We hiked through the Lundbom Grasslands in the hills to the southeast of Merritt. These are some of the finest grasslands in our province. We parked by Lundbom Lake, then hiked a 13 km loop through the hills on the signed Cocobonk Trail We took our time, enjoying the quiet of the hills, the wildflowers, the pollinators, and an occasional glimpse of birds, snakes, deer, and insects.

Some of the wildflowers spotted along the way are featured here – western groundsel (Senecio integirrimus), harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Thompson’s paintbrush (Castilleja thompsonii) , field milkvetch (Astralagus agrestis), storksbill (Erodium cicularium), western spring beauty (Claytonia laneolata), fernleaf biscuitroot/fern-leaved desert-parsley (Lomatium dissectum), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), cutleaf anemone (Anemone multifida), rockcress (Arabis sp.), showy jacob’s ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum), sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum), and some fauna.