[Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon: 2007]
Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mts. of Oregon

Trail #600 from Cloud Cap Inn to the top of Gnarl Ridge

A Native Plant Society of Oregon Fieldtrip

Mt. Hood

August 2 & 4, 2007

The photo above shows the upper eastern slopes of Mt. Hood as seen from along the Timberline Trail #600 at the upper end of Gnarl Ridge.....................July 19, 2007. The trees in this view are both whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) and mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana).
* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

1. American Parsley Fern: Cryptogramma acrostichoides -

2. Sword Fern: Polystichum sp. -

3. Common Juniper: Juniperus communis var. montana -

4. Grand Fir: Abies grandis -

5. Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa -

6. White Fir: Abies concolor x grandis -

7. Western Larch: Larix occidentalis -

8. Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis - Growing at least as high as 8000' on the terminal moraine of Newton Glacier.

9. Mountain Hemlock: Tsuga mertensiana - Growing at least as high as 8000' on the terminal moraine of Newton Glacier.

10. Black Cottonwood: Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa - Seen only as shrub-sized plants along the road near the trailhead.

* 11. Variable Willow: Salix commutata -

* 12. Willow: Salix sp. -

* 13. Hood's Sedge ?: Carex hoodii -

* 14. Merten's Rush: Juncus mertensianus -

* 15. Rush: Juncus sp. -

* 16. Hitchcock's Smooth Woodrush: Luzula glabrata var. hitchcockii -

* 17. Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides (ssp. ?) - Alpine forms, found above timberline, at least as high as 8000'.

* 18. Subalpine Mariposa Lily: Calochortus subalpinus -

19. Avalanche or Glacier Lily: Erythronium (grandiflorum or montanum) - Forming seed pods.

* 20. Green False Hellebore: Veratrum viride -

21. Beargrass: Xerophyllum tenax -

* 22. White Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata (formerly Habenaria dilatata var. dilatata) -

* 23. Hooded Ladies-tresses: Spiranthes romanzoffiana var. romanzoffiana -

* 24. Oval-leaved Buckwheat: Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nivale - Fading out of bloom.

* 25. Hausknecht's Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. hausknechtii -

* 26. Newberry's Fleeceflower, Davis' Knotweed: Polygonum davisiae (formerly P. newberryi or Aconogonon davisiae var. davisiae) -

* 27. Pussypaws: Cistanthe umbellata var. caudicifera -

* 28. Slender Mt. Sandwort: Arenaria capillaris ssp. americana -

* 29. Suksdorf's Campion: Silene suksdorfii -

30. Anemone: Anemone sp. -

* 31. Pacific Stonecrop: Sedum divergens - A few plants still in bloom. Seen only high up on Gnarl Ridge, although it is also on moraines near the old crossing of Trail #600 at Elliot Creek.

* 32. Tolmie's Saxifrage: Saxifraga tolmiei - Beginning to bloom above 7000'.

33. Dwarf Ocean Spray: Holodiscus glabrescens - Found along Gnarl Ridge to above Lambertson Butte.

* 34. Partridgefoot: Luetkea pectinata -

* 35. Sitka Mt. Ash: Sorbus sitchensis var. grayi -

* 36. Rose Meadowsweet: Spiraea splendens var. splendens (formerly Spiraea densiflora) -

* 37. Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus ssp. silvicola (formerly Lupinus laxiflorus) -

* 38. Dwarf Lupine: Lupinus sellulus ssp. sellulus var. lobbii (formerly Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii) -

* 39. Mt. Adams Lupine, Silky Lupine: Lupinus sericeus ssp. sericeus var. flexuosus (or Lupinus alpicola) -

* 40. Alpine Willowherb: Epilobium anagallidifolium (formerly Epilobium alpinum var. alpinum) -

* 41. Cascade Desert Parsley, Martindale's Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei -

42. Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis -

43. Sidebells Wintergreen: Orthillia secunda (formerly Pyrola secunda) - Fading out of bloom.

* 44. Pink Heather: Phyllodoce empetriformis - Fading out of bloom.

* 45. Yellow Heather: Phyllodoce glanduliflora - Fading out of bloom.

* 46. Mt. Bog Gentian: Gentiana calycosa -

* 47. Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa -

* 48. California Polemonium: Polemonium californicum -

* 49. Compact Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. compacta - Finishing its bloom period. Only seen high on Gnarl Ridge.

* 50. Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata - Along road below trailhead.

* 51. Magenta Paintbrush: Castilleja parviflora var. oreopola - Only seen at Gnarl Ridge.

* 52 . Lewis' Monkeyflower: Mimulus lewisii - Beginning to bloom.

* 53. Primrose Monkeyflower: Mimulus primuloides - Only seen at Gnarl Ridge.

* 54. Subalpine Monkeyflower: Mimulus tilingii var. caespitosus - Only seen at Gnarl Ridge.

* 55. Woodland Beardtongue: Nothochelone nemorosa - Only seen along road below the trailhead.

* 56. Davidson's Penstemon: Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii -

* 57. Glaucous Penstemon: Penstemon euglaucous - Beginning to fade out of bloom.

58. Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus - In talus along the road just below the trailhead.

* 59. Small-flowered Penstemon: Penstemon procerus var. tolmiei -

* 60. American Alpine Speedwell: Veronica wormskjoldii - Only seen at Gnarl Ridge.

* 61. Common Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. alpicola -

* 62. Western Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis -

* 63. Alpine Pussytoes: Antennaria alpina -

* 64. Broadleaf Arnica: Arnica latifolia -

* 65. Greene's Goldenweed: Ericameria greenei (formerly Haplopappus greenei) - Beginning to bloom.

* 66. Cascade Aster: Eucephallus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus (formerly Aster ledophyllus) - Beginning to bloom.

* 67. Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron peregrinus ssp. callianthemus var. callianthemus -

* 68. Slender Hawkweed: Hieracium gracile var. gracile -

* 69. Alpine Aster: Oreostemma alpigenum var. alpigenum (formerly Aster alpigenus var. alpigenus) -

* 70. Arrowleaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis -

* 71. Dwarf Goldenrod: Solidago simplex ssp. simplex var. nana - Mostlly out of bloom except above 7000'.

The photo above shows a view down along Gnarl Ridge towards Lambertson Butte from near the base of the terminal moraines of the Newton Glacier on the east side of Mt. Hood........................August 2, 2007. Forest fires near Bend, OR have made the normally clear skies quite hazy in this view. The views north, east and west from the Timberline Trail #600 on the east side of Mt. Hood are typically quite stunning, with views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams to the north, the Blue Mts to the east, and Mt. Jefferson to the south.
Animals Seen Along This Route:

Yellow-bellied Marmot

Sierra Nevada Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels

Chipmunks

Red-tailed Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Kestrel

Ravens

Clark's Nutcrackers

Dark-eyed Juncos

Varied Thrushes - Heard

American Robins

Bluebirds: Fledglings, the adults were too far away to identify.

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Mountain Chickadees

Rufous Hummingbirds

Horned Larks (Adults and fledglings)

California Tortoiseshells

Fritillary

Marble?

Paul Slichter E-mail