Smoky days made it difficult to get out hiking, but when a clear day arrived, we were ready to go.    The Kamloops Nature Parks had opened on the previous afternoon, so we got an early start to hike the trails in Kenna Cartwright Park.    One of our favorite routes is to hike west onto the Big Pine Trail, then to a series of trails out to the Lava Flow Lookout Loop.  

From the northwestern corner of the route, we had views down to the Thompson River and the North Shore.  

Drought conditions were obvious in the park.   A few late season wildflowers and shrubs were still in bloom, but most of the vegetation had gone into dormancy or early seed production.    We spotted rabbitbrush in bloom, aparagus producing berries, curly-cup gumweed still flowering and a few showy asters, white prairie asters, and sagewort.    These are featured on A Wildflower Journal.   A few landscape photos are shared here.   Click an image for a lightbox view.  

We have continued to hike through wildfire season, picking suitable days and adjusting the duration, difficulty, and location to the conditions.    Stay tuned….