On a pleasant day in mid-April I drove 40 km south to Stump Lake.    The three boat launches on the east side were busy and so I opted for a steep, rocky luanch on the northwest corner of the lake.    I paddled a loop route on the lake and then secured the boat.   On a whim I decided to climb a rocky hill above the lake for the views.    There was no trail and the route was off-trail and steep.    A video shares some of the paddling and hiking:

The hillside was very dry and not much spring growth was evident.   Some sagebrush buttercups were in bloom and a few other plants were greening up for flowering later in the month.    All photos by the author.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption

sagebrush buttercups

the view from the hill

buttercup

rocky hills

boulders in the grasslands

phacelia on a rocky slope

upland larkspur