Wildflowers in Bloom Along the Boundary Trail #1

Access to our starting point was via Road 2551 extending east from Road 25 at Elk Pass. Drive about 1.5-1.7 miles over a rough at times road surface. The parking area is on the north side of the road east or west of a small spur road that extends uphill to the north. The spur road is the first such road one encounters along Road 2551. There is a pullout on the southside of Road 2551 about one half mile east if a more suitable turnaround spot is needed. Only high clearance 4x4 vehicles should attempt the spur road.

Hike uphill along the spur road for about 0.5 miles. You should encounter several obscure trails heading north up the bank into the bushes. We took the second of these and after about 30 yards came to the Boundary Trail #1, which we then hiked eastward on. This trail is heavily used by dirt bikes (motorized) which have rutted the trail, at times making walking difficult. Hike on weekdays to avoid the dirt bikes. Horses and hikers may also be encountered. Meadows on the west side of Badger Lake are suitable for a picnic lunch. Find a large downed log or two to sit upon. The trail up Badger Peak is jus west and north of the lake. It is about 1 mile long and steep. The view is worthwhile and there should be good wildflowers in bloom there in early spring to mid-summer.

* Denotes the plant was in bloom.

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum ?

Western Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Noble Fir: Abies procera

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Slide Alder: Alnus viridis

Alaska Cedar: Chamaecyparis nookatensis

Common Juniper: Juniperus communis

Oregon Boxwood: Pachistima myrsinites

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii

Hooker's Willow: Salix hookeriana

Mountain Hemlock: Tsuga mertensiana

* Merten's Sedge: Carex mertensii

* Black Alpine Sedge: Carex nigricans

* Showy Sedge: Carex spectabilis

* Merten's Rush: Juncus mertensianus

Parry's Rush: Juncus parryi

* Small-flowered Wood-rush: Luzula parviflora

* Alpine Bentgrass: Agrostis variabilis ?

* Meadow Foxtail: Alopecuris pratensis - At the trailhead.

* Mountain Brome: Bromus carinatus var. marginatus

Orchard Grass: Dactylis glomerata

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Bead Lily: Clintonia uniflora - Fruits ripening.

Avalanche Lily: Erythronium montanum

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum

Rosy Twistedstalk: Streptopus lanceolatus - Fruits ripening.

Green False Hellebore: Veratrum viride var. eschscholtzii

Bear Grass: Xerophyllum tenax

Coralroot: Corallorhiza sp.

* Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Slender Bog Orchid: Platanthera stricta ? or Few-flowered Bog Orchid: Platanthera sparsiflora ?

* Northern Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Dirty Socks: Eriogonum pyroliifolium - Spur road near the trailhead.

* Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia siberica

Mountain Sandwort: Eremogone capillaris var. americana

Big-leaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

Douglas' Campion: Silene douglasii - Past bloom at the summit.

* Bog Stitchwort: Stellaria alsine ? - Mounded in the outlet from Badger Lake.

* Starwort: Stellaria sp. - Covering moist ground (prostrate) in forest below the peak.

Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

Anemone: Anemone (drummondii or multifida)

Western Anemone: Anemone occidentalis - Past bloom.

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formorsa

Marsh Marigold: Caltha leptosepala ssp. biflora

* False Bugbane: Trautvettaria caroliniensis

* Wallflower: Erysimum arenicola - Fading out of bloom at the summit.

Brewer's Mitrewort: Mitella breweri

* Rusty Saxifrage: Saxifraga ferruginea - bulbils ?

* Brook Saxifrage: Saxifraga odontoloma - Fading out of bloom.

* Foamflower: Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata

Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

Red-flowering Currant: Ribes sanguineum - Fruits ripening.

Broad-petal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - Fruits ripening.

* Partridge Foot: Luetkea pectinata - Fading out of bloom.

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

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus - Fruits ripening.

* Strawberry Leaf Bramble: Rubus pedatus - Fading out of bloom.

Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilis - Fruits ripening.

Sitka Mountain Ash: Sorbus sitchensis - Fruits ripening.

* Arctic Lupine, Subalpine Lupine: Lupinus arcticus (Lupinus latifolius var. subalpinus) ?

* Broadleaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius ?

* White Clover: Trifolium repens - At the trailhead.

* Trillium-leaf Wood Sorrel: Oxalis trilliifolia - Fading out of bloom.

Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

Darkwoods Violet: Viola orbiculata ?

Evergreen Violet: Viola sempervirens ?

* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

Club-fruited Willowherb: Epilobium clavatum - Past bloom at the summit.

Glacous Willowherb: Epilobium glaberrimum (var. ?) - Past bloom at the trailhead.

* Diffuse Goundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum

* Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayii

Cascade Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei - Past bloom.

Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Little Pipsissewa: Chimaphila menziesii

Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata

Fool's Huckleberry: Menziesia ferruginea

Side-bells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda - Past bloom.

* Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea

Pink Wintergreen: Pyrola asarifolia ssp. asarifolia - Past bloom.

White-vein Pyrola: Pyrola picta - Past bloom.

Cascade Azalea: Rhododendron albiflorum

Thin-leaved Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum - Berries nearly ripe.

Ovalleaf Huckleberry: Vaccimium ovalifolium - Berries nearly ripe.

Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa var. longistylis

California Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium californicum

* Lewis' Monkeyflower: Erythranthe lewisii

* Musk Monkeyflower: Erythranthe moschata

* Woodland Beardtongue: Nothochelone nemorosa - Blooming in woods around the summit.

* Sickletop Lousewort: Pedicularis racemosa

* American Alpine Speedwell: Veronica wormskjoldii - Fading out of bloom.

Oregon Bedstraw: Galium oreganum

* Northern Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis - Fading out of bloom.

* Roundleaf Bluebell: Campanula rotundifolia

* Scouler's Harebell: Campanula scouleri

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

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

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia - Fading out of bloom.

Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis ssp. glacialis - Past bloom.

* Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus

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

* Alpine Hawkweed: Hieracium triste - Fading out of bloom.

Silverback Luina: Luina hypoleuca - Past bloom.

Northern Microseris: Nothocalais alpestris ? - Past bloom.

* Arrow-leaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

Salamander larvae in a pond next to Badger Lake

Turkey Vultures

Chipping Sparrows ?

Dark-eyed Juncos

Pine Siskins ?

Mountain Chickadees

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Small Fritillaries