Rock Creek Trails and a bit of Rock Creek road
We hiked along Little Lakes Valley Trail and got as far as the end of Heart Lake. It was wetter than I have seen it on previous visits. The highlight was several meadows with displays of Shooting Star. Many flowers are in bloom. Some flowers seemed to be blooming a little later than usual, while others were right on time. The Rock Creek Wildflowers book by Cathy Rose and Stephen Ingram was very helpful.
On the way down we stopped at areas between 9500 and 9700 feet elevation on the north side of the road. There were many Kelley’s Lilies and Rein Orchids. Also Lupine, Paintbrush, Western Columbine, Richardson’s Geranium.
Click Read More for Detailed Plan List
Rock Creek Trail Plants in Bloom 7/18/17:
Slender Cinquefoil
Sticky Cinquefoil
Whorled Penstemon
Linear-leaved Paintbrush
Giant Red Paintbrush
Carpet Phlox
Prickly Phlox
Mountain Pride
Inyo Lupine
Single-stemmed groundsel
Subalpine Larkspur
Mt, Pennyroyal
Naked Buckwheat
Sulphur Buckwheat
Showy Penstemon
White Bark Pine (colorful male cones)
Snowberry 9in bud)
Rangers Buttons
Hoary Aster
Sierra Daisy
Meadow Linanthus
Carpet Phlox
Bitterbrush
Large Elephant-head
a tiny astragalus
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Alpine Shooting Star – several large displays
Western Columbine
Fireweed
Swamp Onion (in bud)
Club Moss-Ivesia
Primrose Monkeyflower
Mountain Monkeyflower
Rosy Everlasting
Matted Buckwheat
Red Heather several good patches
Labrador Tea
Meadow Rue
Western Blue Flag Iris
Gayophytum
MountiainStrawberry
Sierra Wallflower
Pussytoes
White Rein Orchid
Gooseberry
Dogbane
Toad Flax
Mt. Laurel
Alpine Sheep Sorrel
Sierra Soda Straw (in bud)
Yarrow
Birds seen, but mostly heard:
Raven
Clark’s Nutcracker
Dipper
Mt. Chickadee
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Cassin’s Finch
Butterflies seen were Painted Lady, Swallowtails sp., Blues sp.
Leave a Reply