On a windy day, paddling on any open body of water is not easy and less enjoyable, but we can paddle a short loop on smaller protected lakes.    Usually i pick MCConnell, Stake, or Inks Lakes and do one or two loops around the lake, depending on the strength of the winds.   If I find the winds too strong, I sometimes do one loop, then I secure the boat and go for a hike.   When I arrived at Stake the winds were reasonable (10 – 15 km), but by the end of the lake they had picked up.

I picked a loop on the Stake Lake trails and kept my eye out for wildflowers, birds, and wildlife.    Lupines were in full bloom at the side of the trail.

After a month of rain, the ponds were all full.   The protected spot was out of the wind and provided reflections of the trees nearby.

I skirted the edge of several marshes and was pleased to find some green bog orchids starting to bloom.

This larger marsh was overflowing and all the low lands were flooded,

Common red paintbrush was also in full bloom at various locations by the trails.

In winter, we strike off the snowshoeing trails to cross the marshes, but on this day, I hiked right around the marsh in a large loop and then back to Stake Lake.

We are lucky to have a trails and a lake where we can paddle and hike on a windy day.