More of USFS trail 345

Trail 345 is about 15 miles long. Extending from Baldy Mountain on the east to Big Hole Peak on the west, it follows the crest of a small divide called different names in various places: Loneman Divide, Weeksville Divide or, on old maps, Buffalo Bill Divide. These photos were taken on June 16, 2017 in the rain along Loneman Divide, about 5 miles east of those in the previous post and a thousand feet lower in elevation.

Red Clover ~ Trifolium pratense

Small-flowered Penstemon ~ Penstemon procerus

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily ~ Calochortus apiculatus

Yellow Indian Paintbrush

Stonecrop ~ Sedum rupicola

Just another pretty face…

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily ~ Calochortus apiculatus

A few more

A short hike as a retreat from a hot afternoon revealed a few more wildflowers in bloom, and a few drops of rain helped provide a cool break.

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily ~ Calochortus apiculatus. About the size of a 50 cent piece.

Early Blue Violet ~ Viola adunca

Feathery False Lily of the Valley ~ Maianthemum racemosum. The blossom is about 4 inches tall.

Silvery Lupine ~ Lupinus argenteus. This one is about a foot tall.

Starry False Lily-of-the-valley ~ Maianthemum stellatum. This blossom is about 3 inches tall.

Blue Speedwell ~ Veronica anagallis-aquatica. Quite a name for a blossom only 1/8 inch wide!

A brief visit to Trail 345

Today I briefly visited a favorite old trail even though the day was a little warmer than I like for hiking. But a trail that had no visitors on a holiday weekend was still a good place to be.

USFS trail 345 on a bright summer day.

White Spirea, Shinyleaf Spirea ~ Spiraea lucida

Alaska rein orchid, slender-spire orchid ~ Piperia unalascensis

Sickletop Lousewort ~ Pedicularis racemosa

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush ~ Castilleja miniata

Pointedtip Mariposa lily, Three-spot Mariposa lily, Baker’s mariposa, ~ Calochortus apiculatus

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

Three-spot Mariposa Lily

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily, Three-spot Mariposa Lily, Baker’s Mariposa ~ Calochortus apiculatus ~ Found only in Canada’s British Columbia and Alberta and in Oregon, Idaho and Montana in the U.S.