One Wild Year

In light of a video that recently surfaced on Facebook featuring a single tree being recorded for an entire year, I thought I would bring back a similar video I created using the trail cameras at Enviros Wilderness School's Base Camp, a program I used to work at. Up until now the video has lived on the Wild About Base Camp blog that I created, but that site does not see much traffic, so I thought I would transfer it to my personal blog with the hope of sharing it with more people.

Back in 2013 my co-teacher and I placed a Bushnell  trail camera on a single tree and left it there for an entire year. We were surprised at the variety of wildlife we captured throughout that year and have shown the video to countless students that came through our program. You'll quickly notice that it's not only wildlife that are actively using our forests and the level of coexistence between animal and man is quite impressive in the Base Camp area. Truth be told, after all the success we had with that camera it is still on that same tree today!

I would just like to thank Parks Canada for the inspiration behind this video. In 2011 they published Banff National Park's Wild Year and I liked it so much that I decided to put my own spin on things.

Enjoy!!

Final Camera Check

Trip Date: October 2015

In early October I headed back into the Ghost Valley to check my trail camera.  I hadn't been down to check it since late July, so I was eager to see what the camera had captured over the past couple of months.

On my way to the camera I came across these Moose tracks.  They were a pretty decent size and it was heading roughly in the direction of my camera, so I was hoping it strolled by as I don't have many photos of Moose yet.

Moose Tracks

Pretty decent size when compared with my size 12 hikers

The dry lake bed of the final Ghost Lake.  This is the most vegetation I've seen on the lake at one time.

As I approached the spot where my camera was located I was surprised and shocked to see that the tree it was attached to was now in several pieces.  Somebody had used a chainsaw to cut the tree in half and steal my camera.  I couldn't believe it.  My camera was a forty-minute walk from the nearest vehicle access point, so somebody had to go to an awful lot of work to steal it.  They likely wouldn't be carrying a chainsaw around with them, so they had to make a special trip back to my camera site with a chainsaw in order to steal it.

I had done everything in my power to protect the camera including keeping it in a security case, attaching the security case to the tree with several screws, using a python cable lock to secure the whole set-up, and placing it in a remote location that was difficult to find.  At the end of the day though, all of that wasn't enough to prevent it from being taken.

Two scenarios came to mind once my anger had subsided.  The first was that this individual was doing something he/she shouldn't have been doing (ie: poaching) and upon noticing my camera was fearful of getting caught so he/she decided to take it.  The second option was that this person really wanted a wildlife camera of their own and opted to use the forest as their own personal shopping mall, instead of purchasing one like the rest of humanity.  Either way this individual really, really wanted my camera for one reason or another and went to a lot of work to obtain it!

Before and after the theft!

Needless to say I was pretty discouraged about the whole situation, but I don't want that to be the end of my camera project.  I have decided that I am going to purchase a new one and find a different location to set it up.  I haven't decided on the model of camera yet or where I want to place it.  I think I might shy away from the Ghost Valley area, because it has become very much like the wild west; an extremely busy place filled with a bunch of yahoos that have very little regard for the natural world.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in my wildlife camera saga!

Third Camera Check

Trip Date: July 2015

I'll continue with my running series of trail camera posts.  In late July Christine, Jaryd, Sarah, and I headed back into the Ghost Valley for a short hike and to check my camera.  It had been about two months since my Second Camera Check, so I was eager to see how much action the warmer summer months had yielded.  Although the threat of rain was prevalent throughout the day, we managed to stay dry and have a great outing.  Here's what was captured this go 'round...

Grizzly Bear

This is the best photo of a Cougar that I've gotten so far

A pair of White-Tailed Deer

I had suspected that I captured a Bobcat last time I checked, but now it's confirmed!

This was the first time I captured Elk on camera

Another great shot of a Bobcat

Aside from the Elk, Mule Deer and a Canada Goose were also first time captures for me.  To see all of the best shots please visit my Facebook photo album titled, Wildlife Camera.  

On the way back to the truck, Rome decided to lay down in a grassy meadow that contained a few wildflowers.  She looked pretty excited to be outside and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of her in her element!

Rome

Resting in a grassy meadow

Just before reaching the car we startled a group of Ruffed Grouse.  They quickly scattered throughout the forest, but one fluttered up to this branch and sat there until we got closer before disappearing into the woods.

Ruffed Grouse perched on a branch

Stay tuned for my next camera update, which will likely be posted in early fall.

