Autumn Hike to Divers Lake

A beautiful fall day - so it seemed like a good day to go up to Paradise Meadows for a hike to Divers Lake ! The colours of blueberry & huckleberry leaves are a startling contrast to the evergreens. Divers & Rossiter Lakes were added to Strathcona Park in 2003, but there is no established trail as yet. The beginning follows logging roads, then the route enters the Park and follows a rough trail through woods, then bushwhacking along the lakeshore.

With all the recent rain, various mushrooms are appearing. Once the trail entered the woods, the shrubbery was quite wet - rain pants recommended!

Divers Lake with Strata Mountain in the background. (Mt. Allan Brooks on the left) The water levels were quite high so we didn't cross the outflow stream to get to the meadows beyond.

Lots of king gentian still blooming - this one lit up like a lantern from the sun behind. Labrador tea grows around the lakeshore as well as other bog plants such as sticky false asphodel.

Lots of insects as well! Various dragonflies & their prey, and very friendly butterflies - this satyr comma enjoyed our company for quite a while.

Back at the Centre, several groups of schoolkids were on outdoor excursions today - three or four busloads - a couple hundred in total. Some exterior work is going on around the Centre - contractors are working on improving the pathway connection to the parking lot, as well as grading & landscaping.

Mt. Elma Hike

On Sunday the Comox District Mountaineering Club did a hike to Mt. Elma, here is a link to their report. Much of the circuit is off-trail so there was quite a bit of route-finding required through the steep, wet bush.

Mt. Elma from the south

Fair-Weather Wednesdays

Although the weekends lately have been a bit rainy, Wednesdays up at Paradise Meadows seem to have great weather! Yesterday's volunteer at the Wilderness Centre, Keith, had several large groups visiting the meadows including a group from the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre on Hornby Island.

Even in mixed weather, the clouds may open up to reveal a photogenic bit of the landscape - here a triangular opening in the clouds frames the triangular peak of Mt. Albert Edward.

The forecast for next Wednesday looks good also - the season for enjoying Strathcona Park is still going strong!