We made the journey down to Brookmere, then followed mountain roads to the Mt. Thynne trailhead and then did an 11.5 km out-and-back hike through sub-alpine meadows to the summit. We took many photos along the way. Near the trailhead … Continue reading →
We hiked on the Moul Falls Trail, then along the Birch Bluffs Rim route, a 15 km hike. Along the way we stopped to photograph a few plants in flower. Bunchberry (cornus canadensis) was prolific in the birch forests of … Continue reading →
We hiked up a rugged and steep ridge from the Dewdrop Range to the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment, then hiked along the rim trail and came down the Dewdrop Trail for a 7 km challenging outing. Along the … Continue reading →
We drove to the Ashcroft to Spences Creek corridor to hike into the hills to find bitterroot (lewisia redviva) in bloom. We know three spots within an hour’s drive and we know when it blooms from past explorations so … Continue reading →
We hiked through the rugged Frederick Bluffs which are the rocky hills overlooking Kamloops Lake. We went over hill and dale and watched for wildflife and wildflowers along the route. We saw a hatched clutch of eggs right next to … Continue reading →
Each year, I hiked into various areas and watch for the appearance of chocolate lilies (fritillaria sp.). On a rainy day, I drove to the upper grasslands of Lac du Bois Grasslands Nature Conservancy and hiked on trails and through … Continue reading →
Long flowered mertensia (longiflorum) can be spotted near Neskonlith Lake in late April and early May. They have been spotted near Chase and Adams Lake too. They follow yellow glacier lilies in semi-open meadows. Mertensia grows from a tuber-like root … Continue reading →
We hiked into the open meadows and over rocky hills to the northeast, mostly between the Lions Head Hills and Neskonlith Meadows (above Chase) and found lots of desert parsley emerging. Fern-leaved desert parsley (lomatium dissectum) grows from a woody … Continue reading →
A series of short posts on wildflowers encountered while out hiking. This hike was a grey day in the hills above Neskonlith Lake. Raindrops were still beading on petals. Low, grey light made photography difficult, but what could a better … Continue reading →
The Tuscon Range are Sonoran Desert mountains to the west of Tuscon. They are unforested, open, rocky at mid-elevation, populated with saguaro cactus. We drove into Saguoro National Park, then hiked on the King’s Canyon Trail (2500 feet to 3600 … Continue reading →
Although we have come across evening primrose in the southwest desert lands, we only spot it low-elevation, dry, south-facing locations in the Thompson River Valley. Oenothera villosa is a perennial (or biennial) herb that grows from a thick taproot. … Continue reading →
Wild asparagus is the same plant that we think of as garden asparagus. Over centuries it has spread across the continent, growing in areas that meet the right conditions (damp soil, full sun, slightly alkaline). It sends up spears in … Continue reading →
