[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Oregon: 2010]
Trail 201A from the Roads End Trailhead to the junction with the Onion Creek Trail, then west on the Pine Creek Trail #201

Malheur National Forest

July 1, 2010

Strawberry Mountain (Strawberry Mt. Wilderness)............July 1, 2010.

The south and west-facing slopes of Strawberry Mt were largely snow free on July 1, 2010. However, there were still 1-3 foot snow drifts along the old road that doubles as Trail 201A, the south access route. Open areas on this road were very muddy while the shallow portions of the drifts were difficult to walk through. A 10 foot drift at the junction of Trail 201, 201A and the Onion Creek Trail (used to access Strawberry Mt.) made access to the mountain difficult, especially in light of the very steep side slopes. An additional 10 foot drift at a narrow point through trees high on the east face of Strawberry Mt. was an additional obstacle.
* indicates wildflowers currently in bloom.

Wolfbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina

* Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei var. tolmiei

Pussypaws: Calyptridium umbellatum

Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata - In bud.

Ballhead Sandwort: Eremogone congesta var. congesta - In bud.

* Sagebrush Buttercup: Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus

* Holboell's Rockcress: Arabis holboellii var. pinetorum

Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora (Arabis sparsiflora var. subvillosa, Arabis holboellii var. pinetorum)

* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca

* Steer's Head: Dicentra uniflora

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (L. glabrum)

Alpine Prickly Currant: Ribes montigenum

Rocky Mountain Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis pseudorupestris var. saxicola

* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Sierra Snakeroot: Sierra graveolens - In bud.

* California Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium californicum

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum

* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pintetorum

* Paintbrush: Castilleja pilosa ? - yellow bracts

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Mountain Heliotrope: Valeriana sitchensis- In bud.

View northwest down upper Indian Creek which lies along the west and southwest sides of Strawberry Mt.............July 1, 2010. - View north towards Strawberry Mt. and the upper basin of Strawberry Creek............July 1, 2010.

The photo at left shows a view northwest down upper Indian Creek. Strawberry Mt. is located to the right, just outside the frame of the photo. Baldy Mt. is the grassy flat ridge just right of center near the horizon. the photo at right shows Strawberry Mt on the left horizon with the snow-filled upper basin of Strawberry Creek in the foreground. The upper portion of the John Day River basin (just west of Prairie City, OR) is visible on the horizon at left.
Wildlife seen along this route:

Clark's Nutcrackers

Robins

Townsend's Solitaires

Mountain Bluebirds

Pygmy Nuthatches

Milbert's Tortoiseshell

White

Paul Slichter