Second Camera Check & Hoodoo Hall

Trip Date: May 2015

One day over the May long weekend, Rome and I headed back out to Devil's Gap in the Ghost Valley to check my trail camera again.  It was such a beautiful day that I decided to head into Banff National Park and hike up Hoodoo Hall, which is something I hadn't done in quite some time.  If you'd like a little more information, please read my previous post about Hoodoo Hall.  

I couldn't have been happier with what I captured on my camera.  I had several first time appearances by Moose, White-Tailed Deer, Red Squirrel, Grizzly Bear, and what appeared to be a Lynx or a Bobcat.  It was tough to tell since the photos were taken in the dark, but it seems to be a small cat of sorts.  I also had the mainstays from my First Camera Check; Snowshoe Hare, Coyote, and Grey Wolves.  Here are a few of the better photos from this camera check...

The first photo I captured of a Moose

A great shot of a black Wolf looking right at the camera

This Grizzly Bear just looks miserable, walking head-on into the wind and rain

There is a collection of photos posted on my Facebook page if you're interested in seeing the rest of them.

After swapping memory cards and changing the batteries in my trail camera, we entered Banff National Park and headed towards Hoodoo Hall.

The entrance to Hoodoo Hall

Looking back from where we came from

Hoodoo Hall is a spectacular canyon in Banff's backcountry.  It's steep, narrow walls and unique rock formations make it an appealing attraction for those who know about it.  A cluster of hoodoos can be found a short distance inside the canyon, hence it's name.  They almost seem out of place in the Rocky Mountains; like they were transported from Alberta's badlands.  

The hoodoos of Hoodoo Hall

Another shot of the hoodoos

We continued hiking up the canyon until we reached a fork in the road.  We opted to take the left-hand trail and worked our way up and over larger boulders as we followed a quickly flowing stream.  

Hiking through the narrow canyon

This large boulder seemed oddly out of place, but made for an excellent spot to stop and have lunch

Rome enjoying her surroundings

After lunch we turned around and started making our way back to the car.  I am unsure how far we hiked this day or how much elevation we gained as I forgot to turn on my app.  I am also uncertain whether the app would have even worked inside the canyon's walls.  I guess there's always next time!

This Red Squirrel and I had a bit of a staring contest before it scampered away

It will likely be a couple of months before I can get back out to Devil's Gap to check my camera again, but until then stay tuned for more adventures outside.

First Camera Check

Trip Date: April 2015

Back in January, you may remember, I talked about my remote wildlife camera that my wife got me as a gift.  If you don't know what I'm talking about please see my previous post titled Camera Placement.  Anyway, in early April I trekked back out to the camera to change the batteries, swap the SD memory card, and more importantly see what I captured.  

While hiking to the camera I came across these canine tracks that I guessed were made by a wolf.  They were coming from the direction of my camera, so I was pretty excited to see if they'd walked by it.  That way I'd know for sure what made them.

The diameter of my lens cap is 73mm (2.9"), so these are decent sized canine tracks

They looked like wolf tracks to me

With wolf tracks, it's difficult to tell how many wolves were there because they tend to walk in a single-file line and will step in each other's tracks.  Sometimes what looks like one wolf could actually be the entire pack.  As I kept walking I noticed, what appeared to be, a second set of tracks.  Now I was thinking that there was more than one canid leaving their mark.

You can see two paw prints above and to the right of my lens cap, as well as a larger print below and to the left

After spotting these prints, I hurried to my camera with eager anticipation.  I was not disappointed with the results...

The first critter I captured was this Snowshoe Hare and there were a lot of photos of this little guy!

I was right, Wolves!  Three of them to be exact!

Two were the more common grey colour, but one was jet black

I also had a couple photos of Coyotes

The most recent photos on the camera were again of Wolves.  These must have been the ones that left the paw prints I came across as they were only a few days apart.  

In total I ended up with 30 photos of Snowshoe Hares, 12 of Coyotes, and 18 of Wolves.  That doesn't even include all the hikers, climbers, and fat bikers that also crossed paths with my camera.  So far it looks to be a great spot and now that Spring has arrived, I can only hope those numbers will continue to increase.

I created a Facebook album, titled Wildlife Camera, where I will continue to post all of the best photos.  Stay tuned for my next update!

