When the weather became hot and the valleys were wreathed in smoke, we ventured up to Sun Peaks to take the chairlift up the  mountain to hike the subalpine trails.   There will have been 3 days of hiking on the mountain this summer.    On the second I took the grandkids on a loop route up through Crystal Bowl, then down through the Whyte Bowl, and finally back on the double track to mid-station.     It was mid-July, and the wildflowers filled the meadows and slopes.

The first half hour is a steeper route, winding along the ridge of the Headwalls, and up to the top of the Crystal Bowl.    There are usually wide views, but with summer smoke, anything beyond McGillivray Lake was in the haze.

We hiked over the top and turned down the Whyte Bowl Trail.     The West Bowl Meadows were ahead as we worked out way west, then south.

Slopes facing south are open, but the sheltered slopes are forested.    The trail winds around the Chief, but on a moderate route, minimizing up and down.

Small streams still had some runoff from snowmelt in shaded areas.

On this day, we spotted tiger lilies, paintbrush, lupines, valerian, agoseris, forget-me-nots, cow parsnip, bog orchids, fleabane, lousewort, buckwheat, white heather, sandwort, pearly everlasting, small-flowered penstemon, speedwell, meadow rue, stonecrop, alpine arnica, yarrow, tall groundsel, and others.

Sub-alpine fleabane always seems to stand out in any flower meadow.

Our hike took about 2 hours, just right for a summer family hike.    We have a third hike in mind for August.