Trip to Ram Falls

Now that's a chicken! Not sure what he is, so incredibly beautiful though. He just sat and watched while Kevin took pictures, crazy humans.




One of the wildlife preserves along the way to Ram Falls. There are signs posted stating 'Stock at Large' and indeed a couple of times we've gone through there have been 'wild cows' everywhere.



One of the reasons we had come up here again was to collect more seed. The area below had been full of geum, delphinium, grasses, asters, raspberries, and so much more. This is what we found on this last trip of the season. I was absolutely stunned! The loggers waved as we passed by.



We did find this patch of ?. I'm not sure what it was, but it was brilliant in the destruction around it. I had found Streptopus almost directly behind it and was hoping to find more, it was gone. I no longer feel in the slightest bit guilty about harvesting the seed that I did, especially after seeing the forest stripped.



Arriving at Ram Falls we found Kinnikinnick - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi growing everywhere. Cool name, neat plant.




The path down to the lookout. If you're scared of heights, like I am, hang on to the rail, or just stay on the top. I did brave the trip down once, it is worth it, especially if it's warm. But on a chill fall day that wind cuts right through you. It is an incredible view. And yes, that white stuff is snow.





And as we made our way home Kevin spotted this grouse. Funny little chickens they are.

Rimbey Ditch

I went back to this ditch so many times over the summer. It was full of such delightful flora, every time I went back I found something new. I wish I could have camped there for about a month, so I could capture images of all that I found, identify it and then be there for when the seed was ripe. The last time I went back was late September and almost cried upon finding that it had been mowed.
Next year I will make my visits more often.