Photography in the Meadows

Photographer Tim Penney who was up at Paradise Meadows the other day has posted some of his photos from that day on his website. It's always inspiring to look at the work of others for a new way of seeing.
Lily pad pond


Giant cotton-grass

Some of the tiny flowers of the meadows require very close-up viewing.

Fringed grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia frimbriata)

Volunteer Report

Today's Wilderness Centre volunteer staffer Kate reported a busy day at the Centre in spite of cool temperatures. A wallet was found in the parking lot & turned in to Mt. Washington's Alpine Lodge - the owner can claim it there by calling Security at 250-334-5753. A leash was turned in to the Centre - this obviously means a dog was off-leash at the time! which can result in a fine, as pets are required to be leashed at all times in the Paradise Meadows area.

Hikers also reported a couple of maintenance items which were passed along to the Parks Facility Operator - all reports are appreciated and the PFO does a great job following up.

There is lots of space in the campgrounds, & the trails are reported to be dry & in good condition.
The ten campsites at Lake Helen Mackenzie were constructed by volunteers from the Comox District Mountaineering Club in 2001.

Two Hikes

Two guided hikes today - one to Divers & Rossiter Lakes, which were added to Strathcona Park in 2003; and one around the Lake Helen Mackenzie loop. The weather was perfect for hiking - not too hot & not too cold.

The Divers group enjoyed seeing an area that most people don't get to, since there are no official trails yet into that area. Divers Lake was named after loons seen in the lake, while Rossiter Lake was named for Len Rossiter, who had a long-time connection to the Park.
Piggott Creek which flows out of Lake Helen Mackenzie

'Old Man of the Meadows'

The Helen Mackenzie group enjoyed scenery (ponds, lakes & meadows; views of Mt. Washington, Mt. Jutland & Mt. Regan), wildlife (juncos, red squirrels, beaver dam), flowers (king gentian, cottongrass, great burnet) and other plants (lipstick cladonia lichen, amazing gnarly old trees). There is one more guided hike next Sunday Sept. 5, and then a couple of Art & Nature Walks.

View down to the meadows

Lipstick cladonia (Cladonia macilenta)

A Red Diamond extendable hiking pole was left at the door of the Wilderness Centre, possibly from one of the above groups.

Help Connect Some Lost & Found!

The Lost & Found box at the Wilderness Centre is starting to fill up! Top ten found items:

#1: glasses/sunglasses

#2: hats

#3: water bottles/cups

#s 4 through 10: mallet (?), key to bike lock, plastic whistle, gray tshirt, khaki bikini, waist strap from backpack

Some of these found items may have sentimental value! so please contact the Wilderness Centre at 250-650-4304 if you can claim any of the items below:

Left, top to bottom: plastic frame sunglasses; reflective lens sunglasses ; sunglasses w/filigree pattern on plastic arms; Right, top to bottom: brown/bronze frame sunglasses; reading glasses; prescription glasses.

Left, top to bottom: child's sunhat; brown ballcap w/binocular graphic on top; Right ,top to bottom: black ballcap; beige ballcap.

Left to right: gray plastic water bottle; plastic travel cup w/photos & caption "Merry Christmas Dave Love Hayley & Paige"; metal Kleen Kanteen w/lettering "Glenwright".

Several items have recently been reported lost but have not been turned in to the Wilderness Centre:

small purple wallet with cards

green & black Thermarest

clip-on sunglasses

wallet on Circlet Lake trail

Older lost items include:

Leatherman tool at Croteau Lake

kids moccassins

red baseball cap

white ballcap

Canon SD camera, silver inside black case

'Iron Cross' sunglasses

Some of these items may have been turned in to Mount Washington Resort which has a lost & found at their Alpine Lodge: phone # for Security there is 250-334-5753.

By the way it was a beautiful day (again!) up at Paradise Meadows - a bit cool in the morning but sunny & warm later - and the bugs are all gone! Lots of blue king gentian are blooming in the meadows as well as the cotton-grass, great burnet & Sitka burnet. The most recent black bear sighting is of one cub near Lake Helen Mackenzie on Tues. Aug. 24.

Couple More Updates

Here is the latest trail report on Strathcona Park conditions from BC Parks.

New info re Sunday's Level 1 Hike to Lake Helen Mackenzie - this hike will have a different guide, stay tuned for updates.

Volunteer Updates

We had to say goodbye to Toby & Emma from the RSBP today - their time staffing the Wilderness Centre on weekdays for the past few weeks was much appreciated! They joined the Level 2 Hike to the Cruickshank Canyon Lookout on their final day. The hike was guided by Evan Loveless, one of the directors of the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI), who is also guiding a Level 1 family hike to Lake Helen Mackenzie next Sunday Sept. 29 starting at 10 am. Evan will be bringing his young son & all ages are welcome! (dogs on leash too!)

