Wildflowers in Bloom Along the Craggy Peak Trail #3

Access: Drive east of Cougar, WA on Road N90 to Road 25. Turn left and drive north on Road 25 and cross the Muddy River. The road winds uphill a mile or so and at a sharp turn, turn right east onto paved Road 93 which descends and crosses Clear Creek and then climbs again. Stay on pavement or to the left at intersections. Watch for cracks in the pavement or areas where the road is slumping which you'll want to cross more slowly. Where the road becomes gravel, stay left onto spur road #030 (some guides call this Rd #9327) for a mile or so to the trailhead. Currently, the sign on the road denoting the trailhead is broken and laying on the ground. The trailhead is at the northeast end of a hunter's camp on the right where the road curves sharply left near Wright Meadows. The trail is currently (late 2014) deeply rutted in a few places although the Forest Service is rebuilding the trail in places and unauthorized trail reroutes by motorbikers get you out of the ruts. The latter are rudimentary trails with many huckleberry stems still erect to trip you over the 1/2 mile reroute.

Note also that this area is heavily used by motorbikes on weekends during most of the season and hunters from the first of September on. If you can, try to hike the Dark Divide on weekdays.

* Denotes the plant was in bloom.

Witch's Hair Lichen: Bryoria sp.

Ragged Lichen: Platismatia glauca

Beard Lichen: Usnea sp.

Amanita: Amanita sp.

Bolete: Boletus sp.

Russula sp.

Deer Fern: Blechnum spicant

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Noble Fir: Abies procera

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum - Leaves turning red.

Slide Alder: Alnus viridis

Cascade Oregon Grape: Berberis nervosa

Alaska Cedar: Chamaecyparis nookatensis

Western Bunchberry: Cornus unalaschkensis

Oregon Boxwood: Pachistima myrsinites

Western White Pine: Pinus monticola

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

Willow: Salix sp.

Western Hemlock: Tsuga heterophylla

Hitchcock's Wood-rush: Luzula hitchcockii

Merten's Sedge: Carex mertensii

Small-fruited Bulrush: Scirpus microcarpus

Reed Canarygrass: Phalaris arundinacea

Bead Lily: Clintonia uniflora - Fruits ripening.

Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum - Pods maturing.

Clasping-leaf Twisted Stalk: Streptopus amplexifolius

Western Wakerobin: Trillium ovatum

Green False Hellebore: Veratrum (viride var. eschscholtzii?)

Bear Grass: Xerophyllum tenax

Coralroot: Corallorhiza sp.

Northwestern Twayblade: Listera (caurina ?)

* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii

Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

Red Sandspurry: Spergularia rubra

Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

Inside-out Flower: Vancouveria hexandra

Oregon Anemone: Anemone (oregana ?)

Western Columbine: Aquilegia formorsa

Marsh Marigold: Caltha biflora

Small Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

False Bugbane: Trautvetteria caroliniensis

Brewer's Mitrewort: Mitella breweri

* Foamflower: Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata

Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. ?)

* Broad-petal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala

Evergreen Blackberry: Rubus laciniata

* Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus - Fading out of bloom.

Blackcap: Rubus leucodermis

Strawberry Leaf Bramble: Rubus pedatus

Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilis

Sitka Mountain Ash: Sorbus sitchensis - Fruits ripening.

* Broadleaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius

* White Clover: Trifolium repens - At the trailhead.

Trillium-leaf Wood Sorrel: Oxalis (trilliifolia ?)

Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

Darkwoods Violet: Viola orbiculata

* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

Ciliate Willowherb: Epilobium ciliatum

Sharptooth Angelica: Angelica arguta

Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Little Pipsissewa: Chimaphila menziesii

Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata

Slender Wintergreen: Gaultheria ovatifolia

Pinesap: Hypopitys monotropa

Fool's Huckleberry: Menziesia ferruginea

Side-bells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda

Pink Wintergreen: Pyrola asarifolia

White-vein Wintergreen: Pyrola picta

Cascade Azalea: Rhododendron albiflorum

Thin-leaved Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum

Oval-leaf Huckleberry: Vaccimium ovalifolium

Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa var. longistylis

California Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium californicum

* Self Heal: Prunella vulgaris var. vulgaris - At trailhead.

Cooley's Hedgenettle: Stachys cooleyae

* Musk Monkeyflower: Erythranthe moschata

* Sickletop Lousewort: Pedicularis racemosa

English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

Broadleaf Plantain: Plantago major

Twinflower: Linnaea borealis

Elderberry: Sambucus sp.

Northern Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis

* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca - Fading out of bloom.

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Meadow Arnica: Arnica chamissonis (former var. foliosa)

* Northern Aster: Canadanthus modestus

* Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense

* Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus

Cudweed: Pseudognaphalium (thermale ?)

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum - Fading out of bloom.

* False Dandelion: Hypochaeris radicata

* Wire Lettuce: Mycelis muralis

* Tansy Ragwort: Senecio jacobaea

Chipmunks

Downy or Hairy Woodpecker - Heard.

Canada Jays

Stellers Jays

American Robins

Dark-eyed Juncos

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Chestnut-backed Chickadees