Salmon Run

Africa has the great Wildebeest migrations. The far North has the Caribou herds that make the ground tremble beneath their hooves. Here in BC we have salmon runs, one of which we were priveleged to witness this past weekend, at Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park on the Adams River. Every year sockeye salmon return, sometimes in the millions, to spawn and die in the rivers and creeks they left years before. As they travel upriver, they undergo a remarkable transformation: they stop eating and their scales are reabsorbed into their bodies, they turn bright red except for their tails and head that become a deep green. The males become hunch-backed and their upper jaw grows huge and hooked with sharp fangs. They seem a different creature altogether. They spawn and they die, their rotting bodies a pungent undertone to the miracle of their amazing life cycle. We wandered for a long time along the river's banks, agog at the quantities of fish, watching the males fight over females, listening to the comments of other visitors speaking many languages we could identify and many that we could not. Definitely worth the drive! Here's a short video on our Facebook page to give you an idea of what it's like. 

The local community hosts a salmon festival until October 26th--with food trucks, local artist market, and singers. There are docents on hand to answer questions and many places along the river to see this amazing natural spectacle. http://www.salmonsociety.com/ Go if you can! 

Afterwards we visited the food trucks and enjoyed a barbequed salmon bannock burger from the Raven's Landing Food Truck. In spite of having just seen (and smelled) a lot of dying salmon it was delicious.

My travelling companion, also known as Polar Feet's Biggest Fan, was of course totally on trend with his choice of fleece socks for the outing. He felt that Limeade fleece socks would go best with the red and green of the salmon, and with the lovely fall foliage. I think you'll agree. 

Outdoor fall activities are much more enjoyable if you're properly dressed for the cooler temperatures. A warm sweater and a cozy pair of fleece socks will ensure you are comfortable. Here's a handy link to our fleece sock collection 

Product notes: Mid-weight 100% polyester fleece socks sewn with patented flat-lock seams. Great for hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, running, and trick-or-treating. Made in Canada.