We hiked the White Horse Bluff Trail in Wells Gray Park in June, a longer route through the forest to an interesting spot. Our trail started on the Green Mountain Road. It descended through the forest. False Solomon’s-seal (smilacena racemosa) was flowering along the route, bringing a perfumed scent along the trail.
false solomon’s seal
Hooker’s fairybells (disporum hookeri) were spotted in a few spots where the slopes were damp.
hooker’s fairy bells
There were many small frogs or toads by the trail and one larger western toad (amaxyrus americana).
Bunchberry (cornus canadensis) was emerging with its June 4-petaled yellow-white flowers. Red berries will form over the summer.
bunchberry
In gullies there were some blue clematis in flower.
On White Horse Bluff snowbrush ceanothus was flowering with its white flowers. There were enough shrubs in bloom in the area to make the trail dramatically fragrant.
snowbrush ceanothus
Black twinberry flowers were seen in wet spots near Placid Lake. Two dark berries will form over the summer.
Near White Horse Bluff were some Labrador tea shrubs showing the buds which will soon flower.
Labrador Tea
On the Placid Lake Trail elderberry (sambucus racemosa sp.) shrubs were in bloom, with red berries to follow in summer.
elder
The Placid Lake Trail winds through cedar-hemlock forest, a very nice section of the route.
Although the hike was a beautiful one, it was long and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Any hike into Wells Gray from the second week in June through the end of July may be a “buggy” one. My next hike will be in alpine, timed to avoid the worst of the mosquito hordes.