Today's Walk: Langill Lake
- Karl Koerber
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 8
May 31, 2024
It’s been a busy month since my last post (and my last hike), but I finally managed to get away for a few hours last Saturday. I chose another location that is very close to home: Langill Lake, one of the water sources for the Krestova Improvement District.
The road to the lake crosses private land so I took an alternate route, hiking through Krestova Regional Park and over the crest of Beck Hill. As I walked along the access trail in the park I was struck by the pungent scent of snowbrush ceanothus, which always triggers a wave of nostalgia for me, taking me back to my childhood in the Beaver Valley where it grew in abundance, especially on the sandy slopes leading down to my favorite fishing holes in Beaver Creek.
The early flowers that I noted on my hike here a month ago are mostly done and have been replaced by the next wave: wild roses, salsify, yellow monkey-flower, yellow and shrubby penstemon, orange arnica, cinquefoil, lupine and many others.
The blues and yellows of larkspur and desert-parsley that graced Beck Hill a month ago have now been replaced by meadows of death camas. Although it seems that it would be suitable habitat, the blue common camas doesn’t appear to grow here.
I didn’t see a lot of birds, but this spotted towhee made an appearance, marking his territory with his characteristic trill.
Mallow ninebark is a commonplace shrub on these slopes, and it was also in bloom, displaying its showy white clusters.
The Columbian ground squirrels have finally emerged from their long winter sleep. This one was gathering nesting material to line its burrow for the litter of kits that are usually born in May or June.
There’s a lovely forested glade that lies between the twin peaks of Beck Hill, with an old trail that leads down to the lake. Some of the more shade tolerant plants grow here, including tiger lily, thimbleberry and bracken fern.
The lake itself is small but lovely, although I was surprised (and a bit disappointed) to see few signs of aquatic life like waterfowl or amphibians, although I didn’t stay for very long. It was created (or enlarged) by an earthen dam that I assume is being monitored for stability. Another dam just a bit further downstream was recently decommissioned.
On my return journey down Beck Hill, I came across some small aspens whose leaves were being munched by aspen serpentine leafminer larvae. They have evolved to chew through the leaf’s epidermis, “without damaging the mesophyll or the outer cuticle.” I’ve always been fascinated by the intricate designs left by their nutritive meanderings through the leaf’s interior. This little guy will soon pupate in a curled-up edge of the leaf and then emerge as a small moth later in the summer.
I stopped for a while in one of the meadows on Beck Hill, and took in the view across the valley that has been my home now for over 30 years. In moments such as this, I'm always filled with gratitude for the privilege of living amidst such beauty and richness of life.
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Again, thank you for sharing the beauty of your backyard. We are so fortunate to live in this beautiful country.