Red blueberry leaves add a touch of colour in Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. We’ve had a glorious fall weekend here on Vancouver Island and I’ve been up to Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park for the second time this week. At this time of year, the fall colours in the meadows are spectacular and with a couple of frosty …
Strathcona Provincial Park
Northern Bedstraw
Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale) has leaves that are arranged in whorls of four. In early September, I did a day hike in Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park. While walking the new section of boardwalk back to the trail head I kept an eye out for Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale). This native bedstraw has three-veined leaves that are arranged in …
August Walks in Paradise Meadows
Summer flowers and insects in Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. Summer is in full bloom at Paradise Meadows, and the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre has a full schedule of guided nature walks and hikes to enhance your appreciation of the natural splendor of Strathcona Park – BC’s first provincial park. The Wilderness Centre building located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead, …
Summer Hikes Begin at Paradise Meadows
The new Strathcona Wilderness Institute centre at Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park. Summer will officially begin in July in Paradise Meadows, when the new Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre opens for the summer season. The beautiful new building located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead, adjacent to the Raven Lodge, will be open weekends from July 3 to Sept. 12, 2010. …
Spring Snow at Mount Washington
A brilliant blue sky and sun make for an excellent day of cross-country skiing at Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. There’s been so much snow this winter at Mount Washington Alpine Resort on Vancouver Island that “spring” skiing conditions are still quite good. I got up to the mountain on Thursday this week and did some cross country skiing. The …
A Pseudo Mushroom?
Back in early November we took a family hike around the Karst Creek Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park. At the end of the trail we found a number of dried up, old “mushrooms.” At least that’s what we thought they were initially. However, a little detective work solved the mystery quite quickly. Before I tell you what we actually found …
Crinoid Country
Imagine being able to travel back in time million years. What would you see? Crinoid stalk – side profile with jackknife for scale (Marble Meadows). Our visit to Karst Creek in early November enabled us to do just that, at least in a figurative sense. The limestone, or karst, landscape of the Karst Creek Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park is …
Strathcona Skywatch #2
While looking for mushrooms last weekend up at Buttle Lake we also had the opportunity to do some weather watching. On the coast, the skies were blue and cloudless. Heading west from Campbell River towards the Buttle Lake corridor of Strathcona Provincial Park we were apprehensive about the look of the sky. Fortunately, though the skies were dramatic, we managed …
More Mysterious Mushrooms
Coral Fungus | Ramaria sp. – found growing alongside road in mixed Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir. After walking the Karst Creek Trail on Sunday we headed down to the Ralph River campsite in Strathcona Provincial Park to look for more mushrooms. The weather continued to be variable and we knew that we had a small window of opportunity to …
Orange Jelly
Keep your eyes open when you’re walking in the woods, mushroom season is upon us! Jocie and I found this fantastic jelly fungus growing on a fallen Douglas Fir while walking the Karst Creek Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park today. Commonly called Orange Jelly (Dacrymyces palmatus) and often mistaken as Witch’s Butter (Tremella lutescens), this delightful, bright orange fungus is …