Riverside Park ~ MacArthur Park ~ Kamloops, BC ~ Flooding 2017

Flooding is not new to Kamloops but the threat of it still creates fear of the possibility of it happening again.  The fact there are two rivers meeting at Kamloops only doubles the chances.

Riverside Park in Kamloops

This winter there was a lot of snow up in those mountains, then we got some cool days with quite a bit of rain, and then the hot weather speeds up the melting.  Mix all of that together and we have a flood threat in Kamloops.

High water at Thompson River wharf

The parks are feeling the high water level, although that hasn’t stopped people from visiting the parks.  The wharf at Riverside Park is at water level, when it is usually several metres above that.  The railings have been removed to discourage any visitors onto that so barely visible.

Forbidden waters

Normally there is a very large sandy beach between the sidewalk shown and the river’s edge.  This shows the water to be about as high as we’d like to see it come up.  At this point, the damage appears to be extremely minimal.

Playtime

There are white bags sitting on water grates all over the city that will hopefully prevent any water coming up through those grates from the storm drains.   Water in this parking lot at the east end of Riverside Park is fairly shallow so many are enjoying the walk through the water.

River height history

This monument shows the water heights throughout history but also the height of the water for the floods we’ve been through.  The one that we personally lived through was in 1972, 3 weeks after we’d moved into our new home.  More info on this from a previous blog I had written here.  

Under the railway bridge

Typically one would be able to follow the path under the bridge that would then take you to Pioneer Park, which is mainly covered in water on this day.

Kids playing in the water

At this point, the railway bridge is not in any danger from the rising waters.  Many people were at the park enjoying this sunny Sunday with their families, many of which were playing in the water, and it was not only the young that were playing.

MacArthur Park boat launch

The boat launch at MacArthur Park has been closed due to the high waters, although the next photo shows a small boat tied to the small wharf, which is usually many feet lower than it is now.  Signs do not always work but at least this boat is not out on the river, which would be quite dangerous to maneuver.

At this point in time, the North Thompson River has been said to have crested, meaning there is no longer a danger of flooding.  The South Thompson River has not crested yet, but had dropped several inches since these photos were taken.  The threat of flooding has lessened and hopefully will allow Kamloops to get past this point, once again, without any damage done by flooding.

Boating the South Thompson River

What better way to spend a sunny summer day than on the beautiful South Thompson River for a boat ride.  We spent many summers doing this, but those days are past and this day is a great reminder of great family boating days.  The view is so different from here on the river.

Boating on the South Thompson River

We travelled upriver with family and friends in a couple of boats with the plan to stop on Banana Island for a picnic and fun.  The sun was shining, the river was calm and the sights were relaxing.

Eagle eye view

The hoodoos and clay banks line the South Thompson, and create some very interesting shapes as well as viewpoints.  It is more likely we’d see an eagle in a tree but this one was happy to watch everything from the bank’s edge.  See more eagles here.

Grazing the green grass

The river is still high the beginning of July but that doesn’t seem to discourage these cattle from grazing on the riverbank.  I’m sure that green grass is tastier than sagebrush and they’re checking it out.

The Pritchard bridge

Pritchard Bridge has historic appeal, it is rare that we see anything old anymore, hopefully it lasts another many years.  It has the strength to allow a logging truck to pass over so it should be.  There was a ferry crossing at this point before the single lane bridge was built.

Historic Pritchard bridge

I have not found much history for this bridge but it was built in 1920 when sternwheelers would travel up and down the river, hence the room to pass under.  There was also a busy wharf and a train station here.

An osprey in the nest

We see these nests on our travels but rarely do we see an osprey in there so this was a surprise.  The river hawk, as they’re also called, always nest on high platforms near fresh water and live mainly on fish.   They are a large raptor with a wing span of 180 cm, which is almost 6 ft. Osprey are the only living species that live nearly worldwide, the only place they are not found is in Antarctica.

Alpaca herd shows little interest

When we passed by these sheep, we were far enough away to not realize we weren’t looking at sheep.  Photo close-up says their necks are too long…….I think they are alpacas!  Research says they are quiet and peaceful, hum to one another to communicate and they look pretty darn cute, too!

The bald headed eagle

The bald headed eagle is such a majestic looking bird and I do not seem to get enough photos of them, in my humble opinion. (: This one was watching the passers-by and waiting for his lunch to appear.  There are more of this eagle to see here. 

The South Thompson River offers some great scenery and sights to enjoy.  We will never tire of these sights and hope to see them again.  There is just no place like home.

