Malheur National Forest and Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
includes FS Road 811 to the Celebration Mine and the road to the Chambers Mine
A Native Plant Society of Oregon Field Trip
June 22, 2011
Umbellate Springbeauty: Claytonia umbellata
Forest Roads 5401 and 811 are now open as far as the Celebration Mine. The road is bumpy but obstacles have been cleared. Watch out for freshly fallen rock on Road 811 on the southwest side of Baldy Mt. The Pine Creek Trail 201 is still closed due to snow drifts (8-10' cornices on the north-facing rim) and probably won't be open until after the fourth of July weekend. The trail up the south side of Baldy Mt. from the Celebration Mine is still closed due to numerous 3-4' deep snow drifts which make finding the trail difficult. It may be open by the fourth of July weekend. The summit of Baldy Mountain can be reached by hiking the road to the Chambers Mine and following it from there uphill to the open slopes in the Wilderness.
Flowers are still sparse and represent early spring flowers at the level of the vault toilet at the parking area downhill from the Pine Creek Trailhead. The open slopes on Baldy Mt should be peaking within the next 2 weeks. Numerous wildflowers line the road in the forest between the northern forest boundary on 5401 and the parking area at the vault toilet.
Partial List of the Wildflowers of Baldy Mountain.
Indian's Dream: Aspidotis densa - Baldy Mt. & Road 811
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis - - Road 5401
Western Larch: Larix occidentalis - Road 5401
Engelmann Spruce: Picea engelmannii - Road 5401
Western White Pine: Pinus monticola - Roads 5401 & 811
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa - Road 5401
Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii - - Road 5401
* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri - Roads 5401 & 811
* Big Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - Baldy Mt. & Road 5401
* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda - Baldy Mt. & Road 5401
* Small Onion: Allium parvum - Summit of Baldy Mt.
* Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei - Baldy Mt.
* Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum - Baldy Mt.
Spotted Fritillary: Fritillaria atropurpurea - In bud, near the Celebration Mine.
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Baldy Mt.
* False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum - Roads 5401 & 811
* Grass Widow: Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum - Baldy Mt.
* Western Springbeauty: Claytonia lanceolata - Baldy Mt.
* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata - Road 5401
* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra - Road 5401
* Umbellate Springbeauty: Claytonia umbellata - Summit of Baldy Mt.
Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - In bud on the summit of Baldy Mt.
Field Chickweed: Cerastium arvense ssp. strictum - In bud on the summit of Baldy Mt.
* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla - Baldy Mt. near the Celebration Mine
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum - Road 5401
* Steers Heads: Dicentra uniflora - Baldy Mt. near the Celebration Mine
* Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens - Road 811 near the Celebration Mine.
* Nuttall's Draba: Draba densifolia - Baldy Mt.
* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum var capitatum - Road 5401
* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca - Baldy Mt.
* Western Twin Bladderpod: Physaria occidentalis ssp. occidentalis - Summit of Baldy Mt. & Road 811
Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina - Baldy Mt.
* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - Road 5401
* Nesting Saxifrage: Micranthes nidifica (S. integrifolia var. columbiana) - Summit of Baldy Mt.
* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier cusickii ? - Road 811
* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - Road 5401
Diverse-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla glaucophylla var. glaucophylla - Road 811 and Baldy Mt.
Graceful Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis (var. fastigiata ? ) - In bud along Road 811.
* Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - Road 811
* Whitney's Balloon Milkvetch: Astragalus whitneyi var. sonneanus - Road 5401
* Cusick's Peavine: Lathyrus nevadensis ssp. cusickii - Road 5401
* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Road 5401
* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa - Baldy Mt.
Sticky Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum - In bud along Road 5401
* Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites - Road 811 near the Celebration Mine
Blue Flax: Linum (sp ?) - Baldy Mt.
* Small-flowered Willowherb: Epilobium minutum - Road 5401
* Snowline Cymopteris: Cymopteris nivalis - Summit of Baldy Mt.
* Fennel Cymopterus: Cymopterus terebinthinus var. foeniculaceus - Baldy Mt.
* Glaucous Desert Parsley: Lomatium donnellii - Baldy Mt.
* Henderson's Desert Parsley: Lomatium hendersonii - Summit of Baldy Mt.
Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens - In bud on Baldy Mt.
Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata - Baldy Mt. near the Celebration Mine
Pink Pyrola: Pyrola asarifolia - Springs near the Celebration Mine.
Sidebells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda - Springs near the Celebration Mine
Thinleaf Huckleberry: Vaccinium (membranaceum ?) - Springs near the Celebration Mine
* Desert Shooting Stars: Dodecatheon conjugens - Baldy Mt.
Tall Mountain Shooting Star: Dodecatheon jeffreyi - In bud at springs near the Celebration Mine
* Yellow-staining Collomia: Collomia tinctoria - Road 5401
Nuttall's Linanthus: Leptosiphon nuttallii ssp. nuttallii - Baldy Mt.
* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum - Baldy Mt.
* Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - Road 5401
Narrow-leaved Cryptantha: Cryptantha spiculifera ? Summit of Baldy Mt.
* Long-flowered Bluebells: Mertensia longiflora - Baldy Mt.
* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei (var. pintetorum ?) - Road 811
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Baldy Mt.
* Tapertip Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. palustris - Road 5401
* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera - Road 5401
Mountain Heliotrope: Valeriana sitchensis - In bud along Road 811.
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud on Baldy Mt.
* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Baldy Mt.
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata - Baldy Mt. & Road 5401
* Serrate Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza serrata - Near the summit of Baldy Mt.
Dustymaidens: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - Road 811
* Intermountain Thistle: Cirsium inamoenum var. inamoenum ? or Wavyleaf Thistle: Cirsium undulatum ? - Road 5401
Low Gumweed: Grindelia nana var. nana ? or Resinweed: Grindelia squarrosa var. serrulata - Road 5401
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Baldy Mt.
* Woolly Goldenweed: Stenotus lanuginosus var. lanuginosus - Road 5401
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale - Road 811.
Orange Cup Fungus - Baldy Mt. near the Celebration Mine
Mule Deer - Buck and doe
Cascades Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Red-tailed Hawks
Ravens
Northern Flickers
Steller's Jays
Clark's Nutcrackers
Horned Larks
Chipping Sparrows
Indra Swallowtails
Sara's Orange Tips
Paul Slichter