Yesterday after completing several things that have kept me from the trails lately (and pretty much away from the blog), I leisurely hiked the first mile of the Spring Creek trail (USFS trail #370), retreating from things that had been pressing and enjoying the deep shade of the canyon which was much cooler than the rather high temperatures in the valley. It was wonderful to see the wildflowers and gratifying to see so many species still in bloom.
Oxeye Daisy ~ Leucanthemum vulgare
Water Speedwell, Blue Speedwell ~ Veronica anagallis-aquatica
Pointedtip Mariposa Lily, Three-spot Mariposa Lily, Baker’s Mariposa ~ Calochortus apiculatus
Woodland Pinedrops ~ Pterospora andromedea
Alaska rein orchid, slender-spire orchid ~ Piperia unalascensis
Grand Collomia, Large-flower Mountain-trumpet, Large-flowered Collomia ~ Collomia grandiflora
Lanceleaved Stonecrop ~ Sedum lanceolatum
Sticky Currant berries ~ Ribes viscosissimum
Harebell, Bluebell-of-Scotland ~ Campanula rotundifolia
Pipsissewa, Common Prince’s-pine, ~ Chimaphila umbellata
American Twinflower ~ Linnaea borealis
Montana Outdoors 
Great seeing a new batch of pictures. Glad you’re back on the trail with your camera.
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Comment by Malcolm R. Campbell — June 28, 2016 @ 1:04 pm
Thanks Malcolm. It really felt good to be out again!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 3:19 pm
I really like the colour and design of pipsissewa.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — June 28, 2016 @ 1:23 pm
I do too. I like to think that they were designed with help from a confectioner.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 3:21 pm
Yes!! Very unique colouring.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — June 28, 2016 @ 3:45 pm
Glad you’re out and about again. Nothing like nature to make the cares of the world drop away, temporarily, anyway. Lovely shots.
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Comment by Candace — June 28, 2016 @ 2:50 pm
Thanks Candace. Yes, these trails absorb every bit of one’s attention. I also disturbed a moose or possibly an elk who set about rearranging the furniture about 20 yards from me. Glad to kow they are out there!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
It’s great seeing so many flowers that I’ve never seen or heard of. The pine drops are unlike anything I’ve seen here, and the large flowered collomia is beautiful with its tiny blue anthers.
That’s a great shot of the pipsissewa, and not an easy one to get!
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — June 28, 2016 @ 2:56 pm
I don’t understand the name “large flowered collomia”: it’s quite small in fact.
The Pinedrops is the tallest saprophytic perennial in this region (getting up to 100 cm tall) and although not exactly rare it isn’t too often seen. This was a small one, perhaps because it is early in its growing season.
I have a tiny camera with a tilt screen that makes it possible to shoot from under a pipsissewa without disturbing it. Didn’t used to be that easy!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 3:33 pm
Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for this post!
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Comment by Athinameetsworld — June 28, 2016 @ 5:10 pm
Thank you Athina! I’m pleased that you enjoy seeing some of our wildflowers!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 6:32 pm
Thanks for posting the names of the plants. It is incredibly helpful!
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Comment by Margie — June 28, 2016 @ 5:53 pm
I’m glad that you find the names useful Margie. Part of the reason that I post wildflower photos is to help other people enjoy them, appreciate them, be able identify them and research them by name if they are interested. I have found through many years of effort that identifying wildflowers can be very difficult.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 6:36 pm
I know what you mean. A new flower showed up in my yard this year (not a wildflower) and it took me a few hours of searching to find a picture that looked like it AND gave it a name!
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Comment by Margie — June 28, 2016 @ 6:56 pm
Glad to see you back out hiking the trails again, Terry. I must say I missed your images. They remind me to get outdoors more myself (despite the horrible wintery weather, although today is dry and blue skies).
Your wildflowers are just so interesting. So totally different to ours here in Australia, although Western Australia is supposed to be the best state for seeing them in Spring (not my state of Victoria) and I’m not familiar with them.
The American Twinflower and the Harebell look similar to some of ours, but not the others. We do have a Speedwell, but I think it is plain blue.
