Another visit to this area was in order, given that even the August 10th visit did not show the high country in full flower yet... it's incredibly late up there this year!
(See earlier accounts here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=348.0
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=384.0 )
And with the highway twinning and wildlife overpass construction near Lake Louise causing long delays, some of our other favourite hikes have been a little less appealing this summer... another reason to revisit this always fascinating area. So please bear with me for yet another repeat!
Despite a weather forecast predicting 17 deg C and clearing during the morning, we got a much chillier start with cloudy skies and a thin sleet falling... oh well, not bad temps for trudging uphill! (Hmmm, we went from the hottest day of the year in Calgary, Aug. 26, when it reached a modest 32.4 deg C... though "hot" in this area of cool summers... to snow flurries the next day. Could one wish for more variety? ;))
1) The broad valley again; Mount Bogart (3,144m elev.) on the left, with a fresh dusting of snow.
2 - 6) Now, at the end of August(!), the hanging valleys off the SW side of the surrounding cliffs are finally alight with bloom - most noticeable are the yellow daisies of Arnica lonchophylla and the white blooms of Parnassia fimbriata
7) We got to experience three seasons today... the (delayed) flowers of spring and summer - here, the usual spring bloomer, Anemone parviflora...
8 )Erigeron aureus...
9 ) Senecio triangularis just starting to bloom in the moist meadow...
10) ... and snow flurries!
