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Balsamroot on Rowena Crest April 6, 2007

Rowena Crest, Hood River County, OR: Head east from Portland on I-84, travel through the Columbia River Gorge, enjoy the spectacular waterfalls, and then, past the town of Hood River, before reaching the town of The Dalles, find the exit for Rowena. Head west on old highway 30 and wend your way through the hairpin curves until atop the plateau. Immediately to your left will be Rowena Crest. From the sign the trail heads uphill along the crest of the ridge, offering big picture views of the gorge. Wildflowers are numerous and the predominant species will change with elevation and the season. Watch out for poison oak.

Marvin and I were intent on finding Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum). During the peak of the bloom these flowers will literally carpet the ground, usually under the canopy of oak trees.

This day provided copious quantities of Balsamroot. In a few more weeks lupine will be in bloom providing fields of purple and gold that would warm the heart of any UW sports fan.

A few butterflies were fluttering about sampling the blossoms. They will try your patience and make you wish for a telephoto lens. This one is a California Tortoiseshell.

California Tortoiseshell Butterfly Balsamroot Rowena Crest 4/6/2007

We chose not to test our leg strength by climbing to the top but people of all ages were hiking the trail.

byLarry

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Larry Rea April 7, 2007 October 14, 2017 Traveling With Marvin

Catherine Creek April 5, 2007

Lyle, Klickitat County, WA: We returned to Catherine Creek. A strong breeze was blowing, enough to discourage photography. To our surprise the flower bloom has greatly diminished. One could find only an occasional grass widow and Dodecatheon survives only in sheltered patches. Death Camas is the prevalent species on display this week.

A question comes to mind though. We saw several invasive species such as Himalaya blackberry (Rubus procerus). Is it appropriate to remove these plants? We also found henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) in bloom. It is very small but attractive, yet, it is also a non-native.

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) Catherine Creek 4/5/2007

We ended the day by returning to the Oregon side of the river on the free bridge at The Dalles. We took the Rowena exit west bound on I-84 to looked for Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum). We discovered that the bloom cycle is waning for that species as well. Light was poor for photography so we will make another trip under better conditions.

byLarry

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Larry Rea April 6, 2007 October 14, 2017 Diary

Finding the Sagebrush Violet April 3, 2007

Maupin, Wasco County, OR: My son, Chris, and I decided to give finding the Sagebrush Violet another attempt. As we left Gresham on US 26 we could see Mount Hood glistening white with a fresh coat of snow. Road signs warned travelers to carry chains or traction devices but the season for studded tires has past. Undeterred we forged ahead. We planned to turn onto highway 35 (Mt Hood Loop Highway) near Government Camp then turn east on highway 48 toward Wamic but we found the road blocked with snow. Evidently the road department doesn’t plow this road in winter, letting the snow melt slowly.

After backtracking to US 26 we continued east toward Maupin and then continued south on highway 197 toward Madras. Chris was pointing out flowers roadside but I wasn’t seeing them. We pulled over at a turnout to take a look. What he was seeing was a common species of phlox but what gave me a start was the very flower we were looking for… the Sagebrush Violet (Viola trinervata)!!! We called Marvin on the cell phone to gloat. We made many more stops but didn’t find any more of the violets. I’d rather be lucky than skillful any day.

byLarry

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Larry Rea April 4, 2007 October 14, 2017 Diary

Maupin, OR March 30, 2007

Maupin, Wasco County, OR: Marvin and I drove to Maupin in central Oregon, then followed the Deschutes river downstream to Sherar’s Bridge. We stopped at pullouts, looking for Viola trinervata. We didn’t find any but enjoyed the scenic gorge with its multiple layers of lava that form cliffs along the drainage.

We also took time to drive a short distance west on highway 216 to see the White River Falls, a spectacular cataract that plummets 90 feet.

We continued down the Deschutes as far as Macks Canyon where the gravel road ends at a campground much used by fishermen who drift the lower Deschutes.

We continued our trip by heading north on US 97, crossed the Columbia on the Biggs Rapids Bridge and then turned west on highway 14 in Washington. We turned north again on the Dalles Mountain road intending to look for wildflowers in that vicinity. It was very windy and a little early for the bloom so we continued downriver to Catherine Creek near Lyle. It was late in the afternoon with rain threatening and the wind blowing a gale but we took the loop trail below the highway. The Grass Widows were gone but many other flower species are in bloom now.

Dodecatheon poetica Catherine Creek 3/30/2007

Dodecatheon poeticum at Catherine Creek

We’ll be back soon.

byLarry

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Larry Rea March 31, 2007 October 14, 2017 Traveling With Marvin

Culver, OR March 26, 2007

Culver, Jefferson County, OR: Haystack Grange… Traveling with Marvin… We drove highway 26 across the Mount Hood corridor toward Madras. There were plenty of signs warning travelers to carry chains or traction tires because of snow conditions. We found the road totally clear, no snow clinging to the trees but with some traces of snow on the ground.

We found a few wildflowers in bloom after leaving the timber on the desert side… Oregon Sunshine, Whitlow Grass, and a very little blue flower which I have not yet identified.

We had some time on our hands at Culver so took a short tour of Lake Billy Chinook formed by Round Butte Dam. We toured the Cove Palisades State Park, driving across the bridge over the Crooked River and continuing on past “The Island”… technically not an island but an interesting rock formation that isolates about 200 acres from casual observers and livestock. The Island is now a Research Natural Area (RNA) and is closed except to permit holders conducting research.

Other than spectacular rock formations we found little of interest… spring has not arrived in this portion of Oregon.

We also made a loop around Haystack Reservoir, again not finding anything turning green. There were a few RV’s, probably fishermen, at the campground.

Crossing back through the Mount Hood Corridor we found it had snowed several inches… the trees were covered with snow… but the road was clear allowing for regular highway speeds for traffic.

byLarry

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Larry Rea March 27, 2007 October 14, 2017 Traveling With Marvin