Nine Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists enjoyed another splendid day in the great outdoors on our latest field trip, Friday, July 18. Peter Antonick took us to his favourite fishing spot—Hole in the Wall, along the Similkameen River. It is an area that required a half an hour of walking and bushwhacking just to reach, as the road has washed away. While some of our group cast their lines, the rest of us rambled through the bush and explored for the next couple of hours. Our walk was fruitful, as we spotted a colourful Western Tanager, and discovered wild asters, daisies and nodding onions, as well as several well-defined fossils. The biggest surprise was finding a private resort located upstream, partially obscured by the trees. We walkers returned to the fishing site just in time for lunch, and as we had managed to haul lawn chairs to our sandy spot by the stream, we were able to relax in comfort. The overcast skies cleared at noon, and the sun shone upon us as we shared fresh trout, snow peas and cherries, in addition to Peter’s smoked salmon and elk sausage. An eagle’s nest located across the river allowed an adult Bald eagle and a juvenile to keep watch over us, while a lone Canada goose floated nearby, seemingly content to share the fishing. The cool water was refreshing and invigorated us for the uphill hike in the hot sun as we returned to our vehicles, once again blessed by great weather, scenic surroundings and good friends.
Our next field trip will be held Saturday, Aug. 9, when Charlotte Sellers will lead us on an easy hike off China Creek Road, climbing to a few high points to enjoy the views. Confirm with Char at 295-6079 and meet at Billy’s at 9 a.m. These outings are open to the public, so please join us.
