Nine naturalists, together with assorted family members, walked or cycled the KVR trail from Coalmont to White Sands Beach and back again on September 21. It was a jovial group that made its way along the trail, stopping from time to time to listen to Ed Staples’ interesting, educational briefs on historical aspects of the area, such as Granite Creek and its halcyon days after the 1885 gold rush. We spotted a Hooded Merganser, breathed in the fresh, cool air of the last day of summer, basked in the intermittent sunshine, and gloried in the beauty of the Tulameen River, complemented by the colourful leaves of the deciduous trees. Later we lingered at White Sands, refreshing ourselves with food and drink, while the dogs played in the water and Ed fished (successfully!) upstream. Ranging in age from 9 to 90, we straggled back to our starting point in groups of 2 or 3, content with yet another companionable outdoor trek.
Our next field trip will be a moderate hike up Darcy Mountain on Sunday, Oct. 6. Please confirm with Doug Rebagliati at 295-6778. Our next meeting will feature guest speaker Dennis St. John with a presentation on “Monarchs and other Butterflies.” Please join us at Riverside Centre, 7 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
