June 27, 2018
A short road trip
What started out this morning to be a little hike along the top of Weeksville Divide on a favorite trail, USFS trail 345, turned into a short road trip.
There weren’t any new wildflowers in bloom along the divide except this small Mountain Rose which is a small flower, not more than an inch or so across:
Dwarf rose, Mountain Rose ~ Rosa gymnocarpa
After about a mile on the trail I hiked back down to the Jeep and after about ten miles of driving north on the Weeksville Creek road paid a visit to a small stream that has long been a favorite place to catch a limit of small Brook Trout. I didn’t fish today but caught some pretty scenery instead.
You can see why, besides the good fishing, it’s one of my favorite summer places.
It was a pretty drive back home, the highlight of which was getting to see some wild Hollyhocks growing beside a small spring just above the water of Thompson River. It’s the only place I’ve ever found them. Not a bad morning at that!
Mountain Hollyhock ~ lliamna rivularis
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Montana Outdoors 
I didn’t know there was such a thing as wild hollyhocks. I have the domestic kind in my garden, but that’s all I knew about. Beautiful field of flowers. The kind of place I would roll on my back if I were a dog and groan about how good life is.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — June 27, 2018 @ 8:52 pm
It’s not my dog who does that! Me too.
I’ve only seen the wild ones in that one location, and I think it grows only in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. USDA Plants show a variation that is also in BC and Alberta. They must be rather rare.
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Comment by montucky — June 27, 2018 @ 9:28 pm
Glad to hear that you’ve done that. Now there are two weirdos in the world. 😉
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — June 28, 2018 @ 8:00 am
I’ve never seen a wild hollyhock — or heard of them, for that matter. They were such a favorite when I was a kid. I used to make dolls from the flowers that grew at the side of our house — those blossoms make fine, fancy skirts!
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Comment by shoreacres — June 27, 2018 @ 9:01 pm
They were favorites when I was a kid too. I’ve planted them here at the house several times but had no luck with them. I think the distribution on this one is only in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
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Comment by montucky — June 27, 2018 @ 9:22 pm
Wow.. just beautiful!~I’ve never seen wild hollyhocks either.. so pretty..
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Comment by Mother Hen — June 27, 2018 @ 9:32 pm
Summer is a beautiful time here. The wild Hollyhocks might be more rare than I thought, at least in this local area because I’ve seen them only in this one place.
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Comment by montucky — June 27, 2018 @ 9:50 pm
Lovely meadow with stream, dog heaven!
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Comment by centralohionature — June 28, 2018 @ 3:33 am
Dog heaven and for me too. Buster and i like the same things.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 8:52 am
Those mountain hollyhocks are gorgeous. Well worth the drive. …….and I can see why you love that stream and meadow area.
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Comment by Vicki — June 28, 2018 @ 7:08 am
There are so many places that I love and it’s difficult to get to them all. I’ll go back there again when I have a hankering for a trout dinner.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 8:53 am
Very beautiful! 🙂
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Comment by annicaaktiv — June 28, 2018 @ 10:54 am
Thank you! THe wild country is celebrating summer!
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 9:20 pm
Interesting that a native rose would be so small.
The meadows along the stream are beautiful. That’s another place I’d spend a lot of time in if I was able.
I didn’t know we had native hollyhocks. They’re a pretty flower and single, rather than double.
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — June 28, 2018 @ 3:07 pm
I used to spend a lot of time fishing that stream but haven’t in the last few years. I’ve decided to spend a day there next week. There’s also a lot of wildlife there, especially whitetail deer, but also an occasional bear, and once in awhile a moose. My daughter just told me that the wild Hollyhocks are plentiful in northern California.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 9:23 pm
Wow that looks like a very peaceful place to retreat to! 🙂
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Comment by M.B. Henry — June 28, 2018 @ 4:02 pm
It is. I used to spend whole days fishing about 4 miles of the stream and enjoying the flowers.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 9:25 pm
I can see why this area is one of your favourites. I love the wild flower grassy areas by the stream!
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Comment by Julie — June 28, 2018 @ 5:46 pm
That’s cold weather country in winter and the summer is short, so the plants erupt into a wonderful tangle this time of year. They must do well though because there are so many of them.
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Comment by montucky — June 28, 2018 @ 9:26 pm
This is a wonderful place!!! What time of day have you been fishing trouts?
The early hours by the stream must be stunning!
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Comment by Hanna — June 29, 2018 @ 3:54 am
I often spend all day there, but fish in early morning of evening. The Brook trout will spend the hot part of the day in the shade of undercut banks of deep holes in a shady area and are not very eager to rise to a fly. On cloudy or rainy days fishing is good any time, but seeing wildlife is also part of the fun too, and they are out more at dusk or dawn, except for Moose who often feed in the backwaters any time of day. There’s a special beauty there on rainy days.
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Comment by montucky — June 29, 2018 @ 7:13 am
Even a short trip can reap rewards! I love the Mountain Hollyhock, how wonderful it’s placement living alongside a spring. 🙂
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Comment by bayphotosbydonna — June 29, 2018 @ 12:32 pm
The Hollyhock is a very pleasant color, isn’t it. Springs are quite common here and there’s usually something interesting growing i or beside them. Always pays to look closely.
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Comment by montucky — June 29, 2018 @ 1:05 pm
Beautiful wildflowers and a white dog meandering among white flowers is very photogenic. Looks like Buster enjoyed the flowers, too.
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Comment by Candace — June 30, 2018 @ 5:41 pm
The soil along the stream must be very rich because the flowers are thick during the short summer period. It’s a wonderful place to be then. Buster enjoys every second we are out in the back country. He loves it just as much as I do. I’m sure he is following instincts that go back into his ancestry thousands of years. It’s really nice just to watch him.
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Comment by montucky — June 30, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
I love these meadow photos and the rose. I would love to walk there.
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Comment by Sartenada — July 3, 2018 @ 2:23 am
The whole meadow is pretty and it goes on for several miles along the stream. There’s also a lot of wildlife that uses the meadow and stream.
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Comment by montucky — July 3, 2018 @ 6:10 pm
Super morning I would say! I just love hollyhocks … and that meadow full of flowers is divine! Buster looks very happy.. 🙂
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Comment by Julie@frogpondfarm — July 3, 2018 @ 3:11 am
it’s a treat to see wild hollyhocks. I’ve found them only in that one small area. I’ve fished in those areas for many decades and they are always pretty, with flowers in the spring and summer, bright leaves in the fall and snow in the winter.
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Comment by montucky — July 3, 2018 @ 6:12 pm