Bald Headed Eagles ~ South Thompson River ~ Chase, BC

We had recently driven the highway near Chase, BC, about 30 minutes east of Kamloops and were so surprised at the number of bald headed eagles that we could see in the trees near the South Thompson River.  We made the plan to come back out soon to get some pictures.


South Thompson River at Chase, BC

Eagles are not rare in this area but we hadn’t seen them in these numbers before so this was quite amazing.  We weren’t seeing their large stick nests, which are usually very visible high in barren trees so we don’t know where they’d been nesting.

Three bald headed eagles watch for fish in the river below

Eagles mate for life and can live up to 30 years old. Both male and female look after the 2-3 eggs for the 35 days of incubation and both hunt for food for the young until they’re ready to fly at 10 -13 weeks of age. Fish is the biggest part of their diet so they build their nests near water, either rivers or the ocean. Eaglets are able to fly for thousands of kilometers and late summer and fall is when they’re learning to hunt for themselves.

Bald headed eagle family

Bald headed eagles are not bald, so the name is misleading but derives from a Middle English word “balled” that means “shining white”.  The young are a mix of brown and white feathers, and we’re seeing that in the majority of eagles on this visit. Even the immature are large and when full grown will have a wing span from 72” TO 90”.

Young bald headed eagles are not yet bald

They reach maturity by the time they are 5 or 6 years old and it is then that both the male and the female have their ‘shining white’ head.  Eagles from the north tend to be a bit larger than those from more southern areas but no matter where they’re from, the females are a bit larger than the males at 35 to 37” tall.  Eagles weigh 10-14 lbs. and can lift up to 4 lbs. 

Four bald headed eagles watch the Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese fly by

The bald headed eagle has 7000 feathers and those are often part of religious and spiritual customs for First Nations.  They consider it a powerful symbol of courage as well as other significant meanings and use them in traditional ceremonies, including them as part of the decorations on their costumes.  The eagle feather is treated with great honor and is the highest honor that can be given to a person.

The gnarled trees that eagles habitate

We’ve never seen a large number of eagles in flight but that would be called a “kettle of eagles”. Perhaps we haven’t seen this because they’re able to fly at an altitude of 10,000 ft., and during level flight can reach 30-35 mph. We’d have difficulty seeing that far away but with their keen eyesight, they’d be seeing us!


Young bald headed eagles learn to fish in the fall sun

Canada does not recognize the bald headed eagle with any offical label but they are considered a magnificent bird of prey. It is a different story in the US since they became the US National Emblem in 1782. They neared extinction in the U.S. in the 1970’s but that was withdrawn in June 2007 as their numbers having increased enough to say they’re no longer endangered. They are protected by law on both sides of the border.

Trumpeter Swans on the South Thompson River

We drove by the same place a week after our visit for photos and there was only one bald headed eagle to be found. I believe we were ‘honored’ to have seen so many of them as they enjoyed the view from their perches high in the trees in our neighborhood.  Perhaps they were migrating and found this to be a great stopover location, and that means we could look forward to their visit again next year.   In the meantime we can enjoy watching the trumpeter swans as they winter on the South Thompson River.

Autumn colors ~ South Thompson River ~ Kamloops, BC

We were driving home to Kamloops from the east on a late autumn afternoon.  The sun was hiding behind some clouds and made such a pretty scene that we had to find a spot to pull over and get that photo.  As often happens within moments, the clouds had moved and the photo opp was gone but never is there not another pretty picture to see on our drives around Kamloops.

Sun setting on the South Thompson River

The South Thompson River was as calm as a placid lake would be, the river is at its' seasonal low levels without the run-off waters coming from the Shuswap Lakes. The reflections on the river were the autumn colors from the poplar, cottonwood and birch trees along the riverbank scattered among the evergreens.  The combinations of nature at work this time of year make a very pretty picture.

Ducks swimming on the South Thompson River

Autumn, as defined in the dictionary for the northern hemisphere, is 'the third season of the year' and includes September, October and November. They also use the term 'fall' in the definition, which originates from the fact the leaves fall from the trees which became the term used since the 1500's.  Fall is the term that we use often in our world so it was a surprise to learn from my English nephew, that it is not necessarily a familiar term in the British English language, they use 'autumn' almost exclusively.

Autumn color reflections on the South Thompson River

There are several reasons why the leaves turn color in autumn and some of those are shorter days of sunlight as well as cooler temperatures, which explains why the leaves in the higher levels will be showing their colors sooner than those in the valley. The timeframe for the change of color varies regionally, as well, within those autumn months.

