River rafting with the eagles in Brackendale

Every winter, Brackendale hosts one of the largest populations of bald eagles on the planet. Starting in mid-November and continuing through February thousands of eagles gather to feed on salmon that spawn in the glacier-fed waters of the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers.










People come from all over the world to the Squamish area, and specifically to Brackendale, to see the eagles. Most often, people walk along the shore of the river and see a great many of these magnificent birds. Sunwolf offers the unique opportunity to view the eagles from the vantage point of the river itself, and it was one we couldn't pass up.

First things first of course: getting dressed properly. Rain gear, including rubber boots, is essential at this time of year, and it was all part of the rafting package. Jeem posed briefly in his slightly smallish rain gear, only to end up discarding them before the rafting in order to experience the cold and damp on a more personal level. In hindsight, this might have been in error.





















Sherry meanwhile, was outfitted in a stylish combination of colours and fabrics, including a wonderfully appropriate orange PFD.












Our guide was the charming and highly knowledgeable Jill-Marie. She loves her work and it shows. Her passion for the ecology and security of the river and its inhabitants was inspirational. Jill-Marie was more fashionably attired than the rest of us, and we were all jealous of course.

After the signing of waivers, getting properly outfitted (except for Jeem), and a comprehensive safety-on-the-river session, eight of us boarded the "raft" and began our float down the river.






It was a cloudy day, dry and cool with an air temperature just above freezing. It wasn't long before we saw eagles, many eagles.













































Females are much larger than males, in fact, sometimes up to 20 percent larger. Canadian eagles, especially those from the west coast, are considerably larger than those from the United States, and it has a great deal to with the abundance of food, especially salmon, here in BC.

The wingspan of an adult female cane be two metres from tip to tip. Jeem, the tallest of this day's river rafting group, is 1.82 metres, and that's only if he takes a deep breath.






The juveniles are not as attractive as the adult birds. Think back to your teen-aged years for an appropriate reference point. With age comes natural beauty, in spite of what we think when we are young. It's the same with eagles.

































We gently glided down river, with Jill-Marie as captain and guide. Midway through our river journey Jill-Marie poured each of us a cup of hot cocoa which we enjoyed as we quietly contemplated the beauty of this wonderful place.

                                                                            Upon our return to Sunwolf, we warmed up in the lodge with hot chilli, coffee and tea, and talk of eagles and the river. It was a great experience and highly recommended.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015/2016 by Jim Murray.

Fergie's at Sunwolf in Squamish

One of the reasons we decided to stay at Sunwolf was their restaurant called Fergie's. It's become at go-to place for breakfast and brunch, for locals and visitors alike.

The chef, Jason Nadeau, uses fresh, seasonal and local products in creating a menu that's down-to-earth and delicious.














The restaurant is small. In fact, the overflow, and there is a morning overflow of diners, goes outside, which can get a bit chilly on these frosty mornings. No matter, the food is excellent and the service warm and friendly. The only improvement might be the addition of an espresso machine for those of us craving a proper cup of Joe, but that's a minor quibbling as Galileo coffee is served here.



Open for breakfast and lunch everyday, the menu is what you might expect, heavy on eggs and hash, with a veggie option and fantastic house-smoked lox. The sausages are spicy and delicious. Daily soups and specials appear too.

Fergie's is open to public, not just for those staying at Sunwolf. It is a great little cafe and not to be missed when in Squamish.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Sunwolf in Brackendale

Getting out of town at this busy time of year is always a treat. There's something about snow on the ground and fresh mountain air in your lungs to make one forget about the frenetic pace of the holidays in a city.






So, just before Christmas we found ourselves staying at the Sunwolf resort in Brackendale, about 13 km from Squamish.















On the banks of the Cheakamus and Cheekeye rivers, this is a year-round resort offering whitewater rafting, fishing and eagle-viewing float trips. Brackendale is the winter home for thousands of bald eagles and that's another reason for our stay at Sunwolf.

There were a number of rustic riverside cabins available, but we chose the Logger's Shack because it featured a wood-burning stove, which sounded fantastic on a cold winter's night.
















Our bed was located in the loft. The loft provided almost no headroom at all. which was not unlike the loft in number seven at Lakeside Gardens! We understand this kind of place.













The ceiling did not allow one to stand up in the loft; crawling, or slouching into bed, was required. There was only one night table by the bed, with one light, which made reading in bed a wee bit difficult for two people. All that being said, the bed was comfortable and cozy.








