On a hot day, I paddled around the shoreline of McGillivray Lake (1399 m).    It is about 5.7 km and along the way I spotted a bear, an eagle, two loons, many fish jumping, and some flowering plants on the shoreline.   Along the east shore were white bog-orchids (Platanthera dilatata sp.) in bloom with their white fragrant blossoms just emerging.

Yellow waterlilies (Nuphar polysepalum sp.) with their cup-shaped flowers were opening in shallows in the lake next to their floating leaves.

Damselflies were abundant and sometimes clustered by lily pads.

Many of the wildflowers were in the shade and harder to get good photos from the kayak.   White mountain rhododendron and starwort were never blooming in a sunny spot, but mountain ash was enjoying sunny spots.

I spotted many sedges in open spots along marshy shoreline sections.

sedge

After paddling the lake, I drove down the McGillivray Forest Service Road and made a couple of stops along the way.    In the higher areas at the edge of the forest were valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) in flower.  The style and stamens protrude from the tubular small flowers, clustered together at the end of the stem.

Hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum) was abundant at roadside in the open areas.

hawkweed

Tiger lilies (Lilium columbianum) were just emerging in glades and open forests, most standing about 1m tall.

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), a member of the mint family, was spotted in drainage ditches.

self-heal

Thimbleberry shrubs (Rubus parvilforus) bloom in this area in mid-June to early-July and then red raspberrry-like berries form in mid-summer.

thimbleberry

As the road wound down to Neskonlith Lake, spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) was flowering in sunny, dry spots.

spreading dogbane

From paddling at 1400m, the road down to the river valley dropped through a number of ecological zones, each with its own highlights.