Stops on British Columbia’s Yellowhead Highway, Canada (#1)

Trees Reflecting in Berman Lake
Berman Lake Regional Park is just off the highway, 45 km (29 mi) west of Prince George, British Columbia (BC), just off Canada’s Highway 16. It is just a small park – but it promised some short walking trails to break up my driving day.

Berman Lake and Woods
I have the Berman Lake Regional Park all to myself when I arrive. The lake has a scattering of fallen trees – as do the trails! Many of the tracks appeared on my App, but were too overgrown to be accessible. The clear water is a rich brown from the natural plant tannins that have run into the lake from the feeder streams.

“Salmon at Work”
Now, that’s not a sign you see everyday! It was, however, the wong time of year; I saw no salmon.

Bunchberry – Cornus Canadensis
Commonly known as creeping dogwood, I love these cheerful ground-covering plants.

Like a Painting: Reflections in Shallow Waters
Wetlands at the edges of the lake feature fine green reed stems and small clusters of flowering aquatic plants.

Rushes and Reeds
Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) – also known as buckbean, grows in the shallow water at the edges of the lake.

Hookedspur Violet – Viola Adunca
Western dog violets can be found in the shadows along the path around the lake.

Into the Woods
This classic sub-boreal forest is a mix of tall paper birch trees, white spruce, and an understory of low shrubs and mosses.

Peeling Bark
Birch trees are known for their distinctive thin bark that peels naturally. Inland First Nations peoples used this bark for everything from clothing to canoes.

Tiny Treasures : Arnica Cordifolia and a Tree Stump

Woods, a Bridge, and Reflections
Beavers – which I never manage to see in the wild! – are at home here. This probably accounts for some of the fallen timber, and might be the reason for the metal bridges.

Woods Reflected
The lake is surrounded by tall conifers, including lodgepole pines, hybrid white spruce, subalpine fir, and black spruce.

Young Pollen Cones
Pine trees produce hard, woody, female cones which release seeds, and these smaller, colourful, male cones containing pollen.

Nature’s Artworks: Scribbly Trunk
Insect larvae have left their mark in the sapwood layer of a fallen tree, just beneath the missing outer bark.

Another Small Bridge

Vanderhoof Museum and Visitor Centre
Later the same day, I stopped into the Visitor Centre in the small municipality of Vanderhoof for lunch and a visit to the attractive and well-presented museum which outlines local First Nation and early pioneer history.

Smithers House
The grounds immediately around the centre are dotted with preserved heritage buildings. This one was built between 1929 and 1935, and was wired for electricity – before that was a common occurrence.

Canadian National Railcar
These boxcars were a common sight in my childhood, and always make me smile.

Wild Rose – Rosa Acicularis
The beautifully groomed Heritage Nature Trail is short, but travels through different vegetation zones.

Make a Wish!

The Heritage Nature Trail
The track is bordered by white-barked paper birch trees, alder, and towering evergreen spruce.

Red-Osier Dogwood – Cornus Sericea syn. Cornus Stolonifera
Afternoon sunlight plays through the trees.

An Inukshuk with Heart
These traditional Inuit stone landmarks have become more broadly known since one was used as a logo for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Western Tiger Swallowtail – Papilio Rutulus
There were butterflies everywhere along the track; most of them were too quick for me!

On The Road Again
Later in the afternoon, the stunning mountains around Telkwa come into view.