Taylor Lake - Panorama Meadows, Banff N.P., Aug. 2/11

[Toole]

Really nice to see Stenanthium occidentale  Lori.

I had very good germination from NARGS seed back in April 06 however the youngsters have grown so slowly in my peat based mix. I checked the pot today and their growths are just starting to break the surface so they are still with me....

Any hints on their preferred habitat ?.--i understand they like cool moist positions --maybe i need to place some sphagnum moss in the mix?.

Cheers Dave.


 

[Lori S.]

Thanks for the comments, Cliff!  Stats to follow...  I don't grow Anemone occidentalis - I tend to grow more things that I don't have the opportunity to see.  Does anyone else grow it?
Trond, no, I have not, but will do so at the next opportunity!  (That's another very interesting, intricate flower detail photo!  Thanks for showing us!)
Dave, it would seem as though cool and moist is the way to go for Stenanthium... though they also grow in much drier forests.  

Now where was I?  Oh, yes, out on a snow drift:


Where the snow has just melted off, at the head of the valley and the base of the scree slopes, there are tracts of fresh, pristine Anemone occidentalis in bloom:
     

And perfect mats of Dryas octopetala:
   

 

[Lori S.]

Kruppelholz downslope of the last snow:


Anemone lithophila; Penstemon ellipticus in bud and in bloom (on top of the big rock); Salix sp. and Saxifraga bronchialis; Potentilla sp.:
           

And heading down through the larches, a fallen giant (comparatively) and a couple of the bigger ones still standing:
 

[Lori S.]

Rich meadows in the sparse subalpine larch forest, with a great density of Trollius albiflorus and many other species, including the yellow daisies of  Arnica lonchophylla:
     

Habenaria dilatata:
 

Descending through the forest below Taylor Lake, one Trollius albiflorus still in bloom in a boggy spot along the trail:
 

And in closing, what has become my favourite lichen (hey, doesn't everyone have a favourite lichen?   ), Icmadophila ericetorum or "fairy puke":
 

Finis!

The promised stats:
The drive is about 1 3/4 hours to the trailhead.  The hike, at a quick pace with no stops, is 1 1/2 hours to Taylor Lake, 6.3 km with an elevation gain of 585m.  Then, up to Panorama Meadows/Ridge was another ~2km, and ~250m elevation gain... time spent there, about 3.5 hours, then down from the lake again in a little over an hour.

[Booker]

The promised stats:
The drive is about 1 3/4 hours to the trailhead.  The hike, at a quick pace with no stops, is 1 1/2 hours to Taylor Lake, 6.3 km with an elevation gain of 585m.  Then, up to Panorama Meadows/Ridge was another ~2km, and ~250m elevation gain... time spent there, about 3.5 hours, then down from the lake again in a little over an hour.

Many thanks Lori ... it's always difficult to judge distances and times from photo essays, your stats now put things in context. An excellent day in the mountains with no overnight stops and (thankfully) no camping!   
I enjoy my creature comforts too much now!

[stephenb]

Thanks too from me for the great pictures - two on my wants list there too - the Agoseris and Claytonia lanceolata!

Trond: Thanks for showing the secret beauty of the Twinflower...

[Spiegel]

Now I have, thanks for posting this picture.  A 10x lens is a must for any walk.  So many beautiful things not noticed by the naked eye.

[Hoy]

The promised stats:
The drive is about 1 3/4 hours to the trailhead.  The hike, at a quick pace with no stops, is 1 1/2 hours to Taylor Lake, 6.3 km with an elevation gain of 585m.  Then, up to Panorama Meadows/Ridge was another ~2km, and ~250m elevation gain... time spent there, about 3.5 hours, then down from the lake again in a little over an hour.

I hadn't been back in a week! Think I had been on my knees and stomach more than on my feet
It is a rich world and richer still in details

[Lori S.]

Think I had been on my knees and stomach more than on my feet

In that case, it would have been more than a dayhike... best to bring camping gear.