[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Oregon: 2016]

Lookout Mountain

Ochoco National Forest

May 29, 2016

Patches of false hellebore along the Lookout Mt. Trail, Ochoco National Forest......May 29, 2016.

Sagebrush and balsamroot slopes from atop Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........June 15, 2015.

This trail was hiked from the Independent Mine (Mother Lode Mine) Trailhead up the direct route via the 808A trail, then onto the Lookout Mountain Trail #804 to the summit, then returning via the Line Butte Tie Trail #807A trail southeast to a junction with the Independent Mine Trail #808 which we returned to the trailhead upon. Total distance of this route was 6.25 miles with approximately 1150' elevation gain.

Both the 808A and 807 Trails had significant amounts of downed timber across the trail, so extra time was spent trying to figure out a way around each section of blocked trail. Snow patches on north-facing slopes and amongst the trees were also encountered, although there had been recent melting which compacted the snow and made patches easier to cross.

Weather: Temperatures in the low 60s in the morning climbing to the low 70s by the afternoon. Skies were partly cloudy with a bit of haze in the air.


* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive plant list for Lookout Mountain.

Sculpted Puffball: Calvatia sculpta

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

California White Fir: Abies concolor x Abies grandis

Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa

Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis

Western Larch: Larix occidentalis

Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica var. gracilis

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - In bud.

* Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei var. tolmiei

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus

Queen's Cup: Clintonia uniflora

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

* Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum

* Roughfruit Fairybells: Prosartes trachycarpa

California False Hellebore: Veratrum (californicum var. californicum ?)

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

* King's Smooth Sandwort: Eremogone kingii var. glabrescens ? - Beginning to bloom.

* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

Columbia Monkshood: Aconitum columbianum ssp. columbianum - Leaves.

Baneberry: Actaea rubra - In bud.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Sagebrush Buttercup: Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus

Hornseed: Ranunculus testiculatus - At the site of the old lookout.

Veiny Meadowrue: Thalictrum venulosum ? - In bud.

* Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - A few plants beginning to bloom. Numerous in places.

* Steer's Head: Dicentra uniflora

* Holboell's Rockcress: Boechera pinetorum

Sticky Cutleaf Tansymustard: Descurainia incisa ssp. viscosa

* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca

* Daggerpods: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

Roundleaf Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera

Brook Saxifrage: Micranthes odontoloma - In streams along the initial part of the Mother Lode Trail #808A.

* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum

Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

* Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum

Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

* Austin's Cinquefoil: Drymocallis lactea var. austiniae

* Wood's Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata

* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana var. platypetala

* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum

* Whitney's Balloon Milkvetch: Astragalus whitneyi (var. sonneanus ?)

* Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

* False Mermaid: Floerkea proserpinacoides

* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. linguifolia

* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa

Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi

* Cous: Lomatium cous

* Donnell's Lomatium: Lomatium donnellii

Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii ? - Fruits ripening.

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi - Along the west rim of Lookout Mt.

* Slender-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum

* Large-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - A few plants still in bloom.

Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. formosissima - Leaf rosettes.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Dwarf Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilis

* Ballheaded Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum

* Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora

* Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae

* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha

* Long-flowered Bluebell: Mertensia longiflora - A few white and pink forms too.

* Wavyleaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum

* Pale Wallowa Paintbrush: Castilleja oresbia

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri - In bud.

Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Stoloniferous Everlasting: Antennaria flagellaris - Beginning to spread vegetatively.

* Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides ssp. luzuloides

* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea - Beginning to bloom.

Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi - Leaves.

Low Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula

Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata

Eaton's Shaggy Daisy: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus - In bud.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Observed During This Hike:

Elk - tracks

Chipmunks

Pileated Woodpecker - Heard

Gray Jay

Stellers Jays

Black-headed Grosbeak

American Robins

Hermit Thrush

Chipping Sparrows

Mountain Chickadees

Pine Siskins

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Anglewings

Hairstreaks


Paul Slichter