Thursday, January 6, 2011

Well’s Gray P.P. – August 31st, 2010

Ok, so in real time it is already 2011 and I’m posting this, more as an experiment than anything, although it is definitely time I got this late summer trip finished off….but I want to find out if, in fact I can post this because my other blog (http://ibabc033chehalisestuary.blogspot.com) is telling me that I can no longer post pictures to it (unless I pay) because I’ve used up all my free space.  Since there are probably 30 times the pictures on this blog than on the other, I want to see what happens…

August 31st found us in Well’s Gray P.P. with a day, weather wise, that wasn’t much better than the weather is outside today…never the less the plan was to work our way out of the park, checking off the various attractions as we went.

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First stop was Secret Lake and I’m afraid it is a secret because unless you have a boat to get on the lake, this is all you can see…

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Next, Baillie's Shoot – this was part of the trail leading from the large parking area down to the ‘shoot’

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The ‘shoot’ is a narrow area of rapids on the Clearwater river…there is a viewing platform here…

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So you can watch the Salmon leaping up the falls as they travel up the river to the lake….the run was just starting and I managed to get this shot…

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Next stop – The Ray Farm – the sign pretty much says it all…the Ray family homesteaded here and raised a family many, many years before there were even any roads in the area.

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That is the old farmhouse, the parks board keeps the meadow cleared but the rest is left to return to the earth….that orange in the foreground is one of the natural mineral springs that are located in the area.

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a closer look at the farmhouse that housed a family…

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Of course no trip to Well’s Gray would be complete without a visit to Helmcken Falls….

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This view is down river from the falls, looking back towards the depth of the park.

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One last look at the falls…it was pouring with rain so not as spectacular as they could be if it was a sunny day.

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It was late afternoon by the time we made our way back to the town of Clearwater and headed to the campground at North Thompson Provincial Park. 

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The rain had stopped although it remained kind of dull and gray….here is the North Thompson looking south towards the direction of Kamloops…

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and from the same spot, looking north…

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Some leaves were just starting to turn into their fall colors…this area was full of birds, mainly Swainson’s Thrush and Robins…

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