Over 3 days in May we backpacked in Okanagan Mountain Park.   We hiked over the rocky bluffs and dropped into Wildhorse Canyon, then dropped down to the lakeshore to camp.   On our second day we climbed over the mountain through the burned out forest to a lake.   On our third day we hiked over the top then down the north slope to the trailhead.   Along the way we encountered lots of wildflowers.

In dry, grassland areas we found large-flowered tritelia (Triteleia grandiflora).   It is an early-flowering member of the lily family.  

There were many wild prickly rose shrubs in flower at various points along the way.

There were a few large white thimbleberry flowers featured on shrubs growing in damp locations.

Other types of rose shrubs had larger pale pink flowers.

In a gully snowbush ceonothus was robust with white flowers.   It is sometimes called red root or tobacco plant and was used by First Nations as a medicinal plant.

Few-flowered penstemon was flowering on the south-facing rocky slopes, along with balsamroot, chocolate lilies, and Indian paintbrush.

At several locations we spotted scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) with their red tubular flowers on upright stems.   It is sometimes called sky rocket or scarlet trumpet.

Harsh paintbursh (castilleja hispida) was flourishing in the sunny burned forest as we climbed the mountain.

Sulphur buckwheat (eriogonum umbellatum was just emerging on the upper slopes of the mountain.   the flowers are paler when they first emerge then become pinker with age.

Okanagan Lake lay far below as we looked through blackened snags.

We saw several snakes along the way.   Rattlers are common in Wildhorse Canyon and on previous trips I encountered several, but on this trip we only saw garter snakes.

Columbine graced the hillside along the way, always welcome on all of our explorations.

When I did this backpack, I carried only a small camera and with the load on my back, I spent less time getting down low to get the images I may have wanted afterwards.    Taking lots of wildflower images is better suited to hiking, not backpacking.   I will need to return for a long dayhike to revisit the wildflowers of Okanagan Mountain.