Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a native evergreen perennial found in our mid-elevation to sub-alpine forests. It has a woody base and spreads by rhizomes. A whorl of 4 – 7 leaves grows at the tops of stems. The leaves have parallel veins and are shaped somewhere from oval to elliptical. The undersides are whitish. An inflorescence … Continue reading →
On a summer morning I drove up the Lac le Jeune Road, then turned onto the Timber Lake forest Service Road. I parked near a side road and hiked up through the hills on double tracks, first to Tower Hill and out to viewpoints, then up secondary roads which wound through the Interior Plateau douglas fir forests at an … Continue reading →
On a hot summer day we drove south to hike Zoa Peak in the Coquihalla Summit. We got on the trail early and hiked steadily. There were lots of wildflowers in bloom, but many were photographed on other hikes and for this day, the pace for the group was steady with only a few brief stops. We wanted … Continue reading →
Every summer I hike up and over McConnell Hill, combining different trails each time. This year the hike was done on a hot end-of-July day. The route followed cross-country ski trails, then snowshoe trails and back onto Sidewinder Trail around the hill, taking about 3.5 hours. there were still lots of wildflowers in bloom and berries were also appearing. … Continue reading →
When we hike by lakes, marshes, creeks, and wet meadows, we often spot black twinberry (Lonerica involucrata) leafing in spring, flowering in late spring, and displaying black berries in summer. It is deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family, growing from 0.5 to 2.0 m in height. The central stems are fairly erect, but the branches loosely extend outward. … Continue reading →
On a sunny July day I drove to Greenstone Mountain Provincial Park and hiked a series of double track and single track trails and tracks through a variety of habitats. There were fine views from the top of the mountain at the Fire Lookout. Some of the trails were rugged and challenging and some were moderate. Along … Continue reading →
On a July morning I took the Sun Peaks Chairlift to mid-station and hiked trails on Tod Mountain. I followed the Gil’s trail through the forest on the east side of the mountain, then went out to Tod Lake, and then returned on the Saddleback Trail to Crystal Bowl. Much of the route was through damp forested slopes and … Continue reading →
On a sunny morning the outing was up at Lodgepole Lake – twice around the lake in a kayak, then a hike around the lake trail. At 1409 m, this is a mixed forest with lots of marshy areas and damp soils. The Lodgepole Lake Trail is a single track around the lakeshore. One side of the … Continue reading →
On a hike from the Trophy Mountain trailhead to the alpine ridges below the summit, there were many wildflowers in bloom. Keeping a steady pace on the longer hike, I paused to take a few photographs of species in bloom, picking ones that were found in seep zones, stream gullies, wet meadows, and by tarns in subalpine forests and … Continue reading →
I paddled and hiked at Stake Lake and on the next day Rossmoore Lake, both in the Lac le Jeune area. Along the trails and launch areas I observed a some wildflowers and photographed a few. Shared here are: stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum) fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) lupine (Lupinus sp.) red paintbrush (Castilleja miniata) wild rose with a crab spider … Continue reading →