Thanks for sharing.
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Comment by Vicki — June 28, 2016 @ 5:54 pm
I’m glad that you like our wildflowers Vicki! I consider each to be a treasure. I often wonder if perhaps the mountainous regions of Australia might have at least somewhat similar species. That would be an interesting study.
It is hot here (by our standards) this week and that confines my outdoor exertions to the more shady canyons instead of the mountain tops, but I intend to make more forays into the back country again now that a lot of my tasks have abated.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 6:45 pm
You’re probably right about our mountains yielding similar species. Melbourne is quite low down, although the surrounding hills/mountains do occasionally get snow down to about 500metres. Last week we had a freezing cold night/day and I forgot to look at the news and see if the hills got snow. I don’t mind the cold at all. It’s the strong winds and heavy rain which keep me indoors in winter.
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Comment by Vicki — June 28, 2016 @ 7:46 pm
It’s hard for me to remember that you are now in winter when it is so hot here. I know that heavy rain and wind are more dangerous to those out in it than moderate amounts of cold. Personally I love “inclement” weather and enjoy being out in it, but I always prepare well for it. I struggle more with heat than any of the other elements of weather.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 8:09 pm
Quite an impressive assortment of flowers.. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Montana..
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Comment by Mother Hen — June 28, 2016 @ 10:55 pm
The huge assortment of wildflowers here makes the whole summer enjoyable for those who get out into the forests and the mountain trails. Away from the cities it is indeed a beautiful place.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2016 @ 11:00 pm
You are like a walking – no, hiking – encyclopedia of wildflowers, Montucky! Such beautiful and intricate subjects for your always beautiful photos. Love it!
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — June 29, 2016 @ 7:59 am
Thanks for your kind words! My fascination with and passion for wildflowers seems to increase every year. Their presence adds a lot of pure joy to a back country hike.
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Comment by montucky — June 29, 2016 @ 5:58 pm
Hi Montucky, I like all but I really am wowed by the Prince’s Pine blossoms. How pretty! Great pictures. You are quite a wonderful photographer. Have a super good Thursday tomorrow!
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Comment by wildlifewatcher — June 29, 2016 @ 1:12 pm
That blossom is one of the most ornate and beautiful of all in my opinion. It is difficult to photograph because its stem is less than 6 inches tall and the blossom always looks down at the ground. I’ve never figured out why, but there are several that do the same thing.
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Comment by montucky — June 29, 2016 @ 6:01 pm
I just found some of our yellow sedum a couple of weeks ago. I’d never noticed it before, but the name “stonecrop” made me think I might find it in the Texas hill country — and I did. It’s like our mountain pinks: quite well adapted to some pretty harsh conditions. I don’t remember seeing the twin flower before. I’m sure you may have posted it, and I simply forgot. I like the way the flowers are paired. They look like tiny art nouveau lamps.
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Comment by shoreacres — June 29, 2016 @ 5:52 pm
Stonecrop seems to like heat and open, dry conditions, although I saw some today that were in a shady environment. It seems that each wildflower species has its own little niche. I wish I was smart enough to figure out the exact parameters each one needs.
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Comment by montucky — June 29, 2016 @ 6:04 pm
I’ve always been enchanted by your photos of the Pipsissewa, They look like a confection … and the Woodland Pinedrops are other worldly. You have such an amazing variety of wildflowers and your photos are wonderful.
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — July 3, 2016 @ 7:41 am
I have long been amazed at the large number of wildflower species in this region. Anyone though who doesn’t hike the back country trails would see only about half of them. Many species love the environment of the undisturbed forests and probably can exist only in that environment. They appear as special treats when encountered on a long difficult hike!
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Comment by montucky — July 3, 2016 @ 8:19 am
Gorgeous nature study. Woodland Pinedrops is my favorite among Your beautiful photos.
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Comment by Sartenada — July 5, 2016 @ 2:40 am
Our forests are a little like that beautiful garden in your latest post, except that the flowers are well spread out and tended only by Nature.
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Comment by montucky — July 5, 2016 @ 6:45 pm