The
photo at right shows a close-up of the inflorescnece of rosy pussytoes as seen
at the DNR rock quarry on boundary between Yakama and DNR lands on the southeastern
side of Mt. Adams..........June 11, 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'
1. Grand Fir: Abies grandis -
2. Western Larch: Larix occidentalis -
3. Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta -
4. Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa -
5. Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana - (Fairly good size (tree) on a dry, rocky site)
6. Red Alder: Alnus rubra -
*7. Sitka Alder: Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata -
8. Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii - Now going to seed.
*9. Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana - Plants are now leafing out (beautiful, shingy foliage) as well as blooming
*10. Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Numerous white, pink and purplish blooms.
*11. Cat's Ear Lily: Calochortus subalpinus - Numerous, with a few within a day or so of blooming.
12. Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Bloomed long ago, the pods of several plants are to be found here.
13. Columbia Tiger Lily: Lilium columbianum - Several with buds on them.
*14. False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum (Smilacina) racemosa - Found in shade of trees at the ridgetop, and common on the north side of the ridge.
*15. Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum (Smilacina) stellata - Just past bloom.
16. Hooker's Fairy Bells: Prosartes hookeri (Disporum hookeri) - Just finishing bloom.
*17. Meadow Death Camas: Zigadenus venenosus - Fairly common at the dowsnslope side of the bald, especially at the beginning of the draw.
18. Merten's Coral Root: Corallorhiza mertensiana ???? - Not quite in bloom. This one still needs to be confirmed in terms of its identity. Sadly this site was logged in the late summer of 2005.
19. Elegant Rein Orchid: Pipera elegans ssp. elegans - Several dozen plants with the scape up to 15 cm high.
20. Heart-leaved Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - In bud.
*21. Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum douglasii (var. ?)- A few plants in bloom on the bald near the ridgetop to the east of the quarry.
22. Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum -
23. Kellogg's Knotweed: Polygonum kelloggii - See photo below.
*24. Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella -
*25. Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra - Numerous on the north side of the ridge.
*26. Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia (Arenaria) macrophylla - A few still in bloom on the north side of the ridge.
*27. Red Sandspurry: Spergularia rubra - A few plants in bloom along the roads and in the rock quarry.
28. Bane Berry: Actaea rubra - Just past blooming on the north side of the ridgetop.
*29. Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa - Now in bloom on the north side of the ridgetop.
*30. Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Numerous.
*31. Western Meadow Rue: Thalictrum occidentale - A few in bloom along the road on the north side of the ridge.
32. Shining Oregon Grape: Mahonia (Berberis) aquifolium - Now past bloom on both sides of the ridge.
33. Cascade Oregon Grape: Mahonia (Berberis) nervosa - Now past bloom on the north side of the ridge.
*34. Rough Wallflower: Erysimum asperum - Abundant.
*35. Pacific Dogwood: Cornus nuttallii - Along the access road (K6900) to the rock quarry up to about 3700'.
*36. Hairy Rockcress: Arabis hirsuta var. glabrata - A number of plants up to one meter high seen.
*37. Hairystem Rock Cress: Arabis sparsiflora var. subvillosa - In bloom, with several plants in the draw on the south side up to 1 meter high with maturing fruits.
*38. Rough Wallflower: Erysimum asperum -
*39. Three-tooth Mitrewort: Mitella trifida - Mostly past bloom on the north side of the ridgetop.
40. Spiny Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - (spiny calyx)
*41. Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum - In bloom on the north side of the ridgetop.
*42. Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia ssp. semiintegrifolia -
*43. Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata - Fairly numerous.
44. Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - Plants are fairly numerous inflorescences starting to form.
*45. Glandular Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. glandulosa ?) - A few beginnning to bloom (petals about equal to or slightly shorter than the sepals).
*46. Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - A few still in bloom.
*47. Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Just past bloom.
*48. Clustered Wild Rose / Peafruit Rose: Rosa pisoocarpa -
49. Black Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis -
*50. Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus - A few in bloom on the bald.
51. Cascade Mt. Ash: Sorbus scopulina - Past bloom.
*52. Thick-leaved Pea: Lathyrus lanzwertii var. aridus - Beginning to bloom in the draw on the south-facing slopes.
