Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, 10-5-10, continued. Click to enlarge

Gathering of gulls

Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, 10-5-10, continued. Beach views of waves crashing into shore. Click to enlarge

Sooke Potholes Regional Park and Galloping Goose Trail. Another $3 parking fee at the park’s lower lot. You can pick up the Galloping Goose trail or hike on several other trails on the south side of the Sooke River. Spotted several salmon. I’m guessing about two to three miles roundtrip from the lower parking lot to the end of the trail, which follows the river. Trail is in good condition, but beware of tree roots across trail in spots. We had gone about a mile when I climbed onto some rocks for a better view of the river. That’s when I first heard a noise in some bushes across the river. It was a black bear, probably attracted by the spawning salmon. We were in a safe sport and high up so we could observe the bear, which stayed in the open for about 2-3 minutes before heading back into the brush. Click to enlarge.



First view of bear

Black bear, 10-3-10, continued. Bear near bank of Sooke River. Click to enlarge

Black bear, 10-3-10, continued. Bear near bank of Sooke River. Click to enlarge

Black bear, 10-3-10, continued. Final views of bear near Sooke River before it heads back into the woods. Click to enlarge

Great pictures once again Ed! Thank you.

Marg

Hi Ed * Thanks for the great photos of your Vancouver Island visit.
The pictures of the gulls are cool. Nice patterns.
It must have been very exciting to see the bear.
It looks to be a very healthy specimen.