Montana Outdoors

May 21, 2013

Spots

Filed under: Butterflies — Tags: , — montucky @ 9:58 pm

Variable Checkerspot

Variable Checkerspot

Variable Checkerspot

Variable Checkerspot, Euphydryas chalcedona

Common in western North America from Alaska to Baja California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

May 20, 2013

Thompson River today

Filed under: Fishing — Tags: , — montucky @ 11:26 pm

Fishing season opened here on Saturday and today on this stretch of water I caught enough Brown Trout to make a very nice meal for an old friend. That’s a good day.

Thompson River

May 19, 2013

An hour on the Spring Creek trail

A little spare time in the late afternoon, a short drive, cool green shade and flowers.

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja miniata

Kinnikinnik

Kinnikinnik, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Howell's pussytoes

Howell’s pussytoes, Antennaria howellii

Woodland Strawberry

Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Yellow Coralroot

Yellow Coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida

This encounter made my day! It was the first time that I’ve encountered this saprophytic orchid. Its greenish tinge suggests that it may be capable of manufacturing at least a part of its food to supplement its normal diet of decaying organic material.

Smallflower Miterwort

Smallflower Miterwort, Mitella stauropetala

Heart-leaf Arnica

Heart-leaf Arnica, Arnica cordifolia

Early Blue Violet

Early Blue Violet, Viola adunca

Star-flowered Solomon's-seal

Star-flowered Solomon’s-seal, Maianthemum stellatum

Feathery False Lily-of-the-valley

Feathery False Lily-of-the-valley, maianthemum racemosum

Western Gromwell

Western Gromwell, Lithospermum ruderale

May 18, 2013

Beyond the Fairy Slippers

Nearly all of my photos result from my frequent wanderings in the mountains and forests of western Montana. The wildflowers in my previous post were encountered on the way to a hike to view the peaks of the Cherry Peak roadless area, something I choose to do at least once every year. After a ten mile drive from the valley to a starting point at 5000 feet and a two mile hike from there up an old road to 6000 feet I arrive at my preferred viewing spot with an open view of the north side of the peaks. Mountains are always viewed best from high places.

Cherry Peaks

Viewing spot

USFS Road 7581

The road at 6000 feet

Wood Violets

Wood violets (Viola glabella) in bloom just below the snow level.

Clark Fork River valley

View to the northwest over the Clark Fork River.

Koo-Koo Sint Ridge

View of Koo-Koo Sint Ridge north of the river from the access road.

May 15, 2013

Fairy Slippers ~ The little orchids called Calypso

Filed under: Montana, Wildflowers — Tags: , , — montucky @ 8:35 pm

A few days ago I mentioned that I had feared that I might have missed seeing Springbeauties this year. I also had that feeling about Fairy Slippers, having seen only two so far. Today as I returned from a hike up beyond Sheep Gap on the old road just north of Sunset Peak, just about a mile above the new trail head for the Sacajawea Peak Trail I found dozens of these beautiful little wildflowers in full bloom alongside Forest Service Road 7581; a cause for celebration. (Calypso, the goddess daughter of Atlas, was a beautiful sea nymph who was hidden in the woods.)

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

Fairy Slipper

May 12, 2013

May wildflowers

After the late arrival of warm weather, the wildflowers in this part of Western Montana have been hurrying to catch up with spring. Here are more that have started blooming in May:

Miner's Lettuce

Miner’s Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata

Unknown

Unknown

Western Blue Clematis

Western Blue Clematis, Clematis occidentalis

Heart-leaf Arnica

Heart-leaf Arnica , Arnica cordifolia

Fairy Slipper, Calypso Orchid

Fairy Slipper, Calypso Orchid , Calypso bulbosa

Falsebox, Mountain Boxwood, Oregon Boxwood

Falsebox, Mountain Boxwood, Oregon Boxwood, Paxistma myrsinites

Blue-eyed Mary

Blue-eyed Mary, Collinsia parviflora

Yellow Wood Violet

Yellow Wood Violet, Viola glabella

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata

Serviceberry, Saskatoon

Serviceberry, Saskatoon, Amelanchier alnifolia

antelope bitterbrush, antelope-brush

Antelope Bitterbrush, Antelope-brush, Purshia tridentata

antelope bitterbrush, antelope-brush

Antelope Bitterbrush, Antelope-brush, Purshia tridentata

sticky purple geranium, sticky geranium

Sticky Purple Geranium, Sticky Geranium, Geranium viscosissimum

woolly groundsel

Woolly Groundsel, Packera cana

ground ivy

Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea

largeflower triteleia

Largeflower Triteleia, Triteleia grandiflora

meadow death camas, common death camas

Meadow Death Camas, Common Death Camas, Zigadenus venenosus

small-flowered woodland-star, small-flowered prairie-star

Small-flowered Woodland-star, Small-flowered Prairie-star, Lithophragma parviflorum

holly-leaf Oregon-grape, shining Oregongrape, tall Oregongrape

Holly-leaf Oregon-grape, Shining Oregongrape, Tall Oregongrape, Berberis aquifolium

Unknown shrub

Unknown shrub

woolly groundsel

Common Hawkweed, Hieracium lachenalii

two-lobe larkspur, upland larkspur

Two-lobe Larkspur, Upland Larkspur, Delphinium nuttallianum

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