Fallen leaves cover the banks of the South Thompson River

Without long warm days of summer needed to produce enough sugar, chlorophyll dwindles and these factors allow the other colors in leaves to come through.  When the supply lessons and the veins in the leaves eventually become clogged, they then fall off the tree.  The sun feels warm as it sinks in the west but the temperature quickly drops once the sun is out of sight, even when just behind the clouds. 

Sun setting scenery on the South Thompson River

The sun casts long shadows and a pretty warm color on all that we see on our stop at the rivers' edge.  We'd enjoyed another beautiful fall day on the North Thompson River with great views, too. Our days of autumn will soon be over and we'll be into our next Kamloops season, and that will be winter.  The beauty of our winter season is also one to enjoy, but hopefully we still have a little while before that happens.

Western Canada Summer Games 2011~ Kamloops, BC ~ Closing Ceremony

The Western Canada Summer Games brought excitement and fun to Kamloops, BC August 5, 2011 and left Aug.14, 2011 after a very successful and memorable ten days. The Tournament Capital of Canada made itself proud with all the volunteers that came out to help make these events the success that they were.

Western Canada Summer Games 2011 logo

The Western Canada Games was first held in Regina in 1975 and has been a big event one year ahead of the Olympics and using the same 23 summer sports in their events ever since. It began with only the provinces but in 1983 the Yukon and Northwest Territories joined and Nunavut has been a member since 2003 to complete the group representing Western Canada.

Kayakers on Shumway Lake, Kamloops, BC

The Western Canada Games 2011 included 19 sports in venues in and around the city. Shumway Lake was the venue used for the kayaking and canoeing sports. I didn't see the races but did see many of the athletes practicing on days previous to the medal races.

Ulukhaktok Drummers and Dancers perform at Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC

The Ulukhaktok Drummers and Dancers from the Northwest Territories performed in their heavy costumes and made mention that they were not used to the heat that we had that day, but they carried on with their show in spite of the heat. The spirit and enthusiasm shown especially by this dancer was great fun to watch. The group also performed at the closing ceremonies held inside in much cooler temperatures.

 TkKemlups Traditions made to order

There were arts, crafts and entertainment daily in Riverside Park beginning at 4pm and going until later evening with Music in the Park.  The crowds slowly gathered but enjoyed the sights and the great weather that cooperated with the Western Canada Summer Games.

Athletes enjoy the cool water of the South Thompson River at Riverside Park

Riverside Park in Kamloops, BC is a beautiful park with large trees and several enjoyable places to sit and enjoy lots of activities but the warm temperatures made the South Thompson River quite inviting after the teams worked hard on their events.  Many of these visiting teams are not used to the high summer temperatures that Kamloops was enjoying and the river down at Riverside Park was a welcome sight.

Athletes gather for the Closing Ceremonies at Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC

The Closing ceremonies were about to begin and the athletes gathered in Riverside Park before their entering the ceremonies held in Interior Savings Center. There were many empty seats in the bleachers but the enthusiasm given by the crowd that was there filled the room with lots of noise and applause for the athletes as they entered the arena. The sportsmanlike support given by each province and territory for the other athletes was great to see.

Closing Ceremonies for Western Canada Summer Games 2011

There were 2300 athletes with coaches and 3000 volunteers for the Western Canada Summer Games and the arena was filled with an excited crowd as the awards were announced and final speeches of praise given to them all. The lights were dim and didn't allow for getting good photos but the crowd was loud and the closing ceremony bid goodbye with a great feeling of a job well done by all.

Kamloops, BC did a wonderful job and can be proud of all that it has done to help make the Western Canada Summer Games 2011 the great success that it was. Kamloops has set the bar high for the Western Canada Summer Games to be held in 2015 at Wood Buffalo, Alberta.

Click here for more information and the medal results of the Western Canada Summer Games 2011.

We love Kamloops, BC ~ Sunrise to Sunsets

We love Kamloops for all the scenery, attractions, sports, diversity or weather, and that would include the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  We all enjoy seeing that big blue sky to be flawless and free of clouds but our sunrises and sunsets would not be as stunning without them.

 

Summer sunset from Peterson Creek, Kamloops, BC

There has been damage done to many of our pine trees by the pine beetle but the trees made an interesting framing for the summertime sunset we enjoyed while taking an summer evening walk through Peterson Creek Park.

 

Sunset over teepee at Kamloopa PowWow

Mid summer evening spent at the Kamloopa Pow Wow near the Kamloops Residential School on the South Thompson River, offers a sunset backdrop for all to enjoy.  It was the ending of a grand show, if you wish to see more of the Pow Wow show, click here.

Autumn sunrise over Kamloops, BC

There are not many sunrises that are quite this bright and they disappear so quickly that there is never time to get to a better viewpoint but this one is taken from our own deck and it was amazing to watch.