There will also be a Level 2 Hike on Sunday Sept. 29 at 9 am. guided by Steve Smith, a founding director with SWI with decades of knowledge of Strathcona Park. This hike to Divers Lake should be about 4-5 hours return. The terrain is moderate but not on an established trail - there is a stream crossing & some wet areas. Divers & Rossiter Lakes were added to Strathcona Park in 2003.

Participants in today's Nature Walk with Harold Macy learned quite a bit about trees & ecology - Harold manages Headquarters Creek Woodlot with sustainable forestry practices, and has marketed some interesting non-timber forest resources.

The Wilderness Centre will now be staffed regularly from 9 am. - 4 pm. on weekends until Sept. 12, but several volunteers have come forward to staff the Centre on some weekdays as well:
Pam & Don on Thurs. Aug. 26, 11 am - 2 pm;
Kate on Mon. Aug. 30, 9 am - 2 pm;
Keith on Wed. Sept. 1, Wed. Sept. 8 and Wed. Sept. 22 from 9 am - 4 pm.
There may be additional open days for the Centre - will keep you posted.

One last note: a question today about the tower on top of Syd Watts Peak (visible from Mt. Albert Edward) - it is apparently a beacon/communications relay.

Centennial Theme

2010 begins a year of celebrating BC Parks Centennial, with Strathcona Park being BC's first Provincial Park. In good timing for the centennial year, the Centennial Trail boardwalk was completed last season. This 2 km loop starting from the Paradise Meadows trailhead is a wheelchair & stroller accessible trail.

Among the key funders were all six Rotary Clubs from Campbell River and the Comox Valley. The Rotary Club of Campbell River just donated two wheelchairs through the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation for use by visitors to the Centre who may require a sturdy chair to enjoy the Centennial Trail. A family from Victoria visiting today gave the new trail 'two thumbs up' and wanted to pass along their thanks to the Rotary Club: "This is a beautiful trail - I enjoyed it! My parents even more - because they push my wheelchair!"

More on the Centennial theme... the Wilderness Centre has Strathcona Park Centennial tshirts available, in men's & women's styles, in shades of gray featuring a graphic silhouette of Elkhorn & Rambler Peak, two of the most spectacular mountains of Strathcona Park. These popular new tees are a great way to support the operations of the Wilderness Centre.

Not related at all to the Centennial...here's one of the largest groups to pass by the Wilderness Centre - a running group from Nanaimo, headed to the Cruickshank Canyon.
And for anyone interested in the latest snow conditions on Albert Edward, here's a link to a recent trip report from the Comox District Mountaineering Club.

BC Parks Recognition Event

BC Parks hosted a recognition event today for the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre and the wheelchair accessible Centennial Trail which completes the accessible boardwalk loop in Paradise Meadows. A 'Thank You' sign was unveiled acknowledging the multitude of supporters who contributed to make these dreams complete.

Plateau Traverse

Just spent a couple of days doing the 27 km Forbidden Plateau traverse, from Wood Mountain (the former site of the Forbidden Plateau ski lodge) to Paradise Meadows. Travelling at a naturalist's pace, we hiked to Douglas & McKenzie Lakes to camp one night, then the next day past Johnston & Panther Lakes to the Paradise Meadows trailhead.

Copperbush (Cladothamnus pyroliflorus) was blooming abundantly along the first part of the trail.

Pine white butterfly (Neophasia menapia) on Sitka valerian

Queen's cup (Clintonia uniflora), a flower more common at lower elevations.

Almost a century of history & stories behind the old Plateau signage.

When you see a sign with an arrow that says 'Viewpoint' - don't pass it by! Castlecrag Mountain is in the centre of the photo, with Mt. Albert Edward & Mt. Regan to the right.

The Comox Glacier from the viewpoint.

Douglas & McKenzie Lakes from the viewpoint, with logged areas visible outside of Strathcona Park , and Mt. Washington in the background.

Camp at McKenzie Lake

Meadows filled with great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

Some interesting species in the meadows around the lakes - above: one-sided wintergreen (Pyrola secunda), below: round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) showing its tiny white flowers.

Abundant dragonflies, hunting the 'terrible trio' of camp pests: mosquitoes, black flies, and 'no-see-ums' (biting midges)!

Pacific tree frogs were calling in the evening.

Occasionally in the timber sections along the trail were saprophytes such as pinesap (Hypopitys monotropa),above, and flowers such as tiger lily (Lilium columbianum) below.

