Natural History Wanderings

Washington Trails Association has a number of new hike reports that mention wildflower bloom. Most of wildflower descriptions are pretty sketchy but they might give a rough idea of what is happening on the trails. Here are excerpts:

Ingalls Creek — May 05, 2013 — Central Cascades — Blewett Pass
A few wildflowers blooming: Indian Paintbrush early on, quite a lot of trillium, and a few other ones I don’t know the names of. I get the sense the big bloom is yet to happen, though.

Lord Hill — May 05, 2013 — Puget Sound and Islands
Why go now: Wildflowers blooming
The trails were in pretty good shape with bleeding hearts, buttercups and wood wren song to accompany us.

Boulder River — May 05, 2013 — North Cascades — West Slope
There were trilliums, bleeding hearts and the little yellow flower

Old Robe Canyon — May 05, 2013 — North Cascades — Mountain Loop Highway
The river was roaring through the canyon, really spectacular. Just a few kinds of wildflowers – yellow violets, bleeding hearts, and lots of skunk cabbage.

Hamilton Mountain — May 05, 2013 — South Cascades — Columbia Gorge
There were wildflowers all along the trail

Twin Falls — May 05, 2013 — Snoqualmie Pass — North Bend Area
there were lots of wild flowers blooming

Nimbus Knob — May 05, 2013 — Eastern Washington — Spokane Area
The oregon sunflowers (arrowleaf balsamroot) were in full bloom but may have begun nearing the end of their flowering stage.

Coyote Wall — May 04, 2013 — South Cascades — Columbia Gorge
Flowers: chocolate lilies, popcorn flower, fiddleneck, miner’s lettuce, manroot (wild cucumber), strawberries, buttercups, sorrel, woodland star, yarrow, desert parsley, lewesia, tretilia, california poppy, buckwheat, lupine, balsamroot, vetch, bachelor buttons, penstemon.

West Fork Methow River — May 04, 2013 — North Cascades
balsam and avalanche lilies numerous along the trail.

Chiwaukum Creek — May 04, 2013 — Central Cascades — Stevens Pass – East
Wildflowers: Some Balsamroot near the bottom, then lots of Trillium and Glacier Lilies.

Goat Creek — May 04, 2013 — South Cascades — Mt. St. Helens
Gorgeous hike with trilliums, new spring green moss, shamrock shaped low ground cover with yellow blossoms, tiny pale lavendar orchid shaped flowers, new fern fronds. Cathedral Falls were beautiful & mesmerizing.

Goose Rock — May 04, 2013 — Puget Sound and Islands — Whidbey Island
great views, along with wonderful wildflower and butterfly displays. By midmorning Echo Blue and Brown Elfin butterflies could be frequently seen flying among the wildflowers and shrubs along the trail. The showy wildflowers along the bluffs included Meadow Death Camas, Common Camas, Chocolate Lily, Oregon Sunshine, Sea Blush, Paintbrush & Stonecrop. Goose Rock Summit, at 484 feet, gives you incredible views of Deception Pass and the surrounding islands.

Umtanum Creek Falls — May 04, 2013 — Eastern Washington — Yakima
Flowers are blooming and it is quite a different sight than a few months ago. Much more colour around.

Hardy Ridge — May 04, 2013 — South Cascades — Columbia Gorge
We saw lots of wildflowers, deer, and one snake on the trail. S

Umtanum Ridge Crest — May 04, 2013 — Eastern Washington — Yakima
There were lots of nice wildflowers

Heybrook Lookout — May 04, 2013 — Central Cascades — Stevens Pass – West
The trail was in good condition (not much mud), there were some wildflowers (Bleedingheart, Trillium), and the views from the lookout (open to the 2nd-from-top floor) were great.

Swakane Canyon — May 04, 2013 — Eastern Washington — Wenatchee
Very beautiful hike. The wildflowers are out.

Boulder River — May 04, 2013 — North Cascades — West Slope
There were some wildflowers

Miller Peninsula-Thompson Spit — May 04, 2013 — Olympics — North
No Rhodies in bloom yet on this trail but saw a few Trillium.

Little Si — May 04, 2013 — Snoqualmie Pass — North Bend Area
Salmon berries and trillium in bloom.

To see full reports for the above and more hike reports go to: Trip Reports — Washington Trails Association.