Annual Oak Tree Photo

Today was a perfect day to take a picture of our introduced oak tree against the backdrop of the 8000 ft plus Mount Nusatsum, especially since it was such a perfect day.  Yesterday turned very "Octoberish", when rain moved in after noon and it rained fairly good for a few hours.  Fortunately that cleared out overnight and today we are back to the blue sky fall weather (but with a strong outflow or east wind blowing the leaves around). With a high temperature of 15 C, we can handle any kind of wind that wants to blow!  Grizzly

Fall Colours

With the dry weather, shortening day length and some light frosts, the Bella Coola Valley has some nice fall colours this year.  Even the leaves of the Devil's Club are beautiful this year.  Grizzly

Spectacular October Days

A stretch of October weather quite as incredible as we've had for nearly a week already is rare.  Being that we are far inland on the coast, the Bella Coola Valley hasn't been getting the coastal fog lasting more than a little bit past daylight in the valley. Barely frosty in some areas overnight and the day time temps in the mid teens, fuchsia's are flowering and the lawn continues to grow.  The high pressure ridge creating this condition is forecast to continue for a few more days.  A spectacular place to spend a fall.  Grizzly

Rare October Weather

I don't remember seeing an Environment Canada weather forecast for Bella Coola showing 7 days of full sun in October! We are having a incredible stretch of weather, with night temperatures barely going to freezing in some areas.   I've noticed some late law mowing happening because the grass is still growing.

We certainly appreciate the fine clear days which are making the fall pleasant.  Grizzly

Chilcotin Ranches

The Chilcotin region of BC is a large area.  So large that after 30 years of exploring my wife and I still have not been to all the corners being that it is some 300+ kms by 300+kms as a region.  We decided for Thanksgiving weekend we would look around because the weather forecast was so good.  It was nice (-8 C in the morning) and very beautiful fall days.  On the Chezacut Road area we explored some interesting  Ducks Unlimited project areas, which will definitely warrant a return in the spring when many waterfowl and other birds will be in the area.

I almost had the pair of cowboy boots that I've always wanted at an abandoned ranch building from a bygone era, but decided to let them pass into history a little longer.  Grizzly

First Fall Rain

No picture today, because I haven't figured out how to take a good picture of the rain.  Friday and Saturday we have had our first major coastal rainstorm.  I haven't measured it all  but likely in excess of 75 mm between Friday and Saturday.  Its not a flooding rain because we haven't had significant snow pack build up in the higher mountain elevations.  Grizzly

River turning Fall

Each morning for the last week whenever we have any precipitation in the Bella Coola Valley the surrounding mountains are all dusted in fresh snow.  This usually means the valley creeks and the Bella Coola River start dropping quickly and change colour from summer grey to fall green as the glaciers tighten up and the deposition of fine glacial flour diminishes. It's a pleasant time of the year and the river always looks beautiful.  Now we just have to hope we don't get a rain event of any large magnitude which can turn the river angry brown very quickly.  Grizzly