Natural History Wanderings

Columbia Hills State Park — Apr 10, 2013  South Cascades — Columbia Gorge
West on HWY 14 from to a small parking area on the South side of HWY 14 across from the sign for “Horsethief Butte TH next left”. (Discovery Pass Required!) To the right of this sign and behind a white guard rail on the North side of HWY 14 there is an obvious trail which takes you cross country to the Eight Mile Road which you walk to a view of Eight-Mile Falls. From here we followed a trail which crossed Eight-mile Creek and continued up Eight-Mile canyon through flower fields of balsomroot, yellow desert parsley, and Death-camas. Bare stem desert parsley, miner’s lettuce, prairie stars, fiddle neck, puccoon, ball-head waterleaf, salt and pepper, and lupine were also seen. The lupine is just beginning to bloom. We had lunch in an oak grove where we again saw Lewis’ woodpeckers. We continued on a red- flagged trail “in progress” which ends on the Dalles Mt Road east of Dalles Mt Ranch. We did not have time to hike to the road today, but hope to return to do so when the lupine are in full bloom. We saw a pair of Western bluebirds, a pair of kestrel, a canyon wren, and Lewis’ woodpeckers.

Horsethief Butte — Apr 09, 2013 South Cascades — Columbia Gorge
After setting up camp at Horsethief Lake CG, we spent 3 hours exploring the Horsethief Butte area. Arrow-leaf balsam root, shooting stars, yellow desert parsley, Oregon grape, Big Root cucumber, prairie stars, fiddleneck, cushion fleabane, and Panicled-Death-camas were some of the many wildflowers blooming…..We saw an osprey flying overhead.