The Kopp Lake trail starts with a long section of lush woodland that now belongs to the University of Alberta, thanks to a generous donation of private land.
It was our first “Smell the Roses” hike of the year—aptly named for this hike because the wild roses are in full bloom and the warm humid air in the woods is redolent with the scent.
Fifteen people came out, with mosquito nets, bug spray and nature identification books and followed along as botany expert Jerry pointed out the specimens of almost 40 different species of flora.
As we got closer to the lake, we heard many uncommon bird calls, including the yellow-headed blackbird and the rarely-seen rail. In the field we managed to catch and identify a Common Alpine butterfly.
Perhaps the most spectacular specimen of all was the beaver carcass. Mostly picked-over, it was easy to examine the large yellow-orange front teeth and the rows of molars at the back of the jaw.
Thanks to John for leading the hike and the whole trail maintenance crew for their mowing and clipping. You can see all the photos on Flickr.
