December 30, 2007
Squamish Day Trip = Eagles, Salmon, Rivers, Ocean
The Brackendale eagle run is underway (provincial park info here), so Yumi and I took a day trip up the Sea to Sky highway to the Squamish area for some nature photography.
We stopped off at the beautiful new tourist information building in Squamish to pick up a new provincial parks annual parking pass, and were pleased to discover that the price had been cut in half to $25.
Next stop was the eagle viewing area along the Squamish River. There was plenty of snow, and few eagles -- the volunteer guides had recorded only 16 adults and a few juveniles today. There wasn't much salmon spawner evidence either -- few carcasses and almost none of the distinctive odour :-).
Here are a few shots from that location:
The Squamish River on a sullen winter day.
Eagle on the shore of the Squamish.
Gulls reeling through the leaden sky.
Disappointed by the meager count we decided to head off to the Cheakamus River and the North Vancouver Outdoor School. The gate to the property was open, so we drove in. The manager was out and about wearing a Squamish Streamkeepers cap so we introduced ourselves as fellow streamkeepers, and he told us there were eagles visible from the dike on the river.
There were more spawner carcasses, and we got a lot closer to several eagles as well.
A view of the Cheakamus looking south from the bridge on the Paradise Valley Road.
The Cheakamus looking north from the bridge on the Paradise Valley Road.
Bald eagle on its perch over the river.
Here's some evidence of the lifting power of eagles: a salmon skeleton draped in a tree!
This salmon spine was around 80-90cm long, so it was a hefty fish.
A salmon jaw in the same tree -- perhaps it belongs to the skeleton above.
On the way home we stopped at Porteau Cove to take in some great views of Howe Sound.
Gull framed by pier view-tower structure.
We made one more stop, driving up to the Cypress Mountain viewpoint. It's days like this that make up for all the winter rains!
Looking south over Vancouver and Burnaby with Burnaby Mountain to the left.
And one more eagle soaring over the Cypress Mountain snow line.