Plant Travels and Excursions

Description

share comments/pictures about your travels to interesting floral areas

Svalbard in August

Submitted by Hoy on Tue, 09/03/2013 - 14:14

Not exactly a plant hunting excursion but a nice trip anyway.

Last time it was vacation, very fine weather and flowering plants all places, this time it was work, cloudy and the fall had arrived; but interesting anyway.

We didn't go far from Longyearbyen either but had to bring guns anyway. (My daughter who is a student up there now told me she has to bring a gun every time she is going to pee behind a boulder when she is out in the fields!)

Adventdalen (The Advent Valley) in fall colour. Adventelva (The Advent River)

Land of lichen - alpine hike, August 10, 2013

Submitted by Lori S. on Wed, 08/14/2013 - 21:57

Forgetmenot Ridge in Kananaskis P. P. was finally accessible, via a one-lane temporary bridge on the highway (after the main bridge was destroyed in the late June flood).  The bloom was mostly done on the ridge, but there were still some interesting sights, especially up on the conglomerate headlands...

Rhodiola integrifolia; Ramaria(?) fungus;  Sedum lanceolatum; Eriogonum umbellatum v. alpinum (x2); Campanula rotundifolia; 

Aug. 6, 2013 alpine hike

Submitted by Lori S. on Thu, 08/08/2013 - 17:40

Here are some pix from our hike to Sparrowhawk on Tuesday, a day that turned a little showery in the afternoon, but a nice hike nonetheless.  It's very early up there with many alpines not yet in bloom or just starting, however there was surprisingly little snow, probably due to it having been melted in the torrential rains in late-June.

First hint of the alpine views ahead, as the trail swings close to the lower flank of Sparrowhawk Mountain, at about half  way along:

Svalbard 2013

Submitted by Hoy on Fri, 07/26/2013 - 06:54

We were a group of 30 plant enthusiasts who went to Svalbard for a week in July to look for plats in the arctic archipelago. It is not more than about 200 different vascular plants there on the 40% not covered permanently in snow and ice.

We stayed in Longyearbyen but went for new places every day. Outside the town we had to bring armed guards for protection in case of polar bear attack. 3 days we rented boats to reach places farther away - it is no roads except in Longyearbyen.