment! Sorry I didn't answer earlier ... no, I don't have a web photo site.
All I can say is -- just keep watching this forum. I'll bore y'all to death with photos.
Ferryman:
The Cheakamus Canyon BCR spill sure was devastating. We stayed at Sun Wolf Lodge a few days ago. It's a modest group of cabins right at the junction of the Cheakamus and Cheekye Rivers.
Last time we were there, in Sep 2003, the Cheakamus was thick with salmon at that spot. This year? Nothing. Not a ripple. I hope the river's flushing will clean it so the big Chinooks will be there in October/November.
As you probably know, the winter Squamish Valley eagle concentration depends on the fall salmon run. Eagles gather from all over western America to feed on spawned-out fish carcasses as the water drops in early winter.
The USA dammed or poisoned almost all their western rivers in the past 50 years, reducing the eagles' winter survival to a few of BC's rivers.
I think we should claim the eagle as our bird. America can adopt the backhoe as their national symbol.
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Post by Ferryman on Sept 27, 2005 18:09:36 GMT -8
That's really too bad that there is no fish up there right now. I think the River should have salmon spawning up there pretty soon hopefully. Going over the Mamquam River bridge this morning (The Mamquam River flows into the last 4 or 5 kilometers of the Squamish River before it goes into the Ocean) that there was some fish laying on the shores. Which a few weeks ago was like the Cheakamus...no fish at all. Right now it's a little bit too early for the Eagles to come anyway. But the Eagle count is definitely going to be smaller than previous years. The Mamquam River.... I remember hearing just before the Train Crash, that the Salmon wait till the rivers water temperature is just right before they enter to Spawn. Whether or not that is part of the issue right now as well, I don't know. But the Rivers are still fairly low and are still about how they would be in the middle of the Summer, and they're still green from the Glacier Silt. The Rivers sure are a Spectacular sight when they're full of Salmon, jumping all over the place, it's almost like you could just reach out and catch one, and then take it home. But the River's are still of course closed until the end of the month I think, but we'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
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Post by BrianWilliams on Sept 27, 2005 19:12:26 GMT -8
Thanks for the Mamquam photo! You're right; temperature, water volume, sediment -- all affect migratory fish. That should remind everyone that tampering with rivers has consequences. The reservoirs we create far upstream can damage fish. Even though the lower river may be undisturbed, reservoirs raise water temperature downstream. Our undammed upper Fraser River is suffering from the over-warm Nechako flow. Cheakamus River at Brackendale Saturday -- heaven's beauty or what?
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