At Campbell Lake
On a grey, windy, and smoky day, I drove out to Campbell Lake. The lake had faced winterkill so there were no campers or fishermen. With no fish in the lake, there were no pelicans either. There were lots of … Continue reading →
Doug Smith
Tower Hill Route
On a grey September day I hiked through Peterson Creek, then went steeply up to the top of Tower Hill. On the way back down, I looped to the east side and wound my way back down to the Park … Continue reading →
Tranquille Trail
We hiked up the Tranquiile Trail and back. There are some cottonwoods and willows, then a flooded area, then a sagebrush-grassland area, and then another cottonwood forest zone. The flooded area is because the water plant upstream diverted water downstream … Continue reading →
In the Deep Lake Hills
The south facing slopes of the valleys were dry and most wildflowers were past the flowering stages, but there were a few in sheltered spots. On this day, I spotted white prairie asters (Aster ericoides sp.), snowberries (Symphoricarpos albus), wire … Continue reading →
Lava Flow Lookout and Big Pine Trails
Drought conditions are obvious when we hike on the western side of Kenna Cartwright Park. Wildflowers and some shrubs have withered or have faded and gone to seed. A few late season wildflowers and shrubs are still in flower or … Continue reading →
On Tod Mountain in Mid-August
By mid-August many of the wildflowers were gone from open slopes and exposed areas, but there were still a few in sheltered spots and seep zones. Shared here are asters, grass of parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata), arnica, hellebore (Veratrum viride), pearly … Continue reading →
Three August Hikes
Most wildflowers in the Interior valleys withered and went to seed in the hot summer this year. We continued to hike the hills and saw a few wildflowers in sheltered locations. We drove to the top of Mt. Savona and … Continue reading →
In the Peterhope Hills
In mid-summer I hiked in the hills near Peterhope Lake, exploring an old mine and the ridges and ponds of the forested areas above. Most wildflowers were already past, but a small number still were in bloom. It is rare … Continue reading →
Mid-August Sunny Gardens
In mid-summer we are now moving past the main flowering period, but new flowers are now emerging. Shared here are hollyhocks, clematis, Okanogan fameflower (4 plants still flowering), monarda, showy sedum, and geranium sanguineum. Click an image for a … Continue reading →
Cooney Bay Nature Hike
We hiked along the shores of Cooney Bay on Kamloops Lake with the grandkids on a nature hike. Beachcombing took much of our time but we also saw ospreys, sandhills cranes, killdeer, a bald eagle, butterflies, and lots of interesting … Continue reading →
Early August in the Garden
The garden is full of vegetables, fruit, and flowers in the middle of summer. Some work is needed every day. With watering restrictions coming in, we will add hand-watering to the list of daily tasks. Shared here are images … Continue reading →
On the Shores of Scuitto Lake
On a warm summer morning, I drove away from the smoke (I used firesmoke.ca to see which areas would be smoky) out to Scuitto Lake. I paddled around the lake, then explored the marshy shoreline. There was a few aquatic … Continue reading →