The premier wildflower hike of spring in our area is the route through Neskonlith Meadows up toward Aylmer Lake. We hiked to the lake and back (10.7 km), but this was a leisurely nature hike, a time to enjoy the wildflowers, the other flora, and the fauna. We stopped at the Adams Lake Band Office to get a permit, … Continue reading →
We traveled southwest to Lytton, then crossed the Fraser River on the reaction ferry to the West Side Road. We continued north, then west into Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park. We hiked up the Stein River Trail, spending about 3.5 hours on the trail for an out-and-back hike, and some exploration time in the valley. The day was sunny … Continue reading →
On a sunny mid-April day we hiked the Barnes Lake horse-and-hiker-trails (9.25 km) through sagebrush grasslands and open douglas fir forest. This was a group hike so there was little time to stop and examine various wildflowers along the way, but I took some photos and they are shared here. Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) were just starting to bloom at … Continue reading →
A late-winter and early spring project is now in the final stages. My back yard was a gravel slope down to the street below and over the years I have hauled in concrete blocks to build three retaining walls for 3 garden levels. Each build was a little better, using the right kind of blocks, backfilling with porous … Continue reading →
After paddling Little Shuswap Lake, I drove up the road to Neskonlith Lake and stopped to enjoy the wildflowers by the roadside. To hike the meadows, we need to get a permit from the Band Office, and this is planned for later this month. This last visit was really a scouting trip (a walk by the road) to see … Continue reading →
We hiked at an easy pace on a mild day for about an hour on the Peterson Creek Trails. We were surprised by a few wildflowers emerging along the trails. We spotted arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum), dame’s-rocket (Hesperis sp.) – a species of mustard, lemonweed/stoneseed (Lithospermum ruderale), and one of the rockcresses (Boechera sp.). … Continue reading →
Wild asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) and garden asparagus are the same plant. In our area, asparagus can be found in a number of spots in the valley where the soil is moist. We encounter it on sidehills, in seep gullies, in low spots, and in flood zones. Most have become naturalized, descendants of garden plants in both rural areas and green … Continue reading →
