Natural History Wanderings

Washington Trails Association has a number of new wildflower bloom reports. Here are a few of the most recent excerpts:

Kraus Lake May 20, 2013 Southern Cascades
beautiful old growth forest with abundant spring wildflowers

Fifteenmile Creek Railroad Grade, Hidden Forest, Tiger Mountain Trail, High Point Creek May 20,2013 Issaquah Alps Tiger Mountain
The footpath itself remains narrow, encroached on both sides by very moist plants: bleeding heart, vanilla leaf, waterleaf, fringe cup, salmon berry, tall wild grasses

Robinson Canyon – Ainsley Canyon May 20, 2013 Eastern Washington Yakima
Flowers galore, meadows, rolling green hills, thin forest, birds chirping, butterflies, lupine/pine scented air.

Green Lake May 20, 2013 Mt. Rainier NW Carbon River/ Mowich
Trillium were in bloom all along the trail, lots of buds on the Salmonberry bushes

Ingalls Creek May 19, 2013 Central Cascades-Blewett Pass
The flowers start out early…mariposa lilies, some balsamroot, paintbrush, lupine, woodland stars… Further in calypso orchids, shooting stars, ballheaded waterleaf, oregon anemones, arnica, trillium… No glacier lilies though…saw 3 but the rest were crispy. Peak flower season looks like it was 1 week ago.

Teneriffe Falls (Kamikatze Falls) May 19, 2013 Snoqualmie Pass-North Bend Area
The falls were roaring, generating lots of mist. Along the way, we saw slugs and wildflowers. Bleeding heart and salmonberry are in bloom.

Fourth of July Creek to Icicle Ridge — May 19, 2013 — Central Cascades — Leavenworth Area
The wildflowers were out.

Thunder Creek to Fourth of July Camp — May 19, 2013 — North Cascades — North Cascades Highway
saw several different flowers, including purple and blonde/white calypso orchids.

 

See more trip reports and details Trip Reports — Washington Trails Association