The reason for the wire is that Porkupines find rubber tires, hoses and belts a delicacy!
If you intend to be gone overnight, you had better protect your vehicle or it is a long walk out.
My walk took me to Kaslo Lake and return; 15 kM or 9 miles.
Kokanee Lake is the first stop and it is a steep climb up a well maintained trail, 1600 feet elevation change in 4 kM.
This first section takes me about 1.5 hours.
In, out and lunch took me nearly 6 hours and I was tired arriving back at the parking lot.
The trail passes Kokanee Lake along the face of the rock slide to the left of the lake.
It continues on past the end of the lake and up into the trees to the left of the next pass.
It was in this area that Michel Trudeau was swept to his death by an avalanche.
You can see the trail leading directly ahead of me; no guard rails here !
My faithful walking stick: once you've used a stick, you won't venture onto the trails without it.
If you look closely you may spot the trail passing between the two groups of trees near the lake.
If you are fortunate to be here in flower season, this meadow is full of shaggy white headed flowers called "Old Man of the Mountain". The flower book tells me "Western Anemone is a characteristic plant of the wet alpine meadows and clearings of the timberline zone where snow remains late."
This fits the requirements perfectly.
These take the form of tiny ponds, small lakes and large lakes.
This is a small pond.
Note the causeway across the pond. It was firm enough to pass over.
It appears to be quite shallow; I didn't see any fish rising.
Fish were rising in this lake.
That is snow you see on the top of the far mountain.
It is from the snow melt that all the streams are fed and the lake levels maintained.