Bond Creek viewed uphill and south about one mile south of Hot Springs Campground, Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.......June 11, 2016. White false hellebore, western blue flags, coyote willow and quaking aspen can all be seen in this view.
Directions: As you enter Hot Springs Campground via road from the refuge headquarters, stay left down the hill at the first junction, then either park near the outhouse or turn left in front of it and proceed one-quarter mile to a turn around at the end of the road. Park and hike south through a gap in the old cattle exclusion fence. Hike through grassy clearings along the west side of Bond Creek. Occasionally, you may need to cross the creek (where possible) to avoid obstacles, including a dense aspen stand extending west uphill from the creek about two-thirds of a mile up the stream. The upper stretches of the creek become more open and easier to explore. One can hike to a rocky point topped with mountain mahoganies, or continue climbing south to the crest of the ridge, or turn uphill either east or west to the crests of those ridges, returning north along the ridgeline (easier walking) or in the case of the western ridge, continue west down to Rock Creek to return to the campground via that route.
Weather: Temperatures in the low to mid 50s around noon time with light winds and partly cloudy skies.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis
Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides
Coyote Willow: Salix exigua
Common Horsetail: Equisetum arvense
* Douglas' Sedge: Carex douglasii
* Nebraska Sedge: Carex nebrascensis
* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii
Meadow Foxtail: Alopecurus pratensis
* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum
* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides - Beginning to bloom.
Blue Wildrye: Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus
Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha - In bud.
* Great Basin Wild Rye: Leymus cinereus - Beginning to bloom.
* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa
Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica ssp. dioica
* Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum
Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
* Common Camas: Camassia quamash ssp. breviflora
Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum
* Meadow Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion venenosum
California False-hellebore: Veratrum californicum var. californicum
* Western Blue Flag: Iris missouriensis
* Western Blue-eyed Grass: Sisyrinchium idahoense var. occidentale
* Long-spurred Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys
* Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides
* Goose Lake Wild Buckheat: Eriogonum strictum var. anserinum
* Modoc Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. modocense
Broom Buckwheat: Eriogonum vimineum ? - In bud.
Prostrate Knotweed: Polygonum aviculare
Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii
* Rocky Mountain Western Dock: Rumex occidentalis
* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata
* Erubescent Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra
* Water Montia: Montia chamissoi
* Linearleaf Montia: Montia linearis - Fading out of bloom.
* Longstalk Starwort: Stellaria (longipes ssp. longipes ?)
* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa
* Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum
* Rocky Mountain Larkspur: Delphinium stachydeum
Hornseed Buttercup: Ranunculus testiculatus - Going to seed.
* Veiny Meadowrue: Thalictrum venulosum
* American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras
* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna
* Field Pennycress: Thlaspi arvense
* Tower Mustard: Turritis glabra
* Small-flowered Prairiestar: Lithophragma parviflorum
Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
* Sharp-toothed Cinquefoil: Drymocallis convallaria
* Rydberg's Largeleaf Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum
* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum ssp. ciliatum
Bush Ocean Spray: Holodiscus microphyllus var. glabrescens - In bud.
* Big-headed Horkelia: Horkelia fusca ssp. capitata
* Graceful Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata
* Fan-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. flabelliformis
Common Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa - Past bloom.
* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Fading out of bloom.
* Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana - Fading out of bloom.
* Field Milkvetch: Astragalus agrestis
* Sickle Milkvetch: Astragalus curvicarpus var. curvicarpus
* Threadstalk Milkvetch: Astragalus filipes
* Freckled Milkvetch: Astragalus lentiginosus var. chartaceus
* Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus
* Cusick's Clover: Trifolium eriocephalum ssp. cusickii
* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
* Western Blue Flax: Linum lewisii var. lewisii
* Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana var. spicata
Western St. John's Wort: Hypericum scouleri - In bud.
Hooked Spur Violet: Viola adunca
Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp venosa
Valley Yellow Violet: Viola vallicola var. major
Tall Annual Eveningprimrose: Epilobium brachycarpum
Purple-leaved Willowherb: Epilobium ciliatum (ssp. ciliatum ?)
* Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi
* Nineleaf Biscuitroot: Lomatium triternatum ssp. platycarpum
Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora
* Narrowleaved Collomia: Collomia linearis
Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis
* Longleaf Phlolx: Phlox longifolia ssp. longifolia
Annual Polemonium: Polemonium micranthum - Past bloom.
Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum
Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora
Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata
* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpina
* Varileaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla ssp. virgata - Beginning to bloom.
* Narrowleaved Phacelia: Phacelia linearis
* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale
* Yellow and Blue Scorpionweed: Myosotis discolor
* Slender-branch Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys leptocladus
* Narrow-leaved Paintbrush: Castilleja linariifolia
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
* Rydberg's Penstemon: Penstemon rydbergii var. rydbergii
* Showy Penstemon: Penstemon speciosus
* Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine
* Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum
* Milk Kelloggia: Kelloggia galioides
* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus
* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Beginning to bloom.
* Large-flowered Agoseris: Agoseris grandiflora
* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea
Hairy Arnica: Arnica mollis
* Twin Arnica: Arnica sororia
Gray Sagewort: Artemisia ludoviciana var. candicans
Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata
Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense
* Elk Thistle: Cirsium scariosum var. scariosum
Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare
Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis acuminata - In bud.
Showy Rubber Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa (var. speciosa ?)
* Shaggy Fleabane: Erigeron pumilus var. intermedius
Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri
* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans
* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus
Tall Butterweed: Senecio serra
Aster: Symphyotricum sp. - Only leaves.
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale
* Little-leaf Horsebrush: Tetradymia glabrata - Beginning to bloom.
Salsify: Tragopogon dubius
Belding Ground Squirrels
Harrier
Red-tailed Hawks
Turkey Vulture
Black-headed Grosbeaks
American Robin
Brewer's Blackbirds
Brewer's Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Yellow Warbler
Blue
Milbert's Tortoiseshell
Ochre Ringlets
Western Swallowtails