Mt. George V from Ruth Masters Lake An image request from the Friends of Strathcona Park got me going through some of my archival images of multi-day hikes that my wife and I had done in the last couple of years and I thought that I’d share a few of the photographs of landscapes of Strathcona Park in this blog …
Destinations
Strathcona Skywatch
Sky Scape 1 This series of images was taken last weekend at Paradise Meadows. While the weather was mostly gray there were a few brilliant moments when the sun broke through the clouds and there was a glimpse of blue. More photos below! Sky Scape 2 Sky Scape 3
Gray Jay
Gray Jay | Perisoreus canadensis One of the more common and frequently seen birds in the sub-alpine is the whiskey jack or gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis). In Paradise Meadows these social birds gather at places where hikers stop for lunch and commence aggressively begging for food. Unfortunately, many people give in to the begging either to “help” the bird out …
Red Crossbill
Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) have been fairly common up in the sub-alpine this weekend. These finches are named after their very noticeable “crossed bill” which is useful for extracting seeds from conifers. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds the “bird’s biting muscles are stronger than the muscles used to open the …
Mt. Elma
Mt. Elma, Forbidden Plateau, Strathcona Provincial Park Not a pleasant day to be hiking in Forbidden Plateau, cold and wet for most of the day with a bit of a window in the weather around noon. On this gray day, the mood was quiet. The mist rolled down the slope of Mount Elma on the far side of the lake. …
Cow Parsnip Seeds
Cow Parsnip | Heracleum maximum While out on a family walk at Rosewall Creek Provincial Park south of Fanny Bay on Vancouver Island we discovered a small patch of Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum). Use caution with this plant due to the furanocoumarins in the outer skin. This can cause skin irritation when handled by people who are sensitive to light. …
Lake Beautiful
Lake Beautiful, Strathcona Provincial Park Located in Strathcona Provincial Park, Lake Beautiful is an aptly named hiking destination. It takes a bit of effort to get to the lake but it is well worth the long hike and on a hot day the swimming is fantastic. From the trail head at Paradise Meadows the total hiking distance is approximately 18km …
Awesome Asters
Aster sp. This wonderful seed-head was one of many in a field full of tall weedy dandelion like asters in front of the old Hamilton Mac Laing house in Comox. Unfortunately my 2 year-old son only allowed me to take a couple of photographs before it was time to move on!
Summer on the Wane in the Sub-alpine
Menzies’ Burnet | Sanquisorba menziesii Subalpine Daisy | Erigeron peregrinus The last two days up at Paradise Meadows (located in Strathcona Provincial Park, BC) have definitely had a hint of the fall in the air. While this makes for good hiking weather (cool but not cold) it’s also a sign that the late summer bloom is nearly done and that …
Exploring Eel-grass
With the excellent low tides this week I was able to poke around in the eel-grass beds at Miracle Beach Provincial Park. Patience and careful walking are required attributes for tide pool exploration. In addition, it is key to have a sharp eye for movement and small creatures. Slow wading serves to reduce the impact on the creatures living in …