*53. Nevada Pea: Lathyrus nevadensis (ssp. nevadensis) - Beginning to bloom in the draw on the south-facing slopes.
54. Nevada Deer-vetch: Lotus nevadensis - Common, not in bloom yet.
*55. Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus (formerly L. laxiflorus) - Fairly numerous. Not in peak bloom yet.
*56. Broadleaf Lupine: Lupinus burkei - Fairly common in moister or shaded areas - Racemes forming on south-facing slopes, many plants in bloom along the road on the north side of the ridge.
*57. Stream Violet: Viola glabella -
*58. Buck Brush: Ceanothus sanguineus - Several dozen plants seen along the road on the north side of the ridge.
*59. Snow Brush: Ceanothus velutinus -
60. Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium -
61. Common Clarkia: Clarkia rhomboidea. - Leaves only.
*62. 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.
*63 Desert Parsley: Lomatium species (L. triternatum ?) - Leaves close to groundbi- to tri-pinnate. Blooms fading and fruits beginning to form are slender and long with pedicels 1-2 mm long.
*64. Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Numerous, but blooms are fading.
*65. Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum - Numerous, but blooms are fading.
*66. Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi ? -
*67. Western Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis -
68. Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens - Numerous, but fruits are forming.
*69. Kinnikinnick: Arctostaphylos nevadensis - Only in bloom on the north side of the ridge. Many are forming fruits.
70. Flytrap Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium -
*71. Broadleaf Starflower: Trientalis latifolius - Now in bloom.
72. Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora - Not in bloom yet.
*73. Mountain Navarretia: Navarretia divaricata -
*74. Midget Phlox: Phlox (Microsteris) gracilis - Numerous, but fading.
*75. California Polemonium: Polemonium californicum -
*76. Phacelia: Phacelia leptosepala or Phacelia nemoralis ? -
77. Tall Phacelia: Phacelia procera - Plants fairly tall, but probably several weeks away from blooming.
*78. Slender Cryptanth: Cryptantha affinis -
*79. Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida - Fairly abundant.
*80. Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Numerous.
*81. Brewer's Monkeyflower: Mimulus breweri -
82. Woodland Beardtongue / Turtleheads: Nothochelone nemorosa - Leaves only.
83. Penstemon: Penstemon subserratus, P. humilus or P. attenuatus? - Nearly in bloom. In bloom below 3200'.
84. Penstemon: Penstemon sp. - Several plants with yellowish buds?
85. Lance-leaf Figwort: Scrophularia lanceolata - In bud.
86. Orange Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa - Within days of bloom along the road at the north side of the ridge
87. Blue Elderberry: Sambucus nigra spp. cerulea - Inflorescences visible, not fully formed.
*88. Mt. Heliotrope: Valeriana sitchensis -
*89. Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis - Numerous plants, a few beginning to bloom.
90. Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor -
*91. Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca -
*92. Spear-leaved Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa - Leaf lobes are mostly retrorse.
*93. Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla -
94. Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea -
*95. Pussytoes: Antennaria racemosa -
*96. Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea - Now beginning to bloom.
*97. Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Fairly common on the north side of the ridge, but beginning to fade.
*98. Mt. Arnica: Arnica latifolia - A few beginning to bloom.
99. Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi - A few nearly in bloom.
100. Rough Aster: Aster radulinus - Lower leaves only.
*101. Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - Fairly numerous on grassy to rocky slopes on the south side of this peak.
*102. Silver Crown Luina: Cacaliopsis nardosmia (Luina nardosmia) - In full bloom.
103. White Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa - Plants along road on north side of ridge.
104. Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare - Basal leaves only.
*105. Woolly Sunflower / Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum - A few just beginning to bloom.
106. Hawkweed: Hieracium sp. - Several nearing bloom.
*107. Small Tarweed: Madia minima
*108. Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans - Abundant
*109. Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Abundant, but beginning to fade.
110. Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - Not in bloom yet, but in bloom at 700' lower elevation.
American Robins
Grouse (booming in the distance)
Red-breasted Nuthatches
House Wren
Western Wood Peewees
Olive-sided Flycatchers
Flickers
Vireo? (great singer)
Black-headed Grosbeaks
Western Tanagers
Stellers Jays
Ravens
Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Chipmunk
Morning Cloak butterflies
Painted Ladies
Small Blue butterflies
Carnivorous Ground Beetle