Yesterday’s walk

It just seems that there is something of beauty to be seen wherever you go.

It’s called “Self-heal ~ Prunella vulgaris” and this time of year it seems to be everywhere; but when you look closely, it’s very pretty.

Three-leaf Foamflower ~ Tiarella trifoliata

I don’t know its name, but it deserves its own place along with the other pretty things in the forest.

For some reason, Pipsissewa always has its face turned toward the ground, but it’s one of the prettiest of the wildflowers.

Pipsissewa ~ Chimaphila umbellata

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

High Mountain Cinquefoil ~ Potentilla flabellifolia

Friday’s wildflowers

Harebells ~ Campanula rotundifolia

Harebells ~ Campanula rotundifolia

Pearly Everlasting ~ Anaphalis margaritacea

Oxeye Daisy ~ Leucanthemum vulgare

Oxeye Daisy ~ Leucanthemum vulgare

Pipsissewa, common prince’s-pine ~ Chimaphila umbellata

Pipsissewa, common prince’s-pine ~ Chimaphila umbellata

Nodding onion ~ Allium cernuum

Nodding onion ~ Allium cernuum

This morning’s wildflowers

With the temperature headed for one hundred today, early morning was the only time for a short hike and yesterday’s post on Jomegat’s Weblog reminded me that the Pipsissewa are starting to bloom, an event I would hate to miss. The wildflowers don’t mind the heat, especially along a wooded canyon trail. There were other flowers in bloom as well.

Bluebell bellflower, Bluebell-of-Scotland, Harebell, Campanula rotundifolia

Pipsissewa, Chimaphila umbellata

Oneleaf foamflower, Sugar scoop, Western foamflower, Tiarella trifoliata

Common selfheal, Prunella vulgaris

Twinflower, Linnaea borealis

Liverleaf wintergreen, Pink pyrola, Pyrola asarifolia

Nodding onion, Allium cernuum

Spotted coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata

Pear Lake, Blossom Lakes ~ Evan’s Gulch Roadless Area (3)

Flowers of the Evan’s Gulch Roadless Area

For a short time I thought about posting photos of all of the wildflowers I encountered on the trail to Pear Lake, but upon counting them and finding that there were 35 different species, I decided instead to just post two sets, leaving out many whose photos I have posted before including Glacier Lilies and Springbeauties which bloomed at the lower elevations months ago but are now in full bloom among the snowbanks that remain on the high ridge just before the trail drops down to Pear Lake.

Harebells, Bluebells of Scotland, Campanula rotundifolia

Clustered Thistle, Cirsium brevistylum

Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum

Pearly Everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea

Pipsissewa, Prince’s Pine, Chimaphila umbellata

Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discolor (These are blossoming shrubs and their large clusters of blooms decorate many hillsides this time of summer)

One-leaved Foamflower, Tiarella unifoliata

Pink Wintergreen, Pyrola asarifolia

Pipsissewa

All summer I looked forward to seeing this little shrub and was disappointed, thinking that I had missed it this year, but today on the west slope of Mount Baldy under the sub-alpine firs many were in bloom. I enjoy photographing it and especially enjoy displaying the photos, for you see, its pretty little face is almost always facing down toward the ground causing it to be overlooked. This one was growing on a very steep slope and I was able to slither up from below and get this view without disturbing the plant at all.

Pipsissewa, Prince’s-pine ~ Chimaphila umbellata