When Sun Peaks opens its Sunburst Chair for summer hiking, we buy a lift ticket and hike the upper trails on the mountain.    In most years we hike back to the summit of Tod Mountain, an 8.5 km route.   On this last hot summer day we hiked with our grandson,  so we wanted a shorter scenic hike.  We chose to climb up the Top of the World Trail through Crystal Bowl, then we added the Juniper Trail for more views, then returned by the same route

Wildflowers were out in mid-July though the main bloom is still a couple of weeks away.    Forget-me-nots lined the trail in the subalpine meadows.

The trail winds along the edge of the Headwalls overlooking mid-station.

Cow parsnip was abundant where there was lots of moisture still in the ground.   Young stems were eaten by First Nations people throughout the province.

Western spring beauties start their growth as the snow melts so that their flowers can emerge before the taller  competition of the main bloom arrives.   The corms were also harvested as a starchy food souce.

From the Juniper Trail (loop) on top of the ridge, we have views to West Bowl and to the pump hills that lead back to the summit of Tod Mountain.

Small sandworts emerge on rocky, barren ridges in subalpine and alpine zones.

The day was hazy from forest fires so we could see Shuswap Lake in the east and the Monashees beyond, but not clearly.    As we returned, we were very fortunate to spot a lynx in the trees, but the camera was only a second late when it ducked into the cover of trees.

The hike was only 4 km and took about 1.75 hours, just right for a hot day with a young hiker.    There were a few mosquitoes and flies out, so we will return later in the summer to do the longer loop which will include the peak of Tod Mountain and Tod Lake.