Old BC Parks signage

White rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum), very fragrant, were still in full bloom on the western part of the trek. Some pink & white mountain heathers were still blooming here near Panther Lake, although they were finished eastward.

Some of the prettiest meadows north of Panther Lake.

Narrow-leaved cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) & white bog-orchid (Platanthera dilatata) in the meadows.

Mount Elma from the south, with meadows of arnica (Arnica latifolia), pink mountain heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis), and lupine (Lupinus arcticus).

Birds & Birders

Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

Members of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society birding group had a field trip around the boardwalk today. New birds seen, not previously reported, were hairy woodpecker and brown creeper . Other recent birds reported include goldeneye sp., bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, turkey vulture, osprey, sooty grouse (formerly called blue grouse) & chicks, Vancouver Island white-tailed ptarmigan & chicks, Wilson's snipe (formerly called common snipe), spotted sandpiper, rufous hummingbird, northern flicker, olive-sided flycatcher, gray jay, Steller's jay, crow, raven, chestnut-backed chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, Pacific wren (formerly called winter wren) , golden-crowned kinglet, robin, varied thrush, hermit thrush, pine siskin, junco, towhee, white-crowned sparrow, song sparrow and chipping sparrow.

Vancouver Isand white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus saxatilis)

After the walk, Wilderness Centre weekday volunteers Toby & Emma gave a video presentation & talk on their work with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds at the Arne Nature Reserve near Dorset England. The landscape is old oak woodland as well as open heath which shares some plant species with Paradise Meadows, such as pink & white mountain heathers, and sundews. The area is known for nightjars (called nighthawks in Canada) and Dartford warblers nesting in the heather & gorse. Check out the blog for recent bird sightings there.

Hot Hot Heat

Perhaps the hottest day yet up at Paradise Meadows....a good day for swimming! which I am sure many were doing in the rivers & on the beaches of the Comox Valley. Many hikers swim in the lakes around the Fobidden Plateau area, but swimming is discouraged near the campsites, and definitely not allowed at Kwai Lake, which is a small lake that is a drinking water source for the campsite there. Do not allow your pet to swim in the lakes as this could also contaminate drinking water sources. It is advisable to treat or boil all water before consumption anyway, and use the grey water pits at the campsites.

Croteau Lake & Mt. Albert Edward

Those on the guided hike to Croteau Lake today managed to fit in a couple of swimming opportunities. Thanks to Robin & Jennifer for guiding & for the photos!

Purplish copper butterfly on great burnet

Purplish copper butterfly (underside)

No bears sighted today - but other wildlife recently reported include butterflies including purplish copper & white admiral, western toad, tadpoles, possible bullfrog?, snake, and lots of locusts clicking around the meadows. When flying, these short-horned grasshoppers have patches of yellow. At first I thought they were cicadas, but when they land you can see the typical grasshopper hind legs. Various biting & stinging insects are also being reported , at various nuisance levels.
Locust sp. (short-horned grasshopper)

A blue grouse with chicks was recently seen near Piggott Creek which flows out of Lake Helen Mackenzie. The blue grouse in our area have been renamed as sooty grouse , splitting from the interior BC population which is now called dusky grouse.

Hikers that have been going up to Mt. Albert Edward & other alpine areas have regularly seen Vancouver Island white-tailed ptarmigan & chicks. Because Strathcona Park is home to this subspecies, it is considered an Important Bird Area of national significance.

Hazy Days of Summer

The views of the mountains of Strathcona Park are just a bit hazy these days due to the fires in the interior of BC. Temperatures down in the Comox Valley are over 30 C, but a few degrees cooler up on the mountain.

The mama bear & two clubs were reported today near Battleship Lake in the morning, then later near the end of the boardwalk loop. I guess they are feeling at home in the meadows! If you keep your distance from them, they will keep their distance from you. A reminder to keep your dogs on leash, in order to keep your pets safe and so that there is no bother to wildlife and other hikers.
Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis ssp. microcephala)

The pink mountain heather and shooting stars are mostly finished blooming in the meadows - cotton-grass and white flowers are now predominant. Recent new flowers of note include great burnet (which I always think should be named grape burnet), Sitka burnet, king gentian, foamflower, and ladies' tresses (which may look at first glance like white bog-orchid, but the flowers grow in a spiral around the spike).
Sitka burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis ssp. latifolia)

King gentian (Gentiana sceptrum)

Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Ladies' tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana)

Below is a photo of one of my favourites: sickletop lousewort, which in the meadows here is quite pink. In Plants of Coastal BC, the recommended reference book by Pojar & MacKinnon (available at the Wilderness Centre) the flower is shown as white. The upper petal or lip forms a sickle-shaped 'beak' which curls down to meet the lower lip.

