Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Gunnery Pass Trail

This wild plant was growing along the Gunnery Pass Trail in Kananaskis (off Highway 40) when we went for an all-day hike on Saturday. Usually, when I see this plant, most of the flowers are not yet open. It is a member of the Figwort family, is native, and grows June-August on moist montane slopes.

Hooker's Thistle, also known as White Thistle, grows July-September in meadows and open woods. A native thistle, it has narrow, spine-tipped bracts which are covered in woolly to cobweb-like hairs. This particular plant (and many other specimens of it) was growing on the Gunnery Pass Trail, Kananaskis, where three of us hiked three days ago. "The species name commemorates British botanist Sir William J. Hooker (1785-1865), director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Between 1829 and 1840, he made numerous plant collections across Canada and the United States." From Plants of Alberta, by France Royer and Richard Dickinson.

On an all-day hike along the Gunnery Pass Trail, off Highway 40 (Kananaskis) on Saturday, we saw several of these attractive (most likely Northern) Checkerspot butterflies towards the end of the hike. I don't know which kind of Checkerspot it is - would welcome any ID help : ) Holy smokes - what a slow day at Flickr today!! Later: thanks, Doug, for the info!

Just had to shoot these Indian Paintbrush flowers, as they were such an intense, vibrant colour. Somehow, it's hard to resist photographing Paintbrush flowers, as they vary so much in colour : ) These ones were growing along the Gunnery Pass trail that I did with a couple of friends on 18th July.