Category Archives: Nature Hikes

Wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and interesting plants observed and photographed while hiking, kayaking, and exploring.

Trailside, in Early September

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As the summer heat and smoke dissipated at the end of August, drought conditions carried on, with dry vegetation, shrinking lakes, dried-up wet zones, and wildflowers going to seed.    A few late-flowering species could still be spotted (curlycup gumweed, white prairie aster, sweet clover, and others), but the usual summer annual weeds also seemed to take over disturbed areas.    In sheltered damp zones a few late summer flowering plants could also be spotted.   

Shared here are some of the plants spotted by the side of the trail in Dallas – Barnhartvale nature Park, and in the open forests near Lac du Bois and Lodgepole Lake:  red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), chicory (Cichorium intybus), white prairie aster (Symphyotrichum falcatus), rabbitbrush (Chyrsothamnus nauseosus), bitter nightshade (Solanum ducamara), leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), a late-blooming sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum), small pussytoes (Antennaria parvifolia), mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), wild raspberry (Rubus idaeas), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), and alder scalycap? (Pholiota alnicola) .  

Daily hikes and paddling the lakes will continue through the fall.     ÿλ

 

Trailside in the Forests in Mid-August

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In the middle part of August, each day was an outing in a kayak or on a trail, and quite often both.     Shared here are a few images taken while hiking at Clearwater Lake (cedar hemlock forest), at Stake Lake (Douglas fir, pine, and spruce forests), and mid-elevation mixed forests near McQueen and Isobel Lakes – oak fern, western … Continue reading →

Trailside, on Hot and Smoky Days in Early August

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Early August had smoky, hot, and dry conditions in the southern Interior of BC.   Forest fire smoke blanketed large areas and I used smoke forecast services to go where the smoke was less hazardous.    Often the hikes were shorter, planned for times and areas of tolerable conditions.    The grasslands and forests were very dry and seemed susceptible to … Continue reading →

Little McGillivray Lake Nature Hike

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On a hot and smoky day I drove the backroad from Sun Peaks to McGillivray Lake.     I first paddled around the lake, then secured the boat before starting a loop route on cross-country/mountain biking trails to Little McGillivray Lake.     That whole area is wet year-round, and is often plagued by mosquitoes and flies in summer.     It kept … Continue reading →

Trailside, in the Grasslands

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There are many hiking routes in the area.    We can hike through the forest on the Interior Plateau.    We can hike up local hills from the valleys and we can hike through grasslands at lower elevations.   Many of the lower elevation hikes go through open forests and open sagebrush grasslands and may climb into ponderosa pine, then Douglas … Continue reading →

Trophy Mountain Nature Hike

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For the fiftieth consecutive year, I hiked up the Trophy Mountain, enjoying the many faces of the route to the high alpine cirque.    It was a sunny and hot day for this 12.5 km hike. Along the trail through the forest, subalpine glades, seep zones, alpine ridges, and alpine heath there were many plants.    Many photos were taken … Continue reading →

Mount Thynne Nature Hike

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Near the end of June, on a sunny day, I hiked over the top of Mt. Thynne to enjoy the wildflower display. The mountain is located south of Brookmere and requires driving up a forest service road for 16 km. The track climbs the ridge and continues south through subalpine meadows for 4 km, finishing at communication towers on the … Continue reading →

Ponderosa – Big Pine Nature Hike

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On a warm mid-June day the nature hike was a combination of trails on the west side of Kenna Cartwright Park – out west on the Ponderosa Trail and back on Big Pine Trail, and some connector trails for a loop route.   Spring wildflowers and flowering shrubs bordered the trails and birds and pollinators were active in the open forests … Continue reading →

Baileys Chute Nature Hike

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At the start of June I journeyed up the Wells Gray Corridor towards Clearwater Lake.    I stopped to hike a loop route which included three waterfalls and a lake.    I hiked past Bailey’s Chute, Marcus Falls, Myanth Falls, then West Lake on a warm day.    Much of the hike was through a wet zone with mists from … Continue reading →