[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Oregon: 2017]

Lookout Mountain

Mother Lode Trail #808A & Lookout Mt. Trail #804

Ochoco National Forest

June 25, 2017

Balsamroot and paintbrush slopes from atop Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........June 2, 2017.

Balsamroot and paintbrush slopes from atop Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........June 2, 2017.

This trail was hiked from the Independent Mine (Mother Lode Mine) Trailhead up the direct route via the Mother Lode 808A trail, then onto the Lookout Mt. 804 Trail to the summit, then returning via theLookout Mt. 804 trail to the trailhead.

Weather: Temperatures in the upper 70s in the morning climbing to the high 80s by the afternoon. The morning saw clear skies with a light wind which made the hike comfortable. The afternoon became cloudier as storm clouds built up over Lookout Mountain.


* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive plant list for Lookout Mountain.

Lady Fern: Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Cliff Fern: Woodsia sp.

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

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides (var. elymoides or hordeoides ?)

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Big Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda

Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica var. gracilis

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - In bud.

* Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei var. tolmiei

Bead Lily: Clintonia uniflora - In bud.

* Spotted Fritillary: Fritillaria atropurpurea

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods ripening.

* False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

* Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum

Roughfruit Fairybells: Prosartes trachycarpa - Past bloom.

* Claspleaf Twisted-stalk: Streptopus amplexifolius

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

* Spotted Coralroot: Corallorhiza maculata

Western Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia

Alaska Rein Orchid: Platanthera unalascensis

Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides - In bud.

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Heart-leaved Springbeauty: Claytonia cordifolia

* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra

* Nevada Lewisia: Lewisia nevadensis - Fading out of bloom.

* Threeleaf Lewisia: Lewisia triphylla

* King's Sandwort: Eremogone kingii var. glabrescens

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

* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Oregon Campion: Silene oregana - Beginning to bloom.

Columbia Monkshood: Aconitum columbianum ssp. columbianum - In bud.

* Baneberry: Actaea rubra

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

* Veiny Meadowrue: Thalictrum venulosum

Lance-leaved Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum var. lanceolatum - In bud.

Mt. Adam's Rockcress: Boechera paddoensis ? (or B. lemmonii ?)

Hairystem Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora - Sickle-shaped fruits.

* Secund Rockcress: Boechera retrofracta

* Sticky Cutleaf Tansymustard: Descurainia incisa ssp. viscosa

Daggerpods: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides - Fruits ripening.

* Roundleaf Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina - West-facing cliffs at summit.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera - Fading out of bloom.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum var. parviflorum

* Brook Saxifrage: Micranthes odontoloma - Beginning to bloom.

* Five-stamen Mitrewort: Mitella pentandra

* Three-toothed Mitrewort: Mitella trifida

* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum - Fading out of bloom.

* Northern Black Currant: Ribes hudsonianum var. petiolare

* Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

* Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum

Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

* Montana Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa var. reflexa

* Nevada Cinquefoil: Drymocallis lactea var. lactea

* Wood's Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata

* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana var. platypetala

* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum

* Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

Annual Burnet: Poteridium occidentale

* Rocky Mountain Mountain-ash: Sorbus scopulina

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

* Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus - Beginning to bloom.

* Broadleaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius - Beginning to bloom.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Past bloom.

White Clover: Trifolium repens

* False Mermaid: Floerkea proserpinacoides

* Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana (ssp. oregana ?)

* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa

* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. linguifolia

* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa ssp. praemosa

Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus - In bud.

Cow Parsnip: Heracleum maximum

Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi - In bud.

* Slender-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum

* Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

* Mountain Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Past bloom.

* Narrowleaf Collomia: Collomia linearis

Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. formosissima

* Harkness' Linanthus: Leptosiphon harknessii

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Brewer's Navarretia: Navarretia breweri

* Smooth-leaved Gilia: Navarretia capillaris

* Dwarf Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilis - Fading out of bloom.

* Ballheaded Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum

* Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora

* Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae

* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpinum

* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha

* Long-flowered Bluebell: Mertensia longiflora - Fading out of bloom.

* Eastside Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys hispidulus

Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima

* Applegate's Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. applegatei

* Pale Paintbrush: Castilleja oresbia

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Lewis' Monkeyflower: Erythranthe lewisii - In bud.

* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus - Fading out of bloom.

* Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri - Beginning to bloom.

* Lowly Penstemon: Penstemon humilis - At junction with Rd 42 & 4205.

* Showy Penstemon: Penstemon speciosus - At junction with Rd 42 & 4205.

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus - Near the trailhead.

* Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora var. occidentalis

Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Mountain Heliotrope: Valeriana sitchensis

* Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor

* Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides ssp. luzuloides

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi - In bud.

Low Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula

Western Mugwort: Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. candicans

Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata - Peak bloom atop Lookout Mt.

* Baker's Hawksbeard: Crepis bakeri

Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia - In bud.

* Eaton's Shaggy Daisy: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus

Foreign Fleabane: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis - In bud.

* Yellow Desert Fleabane: Erigeron linearis

Showy Fleabane: Erigeron speciosus - In bud.

Rough-leaved Aster: Eurybia radulina

* Rocky Mountain Sunflower: Helianthella uniflora var. douglasii

White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri - In bud.

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans

Narrowhead Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. cusickii - In bud.

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Still in bloom at the summit.

Tall Butterweed: Senecio serra - In bud.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Observed During This Hike:

Clark's Nutcracker

Stellers Jays

Western Tanagers

American Robins

Hermit Thrush

Red Crossbills

Brewer's Sparrows

Chipping Sparrows

Vesper Sparrows

Warbling Vireo

Dark-eyed Juncos

Dark-eyed Juncos

Pine Siskins

Rock Wren

Milbert's Tortoiseshells

Pale Swallowtails

Western Swallowtails

Lorquin's Admirals

Painted Ladys ?

Julia's Orangetips

Orange Sulphur ?

Blues


Paul Slichter