Sickletop lousewort (Pedicularis racemosa)

Visitors today were from California, Washington, France, the UK, Switzerland ... hikes to Croteau Lake & Cruickshank Canyon Lookout were recommended to several visitors, who were very happy to have seen these spectacular destinations.

News & Updates

BC Parks has an update on trail conditions in Strathcona Park as of Aug. 9.

The Comox District Mountaineering Club had a hike to the Cruickshank Canyon Lookout on Wednesday - check their website for the report.

The latest issue of InFocus magazine features an article on Strathcona Park celebrating its Centennial year, as well as background on the Strathcona Wilderness Institute which operates the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre and the Buttle Lake Information Hut, and the upcoming August & September 2010 programs at Paradise Meadows. You can get a copy of InFocus from many local coffee shops, from the Comox Valley Visitors Centre or from the Wilderness Centre .

Blue Sky Returns

As the blue sky returns at the Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows, the visitors return! Yesterday's Nature Walk was well attended & the plant list in German came in handy. Below is the botanical list of plants in the meadows compiled by Sunday's guide Fred Constabel (those with a * were seen on Sunday's walk):

Trees:
Mountain hemlock Tsuga mertensiana *
Subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa *
Amabilis fir Abies amabilis *
Noble fir Abies procera *
Western white pine Pinus monticola *
Yellow cedar Chamaecyparis nootkatensis *
Mountain ash Sorbus sitchensis *

Shrubs:
Sitka alder Alnus crispa *
Oval-leaved Blueberry Vaccinium ovalifolium *
Black huckleberry Vaccinium membranaceum *
Bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum *
Bog cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccus
False azalea Menziesia ferruginea
White rhododendron Rhododendron albiflorum *
White mountain heather Cassiope mertensiana
Pink mountain heather Phyllodoce empetriformis *
Western Bog laurel Kalmia microphylla
Bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
Black Crowberry Empetrum nigrum
5-leaved bramble Rubus pedatus
Black twinberry Lonicera involucrata
Arctic willow Salix arctica *

Monocots:
False asphodel Tofieldia glutinosa *
False hellebore Veratrum viride *
Clasping twisted stalk Streptopus amplexifolius
Queen’s Cup Clintonia uniflora
Swamp lantern Lysichiton americanum
White bog orchid Platanthera dilatata *
Rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
NW twayblade Listera cauria
Rein orchid Platanthera unalaskensis
Black alpine sedge Carex nigricans *
Cotton grass Eriophorum angustifolium *

Dicots:
Sundew * Drosera rotundifolia
Butterwort * Pinguicula vulgaris
Leather-leaf saxifrage * Leptarrhena poryfolia
Foamflower * Tiarella trifoliata
Grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata
Alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum
White marsh marigold * Caltha leptosepala
Broad-leaved marsh marigold * Caltha biflora
Narcissus anemone Anemone narcissiflora
Globeflower Trollius laxus
Mountain buttercup Ranunculus eschscholtzii
Partridgefoot * Luetkea pectinata
Sitka burnet * Sanguisorba canadensis
Great burnet * Sanguisorba officinalis
Nootka lupine * Lupinus nootkatensis
Bird’s-foot trefoil * Lotus corniculatus
One-sided wintergreen Pyrola secunda
Fireweed * Epilobium angustifolium
King gentian Gentiana sceptrum
Broad-petalled gentian Gentiana platypetala
Sickletop lousewort * Pedicularis racemosa
Bracted lousewort Pedicularis bracteosa
Small-flowered lousewort Pedicularis parviflora
Alpine speedwell Veronica wormskoldii
Shooting star * Dodecatheon pulchellum
Northern starflower Trientalis arctica
Alpine aster * Aster alpigenus
Subalpine daisy * Erigeron peregrinus
Mountain arnica * Arnica latifolia
Pearly everlasting * Anaphalis margaritacea
Narrow leaved hawkweed Hieracium umbellatum
Bunchberry * Cornus canadensis
Sitka valerian * Valeriana sitchensis
Deer cabbage Fauria crista-galli
Buckbean * Menyanthes trifoliata

This list includes one of my favourite plant names: Sickletop lousewort! I will post a photo hopefully later this week. Below is fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) , abundant on the roadside up the mountain and around any cleared or logged areas on the hill.

An osprey was reported around Circlet Lake.

A Leatherman tool was reported lost at Croteau Lake. Please leave any found items, or even a note, in the mailbox at the Wilderness Centre.

The mama bear & cubs were reported again today, near Croteau Lake. The Level 2 Hike to Croteau Lake on Sunday will likely be a big enough group that bears would give a wide berth - but maybe someone will find the item lost at the lake!