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 →
Category Archives: Nature Hikes
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Barnes Nature Hike
On a hot summer morning we hiked through the open grasslands of the Barnes Lake Trails, then through the open forest hills and back through the grasslands to the start. Along the way, we stopped to enjoy wildflowers, insects, birds, … Continue reading →
McQueen Nature Hike
We hiked the McQueen Lake Trails on a quiet summer day and enjoyed the ponds, meadows, and forested trails along the way. We were pleased to spot a rattlesnake plantain (an orchid) in bloom. Prince’s pine (a wintergreen) was in … Continue reading →
Greenstone Summit Wildflowers
We hiked in the summit area of Greenstone Mountain and enjoyed the wildflowers at 1770m (5800+ ft). On the open south-facing ridges we saw showy daisy (Erigeron sp.), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum), yellow agoseris (Agoseris glauca), orange … Continue reading →
Wildflowers of the Hyas and Pemberton Lakes Area
On a day of paddling Hyas Lake and hiking in to Pemberton Lake, there were lots of wildflowers to enjoy. On the shoreline of Pemberton Lake, marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris) was flowering. Brooklime (Veronica americana sp.) with its tiny blue … Continue reading →
Lac le Jeune Lookout Nature Hike
We hiked on the Lac le Jeune and the Stake Lake Trails up to the Lac le Jeune Lookout, then on other trails in a loop route back to the start (9.6 km). Along the way we stopped to check … Continue reading →