The photo above shows view of the trail (at this point, an old road) that descends into Hells Canyon towards the Eureka Bar from Buckhorn Lookout......................June 27, 2008. The far shore is in Idaho.

The photo at right shows a close-up of a square-spotted blue mudding along this trail on June 27, 2008.

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The trailhead is about one mile north of Buckhorn Lookout. During the early 2008 season, two conifers had fallen across the access road so hikers with low clearance vehichles will need to hike from near Buckhorn Lookout. At the trailhead, park in the small rock pit. Don't block the gate. Hike down the road through the trees at first, eventually opening to dry grassy meadows. Take right fork of trail at one-half mile mark and descend along old road towards the Snake River another mile to mile and a half. One can hike all the way to Eureka Bar at the Snake River, but be aware this is an elevation loss of about 4150 feet with a round-trip of 15.4 miles. This is very exposed to sunshine and the heat of summer, so bring plenty of water.

This study lists plants seen along this old road down to an elevation of about 4000'.

* indicates flowers currently in bloom

1. Western Larch: Larix occidentalis -

2. Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa -

3. Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii -

4. Willow: Salix sp. -

* 5. Rattlesnake Grass: Bromus brizaeformis -

* 6. Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum -

* 7. Few-flowered Wild Oatgrass: Danthonia unispicata -

* 8. Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa -

* 9. Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum -

* 10. Jone's Onion: Allium fibrillum -

* 11. Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei -

* 12. Common Camas: Camassia quamash -

* 13. Douglas' Brodiaea - Triteleia grandiflora ssp. grandiflora (formerly Brodiaea douglasii) -

* 14. Meadow Death Camas: Zigadenus venonosus -

15. Wyeth Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides -

16. Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum (var. proliferum or strictum) -

* 17. Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii -

18. Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella -

19. Wallowa Lewisia: Lewisia columbiana var. wallowensis -

* 20. Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis -

* 21. Thyme-leaf Sandwort: Arenaria serpyllifolia var. serpyllifolia -

22. Field Chickweed: Cerastium arvense -

* 23. White Campion, Bladder Campion: Silene latifolia ssp. alba (Lychnis alba) -

* 24. Sand Spurry: Spergularia rubra -

*25. Slim Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum -

* 26. Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus var. parviflorus -

* 27. Tumble Mustard: Sisymbrium altissimum -

* 28. Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum -

29. Roundleaf Alumroot or Beautiful Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica (var. cylindrica or glabella) -

* 30. Gooseberryleaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. grossulariifolia -

31. Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflora -

32. Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia (var. claytoniifolia ?) -

33. Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum - Variety colubrinum is also in the area but at lower altitude along the major rivers and creeks.

34. Goodding's Gooseberry: Ribes velutinum var. goodingii -

* 35. Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. alnifolia ?) -

* 36. Black Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii var. douglasii -

* 37. Wood Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata -

*38. Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum -

39. Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor -

* 40. Mallow Ninebark: Physocarpus malvaceus -

* 41. Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. intermedia ?) -

42. Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata -

43. Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. mollis -

44. Annual Burnet: Sanguisorba occidentalis -

* 45. Blue Mt. Milkvetch: Astragalus reventus -

* 46. Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus (Lupinus laxiflorus) -

*47. Silky Lupine: Lupinus sericeus -

* 48. Yellow Sweet Clover: Melilotus officinale -

49. Twin Clover: Trifolium latifolium -

* 50. False-mermaid: Floerkea proserpinacoides -

* 51. Filaree: Erodium cicutarium -

52. Sticky Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum -

* 53. Nuttall's Violet: Viola vallicola (Viola nuttallii var. major) -

54. Common St. John's Wort: Hypericum perforatum -

55. Mountain Hollyhock: Illiamna rivularis -

56. Oregon Checker Mallow, Oregon Sidalcea: Sidalcea oregana var. procera -

57. White-stem Blazing Star: Mentzelia albicaulis -

* 58. Snow Brush: Ceanothus velutinus -

* 59. Beautiful Clarkia, Elkhorns Clarkia: Clarkia pulchella -

* 60. Cous: Lomatium cous -

61. Parsley-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum -

62. Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi -

* 63. Slender-fruited Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum -

* 64. Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi - ?

* 65. Mt. False Caraway, Bolander's Yampah: Perideridia bolanderi ssp. bolanderi -

* 66. Narrow-leaved Collomia: Collomia linearis -

* 67. Sky Rocket, Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata -

* 68. Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis -

69. Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii var. canescens -

* 70. Long-leaf Phlox: Phlox longifolia -

* 71. Sticky Phlox: Phlox viscida -

72. Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum -

* 73. Line-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis -

74. Common Hound's-tongue: Cynoglossum officinale -

* 75. Corn Gromwell: Lithospermum arvense -

76. Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale -

* 77. Scouler's Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys scouleri var. penicillatus -

78. Nettle-leaf Horsemint: Agastache urticifolia - In bud.

79. Western Balm: Monardella odoratissima -

80. Narrow-leaf Skullcap: Scutellaria angustifolia -

81. Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida -

* 82. Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora -

* 83. Purplestem Monkeyflower: Mimulus floribundus -

* 84. Common Monkeyflower: Mimulus guttatus -

85. Tapertip Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. attenuatus -

86. Hotrock Penstemon: Penstemon deustus - In bud.

* 87. Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. serratus - A few still in bloom.

* 88. Blue Mt. Penstemon, Lovely Penstemon: Penstemon venustus -

* 89. Large-flowered Tonella: Tonella floribunda -

90. Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus -

91. Common Plantain: Plantago major -

* 92. Cleavers, Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine -

93. Blue Elderberry: Sambucus nigra ssp cerulea -

94. Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus -

* 95. Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus -

96. Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis -

* 97. Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla -

* 98. Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides ssp. luzuloides -

99. Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia -

100. Western Mugwort: Artemisia ludoviciana -

* 101. Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagitatta -

* 102. Blepharipappus: Blepharipappus scaber -

103. Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa -

* 104. Golden Daisy, Dwarf Yellow Fleabane: Erigeron chrysopsidis var. chrysopsidis -

* 105. Woolly Sunflower, Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum -

106. Idaho Gumweed, Low Gumweed: Grindelia nana var. nana -

107. Douglas' Helianthella: Helianthella uniflora var. douglasii -

108. Prickly Lettuce: Lactuca sp. - Leaves toothed, not lobed or pinnatifid.

109. Pineapple Weed: Matricaria matricarioides -

* 110. Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans -

111. Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus -

112. Leafy Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum ? (Aster foliaceus var. cusickii ?) - Leaves only at this time.

* 113. Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale -

* 114. Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius -

* 115. Northern Mule's-ears: Wyethia amplexicaulis -

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