Swimming at the Top of Baldy

July 26th (Sunday)

 

Last night, as we lay in bed before going to sleep, we heard the rain begin.  It was not a heavy rain, just a steady shower, and we hoped that it would clear overnight.  We awoke in the morning to clear blue sky and the sun coming up over the top of Baldy.  As we lay in bed before getting up, we were confused, as it looked like it was clear blue sky, but it was still raining, or at least it sounded like it was still raining.  It took us a little while to realize that it was not rain that we were hearing, but the sound of hundreds of black flies bombarding our tent.  When we came out of the tent we were armed with our bug-net hats, long clothing, and bug spray.  

Over our time up on Baldy the black flies were a constant nuisance.  When we ate they got into our food and drink, and they became an inevitable and unavoidable source of extra protein.  In order to eat we had to, at least temporarily lift up our bug-net hats and the swarm was always there waiting for an opening.  Surprisingly, once inside it seemed that the fly’s main goal was to get back out, and yet if we did not realize that one had gotten in, it did not take long for it to eventually take advantage of the easy meal.  

If we did not want to wear our bug hats and we put on bug spray instead it stopped them from biting us, but they would hit our faces, get into our eyes, nose, and mouth and if we were hiking and breathing harder it was frequent that we would inhale one and start coughing hard.  The only break that we got from the black flies was when the breeze picked up.  When this happened it would seem like they had completely disappeared, and we could remove our bug hats temporarily.  We quickly realized however, that they had simply retreated into the wind shadow or lee of our bodies and if we turned around, there they were, the constant swarm, just waiting for the wind to stop enough for them to attack us once again.  It was the worst bugs that I had ever experienced. 

Since getting back home we have done some research into black flies because we were confused as to how there could be so many in a place with no food, at least no prey to suck blood from.  It turns out that black flies actually eat nectar.  It is only the females that need blood, and they only need it in order to lay eggs.  So that is how there can be so many up on the top of a mountain where there are few prey for them to choose from, but lots of wild flowers for nectar. 

After a relaxing morning around camp we decided to explore the shoulder area of Baldy on which we were camped.  We took our lunch with us and explored around.  

There was so much to see, crystal clear pools, some small, some large, beautiful mossy areas filled with dozens of different types of wild flowers, and the views; the views were ever changing as we moved around and they were ever awing.  In some of the larger crystal clear pools we were surprised by how much life we saw, water striders, water beetles, large clusters of eggs, dragonfly larvae, and some creatures that we did not know what they were.  Since being home we have figured out that they were caddisfly larvae.  Apparently the larvae build their own shelter, like a moving home that a snail or hermit crab have in their shell.  These tubular shelters are made out of items from their natural surroundings, and so the shelters vary considerably depending on what materials are around.  The ones that we were seeing appeared to be made out of small sticks or twigs and pine needles.  Very interesting animal, apparently some graze on algae, others are predators, others chew leaves, and others collect debris from the water.  In some of the smaller pools we saw young salamanders, and in one pool we saw a toad.

We had lunch out on a rock close to the edge of the mountain looking down at Link Lake, the dam, Ocean Falls, and Cousins Inlet.  The breeze picked up and we were able to relax free from the pestering black flies.  

After our lunch we went back up to one of the nicest pools that we had found.  It was near our campsite and it was large and deep; deep enough for Jason to do a shallow dive in.  

It reminded us of our own private, mountaintop infinity pool because the views were so amazing.  While the breeze lasted we enjoyed a very refreshing bath.  It was one of the most spectacular places we had ever swum and it sure felt nice to be clean.