The Stake Lake system has 60km of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and exploring afer the snows melt.   From mid-June through August, we choose different loops each time to vary the outings and to enjoy the different forested areas .   The 8.5km loop over McConnell Hill (Sidewinder-Ambush-Rustler) featured many wildflowers.   The north side aspect was lined with columbine, violets, and bunchberry.   The sunny south-facing slopes had tiger lilies, yarrow, lupines, strawberries, and stonecrop.   On the fringe of the forest we see arnica, penstemmon, peavine, jacob’s ladder, false solomon’s seal, coralroot, and twinflower.   Fungus starts to appear, with boletus, morels, polypores, and puffballs next to the trail.   Squirrels, jays, and hares make a brief appearance before merging into the forest.   Each loop we try brings new surprises.   Go quietly and be a careful observer of the forests of Stake this summer.

red columbine	violet
morel	penstemmon
jacob’s ladder	chickweed
double boletus	lupines
twinflower	crustose lichens