When we arrived, the cabin was cool and we went to work building a fire in the small stove. Starting the fire was easy enough, getting it to stay lit, to provide heat, was more difficult. Jeem, regaling us with his experiences in the Paris demonstrations of 1968, suggested using the gasoline tanks we all noticed near the stand of firewood.

Once a proper fire was underway we were toasty-warm all night.










All in all, we had a relaxing and enjoyable stay in the Logger's Shack at Sunwolf. All the staff we met were attentive and friendly; they seem to like working here and our experience was positive indeed.

And... on our way home to Vancouver, we were able to pick up Jeem from the burn unit at the local hospital just in time for his appointment at the police station for further questioning.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Galileo Coffee Company in Britannia Beach

On the Sea to Sky Highway, between Vancouver and Squamish, in the town of Britannia Beach, rests an amazing coffee roaster and café known as the Galileo Coffee Company.

The place is not quite wheelchair accessible; "not" being the operative word, though I'm sure friendly folk would always help someone in need of a caffeine fix.








Housed in the Matheson House, which was built in 1905 for the manager of the nearby copper mine, the café offers fine coffees, in-house baking and quick sandwiches for those driving the 99.





Open since 2005, Galileo Coffee Company is a specialty roaster of coffees, including the usual organic varieties. Small batches of coffee are roasted regularly, with a stated desire to bring out the essence and flavour of the beans, and freshness is readily apparent.

Of note, Galileo Coffee Company has teamed up with Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish to create a wonderful coffee ale based on an organic Mexican coffee bean. Mexican Chiapas Coffee Ale is full of coffee flavour and brewed in the Howe Sound tradition of fine ales.







Getting back to the coffee, my espresso was full and rich with a hint of chocolate, while the latte was a wee bit too milky for Jeem's taste.




Santa's Brew coffee, a seasonal blend, had the expected spice notes and a rather pleasant nutty taste. Delightful.

We will be back.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray

The Christmas Eve Truce ~ Joyeux Noël

War can be a difficult thing to manage.

The war was supposed to over, but by the beginning of December 1914 there existed a stalemate of sorts. Hastily built defensive trenches began at the edge of the English Channel and continued all the way to Switzerland. Barbed wire and parapets defended the trenches and between them stretched a no-mans-land that in some places was no more than ten-metres wide.

Life in the trenches was horrible; continuous sniping, machine gun fire and artillery shelling took a deadly toll, as did rain, snow and cold. It was monotonous.


By Christmas Eve both sides had received Christmas packages from home, including food, presents, and alcoholic beverages.

And somehow, men in the trenches decided to end the war, if only for a few hours or days. How it all happened varies, but all along a fifty kilometre line, soldiers came together in no-mans-land to talk, sing, exchange gifts and to play impromptu games of football. And to bury their dead, often with joint services. It seemed absurd, and it was. Yet it happened at the end of 1914 on the European theatre of war.



When the high commands on both sides found out, orders were given to stop the fraternising. At once. Immediately. In some areas the truce ended Christmas Day. In other areas the following day, and in others it extended to New Year's Day. Men were disciplined, but few if any, were were subject to courts martial. That would have meant trials and even more publicity for an event the political masters wanted to disappear. In fact, much of the story only came out because of letters from the front that were posted and missed the censor's pencil, as this one released by the family last year.

Dearest mother, I think I have seen today one of the most extraordinary sights that anyone has ever seen.

About 10 o'clock this morning I was peeping over the parapet when I saw a German, waving his arms, and presently two of them got out of their trench and came towards ours.

We were just going to fire on them when we saw they had no rifles, so one of our men went to meet them and in about two minutes the ground between the two lines of trenches was swarming with men and officers of both sides, shaking hands and wishing each other a happy Christmas.

He goes on to talk about the football match and the sound of the bagpipes that played all day.

A French movie made in 2005 remembers the Christmas Eve Truce. Joyeux Noël  (or see the English version of the movie's website ) is a wonderful film, featuring the truce as celebrated by three forces: the Scots, French and Germans. If you haven't seen it, view the trailer, and get the film. And yes, the pipes get a big part in the movie. As they did in 1914.

War is a hard thing to manage. The politicians and generals need our approval. Why do we give it so readily I wonder?

War is over if you want it.

Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.