The Pacific Spirit Regional Park is swath of wilderness along the western edge of metro Vancouver. According to Wikipedia, it is classified as a nature reserve that includes 874 hectares of land, 73 km of hiking trails, and endless miles of beach nudity. So what better way to spend Victoria Day long weekend than exploring this natural wonder of this part of the world.
Victoria day adventure initiated pic.twitter.com/yqxWtJ3JU7
— litguru (@litguru23) May 22, 2023
Accidents do happen and as I was adjusting my gear at the entrance to the park, I felt the camera strap come lose and fall onto the ground. Thankfully, nothing appeared to be damaged, and the pictures turned out well. The TG6 is supposed to be a rugged camera especially made for this kind of treatment. It was my fault, I admit. I was messing around taking pictures of the camera for social media kicks, and I forgot to properly screw in the plate for the strap. The irony of the following tweet doesn't escape me.
When the tools come out, you know serious business is afoot pic.twitter.com/yfFU3TcD71
— litguru (
The strap came lose along with the plate at the trailhead, and the camera fell on its side on the pebbly ground. Thankfully, I had the tools with me and managed to screw the plate in tight. A strap is a must on long hikes. Later at home, I noticed a chip on the edge of the glass screen protector and also a crack along the middle. Everything else seems fine. The protector turned out to be a worthwhile investment, after all, and thankfully, I have a spare one to replace the broken one.
Clear signs along the way help one navigate, but after losing the way a few times, I remembered how easy it was to get disoriented in the maze of trails and end up in the wrong place. This becomes a particular concern as one grows tired physically and mentally. Easier to make mistakes in the fog of fatigue. There is also the chance of encountering large mammals on the trail, so that adds an element of risk to the whole affair.
There is a portion of land that has been designated as Ecological Reserve and is not open to the public. Personally, as a curious cat, I’m miffed that they don’t give the tax-paying public access to the place, but I’m old enough to be aware that governments need their privacy to carry out twisted mutant alien research and conduct secret illuminati rituals.
At this time of year, nature is a lush mistress. I didn’t know which way to point the camera as everything was screaming to be photographed. Me! Me! Me!
This world of ferns, hemlocks, lichens, moss, and all the tangled mess of nature is a reminder that this land is steeped in pre-history. Dinosaurs onced roamed its steamy moist secrets
Signs along the way are plentiful and some warn hikers not to pilfer the fiddle-heads or other plants. There's plenty of wannabe witch-doctors around these parts. There is also a warning not to enter sensitive areas and conduct illicit activities because there is active monitoring. So there will be no love between the ferns, thank you very much.
The world of macro photography opens up a new dimension that is complex, delicate, and illustrative of the power of nature to design using a multitude of shapes, colors, textures, behaviors, and more.
I used the focus stacking feature under the microscope mode of the camera. This allows the camera to take multiple pictures and combine them into a single one for better focus and color range. The only downside is that a tripod is recommended to avoid a blurring effect. Under normal conditions, I have no problem holding the camera still, but during a long hike, with a heavy backpack, it's difficult to remain steady. It is especially tricky if the subject itself is moving in the breeze. This is why as you see in the following image, there is a blurry ghostly aberration around some of the flowers, so it is something to consider with this kind of macro set-up.
Following the Huckleberry trail north, it crosses Top trail, which leads up to the northern most edge of the park on the other side of the highway. The land around the park is highly developed for residential use, golf courses, power generation, and so on. While you're in the middle of a dense forest, you can sometimes still hear the hum of nearby traffic on trails along the park's outer boundaries.
It seemed as if every part of this ecosystem had a story to tell. I wondered how something came to be, the nature of its color, and relationship with the environment around it. I felt smooth waves of serenity begin to flow over me. Scientists say the colour green helps release healing chemicals. Looking around me in wonder, inhaling the fresh air, the aroma of cedar and fresh roses, I already had a bounce in my step.
Part 1
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