Healy Pass Trail hike on 14-Jul-2024

We had a lovely day. Not too hot, not too sunny, a little breezy, absolutely spectacular floral display.

We managed to park our three cars side by side in the big Sunshine parking lot, and headed out at 9:30. The walk up to the Simpson Pass junction and up to the bottom of the meadows was relatively uneventful.

Bill, Cynthia, Doug and Cordula at the Healy Creek bridge

Although, of course, Bill identified a wide variety of flowers. Many of the kind that most of us would just walk by without “seeing”. But once we got into the Healy Meadows we were all agog with the display.

Common Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)

A great variety of flowers

Early Blue Violet (Viola adunca)

The “tricky” part was that one must stay on the path. Here we are trying to figure out what something 10 or 20 meter off the path is.

Bill, Cynthia and Cordula viewing the floral profusion in Healy Meadows

We made the summit of the Healy Pass trail around 12:30.

Lunch break at Healy Pass

On the way up we had wondered about some big displays of a low-growing purple flower. Bill figured this one out on the way back. And along the slightly longer return via Simpson Pass we encountered a lot of the bog laurel.

Bog laurel in profusion

And also some remaining glacier lillies (which were largely past-it in the meadows.

Glacier Lillies still in the shady spots near Simpson Pass

Sparrow's-egg Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium passerinum)

Kidney-leaved Violet (Viola renifolia)

Back at the cars a little after 4:30, distance 20+ km, ascent 700+ m.

Many thanks to participants: Bill (especially for his amazing flower identification and photos), Douglas, Cordula and new member Cynthia, for joining me, Carl (C/S).

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