Hollyburn Peak - part II

A while back I posted some photos from a hike up Hollyburn Mountain to its peak. Well, here is a larger selection starting near the bottom of the Baden Powell Trail that leads up the mountain from the Millstream Trail. The hike was started at Millstream Road in the British Properties of West Vancouver. The first two images are of a vehicle wreck that appears to have had better days. The remains are to be found off to the side of the Baden Powell Trail on the east side of the trail as you ascend up the mountain.

I love the blue sky to be seen above the trail while climbing up. The weather on August 16th, a Sunday, was excellent. I also paid more attention to the plants, flowers and fungi I encountered along the way, more so than the last time. A close up of a fern frond appears below and of a strange fungi (for me anyway) below that. Then there is yet another fern planting, this one illuminated by the sun shining through an opening in the forest canopy above!

I encountered water droplets on the leaves of a blueberry shrub and couldn't resist taking a series of photos. This is just one of the shots. Then there is an image of the many trail markers to be encountered along the way up and then fungi on a log with the dew still on it.

There was some time taken to view Gentian Lake just east off the Baden Powell Trail. Since this was August, the blue gentian flowers were in bloom along the lake, especially along the north side.

There were plenty of alpine flowers to be seen in the clearings and I even took a series of photos of a bumblebee climbing in a gentian flower and then back out. These are just two of the series.

From the ridge to the final trail up to the peak is the nordic ski area. There were lots of alpine flowers there too, such as this Western Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea var. occidentalis), the only Pearly Everlasting native to North America. A good close up is found below with another photo of a bumblebee sleeping on one of those alpine flowers. There were two such sleeping bees encountered in the lower nordic area.

The photo above shows a mountain hut found in the nordic ski area and there is a view of First Lake in the photo below with the conifer trees reflected in the water.

The blueberries were in season. The ones on shrubs in the exposed areas along the upper parts of the trail tasted much better. I guess being exposed to the cooler night air made the difference as far as the taste and quality of the fruit. I was eating blueberries as I was hiking along but I did leave plenty for other hikers, and the bears of course! And again, the blue sky, along with some light, wispy clouds was lovely to see.

Here is a lovely view of the scene nearing the summit of the mountain. Looking down you see Burnaby Mountain off in the distance. North Vancouver is just ahead of that.

I love this view of trees reflected in an alpine pond (or lake they might say). Then there is a view to the west through the trees. The final photo shows a view of the Lions, a mountain to the north, as seen from Hollyburn Peak. I hope you've enjoyed these images of a hike taken in mid-August of this year. Feel free to comment or ask any questions you like. - V.