Thursday Hikes - Tonquin Valley - Part 2

This is a continuation of the post from last week where the hike stopped at the Portal Creek campground. I have been to Tonquin Valley, but only through the other entrance via the Astoria River Trail past Lake Edith Cavell. The hike will be passing over that trail at the end of the series.

Beyond the Portal Creek campground the trail continues upward to Maccarib Pass along the meandering Maccarib Creek to the north end of Amethyst Lake.



[18- Climbing to Maccarib Pass]






[19 -Looking back down the Portal Creek Valley]






[20- View toward Maccarib Pass - click to enlarge]






Maccarib is the Quinnipac Indian word for caribou, which can be seen in this area.



[21- Woodland Caribou – These animals are legally designated as threatened Canada-wide and in Alberta. They rely on lichen for food, which is found only in old-growth forests. These forests are now fragmented as they are rapidly being cut down. Also, caribou avoid forests within one kilometre of a road, wherever it is: mountains, foothills or the boreal forest. The Woodland Caribou face imminent extirpation if not protected. There is a herd of 100 animals in South Jasper ranging between Tonquin Valley and Maligne, but are declining in numbers.]





[22- Maccarib Pass - click to enlarge]





From the summit it is all downhill.



[23- Wildflowers near Maccarib Pass]






[24- Wildflowers near Maccarib Pass]







[25-Hikers headed toward Tonquin Valley, coming down from Maccarib Pass in July]







[26- Heading down from Maccarib Pass]





[27- First glimpse of the Ramparts heading down the Maccarib Creek Valley - click to enlarge]






[28- Hiking down Maccarib Creek Valley toward the Ramparts - click to enlarge]






[29- Hiking down Maccarib Creek Valley toward Ramparts - click to enlarge]





[30- Looking back towards Maccarib Pass]





The willow wetlands west of Maccarib Pass are infested with mosquitos, so roll down your sleeves and slip pants back on. DEET is recommended.


[31-Wetlands west of Maccarib Pass - click to enlarge]






[32-Ramparts from Maccarib Trail - click to enlarge]






[33- Mount Maccarib - click to enlarge]





[34 - Maccarib Creek and the Ramparts - click to enlarge]



Maccarib campground has eight tent sites, bear cables, tables and privy.



Sources: ParksCanada link for backpacking into the wilderness here .
Maccarib Place Name
Woodland Caribou here


Photo Credits: [18][19][20][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]-brilang CC=nc-sa-flickr; [21]-BinoCanada CC=nc-nd-flickr; [22]-Feffel CC=nc-sa-flickr.

Humpback Whale - Threatened Species in Canada

The Humpback whales summer grounds extend from British Columbia to the Gulf of Alaska. In winter they can be found off Baja, California and Hawaii.

The Humpback whales are usually found in small numbers, but have been in groups as large as 200. The males are 47 feet and the females 49 feet in length, weighing from 25 to 45 tons. They reproduce every two or more years to birth a calf that is 15 feet long and two tons. The calf drinks its mother’s milk until 11 months old and remains with its mother for a year or longer. Males produce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. These whales can live between 45 and 50 years of age.

The Humpback whales feed on krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans and a variety of small fish.



Due to commercial whaling less than 2,000 Humpback whales are found in the North Pacific. After becoming protected, the endangered whales are making a comeback. Fisheries and Oceans Canada report the Humpback whale has grown to nearly 20,000 worldwide with approximately 2,000 whales in the northern Pacific. They maintain that the protection be continued to ensure long-term survival for the species.

From a further source which updates the Government of Canada site in another location, the status of the Humpback Whale in Canada has been changed from Endangered to Threatened.

The following information on the Humpback Whale in Canada is from www.wildwhales.org:

"The humpback whale is designated as Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

"COSEWIC’s assessment of the North Pacific population of humpback whales is as follows:

"Heavily reduced by whaling, the North Pacific population appears to be increasing. The number of animals that use British Columbia waters is probably in the low hundreds. The high-level of feeding ground fidelity suggests that if animals are exterminated from a particular area, it is unlikely that the area will be rapidly repopulated from other areas. Two extirpated British Columbia populations have shown no sign of rescue. Humpbacks are occasionally entangled in fishing gear, though the number entangled is not thought to threaten or limit the population. In summary, humpback whales that use British Columbia waters appear to be well below historical numbers and have not returned to some portions of their former range."



Research: bcadventure.com, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/publications/whalesdpbook/featuredspecies/humpbackwhale_e.htm
http://wildwhales.org/?page_id=40