As usual for this time of year, the bed of Spring Creek in the TeePee/Spring Creek Roadless Area is dry at the trail head, but cold, robust and cascading down it’s canyon just a mile up the trail.
July 26, 2018
May 3, 2018
Cascades and Fairy Bells
Now that warmer weather has arrived, the mountain streams are running full from snow melt and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom. The flowers are late blooming this year and the early results seem to show that they are rather sparse and have suffered some effects of the turbulent weather. Still, it’s good to finally see them!
Fairy Bells, Hooker fairy-bells ~ Prosartes hookeri
Cascades on Spring Creek
July 28, 2017
In the thick of things
What can be found in a thick tangle of brush like this? Well, there is water, and a few rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, and the green things of the wilderness will find and use both, and as you push your way through the foliage, interesting things appear.
Blue Elderberry ~ Sambuscus caerulea
Pathfinder
Clustered Thistle ~ Cirsium brevistylum
Great Mullein~ Verbascum thapsus
Devil’s Club ~ Oplopanax horridus
Enchanter’s Nightshade ~ Circaea alpina
Clustered Thistle
June 24, 2017
Think cool!
Two miles up the Spring Creek trail on a hot summer day. Crystal clear, ice cold water cascading down a deep canyon under the canopy of tall, old-growth cedars…
June 15, 2017
An orchid today
Spotted corallroot ~ Corallorhiza maculata ~ wild orchid
There are always beautiful things to find along the Spring Creek trail, including places on the trail itself:
June 28, 2016
Along a mile of trail
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
