On the Wells Gray Trails
In September I drove to Wells Gray Park to do two hikes. The first was a loop route – Bailey’s Chute, Marcus Falls, Myanth Falls, and West Lake. There were a number of wet areas along the route.
The second hike that day was along the Murtle River to the old Majerus Homestead. Along the way on both hikes, I took a number of photos, enjoying nature’s gifts on a late summer day. Shared here are two galleries. In the first gallery is false solomon’s seal berries (Smilicina racemosa), lance-leaved arnica (Arnica lanceolata), heath speedwell (Veronica officinalis), ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora), devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus), orange sponge polypore (Pycnoporellus alboluteus), great northern aster (Canadanthus modestus), rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia) in bloom, and fringed grass-of-parnassus (Parnasia palustris). I was pleased to find the Goodyera in bloom and I am always happy to see ghost pipes.
Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption/ID.
In the second gallery are some other sightings – prince’s pine (Chimaphila umbellata), rose spirea (Spiraea douglasii), rough goose-necked moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus), eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis), larkspurleaf monkshood (Aconitum delphiniifolium), and orange jelly spot (Dacrymyces chrysospermus). The monkshood is a very poisonous plant and rarely spotted in our area.
We will be back to hike Wells Gray and the Trophy Mountains again in the next year.