New Parks Bench

BC Parks has installed a new bench on the deck of the Wilderness Centre, facing east toward the Paradise Meadows trailhead. The bench will have a plaque stating: “Dedicated to everyone who made BC Parks centennial year a great success. Thank you for your commitment and passion. 100 Years – 2011”.

New bench with Mount Washington Resort's Nordic Ski Lodge (Raven Lodge) in the background

Should be a great place to relax & catch some rays!

Parks Rangers Zsana and Jeff also recently installed the Panorama signs on the deck railing facing south toward the mountains. The upper railing sign was a re-install and they added a new, identical, lower sign on the vertical railing posts this year, so that those visitors in wheel-chairs as well as children would be able to have equal opportunity to view the same sign.

The mountain panorama photo on the signs is by Chris Carter, more of his work can be viewed here.

Buttle Area Updates

Gerry Roberts, volunteer host of the Buttle Lake Info Hut for Strathcona Wilderness Institute, sends his latest report of the most recent conditions from that area of Strathcona Park.

June 23-24:
Crest Mountain Trail: Snow around the 1,200 metre level, very slippery and hard on south and west facing slopes, not safe without equipment. Summit areas solid with wet slushy surface making it difficult to retrace one's steps in heavy cloud/fog conditions. This was from an experienced Swiss couple.
Elk River Trail: Snow at 2nd campsite avalanche snow undercut by water flow- care needed crossing snow bridges though they were close to two metres thick- it is important to check before crossing. It was not possible to go any farther due to very high water flow from Landslide Lake outlet. This was the same Swiss couple.
Upper Myra Falls Trail: Many windfalls and very muddy. From a Campbell River man, he was a very experienced and mature walker.
Road to Bedwell in excellent condition, it has been graded and roller compacted all the way to Jim Mitchell Lake. This from a mine employee.

Previously from June 19:
Road to Bedwell trail-head has been graded and rolled so is in excellent condition even for small cars.
Reported Monday 18th that the snow on the Bedwell trail was at the 2,400 foot level and that the crust was breaking on contact.
 Reported Friday 15th night that the Elk River trail was difficult due to high water and washouts and that there was snow at the second campsite beyond which it was impossible to find the trail.

Spring Birds

The Wilderness Centre is opening next weekend starting Saturday June 23 , providing trail & nature information to visitors to Strathcona park. There is still a lot of snow at the trailhead! so the first nature programs won't start until July.

The first event is the annual Strathcona Park Bird Search - the count at Paradise Meadows will be on Sunday July 8. The count at the Buttle Lake area of Strathcona Park was this weekend - the snow was probably gone at the lake elevation!

A good preview of some spring birds in the sub-alpine is on the Nature Student blog.