Spur Valley Adventure

Very last minute, yesterday, I decided to head up to a place where, according to my photog friend, Phil, there are salmon running and bald eagles feasting: Below Spur Valley, beside the railway tracks.

HDR of the creek where the salmon are running.

Click on photo to enlarge image.

Of course, it wasn't the ideal time of day ... I went in the early afternoon, instead of at first light ... but where there's enthusiasm, there's hope, right?  ;-)

So I drove about 40 minutes from home, turned off the main road and followed the unfinished, but only slightly corrugated, side road onto a farm.

Through three gates - always leave gates the way you found them - and onto what can only be described as a track.

My trusty Subaru Baja had no trouble negotiating the backroads, but it doesn't have the clearance of the bigger 4x4's so I have to watch that I don't get high sided.

At the end of the track, I turned the truck around, got my gear out, and went fish and bird hunting.

Although I did see a couple of bald eagles, up close, I wasn't ready to shoot. And once I was ready, they were gone. Typical.

I did, however, get the opportunity to try out my new (surprise delivery by my lovely hubby) waterproof p&s camera, a Fujifilm XP10.

This is the best of the underwater shots - 

going to need to practice with this thing! 

Click photo to enlarge image.

Shortly after it started to rain and I had started driving away, I thought the car sounded a bit strange. So, once I'd got off the single-track (couldn't stop there because if someone else had some along, they'd not have been able to pass), I stopped to take a look. Sure enough, I had a flat. Must've pinched the tyre somewhere along the way, bouncing around the ruts. No problem ... I've changed tyres before.

Huh! Not a Baja tyre!

So I resorted to doing what any woman would do - I read the manual!

As I worked through it step by step, slowly but surely, two kind gents from Spur Valley Golf Course stopped to give me a hand. Chivalry is not dead! Thank you to Brandon and his boss for the help!

PS: They had to consult the manual, too!