Sparrowhawk Tarns Revisited - August 10/09

[Lori S.]

So, as I predicted after our first, very early hike to this area, we did return to Sparrow Hawk Tarns, Kananakis Prov. Park, Alberta on August 10th - quite irresistibly drawn, really!  
I'll try not to repeat too much (lest the viewers get to feel they have seen this place as often as we have  ), as I give an update of "Flowers and Foliage Now" in one of our favourite places!

(To follow... have run out of time tonight...)

[cohan]

.... an update of "Flowers and Foliage Now" in one of our favourite places!
(To follow... have run out of time tonight...)

lol--okay, i know how that goes... awaiting more..

[Lori S.]

Okay, oddly enough, I'm going to start at the end of our hike this time!  

1) General scenery and tarn... much less snow now, only some last patches clinging to the slopes and up at the head of the valley.   The day was mostly cloudy, cool and very windy at times... making for a rapidly-changing play of light and shadow on the opposite slopes.
2, 3) The last tarn and the big scree fan... our destination.  (Though it is always possible to keep going... it's just a slog up the scree fan to the top right, but then the so-called Red Rock "Trail" to come down the other side is a rather hair-raising balancing act across a lot of tippy, tilty talus rubble... according to Stuart who did it one time, and seemed to have gotten his fill of it!)

And bloom was just starting on the scree fan, despite this late date...
4, 5, 6) Phacelia sericea... something, a bighorn sheep perhaps, has nipped the flowers off the one in the last photo;  
7, 8, 9) Crepis nana - a rather impressive number of flowers and buds on some of these!  
10) Not a spectacular plant, but a rather distinctive one that only occurs on subalpine and alpine talus slopes, Senecio fremontii.

[Paul T]

Lori,

The Phacelia and Crepis are gorgeous!!

Edited to correct spelling mistake. 15-08

[cohan]

good stuff! i was just admiring Phacelia in a book again the other day, as among our most interesting natives; Crepis i don't even recall seeing pics of ...cool plant..

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A fascinating, wonderful wild country with these delicate gems amidst of it !
Thanks Lori !

[Ragged Robin]

It feels like another world, the endless scree and scarred mountain from another life, but the little plants are so at home and the Pycelia and Crepis are so fascinating in their leaf and flower - thanks Lori

[Paddy Tobin]

Lori,

You worry that we might tire of viewing this area. I don't think this would be possible. It is an area of outstanding beauty and interest.

Great show, loved it. Paddy

[Lori S.]

It is an area of outstanding beauty and interest.

You are absolutely right, Paddy!  I will continue then!  Thanks, all!  

On a side note... It's been raining here since the early afternoon, and there is wet snow forecast for the higher elevations in Banff overnight and tomorrow!   (A reminder... if you visit, be sure to pack your woollies!!  )

Back to Sparrowhawk...
1, 2, 3)  The abundant growth of Epilobium latifolium on the scree fan hints at the water flowing under the scree... as does the constant sound of tumbling water, from the many narrow, distant waterfalls that flow from snow-filled crevices near the ridge top and eventually disappear into the scree.  I don't know why the river beauty was in bloom higher up on the slope and not yet in bloom lower down - seems counterintuitive... ?
4) Silene acaulis, still in bloom on the scree fan, and here and there in the higher areas... and some plants even still in bud.
5) Higher up on the fan, in a moist area, a thick growth of Oxyria digyna (from a zoomed photo) and what appears to be an interesting-looking black-headed sedge(?)... now I regret not clambering up there to take a closer look!  
6) And having explored the scree fan a little, we come down to the level of the highest tarn again... 

[Lori S.]

1) The lower shoulder of Mount Bogart...
2) From the somewhat higher areas, Erigeron humilis... I love seeing these!
3, 4) And from the scree, the amazingly cool Silene uralensis ssp. attenuata ... the second is a better-developed plant, but unfortunately a very bad picture.
5) A Dali-esque Silene acaulis, flowing over the rocks.
6) Life and death in the mountains... weatherworn vertebrae from, I would guess, a bighorn sheep.

[cohan]

after a few misstarts, the rain has just begun in earnest here around midnight, supposed to go much of tomorrow and into saturday..this area actually got a mention on national news weather report, re: rain expected...lol
 at a high of 8C tomorrow here, i'm not surprised by snow higher up! next week should be back up to 26C!

i like the little erigeron too, and the Silene is cool...i like the inflated effect on the weed species around here, much better on something tiny that wont take over hundreds of acres!

[Stephenb]

Nice to see your subspecies of Silene uralensis (the Apetalous Catchfly) - a species that also grows in our mountains and judging by its name, also in Russia. Actually, here's its world distribution: http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/caryophylla/silen/silewahv.jpg

Here its called Blindurt (literally Blind Herb..)

There are some beautiful pictures of our subspecies here: http://www.markblomster.com/Markblomster/Flora/B/Blindurt.html

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great stuff Lori.... do keep'em coming plse ! 

[cohan]

Nice to see your subspecies of Silene uralensis (the Apetalous Catchfly) - a species that also grows in our mountains and judging by its name, also in Russia. Actually, here's its world distribution: http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/caryophylla/silen/silewahv.jpg

Here its called Blindurt (literally Blind Herb..)

There are some beautiful pictures of our subspecies here: http://www.markblomster.com/Markblomster/Flora/B/Blindurt.html

it really is a great plant, will have to watch for seeds of this one!

[Stephenb]

after a few misstarts, the rain has just begun in earnest here around midnight, supposed to go much of tomorrow and into saturday..this area actually got a mention on national news weather report, re: rain expected...lol
 at a high of 8C tomorrow here, i'm not surprised by snow higher up! next week should be back up to 26C!

i like the little erigeron too, and the Silene is cool...i like the inflated effect on the weed species around here, much better on something tiny that wont take over hundreds of acres!

Hadn't realised it got so cold with you in summer! Here it's also a very wet day and 8C, but absolutely no hope of 26C next week! Will be happy with 18C!