This is a brief Newsletter drawing attention to the grand finale of our Summer Season, the Chris Carter Memorial Hike and Tea. For a third year we are holding this event on the last Saturday of September to commemorate one of our staunch supporters, photographer Chris Carter (1932-2023).
Conditions in the Park
In spite of a few days earlier this month in which the Plateau was swathed in cloud and drizzle, the area remains dry, and without a frost yet to bring out the fall reds and golds in the blueberry, rhododendron and other shrubs, the Meadows have a somewhat drab appearance, with dull browns and sad yellows of dehydrated foliage. Even the usually colourful seed-heads of the Sticky False Asphodel and Leather-leaf saxifrage are dingy beige. And in the highest pond in the Meadows (see below), dry now since mid August, all that there is to be seen are the dying stalks and leaves of the buckbean above the cracked mud.
The occasional mushroom has emerged – but few and far between. A week ago Saturday a small cluster of the striking Cortinarius violaceus was found on the north-facing shaded slope above the large Pond in the Meadows – a typically wet spot, which is always the last to lose snow in spring.
So we had hoped this would bode well for the 7th Annual Mycology Workshop and Hike on September 20th and 21st, but there was little of note on the Saturday, other than miniscule specimens that required a hand lens to see clearly. The rains that are now beginning to fall intermittently, together with heavier precipitation in later October should bring out the fruiting bodies of the many fungal species that we know exist in the Park.
A brief note on the 7thAnnual Subalpine Mycology Workshop held on Saturday Sept. 20th
The workshop was already full by the beginning of September, with a waiting list. This year our team of talented experts included Andy MacKinnon, Shannon Berch, Thom O’Dell and Erin Feldman, all eminent mycologists with extensive experience in both instruction and guiding field forays. On Saturday we had in-class slide presentations and ID sessions, combined with forays out into the Meadows, in both morning and afternoon, separated by a lunch featuring wild mushroom soup. On the Sunday SWI Director Loys Maingon led a hike through the fungus-rich forested north facing slopes of Mt Allan Brooks on the trail to Divers Lake, which lies in the valley below and to the west of Paradise Meadows. The moist valley in which Rossiters and Divers Lake lie proved more productive mycologically that the Paradise Meadows area yet again – e.g. the colourful “chicken of the woods” mushroom below.
The highlight on the Saturday was Andy MacKinnon inviting all to sing along to his variation on the well-known Bob Dylan song, which he entitled “The names they are a-changin’” – to illustrate the fact that many of the names which were given to our BC Fungi on the basis of European specimens are now, through DNA analysis, shown to be quite different genera and species.
A full report on the outcome of the Workshop and the interesting mycological finds will appear in our next Newsletter in October.
Upcoming Events
- September 27th : 3rd Annual Chris Carter Memorial Hike and Tea
- September 29th : “The Slime Moulds of Strathcona Provincial Park 2025” -Webinar presentation.
September 27th 3rd ANNUAL CHRIS CARTER MEMORIAL HIKE AND TEA
This day is dedicated to long-time supporter of the Park and SWI volunteer, Chris Carter (1932-2023), whose decades-long association with Strathcona Park, Friends of Strathcona Park and SWI will be preserved through his countless photographs of the Park in every season. It has also become the grand finale of our busy Summer Season at SWI.
Everyone is welcome, whether to join the day hike or just a short walk in the Meadows, both of which will culminate at the end of the afternoon in Tea and Cookies in the Ruth Master’s Nature Hall, lower floor of the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre. No event is complete without Tea and Cookies.
9:00 am – 3:00/3.30 pm
Hike to Chris Carter Lookout
This will be a day-hike to Croteau Lake (13+ k round trip, elevation gain ~ 250m.) led by one of Chris’ hiking companions and fellow photographer, Tim Penney, with the assistance of CDMC vice-president and experienced hiking guide, Janet Beggs. The hike will start at 9:00 am from the Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows, going up to the Lookout for lunch and returning by 3.00 pm in time for tea and cookies at the Wilderness Centre.
2:00 pm : Walk in the Meadows
For those who prefer a leisurely walk, there will be a guided meander around the Paradise Meadows boardwalk to appreciate the magnificent fall colours that grace the ponds and wetlands every fall, and have been captured so magnificently in many of Chris’ photos over the years. Please meet at the Wilderness Centre at 2:00 pm.
3:00 pm onwards
There will be cookies and tea (plus coffee and juice) at the Wilderness Centre, in the Ruth Masters Nature Hall on the lower floor, for one and all to socialize, share memories and for those who may not have known Chris personally and opportunity to find out more about him.
There is no need to register – but for more information please email us at strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Monday September 29th : 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Webinar: “The Slime Moulds of Strathcona Provincial Park 2025.” Presented by Zeke Gilmour.
Our summer Research Assistant Zeke Gilmour will give a presentation illustrating his ongoing research into the intriguing world of undocumented Slime Mould populations in Strathcona Provincial Park, adding to the material he presented last September at the end of his 2024 season working with us.
Final Note - lunch at Lady Lake
Tim Penney captured this quite unique photo of a tiny Pacific Chorus Frog with lunch lined up on its tongue, seemingly holding it steady with its middle front toe.
