In late June 2025 Andrea and I were joined by our friend Helene for a backpacking hike to the Trophy Mountain area of Wells Gray Provincial Park – a 2-hour drive from our Logan Lake home. The weather forecast was iffy but we decided to go anyway. The alpine meadows on this hike are renowned for their wildflowers, and we were not disappointed.
Helene and Andrea in the spruce forest at the start of the hike – Trophy Mountain Trail, 24 June 2025.
Yellow Glacier-lilies (Erythronium grandiflorum) are the dominant flower on the meadows.
Trophy Mountain Meadows – in the lower elevations the Glacier-lilies were mostly done blooming.
The further up we hiked the more spectacular the Glacier-lilies were on the meadow.
Dense Glacier-lilies (Erythonium grandiflorum)
Mop-top Anemone (Anemone occidentalis), also known as Western Pasqueflower – another very common plant flowering on the meadows. The tiny white flowers are Western Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata), also abundant here.
One of the many small ponds in the meadows. The mountain has had a lot of rain and everything was lush and muddy.
A pause on the hike.
Andrea descending on the final stretch to the Sheila Lake campsite after 5 km uphill hiking. Spring is not very advanced here at 2,060 m elevation, with lots of snow banks remaining.
The Sheila Lake campsite has very nice tent platforms.
Sheila Lake with the campsite. On both our nights there we had very few other campers at the site. There are 20 tent platforms at this site.
Our two tents at the Sheila Lake campsite. The cook-shelter on the right was a very welcome feature when the rain poured down.
On our second day the weather looked OK – cloudy but not raining, so we went exploring. I went up the high ridge that leads eventually to Trophy Mountain peak. I was hoping to find some of the special high alpine birds and mammals on this ridge.
The Trophy Mountain Ridge is a rugged landscape with sparse vegetation.
My first sighting of a Hoary Marmot on the slopes of the Trophy Mountain Ridge.
Another Hoary Marmot on the ridge slope.
High alpine flowers – Moss Campion (Silene acaulis) on the left and Few-seeded Draba (Draba oligosperma) right.
Yellow Mountain Heather (Phyllodoce glanduliflora) just starting to bloom on the high ridge.
After a steep slog – the top of the Trophy Mountain Ridge, with snow cornices on the north side.
One of the species I was keen to find was a White-tailed Ptarmigan. I didn’t expect to almost step on one – quite literary one stride away – a female sitting tight on a nest. Undoubtedly sitting on eggs, she never budged while I took a few photos and then left.
Spot the ptarmigan! White-tailed Ptarmigan are masters of camouflage.
The female White-tailed Ptarmigan sitting tight on her nest.
Looking back down the spine of the ridge towards the west. This is where the ptarmigan was nesting. I climbed up the slope on the left.
Looking northwest into Wells Gray Park from the ridge.
Another elusive high-elevation species – Grey-crowned Rosy-finches. They regularly forage on the snow banks, picking up dead insects and seeds on the snow.
The summit cairn on the ridge at 2490 m elevation, with Trophy Mountain beyond.
This is supposedly the route to Trophy Mountain peak – a very steep climb down and then a rather dubious route along the narrow ridge and up the steep side of the peak. Definitely not for old geezers with dodgy knees – I enjoyed the view while I ate my lunch in a nook out of the wind.
Impressive snow cornices at the ridge summit.
Looking north into the heart of Wells Gray Provincial Park.
Frost polygons along the summit ridge. Over centuries of freezing and thawing the rocks get shattered and then sorted with the bigger chunks pushed aside to create these polygons.
Heading back along the ridge.
A Moss Campion adds a touch of colour to the stark rocky ridge-top.
Back in the lower elevations – more wonderful wildflowers blooming.
Mop-top Anemones and Subalpine Buttercups (Ranunculus eschscholtzii).
Close-ups of Subalpine Buttercups.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) – another very common subalpine plant here.
White Mountain Heather (Cassiope mertensiana) at the Sheila Lake campsite.
Late afternoon and evening brought some heavy rain showers so we were happy to hunker in the cook-shelter for tea and dinner. Luckily we didn’t have to share the shelter with any other campers.
Our tents at Sheila lake campsite.
A bit of sunshine between rain showers at Sheila Lake campsite.
The next morning we were all up early and the weather didn’t look great so we packed wet tents and headed home.
Heading home in the early morning mist on very muddy trails.
Our hike down was once again across fields of flowers.
More interesting alpine flowers – Sitka Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis).
Red Paintbrush just starting to bloom – probably Castilleja miniata.
Hiking in the mist – Trophy Mountain Meadows.
One of the birds I was hoping to find in the subalpine forest was Spruce Grouse. We had seen them in this forest on the Trophy Mountain trail two years ago. But none this year, until we were driving on the long road down the mountain and rounded a corner. There was a female Spruce Grouse and behind her seven tiny chicks. A fitting end to a very fine hike.
Mama Spruce Grouse and one of her seven tiny chicks.
Female Spruce Grouse.
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