Below:  A photo take a few years ago with multiple blooms

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Enjoy!

~Sharon

It is like watching a living dinosaur.  This snapper – a sizeable one – was sunning on a rock in Nopiming Provincial Park.  This turtle would have no enemies to worry about with their heavy body armor – note the scalloped shell at the rear.   I was fascinated by the eye – perhaps you can see the “cross” shape of the pupil.  Its large leathery feet have huge claws.

This is the largest freshwater turtle found in Canada and can measure over 20″ long and over 30 pounds in weight. It is estimated they can live up to 30 – 40 years in the wild. Their tails are fairly long and are somewhat crocodilian in appearance. The common snapping turtle has a foul disposition and viciousness on land where it is most vulnerable. They are usually nocturnal burying into the mud or sand by day. If encountered in the water, snapping turtles will generally just swim away. If you find one keep your distance as they can and have been known to mutilate people.  Common snappers can be found in and around ponds, marshes, rivers and lakes. Their diet consists of fish, frogs, birds and mammals, both dead and alive.

They become dormant during the winter and bury themselves into muddy bottoms of ponds for long periods of time. They usually prefer slow-moving water with a muddy bottom and plenty of vegetation and they are found in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.

I have seen snapping turtles lurking under docks and one of my sons has actually caught them twice by accident on a fishing hook while dock fishing.  Best to just cut the line if it doesn’t break first  as these turtles are not the friendly variety.  We circled around the rock in the boat to get a few more views of this snapping turtle.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Enjoy!

~Sharon

** New photos gallery has been updated. . .

It started with a plane ride arranged through Shaun Jackson of Adventure Air over the boreal forrests of north eastern Manitoba and into the Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park to Wapeskapek Lake on the Gammon River.  Our own private island cabin (Jackson’s Lodge Wapeskapek Outpost) was home for the next three days. Everything about this trip was awesome! Hot weather, an evening thunderstorm, great pickerel (walleye) fishing, wildlife sightings and terrific accomodations with everything we required and more.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well-equipped the “outpost” was – hot/cold running water, indoor shower, a great variety of cooking utensils and dishes, propane fridge, stove with oven and a freezer.  My son and fiance sighted a moose and calf swimming in the river, we had river otters hanging out at our boat dock, a clear view of nesting bald eagles with one chick right at the water’s edge, a variety of beautiful forrest song birds and even garter snakes basking on the heated bedrock.  The rasperries and blueberries were just beginning to ripen and they were abundant so the next groups in will have plenty to pick and enjoy.

Bald Eagle with Pickerel ( Walleye )

Fishing was excellent and as much as I enjoyed the fishing I have to say I equally enjoyed taking photos of the Bald Eagles, Otters , songbirds and scenery.  It truly is wilderness and it was a most exciting trip. Warning! Warning!  Bring lots of bug spray – that was the only drawback of being in the back country and the black flies are relentless.

River Otter enjoying fish remains

Gammon River Rapids enterting Wapeskapek Lake

We saw a few groups of wilderness canoe enthusiasts camped on the mossy bedrock and paddling downstream on the Gammon River.   We weren’t sure where they started off from but that would be a really exciting canoe trip for the more experienced paddlers.  Adventure Air may fly groups in and drop them off – not sure but one could enquire about this.

Canadian Shield rock cliffs lined the river in many places. The scenery all along the river was truly beautiful.

Canadian Shield Bedrock on Gammon River

Below:  The view from our cabin – now that’s a view one could use more often!

Room with a view! Wapeskapek Lake Outpost.

From the air we could see this group of wilderness canoe enthusiasts.

Heavy rains have made the rivers creep up onto the land.

High waters on Gammon River

Lastly – our island getaway.  Thanks Shaun Jackson for a very memorable wilderness experience!

Wapeskapek Lake Outpost

Enjoy!

Sharon

This photo was taken at the Petroforms site in the Whiteshell.  One could not miss seeing this brightly coloured metallic green beetle scurrying across the rocky path.

They are found in the deciduous forests and do not bite humans unless handled. This beetle can have white spots on its shell, usually numbering six but some beetles have a few spots or none at all. They live in woody places and like shady openings such as dirt paths and fallen logs to hunt. Their prey includes caterpillars, ants and spiders. The beetles stay in larvae form for one year before pupating and has a total lifespan of just under 5 years.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Here’s the scenario.  I am driving home from the Whiteshell on Hwy 44 and from a distance see a fox family up ahead crossing the road.  The mother is a black fox, white tip tail ( only the second one of this colour that I have seen ) which is a  variation of the Red Fox.  She has two kits with her.  Momma fox and one kit run towards the bush to the right of the highway and are safe.  The second kit runs across the highway to the left on its own.  There is fairly decent traffic on this highway and cars were coming in both directions.   I had slowed down but still driving I could see that the kit realized it had been separated from its family and starts back up towards the highway.  It was coming up on the highway, stopping on the road, going back toward the ditch and seemed confused about where to go. I had visions of another little dead animal at the roadside.  So, I pulled off onto the shoulder and chased the kit back down into the ditch area.  The kits were quite young and its first instinct was to crouch down and lay still as pictured above.  It laid there looking at me.  After a few minutes there was a break in highway traffic so I walked around and behind the kit and chased it up and over the highway so it could safely join its mother.  I have to believe she was at the forest edge watching for her kit and that they found each other again.   The kit was so beautiful with a soft and richly coloured coat of fur.  It always makes me so sad to the wildlife laying at the sides of roads being the victims of vehicle traffic.  A happy ending I hope.

