Nature Vancouver

Ten of us hiked the trail Elk Mountain on Canada Day 2010. Most of the day was damp, cloudy and cool, as has been most of this spring and early summer. There was one fairly large patch of snow in the woods on the top;  we didn’t investigate further, content to hike the loop in the meadows. 

Views were almost non-existent but the flowers were still very good. Generally Nature Vancouver has done this trip in the last week of June or first week of July;  this year the flower show seemed to be a week or two behind the season due to the weather.  A number of early summer flowers species usually seen during this week were absent (notably rein orchids, coralroots, wintergreens and most composites); this was balanced out by the profusion of a number of species that are frequently faded or finished. Chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata), spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa) and star-flowered Solomons-seal (Smilacina stellata) were particularly noteable. Tiger lily (Lilium columbianum) and red columbine (Aquilegia formosa) are usually profuse but were only in bud today.

On the last visit in 2007, plans were afoot to log some of the lower slopes of the mountain. The state of the forest industry and the current economic climate appear to have halted logging activity for now, and so far the only effect this has had on the trail is that a wide logging road (originating from the main access road about 250m before the trailhead) now crosses the trail about one kilometre along. Unfortunately, this has passed through the forest near where a large patch of Queen’s-cup (Clintonia uniflora) was observed in 2007; a good number of these plants remain on the uphill side of the road, but with the site now left more exposed to the sun and the elements its future may be in doubt.

If there is a positive to the logging, it’s that the road crossing the trail gives the hiker a handy rest spot with a good view up to the mountain itself. And plans are in the works to eventually move the trailhead to a spot higher up Lookout Road, taking away a bit of elevation gain from the hike. The trail is in decent shape, though a number of switchbacks have been shortcut and braided by trail runners who consider this hike the Grouse Grind of the Fraser Valley. The outhouse at the trailhead appeared  to be a writeoff when we started the hike in the morning: it had slid off its foundation (and hole) and the roof and the door were missing.  When we came down at the end of the day, it had been repaired, so it appears that at least someone is doing some maintenance work.

 

Attached is a list of plants and birds based on a 1992 Discovery article by Beth Whittaker and Terry Taylor,
along with my records from my past three trips.