Kusawa

Sue Herbrick and I hiked up a ridge above Kusawa lake. The same one I hiked with Mary.
Today we had a warm day! At the bottom on the road we are indecisive about bringing our fleece jackets.
We definitely take our wind breakers. It's just that whole summer we have needed those items. We bring them anyway "you never know".
I am happy to say we didn't need them. And later on after our hike picking raspberries in the gravel pit; it is hot!
25 degrees C. Yes, that is hot up here (this summer anyway).

We walk and talk the whole way up. It is an ATV trail, so we can walk beside each other.
As you see in the photo, because of this warm weather it looks hazy. Kusawa in the distance looks totally calm.
Interestingly we kind of loose the trail and are following a rocky ridge. Which is fine by either of us, there are some small poplars to go through and sometimes we have to climb the rocks. Lower, the ground was very sandy and the
flora not very exciting or different from what we are used to.
On the rocks here, there are some Minuartias still blooming, (Sandwort) and I come up a Chamaerhodos! Which must be the most inconspicious one of the Rose family
The branches bright red.
Everywhere (like the red) we see the first signs of fall. Some willows are yellowish and the poplars, sporadically though, have a bright yellow leaves on one branch.
Sue notices a beautiful big spruce tree, which at the bottom is a big dome and the 10 meter high top of the tree (really a regular tree) , sticking out like a spike.
We come to an end of this ridge, and sit down to have our lunch. The regular trail,
seems to be in the bottom in between this ridge and the mountain.
This rock has Fragrant Fern growing in its crevices. I put my nose into several, and can't smell a thing. I pick one leaf to take home, and sure enough it's fragrant when I take it out of a pocket.