I checked out Minnie Lake on the Quilchena-Douglas Plateau, then drove backroads to Douglas Lake (which I paddled in the wind), toured backroads toward Westwold, and hiked in to a remote waterfall, taking photographs along the way, some of which … Continue reading →
Mt. Thynne has some of the best wildflower meadows of the area and a hike at the end of June or early July is a must-do route for anyone who enjoys a moderate hike in the subalpine. Some more photos … Continue reading →
I ventured out to paddle Badger Lake via the Knouff Lake Road, but on the way back I took the Orchard Lake Road, following Struthers Creek down the slope. Near Badger Lake in wet gullies cow parsnip (heracleum lanatum) was … Continue reading →
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 →
I was heading out with my kayak to find a lake to paddle, but strong gusty winds suggested I find a smaller protected area, so I opted for Stake Lake. I kayaked once around the lake and decided on a … Continue reading →
We went fossil hunting and goldpanning in June with the grandkids and had fun on the day’s adventures. We stopped to identify and enjoy the various flowering plants along the way. Prickly pear cactus (opuntia fragilis) was blooming in quite … Continue reading →
From Red Lake I drove north onto the Tranquille Plateau to about 1500 m (4920 ft) and explored some of the open meadows and wetlands. Above Saul Lake were patches of yellow monkey-flower (mimulus guttatus) in wet seep zones. In … Continue reading →
Hoary rock-moss (Racomitrium lanuginosum) belongs to a group of mosses that collectively are known as rock-mosses. Almost all of them are found on very dry sites usually on rock outcrops and boulders or on talus slopes. Originally, they were a … 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 →
From Neskonlith Lake, I drove up the McGillivray Lake Forest Service Road, a 16 km climb to 1534 m (5032 feet), stopping along the way to inspect the flora and fauna en route. At a viewpoint on the burnt forest … Continue reading →
I paddled the shoreline of Neskonlith Lake, then went for a walk, watching for whatever nature had to show off. I found an orange polypore on a birch log in the forest. The highlights of the day were tiger lilies, … Continue reading →
On a recent hike to Wells Gray Park, we hike along the edge of a volcanic plateau that overlooks the Clearwater River. All along the trail were stands of birch, aspen, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, and the odd western … Continue reading →
