The
photo at right shows a close-up of the inflorescnece of Douglas' buckwheat (Eriogonum douclasii) as
seen at the DNR rock quarry on boundary between Yakama and DNR lands on the
southeastern side of Mt. Adams........May 29, 2005.
Rd K6000 runs west and sharply uphill from the Mt. Adams Highway through Washington State DNR and private lands to the Hellroaring Ditch and then further upwards to above 4000' in elevation near the boundaries of both the Gifford Pinchot NF and Yakama Nation. At a large clearcut on the left (SW), one will encounter a well gravelled road with K6900 spray painted on the tree trunk to the left of the road.
GPS coordintates for the beginning of K6900 are:
N46 06.794' --- W121 20.412' --- 3505' --- +/-28'
The site visited for this page's study is at an approximate elevation of 4100' and is evidently a Washington State DNR rock quarry that is atop the ridge separating Dairy Creek and Cougar Creek. The south-facing slopes are open forest of Ponderosa pine as well as some Oregon white oak with abundant grasses and colorful wildflowers. Uphill along the ridge, the habitat changes quickly to a dense, dark coniferous forest. On the east side of the rockpit, rocky or gravelly slopes are vernally moist and provide a habitat for small plants normally found at lower elevations and farther to the east. Be aware that the surface of the acess road has recently had large diameter gravel (up to 2-4 inches in diameter) laid on its surface, giving quite a rough ride and endagering tires, at least for low slung passenger vehicles!
Coordintates for the rock quarry at the end of Rd K6900 are:
N46 07.861' --- W121 20.216' --- 4125' --- +/-16'
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
1. Grand Fir: Abies grandis -
2. Western Larch: Larix occidentalis -
3. Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa -
4. Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana - (Fairly good size (tree) on a dry, rocky site)
*5. Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii -
*6. Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana - Plants are now leafing out as well as blooming
7. Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Some beginning to break bud.
8. Cat's Ear Lily: Calochortus subalpinus - Numerous, with a few within a day or so of blooming.
9. Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum - Mostly bloomed out, a few remain in shaded areas on the north side of the ridgetop.
10. Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Bloomed long ago, the pods of several plants are to be found here.
11. Columbia Tiger Lily: Lilium columbianum - Several with buds on them.
*12. False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum (Smilacina) racemosa - Found in shade of trees at the ridgetop, and common on the north side of the ridge.
*13. Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum (Smilacina) stellata - In shade on the north side of the ridgetop.
*14. Western Wake Robin / Wood Lily / Trillium: Trillium ovatum - Finishing bloom.
*15. Meadow Death Camas: Zigadenus venenosus - Fairly common at the dowsnslope side of the bald, especially at the beginning of the draw.
16. Striped Coral Root ?: Corallorhiza striata - Not quite in bloom.
17. Slender Bog Orchid: Platanathera stricta - Several plants with the scape emerging.
18. Heart-leaved Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - In bud.
*19. Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum douglasii var. - A few plants in bloom on the bald near the ridgetop to the east of the quarry.
*20. Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra - Numerous on the north side of the ridge.
*21. Three-leaf Lewisia: Lewisia triphylla - A few still in bloom.
*22. Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia (Arenaria) macrophylla - Fairly common, more numerous on the north side of the ridge.
23. Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa - Leaves only on the north side of the ridgetop.
*24. Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Numerous. Includes one albino!
*25. Shining Oregon Grape: Mahonia (Berberis) aquifolium - Fairly common on both sides of the ridge.
*26. Cascade Oregon Grape: Mahonia (Berberis) nervosa - Fairly common on the north side of the ridge.
*27. RoughWallflower: Erysimum asperum - Abundant.
*28. Pacific Dogwood: Cornus nuttallii - Along the access road (K6900) to the rock quarry up to about 3700'.
*29. Hairystem Rock Cress: Boechera pauciflora (Arabis sparsiflora var. subvillosa) - In bloom, with several plants in the draw on the south side up to 1 meter high with maturing fruits.
*30. Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflora - A few still in bloom.
*31. Three-tooth Mitrewort: Mitella trifida var. trifida - Fairly common on the north side of the ridgetop.