Camera Placement

Trip Date: January 2015

As some of you already know, we have been using wildlife cameras at my school for the past two and a half years.  All of the best footage that we've captured over that span can be viewed on the Wild About Base Camp blog.  I even posted an article titled, Wildlife Watch, on the Calgary is Awesome website for a little more exposure.  In early January my time at Base Camp officially came to an end.  Before Christmas there was an unexpected opening at West View School in Calgary and I had to jump on that opportunity.  I am definitely going to miss being at camp, but am looking forward to what lies ahead.  That being said, one of the things I'm going to miss most is discovering what's been passing through the bushes near camp.  My wife, Christine, bought me a wildlife camera for Christmas, so I could still capture remote images of wild creatures!  In the middle of January I headed out to the Devil's Gap area of the Ghost Valley to install it.

I parked at the bottom of the Trans-Alta road and headed towards Devil's Gap with Rome, my hiking partner for the day.  We hiked and explored until we found, what I hoped was, a suitable location for high wildlife traffic.  I set-up the camera on a nearby tree, while Rome explored all the different smells close-by.  Then I sat down and enjoyed my lunch before we worked our way back to the Jeep. 

It was an overcast day when we started hiking.  That's Phantom Crag on the left and Black Rock in the background. 

Shortly after we started I spotted this Ruffed Grouse.  Rome didn't see it until a short time later and the grouse didn't stick around for very long after that!

My trail camera is a Bushnell NatureView Camera with the Bear Safe Security Box for added protection

I setup the camera at a natural funnel where wildlife would likely have to walk through.  There was both scat and tracks nearby, which should be a good sign.

At the eastern edge of the Banff National Park boundary there is a small kiosk with the following information about Devil's Gap...

"You are entering the remote Devil's Gap region of Banff National Park.  This trail runs along the south side of two of the three Ghost Lakes, then fords a stream to the north shore of the first lake.  It reaches the east end of Lake Minnewanka after 7 kilometres.   

The haunting names found in this area recall a native legend concerning a cannibal ghost that was observed picking over the bones of Stoney warriors killed in battle on the nearby Ghost River.  Devil's Gap takes its name from nearby Devil's Head Mountain, which was a translation of a Piegan name recorded by fur trader Peter Fidler in 1792."

One of the Ghost Lakes.  Apparently they only have water during times of flood, hence the name I guess.

Further along Devil's Gap, looking west towards Lake Minnewanka.  This beautiful view was our turnaround point.

Time to start heading back.  That's Phantom Crag on the left.

Rome just before crossing the dry bed of the final Ghost Lake

It was an incredibly windy day.  Here you can see the gusts picking up the sand and dust from the Ghost Lake.

Wind gusts on the Ghost Lake sitting below Phantom Crag

Rome found a good stick somewhere on the dry lakebed

The view of the final Ghost Lake looking towards Lake Minnewanka

The clouds cleared off as we got closer to the Jeep, but the wind was still howling.  Here's a good view of Black Rock Mountain (left) and Sleeping Mole (right).

I haven't been back out to check the camera yet, but I'm hoping to do that closer to the end of February.  Stay tuned for what I may have caught on film!

Third Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

Trip Date: December 2014

December 2014 marked the third year in a row that we searched for and cut down our own Christmas Trees.  You can read about our previous trips here and here.  This year's event was special because it was Gabe's and Devin's (and Dan's) first time out.  Our group grew exponentially from the first two years as we welcomed nine additional people (and one additional dog) to our hunting party.  Like years past, we headed out to the Ghost Area in the Southern Rockies Region, but searched in a different spot.  It paid off as we all found our perfect tree in a relatively short amount of time.  Remember any Alberta resident can harvest their own Christmas Tree, all you need is a $5.00 Tree Cutting Permit from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.  

The ridge that overlooks the Ghost Valley

The tree hunting crew for 2014

We all parked on the ridge overlooking the Ghost Valley that featured amazing views of the Rocky Mountains.  We lit a bon fire that was used to cook lunch before setting off to search for our trees.  The weather couldn't have been better as it hovered around 0°C throughout the day, which was perfect for the newest, and youngest, members of our group.

Christine cutting down our tree

Our 2014 Christmas Tree

Rome and Murphy in a total standoff!

Another great outing

As usual, Ryan and Ashley played host to our Christmas Tree after-party.  It's always a great way to wrap-up a perfect day outside.  

Rocky Mountains

I wrote a brief story for Calgary is Awesome that outlines how to harvest your own tree if you've never done it before.  The story, titled The Search for the Perfect Tree, was published on their blog in late November 2014.