Back up and over the highway towards its mother.

Running back to the forest and to momma.

Enjoy!

Sharon

The Winnipeg River (above) meanders through the Whiteshell creating lakes throughout. Above are some rapids where Pelicans sit to catch their fish. The photos below show terrain typically found in the Whiteshell.  Roads have been “cut through” the rocky terrain and the forest is full of lush undergrowth, tall stands of Boreal Forest trees and many different kinds of mosses and lichens.   I personally find the mosses and lichens both beautiful and interesting ( check out a previous blog under Mosses and Lichens for photos). Fox, deer, black bears and beavers are common sights here as well as a variety of  forest dwelling birds, owls, herons and other waterfowl.

Below:  rocks line the highway edges.

Below is the sign welcoming visitors to the Whiteshell.  Note the “turtle” on the sign.  The Petroforms (a sacred site to Aboriginal Peoples) are located in the Whiteshell.  One of the Petroforms is a turtle symbol representing “Turtle Island” which is another name for North America. According to First Nations teachings, the Turtle represents the teaching of Truth. You can find a “Gallery” dedicated to the Petroforms which inlcudes contact information on the right hand side of this page.

In addition to the lakes, beavers in the park have created numerous marshes which in turn provides habitat for birds, turtles and waterfowl to name a few.  Many of these marshes are filled with beautiful pond lillies. Below is a photo of a marsh filled with Water Calla Lillies.

The Whiteshell is less than 2 hours from Winnipeg and is a very popular cottage area. There are a number of hiking trails in the Whiteshell for persons with varying skill levels.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

When the snow melts and the weather warms our early wildflowers start to bloom. These photos were taken in the Whiteshell at the Petroforms site area.  Above is Blue-eyed Grass which is so elegant and is one of my favourites. These were growing in open, rock and sand terrain.    Below, a Starflower which I found in shaded moist areas.

Below: Hoary Puccoon – these were growing abundantly along roadsides and forest edges.  A deep yellow/orange flower that stands out in the still brown grasses of late May.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Above:  Turtle Petroform, Cloth Offerings, Tobacco Offerings  (see Petroforms Gallery for full size images and more photos)

I recently had the opportunity to meet and spend a day at the Petroform site with Ron Bell who is recognized as a cultural teacher with an in depth knowledge of the Petroforms and teachings that have been given to him. These teachings include medicine from the various plants that naturally inhabit the area and much more than the rock formations themselves. There is much information that he is able to share and one definitely needs some interpretation of the site to benefit from the visit if your intentions are to gain some knowledge of the teachings, history and meanings of the formations. Had I visited on my own, without a knowledgeable guide,  I basically would have been looking at interesting rock formations and nothing more.  It was a fascinating day in the Whiteshell forest. Ron has given permission to post information to contact  him (buffaloman1@hotmail.com) if you are interested in obtaining more in-depth interpretation as a group or individual.  More contact information can be found in the “Main Menu” section on the right hand side of this page. There is also a new gallery (bottom right) with photos from the  Bannock Point Petroform site which is unique both historically and culturally to Manitoba.

Petroforms are shapes and patterns of large rocks and boulders which cover large open areas of ground.  One of these sites can be found at the easily accessible Bannock Point in the Whiteshell Provincial Park (Manitoba). The Bannock Point Petroform figures are laid out in the shape of  turtles, snakes, humans and other abstract figures.  This site, considered sacred by many,  is still  used by First Nations peoples, elders and others for ceremonies, to share knowledge, pass on stories and as a place for elders to gather.  Sweat Lodges, Vision Quests, prayers and offerings  take place here.  When visiting, offerings of cloth, tobacco or sweet grass should be considered.  Likewise, if you find cloth or tobacco placed on stones or hung in trees do not disturb them. It is the belief of the Anishinabe and other First Nations people that the Petroforms were left long ago for the benefit of ALL people that might visit the site to receive their teachings and healing. One story suggests that this area is where the first human was lowered to earth.

The Bannock Point site contains all the shapes and patterns that are known as Petroforms suggesting that many of the shapes originated here in the central part of the continent and fanned out to other areas where Petroforms are found.

These ancient sites are protected by law to preserve them intact for generations to come. Many questions remain unanswered about the fascinating rock shapes laid out on the open large and flat surfaces of  Canadian Shield granite bedrock ridges found at Bannock Point.  Whiteshell has some of the oldest pink coloured granite found on earth. Boulders left behind on the ridges from the last ice age gave humans the opportunity to arrange them into patterns.  It looks that some of the boulders may have been carved or chipped to give them the appearance of a shape such as a turtle head.

If you do visit the Petroforms site on your own and find a ceremony taking place it is suggested that you respect the privacy of the ceremony and consider returning another day.  These ceremonies should be considered religious in nature as are others that take place in any church or synagogue.

Enjoy!

~Sharon