*32. Spiny Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - (spiny calyx)
*33. Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum - In bloom on the north side of the ridgetop.
*34. Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata - Fairly numerous.
35. Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - Plants are fairly numerous, but with no sign of bloom yet.
*36. Glandular Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa - A few beginnning to bloom (petals about equal to or slightly shorter than the sepals).
*37. Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - A few still in bloom.
*38. Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - In full bloom.
39. Black Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis -
40. Cascade Mt. Ash: Sorbus scopulina - Acute leaf tips.
*41. Thick-leaved Pea: Lathyrus lanzwertii var. aridus - Beginning to bloom in the draw on the south-facing slopes.
*42. Nevada Pea: Lathyrus nevadensis (ssp. nevadensis ?) - Beginning to bloom in the draw on the south-facing slopes.
43. Nevada Deer-vetch: Lotus nevadensis - Common, not in bloom yet.
*44. Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus ssp. silvicola (formerly L. laxiflorus) - Fairly numerous. Not in peak bloom yet.
45. Bigleaf Lupine: Lupinus burkei ssp. burkei - Fairly common in moister or shaded areas - Racemes forming.
*46. Stream Violet: Viola glabella - Fairly common on the north side of the ridgetop.
47. Redstem Ceanothus: Ceanothus sanguineus - Plants heavily chewed upon by deer?, not in bloom yet.
*48. Willowherb: Epilobium sp. - Plants with narrow leaves, sprawling to erect, up to 7-8 inches long. Flowers small, white. On dry, sunny vernally moist site.
*49. Desert Parsley: Lomatium species (L. triternatum ?) - Leaves close to groundbi- to tri-pinnate. Fruits beginning to form are slender and long with pedicels 1-2 mm long.
*50. Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Numerous.
*51. Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Numerous.
*52. Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi (or O. purpurea) ? -
*53. Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens - Numerous
*54. Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis - See photo below.
55. Flytrap Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium -
56. Broadleaf Starflower: Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia (formerly Trientalis latifolius) - Not in bloom yet.
57. Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora -
*58. Midget Phlox: Phlox (Microsteris) gracilis - Numerous.
*59. California Polemonium: Polemonium californicum -
60. Ball Head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum -
*61. Shade Phacelia: Phacelia nemoralis -
62. Tall Phacelia: Phacelia procera - Plants fairly tall, but probably several weeks away from blooming.
*63. Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida - Fairly abundant.
*64. Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Numerous.
65. Turtleheads / Woodland Beardtongue: Nothochelone nemorosa - Leaves only.
66. Penstemon: Penstemon subserratus (or P. attenuatus) ? - Nearly in bloom. In bloom below 3200'.
67. Penstemon: Penstemon sp. - Several plants with yellowish buds?
*68. Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora var. purpurea - Flowers are very dark blue-purple. A few plants still in bloom.
69. Orange Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa -
70. Blue Elderberry: Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea - Leaves emerging, not in bloom yet.
*71. Western Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis - Numerous plants, a few beginning to bloom.
72. Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor -
*73. Large-flowered Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa - Plants are much more woolly than I remember.
*74. Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla -
75. Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea -
76. Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea - Nearly in bloom.
77. Arnica: Arnica sp. - very rhizomatous.
*78. Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Fairly common on the north side of the ridge.
*79. Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - Fairly numerous on grassy to rocky slopes on the south side of this peak.
80. Silver Crown Luina: Cacaliopsis nardosmia (Luina nardosmia) - In bud, some just breaking bud.
*81. Woolly Sunflower, Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum - A few just beginning to bloom.
82. Hawkweed: Hieracium sp. - Several nearing bloom.
*83. Small Tarweed: Madia minima
*84. Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans - Abundant
*85. Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Abundant.
86. Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - Not in bloom yet.
American Robins
Thrush (singing in the far distance)
Grouse (booming in the distance)
Red-breasted Nuthatches
Pine Siskins
Western Wood Peewees
Flickers
Vireo? (great singer)
Black-headed Grosbeaks
Western Tanagers
Douglas Squirrel
Chipmunk
Morning Cloak butterflies
Painted Ladies
Small Blue butterflies
