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A beautiful visit to the mountains again.

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When I go bushwacking to explore the wilderness, I don't just randomly pick my way through the trees. I find and follow game trails. They are an efficient way to find alternative routes through the land and often bring me to some really cool places I know I wouldn't have found any other way.

The trick to tracking or following wildlife is not to try and follow step by step. You start by trying to get a sense of how the animal will move through the landscape and then look for movement patterns on the ground. The bottom photo shows two such game trails. I followed the one on the right because it gave better clearance.

Then you look for verifications that you are indeed on a good game trail either through scat (technical term for poop) or confirming one or two tracks. The top photo on the right shows sign of deer and the top photo on the left shows the V shape of a deer track in the moss.

Then, to make sure I don't get lost, I make sure I have a major reference point - it could be a distant mountain, the edge of a hill, the position of the sun - to make sure I don't drift into an area where I could get lost. While I also have a compass and a map, I prefer to feel my way through the land as it is a good way to build confidence in your own innate sense of direction and awareness. It means you'll know how to move even if something happens to your map, compass or GPS device.

Once you do this for awhile, a whole new world begins to open up as you start to really see the life in the forest. You realize how much movement is actually going on, including the dance between predators and prey. It's not unusual, in the right places, to come across the tracks of wolves following deer, which of course, is a whole new story of its own.

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Exploring the beaches of Haida Gwaii.

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Music Shuffle

What can you tell about a person by the music they listen to? Put your mp3 player, iTunes, Spotify, etc. on shuffle and list the first 10 songs. See what comes up.

Revolution (Pennywise)

Working Man - Live in Cleveland (Rush)

Don't Lose Your Head (Queen)

Die for Love (Johnny Hollow)

Brave and Crazy (Tom Cochrane)

Ain't Takin' 'Bout Love (Van Halen)

Rottu Skógvarnir (Eivor)

Impermanence (Major Parkinson)

Angels to Some (The Silver Shine)

Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC)

I guess I am a revolutionary working man worried about losing my head, a little brave and crazy when it comes to love (or not) and as I walk through the world in my shoes, from time to time I am an angel to some, unless I'm with Rosie.

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A cool hike to the remnants of the Pezuta, a wood-hulled steam freighter that ran aground on the Eastern side of Haida Gwaii.

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Stressed? Need a break? Then come sit with me and relax by the creek.

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Walking the beach on the eastern side of Haida Gwaii.

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Great walk along the beach today. Waves rolling in, cool breeze and the quiet rumbling of water sweeping across the rocks strewn at the edge of the world. Loved every minute of it.

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The most frustrating thing is that, despite my best efforts, I cannot get this photo to capture the expansive feeling of being by this mountain in person. It is just soooo awesome and amazing to run by with the mountain at your side. I love it and just wish I could find a photo that really conveys that sense of power and wonder.

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Mountains in the sky ...

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Winter hiking through the mountains...

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Winter hiking through the mountains...

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Enjoyed a light trail run on a beautiful winter day.

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With infinite patience, mountains stand tall waiting for our arrival so they can remind us of our inner strength as we hike up, around and over them.

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An early winter sunset in the mountains is a peaceful way to end the hiking day.

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Hiking in the mountains in winter is absolutely glorious!

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Icicles and crystal close-ups along a frozen mountain waterfall.