Album Picklejar Lakes trail from Anne Elliott

Parry's Townsendia

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:31:47 +0000

This photo was taken on 6 August 2010, when I went with friends to Kananaskis, along the Picklejar Lakes trail. A day I'll never forget - it was such a brutal hike, lol! I think I've only ever seen Parry's Townsendia twice, so when I noticed this photo in one of my archive files the other day, I decided to post it (partly for a splash of colour), but also for the record. I had to really sharpen the image, as the main reason I hadn't posted it before was that it was too blurry. Such a beautiful, low-growing, native wildflower - just love the colour.

Possibly Laccaria proxima?

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:59:27 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was an ID suggested by a Flickr member on a photo of the same fungus, photographed at the same time and place, taken by a friend of mine. Found growing at the side of the Picklejar Lakes trail in Kananaskis on 6 August 2010. Location of this trail on my map is only very approximate.

www.mushroomexpert.com/laccaria_proxima.html

Eriogonum species (flavum?)

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:59:27 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This is definitely a species of Eriogonum, possibly flavum (?) or maybe Umbellatum var subalpinum? Seen on the Picklejar Lakes trail, in Kananaskis, Alberta, on 6 August 2010. Location on my map is only very approximate.

"Eriogonum is the scientific name for a genus of flowering plants, in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as wild buckwheat." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriogonum

Yellow Columbine / Aquilegia flavescens

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:54:07 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I very rarely see a native, wild Yellow Columbine, so it is always a joy when we come across one on a rare hike. This little beauty was nodding its head near the edge of the Picklejar Lakes trail.

"It is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and grows in mountain meadows, open woods, and alpine slopes of the northern Rocky Mountains. The plant grows to 20-70 cm in height. While the most common flower color is yellow, portions of the flowers can also be yellow-pink, raspberry pink, white, and cream." From Wikipedia.

Hooker's Thistle / Cirsium hookerianum

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:40:28 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Photographed this native Hooker's Thistle out in Kananaskis, near the parking lot, when we went on the Picklejar Lakes hike on August 6th. Also known as White Thistle, it grows in meadows and open woods, July-September. The species name comes from Sir William J. Hooker (1785-1865), director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, in England.

Orange False-dandelion / Agoseris aurantiaca

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:24:26 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I was so happy to see my very first Orange False-dandelion during out brutal hike to Picklejar Lakes in Kananaskis on 6th August. This wildflower, Agoseris aurantiaca, is native and grows on grassland slopes, open woods and prairie. A member of the Aster family, Asteraceae. Flower heads are 2-3 cm across, with no disc flowers, but many ray florets Blooms June-August.

Spent the day out in the forest at West Bragg Creek, with three friends whose main interest is LIchens. I know practically nothing about Lichens, but do enjoy trying (and occasionally succeeding!) to photograph them, and I'm hoping that very gradually I will pick up (and maybe even retain!) some information about them. It gave me a great opportunity to search for fungi. Quite a few about, many not really photogenic enough for shots. Light was really bad and we got caught in the rain and accompanying thunderstorm for the return half of the day's walk. I was absolutely soaked through to the skin - every single piece of clothing was drenched, and it was kind of cold, actually. Not going to complain about the weather, though, as I prefer cool to really hot - and rain makes the mushrooms grow. Got a few odds and ends worth posting, so what more could I ask? Thanks to my knowledgeable friends for pointing out so many neat little things : )

Lesser Wintergreen / Pyrola minor L.

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:34:38 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I think I've only ever seen this uncommon, white species of Wintergreen twice, possibly three times, before. Usually, I see the much more common pink species. Taken on 6th August, on the Picklejar Lakes Trail hike off Highway 40, Kananaskis (that I thought was going to kill me, lol!). It was such a brutal hike and I was in so much pain, that having to bend down to take photos of wildflowers was the last thing I wanted to do : )

Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:16:54 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

From what I remember, we saw maybe two of these small Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus flowers (Parnassia fimbriata) on our hike to Picklejar Lakes in Kananaskis yesterday. Think I've only ever seen them on three or four occcasions before. You have to be right down near the flower in order to see that it's the fringed species.

Flowers are 15-22 mm across. The 5 petals have 5-7 veins and are 8-12 mm long. Stems are usually 10-30 cm tall. Grows on streambanks and moist, open areas. The species name "fimbriata" means "fringed", referring to the petals.

White-flowered Rhododendron / Rhododendron albiflorum

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:12:30 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was the first time I had ever seen White-flowered Rhododendron. This wild shrub was found along the Picklejar Lakes Trail in Kananaskis - the brutal hike that almost killed me, lol!! It belongs to the Heath Family - Ericaceae. Its habitat is moist coniferous forests but also on relatively dry well-drained sites, usually found at sub-alpine elevations.

First Picklejar Lake

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:18:54 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Landscape photography on an overcast day is never my favourite, but by the time I had finally reached this high point after a few hours of uphill hiking, I was determined I would not only take a photo but would post it no matter what, LOL! You can just see the western end of the first of four lakes. From this point on, the trail traversed a rocky mountain side - never my favourite to walk on - and I was just too exhausted to climb down to these lakes and then back up again before a few more hours of hiking down to the cars in the parking lot. The height gain from the beginning of the trail to the pass is 450 metres.

