Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
August 18, 2011
The snow has finally cleared off the full length of the Roads End Trail #201A and along all of the Onion Creek Trail. Access to Strawberry Mountain from Strawberry Lake is still obstructed by a tall east-facing snow cornice just downhill from the junction where that trail joins the Onion Creek Trail. That route probably won't be fully open yet for at least another week although hardy hikers can find a route through the snow by careful observation to find where the snow is narrowest. The difficulty will be for those who have heavy backpacks who may be squeamish about climbing or descending a steep snow patch with a pack on.
The bloom along the mile length of the Roads End Trail #201A as well as the Onion Creek Trail are both nearing a peak, perhaps lasting another week or two depending on temperatures and chance of any rainfall.
Fairly complete plant list for the Roads End Trail #201A and Strawberry Mountain.
American Alpine Lady Fern: Athyrium alpestre var. americanum
Steller's Rock Brake: Cryptogramma stelleri or American Parsley Fern: Cryptogramma acrostichoides
Brittle Fern: Cystopteris fragilis
Brewer's Pellaea: Pellaea breweri
Rock Sword Fern: Polystichum scopulinum
Common Juniper: Juniperus communis var. saxatilis
Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa
Engelmann Spruce: Picea engelmannii
Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis
* Parry's Rush: Juncus parryi
Dagger-leaved Rush: Juncus ensifolius
* Merten's Rush: Juncus mertensianus
* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri
* Hood's Sedge: Carex hoodii
* Mountain Shore Sedge: Carex lenticularis var. impressa ?
* Small-winged Sedge: Carex microptera
Dunhead Sedge: Carex phaeocephala - Perigynia ripening.
* Sedge: Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa ?
* Dunhead Sedge: Carex phaeocephala ?
* Raynold's Sedge: Carex raynoldsii
* Ross' Sedge: Carex rossii
* Pubescent Western Needlegrass: Achnatherum occidentale ssp. pubescens
* Mountain Bentgrass: Agrostis variabilis
* Bordered California Brome: Bromus carinatus var. marginatus ?
* Longleaf Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides ssp. brevifolius
Chewing's Fescue: Festuca rubra ssp. commutata ?
* Alpine Timothy: Phleum alpinum
* Skyline Bluegrass: Poa cusickii ssp. epilis ?
* Wheeler's Bluegrass: Poa wheeleri ?
* Spike Trisetum: Trisetum spicatum
* American Stinging Nettle: Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis
* Long-spurred Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys
* Piper's Golden Buckwheat: Eriogonum flavum var. piperi
* Wyeth Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides
* Spurry Buckwheat: Eriogonum spergulinum var. reddingianum
* Mountain Sorrel: Oxyria digyna
* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii
* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella
* Pussypaws: Calyptridium umbellata - Beginning to fade out of bloom.
Alpine Springbeauty: Claytonia megarhiza - Now past bloom.
* Nevada Lewisia: Lewisia nevadensis
* Threeleaf Lewisia: Lewisia triphylla
* Douglas' Campion: Silene douglasii var. douglasii ?
Menzies' Catchfly: Silene menziesii
* Oregon Silene: Silene oregana
Red Sandspurry: Spergularia rubra
* Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa
* Blue Mountain Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum - Fading out of bloom.
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum
* Western Meadowrue: Thalictrum occidentale
Steershead: Dicentra uniflora - Past bloom.
Drummond's Rockcress: Arabis drummondii - Ascending pods well-formed.
* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca - Fading out of bloom.
Western Twin Bladderpod: Physaria occidentalis ssp. occidentalis - Past bloom.
* Lanceleaf Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum
* Roseroot: Sedum rosea ssp. integrifolium - Beginning to bloom.
* Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina
* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Alpine Prickly Currant: Ribes montigenum
* Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum - Fading out of bloom.
