Larch needles

Yellowing

The colour has been late arriving, but here it comes. The birch have turned yellow. The larch (right) are just beginning to do so.

A late start to fall

As late as summer was to arrive, so it is late to leave. The bracken has turned, but the leaves on the trees are just beginning to get the idea. Nights are cold, well below freezing this week. But the days continue to be lovely.

Retallack Old Cedars Trail

Retallack Old Cedars Trail
Distance: 1.05 km (0.6 mi).
Route type: Lollipop loop
Suitable for: Walking, running
Elevation change: 35 metres up, 35 metres down

Technical difficulty rating:  
Navigational difficulty rating:  

This short walk is a must-do for visitors any time from late spring to mid-fall. The trailhead is easily accessible right off Highway 31A, about 2 kilometres east of Fish Lake, or about 15 km from New Denver. There's a prominent sign in the midst of a straight stretch of highway marking the turnoff for Retallack Alpine Resort. Turn in at the sign, cross the bridge and park immediately after the bridge on the right. The trail is right there.

 Follow the trail beside the creek. After about 200 metres there's a fork. We usually travel counter-clockwise around this loop, so we take the right-hand fork. From here you're in the thick of the grove of old-growth cedars. One of our favourites fell this year: it's almost more impressive toppled on its side than it was standing. But gosh, the standing trees are amazing too. The undergrowth is sparse in the depths of the forest. Closer to the creek you'll find huckleberry, thimbleberry and devil's club.

At the double-back point at the western-most extent of the trail, you'll find the path climbing a couple of metres up over the roots of a large cedar that leans a little bit over the creek. Be sure to take a good look into the bear den in the base of this tree. Don't worry: it will be empty during any weather that's amenable to hiking on foot! The den is quite amazing. We've been able to fit 8 or 9 children at a time inside it. Brave children!

We love the peaceful stateliness of the Old Cedars forest. It does feel quite ancient. The ground has the springy resonant feel of terrain made of little more than centuries of cedar needles, mushroom mycelia and old air.

 

Bears and cherries

Unfurling leaves

Sun, melting and steam

The whole canyon fills with steam when the sun starts really melting the snow.

Dark sky and maple tree

Winter forest

Cedars and sky

Sunlight. Trees.

The same trees as the other day, but different light. Whole different photo.

Picture-postcard trees

This is what snow-clad evergreens look like in my imagination. And in real life today, as it happens. It's snowing again to beat the band.

Picturesque returns

Colder temperatures and fresh snow again. And briefly, but alas only briefly, blue sky.

A shaft of sun

A shaft of late-afternoon sunlight catches a few nearer trees while the north-facing slope behind them remains in perpetual shadow.

Helicopter

This helicopter was probably supplying a logging operation, as it was doing repeated flights through a bit of blue sky with some sort of payload. Helicopters after a heavy snow are a sinister sign as they may be part of a Search & Rescue operation looking for people in the back-country who may have been caught in an avalanche or other misadventure.

Trees and tree shadows

This photo was taken at 2:36 pm. The sun stays low in the sky at this time of year. By what would normally be considered mid-afternoon we're just over an hour from sunset and the trees are throwing long, long shadows. This shot was taken from Highway 6. The rock face is not natural; it's been blasted to allow the highway passage by some bluffs at the edge of the lake.

Sunrise: 7:15 a.m.   Sunset: 3:56 p.m.

White world

Drear

Socked in

Fall always includes a certain amount of dreary cold weather. When things are overcast here we not only miss the blue sky, we don't see the mountains. As the socked-in weather drags on through November it's enough to make us look forward to proper winter. But at least small breaks in the cloud remind us that the mountains are still out there.

Where clouds are born

We often see this on cool damp days, especially on the slopes above creek canyons, where cold air from higher elevations follows the topography down towards the warmer moister air at lower elevations. Many of the larches on exposed slopes are past their yellow stages and dropping needles now.