LOL, just read the following words in Gillean Daffern's book, "Kananaskis: Country trail guide":

".... Shortly, the trail turns due north and you drag yourself up a hot, dry, shaley hillside to the pass". All was true (except, thankfully the "hot") and "drag" was a most appropriate word. I've also just read on some website a young guy's comment that this is a "short, easy hike". A good job I didn't read his comment before doing this hike : )

White Angelica

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:59:14 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

I happened to notice one stem of this attractive White Angelica, growing along the edge of the highway when we were walking back to the car after our recent brutal Picklejar Lakes botanizing hike. I just happened to cross the highway a few moments before a couple of others, and then when the rest of the group met the highway, they walked on the far side of the road, so didn't pass this plant. I believe I have only ever seen this species once before. Needless to say, everyone else went back to see it : )

Fungus rosette

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:23:17 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was one of the wonderful rewards of our difficult mountain hike to Picklejar Lakes yesterday! The colour of these velvety-looking fungi was beautiful and some of them had clustered together into this amazing, almost flower-like grouping. Possibly Laccaria proxima?

The upward climb

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:20:22 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was the "easier" part yesterday - a nice, uncluttered trail, even if it WAS going uphill, LOL. At a rough guess, this was perhaps half way along the trail, if that, to the Picklejar Lakes in Kananaskis. Parts of the trail went through forested areas and other parts traversed open grassy slopes, covered in wildflowers. I would have had to quit early on if it had been a hot day, but thankfully, it was fairly cool with a helpful breeze, but overcast. The rain started as we began our climb down to the highway, turning the trail into slippery mud - have I ever been so thankful to see our cars before, LOL??? No sign of a Grizzly Bear, though this is a popular area for them.

This trail starts from the Lantern Creek day use area on Highway 40, Kananaskis. It starts on the opposite (east) side of the highway slightly north of the day use area. I managed to get as far as the high lookout from where you got your first glimpse of the first Picklejar Lake, but there was no way I could have climbed down to the level of the lakes - and then back up the mountain side again, LOL. The trail from this point led across a rocky mountain side and down to lake level - and this can be dangerous. I believe we hiked about 9 km.

Penstemon procerus

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:11:30 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was a new plant for us, when we did the brutal hike along the Picklejar Lakes Trail in Kananaskis on August 6th. The vast majority of Penstemons are blue or purple.

Note: actually, according to Doug, "this is more likely to be Penstemon procerus as it was growing with many of that species with colors ranging from blue to pink to almost white. I believe P. confertus is quite distinctly a yellowish color."

Bog Candle

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:01:36 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

These two TINY flowers are part of an elongated cluster of white flowers on a tall stem. This was the first time we'd seen one of these amazing native wild orchids. Found along the Picklejar Lakes trail in one location, on 6th August.

The height of Bog Candle, Platanthera dilatata, (also called Tall White Bog Orchid) is 15-65 cm. The raceme (flower cluster) has 12 - 60 of these tiny flowers. Flowers are white, and vanilla or clove scented. The scent while down low, taking macro photos, was heavenly : )

I was out for seven hours today at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park (south west of the city) with a few friends, finding, Lichens , Mosses and Fungi. I was so tired out that I had a late supper and woke up around 1:15 a.m. still sitting in front of the TV! Three consecutive days of fresh air have totally wiped me out - yet again! Only a very few more weeks left and the season for everything that grows will be over. It's the beginning of the end : (

Mountain mushroom

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:48:22 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Lol, there's no way I would say that the brutal hike last summer up to the Picklejar Lakes in Kananaskis, off Highway 40), was made worthwhile when we came across this little (macro shot) mushroom. However, I can say that I was happy to see this little fungus growing at the edge of the trail : )

Picklejar Lakes trail, Kananaskis

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 16:25:00 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

Another photo from my archives, taken from the trail on an absolutely brutal hike in Kananaskis, on 6 August 2010. I still remember that two tough guys who do/did a lot of walking/hiking also used the word "brutal" to describe this day's hike : ) I can't do this kind of hike any more - my body likes "flat" not "steep"! The description of the botany hike that the leader had sent us, was so different from what it actually was. No shortage of beautiful valleys and peaks in Alberta, that's for sure. Apparently, this valley is very popular with Grizzly Bears, but fortunately we didn't come across any. Lots of wildflowers, but the walk was too fast-paced and I wasn't able to get many photos, which was so disappointing. However, we saw a number of new species, which was great. Location on my map is only very approximate.

Gillean Daffern writes about the last bit of the trail in her book, "Kananaskis: Country trail guide":

".... Shortly, the trail turns due north and you drag yourself up a hot, dry, shaley hillside to the pass". All was true (except, thankfully the "hot") and "drag" was a most appropriate word. I've also read on some website a young guy's comment that this is a "short, easy hike". A good job I didn't read his comment before doing this hike : ) He must have been tremendously fit! It's definitely one of those days that I will never forget, ha.

Parry's Townsendia / Townsendia parryi

nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:23:10 +0000

Anne Elliott has posted:

This was one of the reasons I decided to go on the Picklejar Lakes hike two days ago. Though I had seen this flower once before (on a different mountain top!), I really hoped to see one again. My photos of it were disappointing, but I thought I would still post a macro shot as a reminder to myself of the thrill of seeing one (actually two) again. At a very quick glance, you might think you were looking at "just" another purple and yellow Fleabane. Another plant that I was really hoping to see was the Orange False-dandelion - and it was exciting to see a number of them, usually looking most unphotogenic, ha. We even saw a new wild orchid up there - the Bog Candle - which has a wonderful scent.

Parry's Townsendia is an uncommon, native wildflower and belongs to the Asteraceae family. It blooms July-August on dry hillsides and grassy slopes. The flower head is 5-7 cms across. The achene (fruit) is a pappus of long, soft bristles, just as attractive (in my opinion) than the actual flower.