 

Sun setting after Kamloops afternoon rain

We were crossing the Halston Bridge after a late afternoon rain and the setting sun and clouds made such a dramatic picture ahead.  You’re not able to see Batchelor Heights to the west side of the North Thompson River as the contrast is natural lighting in the picture and better able to show the true colors of the sunset and clouds.

 

Autumn sunset on Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter, Kamloops, BC

I was following Ord Road  heading east to get to Westsyde Road and head north up the N. Thompson River when the lighting on this late afternoon drive made Mt. Paul and Peter look beautiful where they stand at the meeting of the North and South Thompson Rivers.

 

Christmastime sunset in Kamloops, BC

With the neighboring homes preventing most views of evening sunsets, I was happy to include some of the color while taking pictures of my Christmas lawn decorations. Now if only I could eliminate all those wires in my pictures………. but then I wouldn’t be able to light up those Christmas decorations ! 

Christmas morning sunrise in Kamloops, BC

Many grandparents will make those early Christmas morning drives to get to watch the little ones and all their excitement open the gifts that Santa has left and we are no exception.  The timing was perfect to catch this pretty sunrise as the sun was streaming down from behind the dark bank of clouds onto the crystal white snow up in the hills above Kamloops.  This picture was taken as we drove the new road below Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

Sunrises are such a great way to start the day and then to finish the day with a sunset, what could be better?

Tranquille Wildlife Management Area ~ Herons ~ Pelicans ~ Kamloops, BC, Canada

We love Kamloops for all that it has to offer and that includes the visitors that we get. We were enjoying a nearby park recently and I was surprised to find one of those visitors, who flew up into a tree while I was looking at the flowers ! I did not know what he was, but was taking lots of pictures and now I was on a mission to find out. The first thing I had to do was get my pictures onto my computer to get a better look at him. The next thing I would do is put the binoculars in the car for future surprise visitors !

 

Visiting heron on McArthur Island

What I had taken a picture of was a visiting heron. He wasn’t exactly the color that I was familiar with but then, I hadn’t seen herons in Kamloops before. There are more than one kind and this one appears to be a different color from the Great Blue Heron (clik here to read more) that we had seen on our RV adventures.

Tranquille Wildlife Management area in July

We had visited the Tranquille Wildlife Management area in July and the water covered a much larger area then. In 1989 there were 245 hectares of land designated as the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area in order to manage valuable wetland habitat for waterfowl and other species that were dependent on the wetlands. 

Tranquille WMA with high water

This area 18 km (10 mi) west of Kamloops where the Thompson River enters Kamloops Lake, is typically flooded from mid May to mid July due to the spring runoff into the Thompson River and is part of the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected area.

Canada Geese sit on fencepost

The Canada Geese were using fence posts to perch on due to the high water in July.  They are regular visitors, if not residents at many places in Kamloops. Typical fowl found in the wetlands aside from the Canada Geese are swans, mallards, Goldeneye and Wood Ducks.

Canada Geese and goslings in July

With the water so high, it came close to the roadside. I was able to see the Canada Geese and their young as they swam over the fence ! The best birdwatching time at the Tranquille WMA is March, April, May, Sept, Oct., and November but it looks like we have visitors during summer months, too.

 

Tranquille WMA with low water in August

Now that we knew the park visitor was a heron, we were on our way out to see the Tranquille Wildlife Management area again as my search for answers had said that there were visiting herons out there. Now we know where the visiting heron was likely headed to, he had just missed his target by 18 km (10 mi) !

A flock of heron at Tranquille WMA

We found the rest of his flock, hopefully he did, too. The article (clik to read that article) I found said that there were Great Blue Herons out there, and this was written by Rob Butler, so I will believe they were gray herons. The same article said there were other visitors out there, too and this I had to see with my own
eyes !

Pelicans at Tranquille WMA

These wetlands are resting areas for spring and fall migration but nothing would have made me expect these visitors in the middle of our summer months, let alone these ones. There were four large white pelicans swimming around the pond.

 

Visiting Pelicans in Kamloops, BC, Canada

It isn’t possible to get close to the pond so it was difficult to get pictures of the pelicans. They were busy diving for food and were swimming very quickly but I did manage to get some proof that they were really visiting Kamloops on this August afternoon. The only other time we’d seen white pelicans was on our visit to Texas during our RV adventure.

We know that Kamloops is the chosen destination for many visitors but these ones are here without many people knowing it, and I am glad to be one that does.

This tells another reason why we love Kamloops ~ there is just no place like home.