Strawberry Mountain

Malheur N. F.

July 6, 2002

The area around Strawberry Mt. normally begins clearing of snow by mid June. Wildflower bloom should peak from early July into early August, with a good bloom remaining into early September, especially during high snow years the winter before. The main access to the 9035 foot mountain is from either Strawberry lake to the east, or from forest road #1640 to the south. The latter route is largely hiked at the same elevation along an old service road, until the final climb to the summit. This trail is about 8.2 miles roundtrip and gains 1100 feet. The hike from Srawberry Lake is 12.4 miles roundtrip and gains 3265 feet.

Views from the summit are outstanding, with views of the Elkhorn and Wallowa Mts to the northeast, much of the length of the John Day Valley and Aldrich Mt in the west, Logan and Bear Valleys to the south, and the Monument Rock Wilderness to the east. On clear mornings, one can see the snow covered outline of Steens Mt to the south and the Cascade volcanoes, from the 3 Sisters north to Mt. Adams.

Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa

Western Larch: Larix occidentalis

Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis

Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

*Piper's Golden Buckwheat: Eriogonum flavum var. piperi

*Mountain Sorrel: Oxyria digynia

*Pussypaws: Calyptridium umbellatum

*Alpine Spring Beauty: Claytonia megarhiza var. bellidifolia

*Nevada Lewisia: Lewisia nevadensis

*Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica

*Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata

Oregon Silene: Silene oregana ?

*Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

*Snow Buttercup: Ranunculus eschscholtziana (var. trisectus ?)

Steers Head: Dicentra uniflora (many plants in bud)

*Spreadingpod Rock Cress: Arabis divaricarpa ?

*Holboell's Rock Cress: Arabis holboellii (var. pinetorum or var. retrofracta)

*Nuttall's Draba: Draba densifolia

*Western Bladderpod: Physaria occidentalis var. occidentalis

*Wild Candytuft: Noccaea fendleri var. glauca (Thlaspi fendleri var. glaucum)

*Lance-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum

*Roundleaf Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina

Mountain Prickly Currant: Ribes montigenum

*Sticky Currant: Ribes viscossissimum

*Short-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla brevifolia

*Varileaf Cinquefoil: Potentilla diversifolia var. diversifolia

*Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. ?)

Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana

*Sibbaldia: Sibbaldia procumbens

*Tailcup Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus

*Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa

Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

*Groundsmoke: Gayophytum species

*Turpentine Cymopterus: Cymopterus terebinthinus var foeniculaceus

*Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum

*Western Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

*Sierra Snake Root: Sanicula graveolens

*Grouse Huckleberry: Vaccinium scoparium

*Alpine Desert Trumpet: Collomia debilis var. debilis

*Linanthastrum: Linanthastrum nuttallii

* Brewer's Navarettia: Navarettia breweri ? -

*Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii ?

*Skunk-leaved Polemonium: Polemonium californicum

*Dwarf Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilus

*Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum

*Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpina

*Silky Phacelia: Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa

*Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha

*Wavy-leaved Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum

*Glandular Paintbrush: Castilleja glandulifera

*Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata

*Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

*Sickletop Lousewort: Pedicularis racemosa ? (In bud)

*Taper-leaved Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus (var. palustris ?)

*Small-flowered Penstemon: Penstemon procerus var. formosus

*Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

*American Alpine Speedwell: Veronica wormskjoldii

*Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

*Sitka Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis

*Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Mountain Agoseris: Agoseris monticola ?

*Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea

*Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

*Hairy Arnica: Arnica mollis

*Cutleaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus var. glabratus

*Eaton's Shagy Fleabane: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus

*Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis

*Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium

Hawkweed: Hieracium species

Western Coneflower: Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis

*Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana

*Arrowleaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

*Northern Goldenrod: Solidago multiradiata

*Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Chipping Sparrows mating

Townsend's Solitaires

Ravens in courtship flight & mating

Clark's Nutcrackers

Swift

Butterflies:

Anise Swallowtail

numerous Blues

numerous Whites

several Milbert's Tortoisshells

numerous Fritillaries

several other unidentified species!