On a sunny day at the end of September, we hiked a 15 km route to the top of Wheeler Mountain. Some fall color was already underway, especially with the douglas maples, grasses, and aspens. There were a small number … Continue reading →
On a day near the Fall Equinox I hiked into the hills above Kamloops Lake, starting from the end of Abbey Road. A summer of drought had sent most flowering plants to fruit and many past that stage. Still in … Continue reading →
On a September morning I hiked on the Stake Lake Trails. After weeks of drought conditions, there were few wildflowers in bloom, except for one lupine and the arrival of eyebright, abundant on the grassy trails. Spotted on this hike … Continue reading →
In the first week of September I hiked a loop route around Leighton Lake, including a side route to the Bluff Lookout, and the northern shoreline of Tunkwa Lake. Along the way I stopped to observe wildflowers and wildfruits. Shared … Continue reading →
On a grey, windy, and smoky day, I drove out to Campbell Lake. The lake had faced winterkill so there were no campers or fishermen. With no fish in the lake, there were no pelicans either. There were lots of … Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
By mid-August many of the wildflowers were gone from open slopes and exposed areas, but there were still a few in sheltered spots and seep zones. Shared here are asters, grass of parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata), arnica, hellebore (Veratrum viride), pearly … Continue reading →
Most wildflowers in the Interior valleys withered and went to seed in the hot summer this year. We continued to hike the hills and saw a few wildflowers in sheltered locations. We drove to the top of Mt. Savona and … Continue reading →
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 →