We did another of our favourite local hikes yesterday, this one into an environment of surrounding peaks, boulder rockslides, tarns, and snow.
The initial moderately-steep uphill effort to gain elevation is followed by quite a pleasant upwards stroll through the woods, with occasional views of the stream that rushes down from the alpine valley above.
1 - 4) There's not much in bloom this early in the woods, except in the odd spots where the sun can penetrate. All the usual suspects - Linnaea borealis; Clematis occidentalis; the earliest Cornus canadensis, Arnica cordifolia, and wintergreens (Moneses uniflora); plus a few Calypso bulbosa, at the tail end of their bloom.
5) The trail skirts the base of the slope to give us the first view - the lower shoulder of Mt. Sparrowhawk
6 -7) And the trail ahead... yes, there is still a clear (though unmaintained and unsigned) trail, not really apparent in the photo.
8 ) But the hike really starts here, where this formidable jumble of boulders spans the mouth of the valley...