* Short-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla brevifolia
* Mountain Meadow Cinquefoil: Potentilla glaucophylla var. glaucophylla - Fading out of bloom.
* Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa ? or Nevada Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. nevadensis
* Rocky Mountain Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. pseudorupestris
* Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata
* Sibbaldia: Sibbaldia procumbens
* Tailcup Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus
Goosefoot Yellow Violet: Viola purpurea var. venosa
Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus
* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium var. canescens
* Fringed Willowherb: Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum
* Club-fruited Willowherb: Epilobium clavatum
* White Willowherb: Epilobium lactiflorum
* Rose Willow-herb: Epilobium obcordatum
* Nuttall's Groundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum var. parviflorum
* Fennel Cymopteris: Cymopterus terebinthinus var. foeniculaceus
* Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum
* Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayii
* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi - Fading out of bloom.
* Western Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis
* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens
* Grouseberry: Vaccinium scoparium
* Alpine Mountain Trumpet: Collomia debilis
* Nuttall's Linanthus: Leptosiphon nuttallii ssp. nuttallii
* Mountain Navarretia: Navarretia divaricata
* Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii ?
* California Polemonium: Polemonium californicum
* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum (var. alpinum ?) - Past bloom except near recently melted snow drifts.
* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpina
Silky Phacelia: Phacelia sericea var. ciliosa - Past bloom.
* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
Nettleleaf Horsemint: Agastache urticifolia var. urticifolia
* Glandular Paintbrush: Castilleja glandulifera
* Peck's Paintbrush: Castilleja peckiana
* Brewer's Monkeyflower: Mimulus breweri
* Lewis' Monkeyflower: Mimulus lewisii
Elephant Heads: Pedicularis groenlandica - Past bloom.
* Taper-leaved Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. palustris
* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus - Fading out of bloom.
* Small Pincushion Beardtongue: Penstemon procerus var. formosus - Fading out of bloom.
* Thymeleaf Speedwell: Veronica serpyllifolia var. humifusa
* American Alpine Speedwell: Veronica wormskjoldii
* Milk Kelloggia: Kelloggia galioides
* Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa
* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis
* Sitka Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis
* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca
* Pale Agoseris: Agoseris glauca var. glauca ? or (Mountain Agoseris: Agoseris monticola ?)
* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea - Beginning to bloom.
* Alpine Pussytoes: Antennaria media
* Brown Everlasting: Antennaria umbrinella ?
Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia
* Sticky Arnica: Arnica diversifolia
* Longleaf Arnica: Arnica longifolia - Beginning to bloom amongst rocks above and to the north of the trailhead. .
* Hairy Arnica: Arnica mollis
* Rydberg's Arnica: Arnica rydbergii
Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana
Green Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (var. ?) - In bud.
Greene's Goldenbush: Ericameria greenei - In bud.
* Dwarf Mountain Fleabane: Erigeron compositus (var. glabratus ?) - Fading out of bloom.
* Eaton's Shaggy Fleabane: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus
* Peregrine Fleabane: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis
* Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium
* Rocky Mountain Sunflower: Helianthella uniflora var. douglasii
* Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri
* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans
* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
* Black Head: Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis
* Mountain Meadow Butterweed: Senecio crassulus
* Tall Butterweed: Senecio serra var. serra
* Arrowleaf Butterweed: Senecio triangularis
* Northern Goldenrod: Solidago multiradiata
* Leafybract Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. apricum
* Leafybract Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. parryi
* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Red-tailed Hawk
Prairie Falcon - hazing red-tailed hawk
Ravens
Northern Flickers
Clark's Nutcrackers
Mountain Bluebirds ?
Cassin's Finches
Dark-eyed Juncos
Hummingbirds (Annas or Rufous ?)
Admiral
Milbert's Tortoiseshells
West Coast Painted Ladys
Fritillarys - Numerous
Pine Whites - Numerous
Pale Tiger Swallowtail 88
Bumblebees of various sizes