Sunshine Meadows & Area, Banff National Park July 31, 2023

Feeling sunshine on my shoulders up on Sunshine Meadows was how I choose to say good-bye to July!  There was no rain in the forecast, the temperature high up there was forecasted to be ideal, and the fire- smoke trend showed it would be minimal for the day for this area.  After purchasing my ticket to ride the gondola to Sunshine Village, I hoped on a green car and savoured the sights surrounding me for the twenty minute ride.   

For this trek, instead of hiking up Rock Isle Road, I took the chairlift even higher!

that's me

coming in for a landing, the attendant was waiting for me

This was the view after I jumped off the chairlift and moved a bit down the trail.  

By now I could smell a hint of smoke and I could see it hoovering over the Kootenay area where just south west of that wildfires are still burning. When I looked to the west, there was a beautiful blue sky so instead of heading down into that valley area where the lakes are and also the smoke..... 

.....I veered right and aimed for the blue sky.

My expectations were for big bouquets of wildflowers everywhere!  That did not transpire!  There were loads of those crazy hippies on sticks but a few of everything else.  Also, what wildflowers there were, were minimal, stunted in growth or dismal looking.  Every other year that I was up on Sunshine around now, there was a wildflower explosion.   I did find beauties though!

This was the first time ever that I saw hippies-on-sticks looking like tiny little balls.  

This was about an inch in size.

Birds were not my focus but I did pay attention when they flew my way.  I captured a few photos of various kinds of sparrows and I thought this was one.  When I got home and ran my ID App on this one, it told me it is a Hermit Thrush.  Seeing this species is a "lifer" for me! 

At the junction, I took the trail left to ascend to the viewpoint overlooking the Simpson Pass area and off towards Healy Pass and the Monarch Ramparts. This time last year, this location was carpeted in red and pink Paintbrushes, today there were none, not even one.  

view from the viewpoint

This was the perfect spot for a snack.  While sipping and snacking, two Sunshine Employees came along, we chatted for a little while.  They were out checking the trails and monitoring for bears and bear activity. We discussed the bear digging along the trail from late last week. I did see it so knew I needed to be extra aware.  I just hiked along that trail and they were on the way there to check out the area again.  

After chatting, snacking and snapping shots, I geared up and headed downhill towards the open area leading to Simpson Pass.  I only ventured down along the trail for about thirty minutes.  It's not a busy trail, it is winding, narrow and secluded.  That's not where I cared to go today.  I picked stopping at this big rock crop.

view along a section of the trail to Simpson Pass

Investing about an hour down in this area was fulfilling enough, so I ascended back up to the viewpoint and aimed for the trail that I came here on.  I followed it back.  By now there was more blue and less smoke in the sky.  

I like orange!

view along the trail towards Rock Isle Lake

Rock Isle Lake

By the time I reached the view point and benches at Rock Isle Lake, I was ready for another snack.

Heading down to the other two lakes from Rock Isle Lake was not a location that was appealing to me today.  Instead, I headed uphill to connect with the trail heading towards Quartz Hill & Ridge.  That's them in the distance.  I did not plan on going to the Ridge, I just wanted to venture a couple of klicks along this trail.

Those couple of klicks got me to this point which I was content with.  

Once the couple of klicks back were completed, 

it was time to head to the gondola for the ride back down, 

then head on home!

trail to the gondola

view of Sunshine Village and where I would hop on the gondola

view in front of me as the gondola descended 

This was such a perfect day and way to usher out July!