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ANSCHLAGBRETT
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17.06.2017
Manning Park might have just earned first prize in the glacier lily flower show - the number out in bloom right now is absolutely incredible! I expected to see some, and for most of the trail I was more than happy with the show - until we reached the final meadows before reaching Despair Pass. The entire slope was carpeted in yellow. Probably the most complete display I've seen yet. Just stunning.
OK so about the trail. We started in Spruce Bay and walked west. No snow until near the first bump, and then only patchy with only one or two of the patches being large enough to have you wondering about where to go next. Thankfully several groups of hikers had come through the opposite direction so we just had to follow their footsteps. On the descent towards Strawberry Flats, we hit much more snow, and without footsteps to follow, navigation would definitely have been an issue. (The "trail" marked on the GPS map we had was a figment of someone's imagination...) But that should all be gone in a couple of weeks. Back at Strawberry Flats (well-named with all the strawberry plants in flower), we followed the cross-country ski trail back to the Spruce Bay parking lot. It's only about 3.5 km, and it's downhill so it takes 45 minutes or so. Next time, we'll park at Strawberry Flats and begin the hike by walking down to Spruce Bay. There were a few downed trees across the trail but none posed any issues.
The views from this trail are superb and they're constant once the ridge is gained. There's a bit of disheartening down and up but it's not that bad really, and is something to accept with a ridge walk. I'd really forgotten just how nice this trail is. We took so many flower photos that the we covered the second half of the trail is less than half the time it took us to cover the first half!
I think this trail should get more attention as it's really yet another superlative Manning Park hike. Highly recommended, especially right now.
Flower report: glacier lilies in abundance, supported ably by spring beauty, western anemone, and globeflower; fairyslipper orchids, twayblade, violets (yellow and, er, violet), paintbrush, silky phacelia (sky pilot), stonecrop (no flower yet), bunchberry, Queen's Cup (buds), strawberry, foamflower, sitka valerian, Indian hellebore, even a chocolate lily or two! I've probably forgotten a few in there!
Wildlife: mostly birds - hermit thrushes and varied thrushes are in fine form, whisky jacks, pileated woodpecker, hairy/downy woodpecker, dark-eyed juncos, ravens, and many other unidentified species; deer (by the road, not on the trail), Douglas fir squirrels, and chipmunks. By the lodge we saw brown-headed cowbirds and - of course - Columbia ground squirrels. Almost no bugs to speak of - I think I picked up 2 mosquito bites.
Photos will be a while... We took quite a lot (>800) and it'll take some time to sort through them!
1035 x gelesen
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POSTINGS üBER ROUTEN IN DER NäHE
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