A small Trillium celebration

On April 18, 2008 while hiking the Munson Creek trail in the TeePee/Spring Creek roadless area, about 2 miles from the trailhead I encountered the largest bloom of trilliums that I’ve ever seen. On April 18 of every year since, I have visited that same place to celebrate the beautiful annual bloom of trilliums. It is sad this year for me to realize that I am not up to that steep hike, not yet, and so today I had a small trillium celebration and photo session not very far up from the trail head where there are several dozen blooming near the footbridge over the creek.

Western White Trillium, Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum

April diversity

While reviewing some photos taken during 2013, I was reminded of the diversity that we encounter here during the month of April. Following are a few photos taken in April, 2013:

April 1, Thompson Pass ~ I hiked a mile and a half on snowshoes over six feet of snow to find a trail head but was unable to find it because all of the signs and markings were below the snow level.

April 5, our first Crocus was in bloom in one of the flower beds.

April 11, Western White Trillium, Trillium Ovatum in bloom at the bottom end of Munson Creek.

April 13, Darkthroat Shootingstar, Dodecatheon pulchellum blooming just above the river.

April 18, Western White Trillium, Trillium Ovatum in bloom 2 miles up the Munson Creek trail. This was the fourth consecutive year that I caught the spectacular bloom of the trilliums in that one small area along the trail.

April 21, A sudden spring snow brought a relapse back to winter.

April 22, Most of the previous day’s snow had already melted down by the river.

April 22, Holboell’s rockcress, Boechera pendulocarpa was in bloom on a warm rock face just above the river.

April 18th ~ Trilliums

On April 18th in 2008 I found a place along the Munson Creek trail where Trilliums abound and I’ve visited that place on April 18th every year since. Usually they are in full bloom but today, although they were plentiful, they have just begun their bloom and the flowers are quite small. At that elevation (3,400 feet) small patches of snow still remain on the ground. After photographing a few of the trilliums I hiked on up the trail to 4,100 feet where winter is still in full season and spring is still in the future.

Western White trillium, Pacific Trillium, Wake Robin, Birthroot, Trillium Ovatum

Despite the weather

Although the weather has been rather cool, wet and with snow forecast again for this weekend, the wildflowers are managing to bloom pretty much on schedule. At the bottom end of Munson Creek near the footbridge a few Trilliums are blooming today. A little further up the trail some Glacier Lilies have emerged.

Western White Trillium, Trillium Ovatum

Glacier Lily, Erythronium grandiflorum

Another mile up the trail and no flowers have appeared yet, but the lichen are doing well after a cold winter in the canyon.

Frosted Rocktripe, Umbilicaria vellea

Pink trilliums

These photos were taken on May 1 of flowers from the same population that I photographed on April 16 (when they were white). They are pure white when they first bloom, then turn pink, then rose-colored as they age.

Western white trillium, Pacific trillium, Wake Robin, Birthroot, Trillium ovatum

A trillium celebration

Not far from here, nature conducts a trillium celebration that I have attended for several years and intend to continue attending as long as I am able. It takes place at exactly this time of year a couple of miles up a very steep and narrow trail that is perpendicular to the traffic flow through these parts, along a creek that flows down its canyon from Koo Koo Sint Ridge through the TeePee – Spring Creek Roadless area.

In a small area of some fifty yards in length and perhaps forty in width, hidden among (and protected by) thick brush in the canyon, thousands of trilliums begin their bloom all at once. Few folks ever venture there to see them.

Western White Trillium or Pacific Trillium, Trillium Ovatum: