USFS trail 345

Trail 345 is always a most pleasant trail, but every five years or so it becomes a trail of the big flowers. These are photos taken along about a mile of the trail as it starts its climb from Weeksville Divide up toward Big Hole Peak.

Thimbleberry ~ Rubus parviflorus

Dwarf rose, Wood rose ~ Rosa gymnocarpa

More from along the Munson Creek trail

Near the start of the trail, where it first crosses the stream, the vegetation is heavy at the crossing. The flowering shrub to the right of the trail is called “Ocean Spray”.

Ocean-spray, Creambush ~ Holodiscus discolor

Sometimes a tree will fall across the trail. This one is a couple miles up from the trail head. For perspective, I leaned my hiking staff on the tree: the staff is 62 inches long.

Brown-eyed Susan ~ Gaillardia aristata

White Spirea, Shinyleaf Spirea ~ Spiraea lucida

Many flowers have already completed their summer and have already gone to seed. This one is from a Yellow Salsify.

I think this one is from a species of Butterweed.

Common St. Johnswort, Klamath weed ~ Hypericum perforatum

Thimbleberry ~ Rubus parviflorus

Scarlet Gillia, Sky Rocket ~ Ipomopsis aggregata

Liverleaf Wintergreen, Pink Pyrola ~ Pyrola asarifolia

Wood’s Rose ~ Rosa woodsii

Along Trail 345

This old trail has been de-commissioned by the Forest Service but it still exists and I walk along parts of it when I can. Something of interest seems always to be there.

Fireweed ~ Epilobium angustifolium

Thimbleberries (Rubus parviflorus) are ripening

Thimbleberry blossoms (From my archives)

Pinedrops ~ Pterospora andromrdea

Pinedrops are saprophytic perennials, without chlorophyl or green leaves. You have to look closely at them to tell if they are newly blossoming or dried from the previous year.

Northern Green Bog Orchid ~ Platanthera huronensis

Bog orchids can easily be overlooked.

Pine white butterfly ~ Neophasia menapia

Wildflowers of spring (13)

Orange Honeysuckle ~ Lonicera ciliosa 6/13

False Solomon’s Seal ~ Smilacina racemosa 6/13

Sulphur Penstemon, Taper-leaved Penstemon ~ Penstemon attenuatus 6/13

Thimbleberry ~ Rubus parviflorus 6/13

Sicklepod Rockcress ~ Arabis sparsiflora    6/13

Subalpine Mariposa Lily, Mountain Mariposa ~ Calochortus subalpinus 6/13

Thimbleberry

Rubus parviflorus. They start out by producing these fairly large blossoms (2.5 inches across) in early June.

The fruit, which is still ripening now at the higher elevations, is the same size as and visually resembles raspberries athough a little flatter and thinner, but with a delicious taste all its own. The leaves are huge and distinctive.

Yesterday in one area along the trail for perhaps half a mile there were hundreds of these plants, all bearing ripe fruit. Autumn is here.

For two senses

It is difficult to decide if the beauty of the blossom is transcended by the flavor of the berry.

Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus

(If you are not familiar with these, the berries are somewhat similar to raspberries and are incredibly delicious.)