Growiser, Summerville, Union County, OR: The turkey sunrise serenade awakened us early once more. Andy had a group coming to tour the station so we were determined to get out from underfoot before the crowd arrived. We had a delightful visit with staff at the facility and found a couple new (to us) species. Life could not be better than this.
We tried the north end of Summit Road, but were immediately turned back by snow blocking the road. The ski resort at Tollgate was still in use, the elevation there is about 5,100 feet so snow persists until about June. We headed for I-84 and Pendleton.
We stayed on I-84 until Biggs Junction then we crossed into Washington using the Biggs Rapids Bridge. We drove to the top of Dalles Mountain, finding great displays of Balsamroot and Lupine. The views of the Columbia River, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams were also noteworthy.
We took a quick tour of the Catherine Creek Preserve but the wind was strong, keeping photographic opportunities limited. Bitterroot was in bloom and we found several of the dark pink blooms to photograph.
On the way home we were already planning the next field trip.
byLarry
