Foothills scenes

[Lori S.]

Here are a few photos from yesterday's drive out to the Sibbald Creek area in the foothills and a walk around the Ole Buck Trail...
 

Usnea lichen on dead tree; Moose Mountain in the distance; fireweed in fall colour; kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi):
   

Shelf fungi; Bateman Creek x2; trembling aspens; the velvety berries of twisted stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius):
       

[Lori S.]

Mushrooms and sphagnum in the woods:
 

A steep roadcut into eroding conglomerate, topped by coaly strata - the sparse vegetation on this slope is dominated by Polemonium viscosissimum (mainly), Phacelia sericea and grasses (plus a few dandelions):
         

Along the roadside, Campanula rotundifolia and Knautia arvensis (an introduced weed) in bloom:
 
 

[Lori S.]

Geranium viscosissimum in the roadside meadow and baneberry (Actaea rubra) in the woodland edge:
   

Lusk Creek with a late Castilleja on its banks among the Dryas drummondii:
 

[Hoy]

Sibbald Creek, is it named for the same person as Sibbaldia?
A nice area and interesting plants and other life forms.

[Lori S.]

No, I expect it was probably named after a rancher in the area, as per this info:
http://www.albertaparks.ca/sibbald-lake.aspx

[Hoy]

Thanks. And I found out that Sibbaldia is named by Linné in honour of Sir Robert Sibbald: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sibbald

Maybe your farmer is an descendant

[cohan]

Nice trip- interestingly, some things I don't see in the foothills west of here, though some of that can be luck of site and timing, too.. though it looks as though it might be drier there..