A Hike through Harewood Plains

 Hullo! Today we are headed off to the Harewood Plains to see the spring flowers... I love this area!

See! What's not to love about this colour palette... purple camas, pink sea blush, yellow spring gold and monkey flowers... gorgeous!

They've put some signs up... wonder how they knew I would be coming?

These are helpful signs, for people who might not know the flowers in the area...

We spotted a white camas flower!!

The sad thing here... is the Scotch Broom is starting to invade these meadows... you can see it enroaching with it's yellow flowers.

Broombusters was in doing one area, and we really noticed the difference there...

Did I mention I love this trail?

We found a late patch of violets!

This was the big meadow with no scotch broom... well-done Broombusters!

We saw this little flower everywhere... 

We looked it up and it's Western Starflower... beary cute!

Some strawberry plants are blooming too...

And the wild roses!

Don't even talk to me about the broom along the power lines. Ugh!! Who do we have to thanks for this invasive scourge... Captain Walter Colquhoun Grant... that's who... First non-Hudson's Bay Company "settler" of Vancouver Island, who planted some seeds to remind him of his native Scotland. Stupid eedjit...

Anyhow... we are here to check on the rarest of the rare... the Lotus pinnatus flowers... also known as bog bird's-foot trefoil...

This little area is the one we know where it regularly grows and... there's some!!

They are just starting to open up... little cuties...

Although even here, the broom is threatening...

We might need a category for Environmental Criminals... mister Captain Walter Coloquon Grant would be top of the list. Hmph!!

Let's continue with the hike!

I do have to say... this is a beary pretty area...

With a nice view... I hope it never gets developed for housing.

You know humans and their desire for "views"...

We had hoped to spot some chocolate lilies but... they are done now. 

That's OK... we'll have to come a titch earlier next year!

This split rail fence is designed to reminder ATV'ers not to drive all over these meadows...

A little bear would never do that...

Hope you enjoyed the trek!

A Winter Hike and a Campfire

Yep, it's winter up here... hard to tell, eh? But it is beary pretty (and that is a sun spot behind me on the ground... not some blue thing!).

It is beary wet though with lots of puddles to navigate.

But it's so nice when the sun is out...

I always love this bit, coming out of the trees and into an open area.

In the spring, this area has tonnes of wildflowers!

A bit further along, we get a great view of the Salish Sea.

There's a ferry out there!

It's fun to explore new trails and see where they go!

Which is what we did here... yes, there is a raging stream flowing...

And because bedroom is just below the surface...

We'll have to tiptoe our way across...

We followed the new trail and it tied in with an old logging road... not all that scenic, but at least we know where it goes.

It's so pretty!

Well, that's it for the hike but... given the sunny weather...

We are going to have a campfire in the backyard!!

And yes... there is food in my future....

Some roasted sausages! We have spares... in any stuffies want to join me...