Looking for the Wild

Living near downtown it is hard to find "wildness" whenever I step out the door. Yet I enjoy "intact ecosystems", as someone recently called them. Landscapes where nature is not manicured or mowed, pruned or "cleaned up". Just wild.

Occasionally I miss this kind of wildness ... Newfoundland tundra

Another wild image from Newfoundland -- the sand dunes where Piping Plovers nest. I love the rawness of this landscape!

In Salmon Arm, the "wildness" that is closest to home is the nature trail along the railway track. For a certain distance, between Christmas Island and Appleyard, I can get away from road noise. And if there is no train coming, it's quiet. The random thickets along the lakeshore trail host a myriad of birds, so at any time of year I can hear birdsong.

A wild section of the nature trail along Shuswap Lake in Salmon Arm

And, in Victoria, I am fortunate to have the wild ocean below Dallas Road within a few minutes' walk. The ocean waves overpower any traffic noise. And the wildness and power of nature are there in fullness. I love the kelpy smell of the ocean, and the constant ebb and flow, the sucking of water on the rocks.

Kelp strewn ashore

The ebb and flow of the ocean; as the water recedes, it makes a rhythmic sucking sound. 

Waves on a blustery day

Such a variety of kelp!

Rocks and kelp below Dallas Road

The video below is a little bit of "wild".

Heavy rains in January and early February caused localized flooding in various areas of Vancouver Island. In Victoria, saturated soils caused bank slumpage along some of the cliffs below Dallas Road.

Heavy rains caused bank slumpage along Dallas Road

Trail closed due to bank slumpage

On Friday Feb 7 the City of Victoria was already working on getting the trail reopened. I was impressed at how fast they were responding. I spoke to a city worker who said they didn't want to keep it closed for very long.

Working to reopen the trail along the water's edge

On a beautiful sunny day, no one wanted to stay away from the water. I am not the only one who loves the wild! Many people had crossed the barricade.

Wildness as dusk falls, along Dallas Road

IMPORTANT NOTE! This is my last post in Shuswap Reflections. Now that I am moving to Victoria full time, I am switching to my new blog at Coast Lines:
 https://linesfromthecoast.blogspot.com/