April 26, 2007: Rowena Crest: It was a windy day but I decided to hike up to McCall Point to see what was in bloom at higher elevations. Balsamroot and Lupine were spectacular from the parking level to the top of the hill.
Finding a rattlesnake on the trail startled me. I decided to slow down and watch the trail a little closer.
byLarry
Saddle Mountain, Clapsop County, OR: The view from the top is inspiring on a clear day. It wasn’t raining so Chris and I decided to try Saddle Mountain State Park, access off highway 26 about 13 miles from the coast. The trees in the park have been damaged by high winds but the trails are still usable. We found Erythronium in bloom at lower elevations.
The trail to the crest is steep and requires good hiking boots. Shoes without heels are dangerous on these rocky soils.
The spring bloom is still several weeks away for the higher elevations but the first mile is interesting.
byLarry
Lyle WA: Chris and I made a quick trip to Catherine Creek. We intended to look for bryophytes and wildflowers. Catherine Creek is well into the spring season. Dodecatheon is nearly gone but Camassia is still strong.
Lewisia blooms are just becoming photogenic. The breeze was strong but in a few sheltered areas photography was manageable. We found Penstemon barrettiae just beginning to bloom but not yet prime.
I caught a butterfly on camera, probably a Propertius Duskywing.
byLarry
Eugene OR: A dozen anxious students assembled in a parking lot on the UO campus. We were to meet with Dr. David Wagner and then carpool to two nearby locations to collect bryophytes for three action packed days of classroom activities.
It was a delightful day, no rain, and we had no difficulty selecting about 40 species of bryophytes to study.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were spent in intensive discussion and microscopic inspections of our collections. Dr. Wagner supplemented our samples with collections of his own and raised our sample collection to nearly a hundred species. What fun.
byLarry
Eugene OR: Marvin and I were in town to attend a Bryophytes class taught by Dr. David Wagner. After locating a motel with easy access to the UO campus we had a couple hours of daylight left so we headed for the Mount Pisgah Arboretum in the Howard Buford Recreational Area.
Trails through the arboretum will turn up delightful surprises to please any botanist.
Check out this Checker Lily.
If we had more time we might have climbed Mount Pisgah to look for mosses.
byLarry