Natural History Wanderings

Maggie Riley just posted an eastern Sierra Nevada wildflower bloom update for the Bishop Pass Area from South Lake to Spearhead Lake, which is past Long Lake on the Bishop CNPS Wildflower Hotspots Google group.

“The wildflowers (and mosquitoes) are starting to come on strong from
the trailhead at South Lake, where there are bog orchids and shooting
stars in abundance, up to Spearhead Lake (past Long Lake). Above that,
there are still some larger snow fields and not as many flowers,
though there are some!

Some I can remember from my hike on Wednesday are mountain pride
penstemon, whorled penstemon, some other penstemons, paintbrush,
buckwheats, Senecio, Potentilla, shooting star, yellow columbine, red
columbine, wallflower, and a tiny purple Aster or Erigeron up above
11,000′.

I should note that the mosquitoes were only “bad” in the forest – once
we got to Long Lake, and the forest opened up, there was a breeze and
we were not bothered by them at all. But be prepared!”