Directions to the Viewpoint:
From Lakeview, OR, drive east on Oregon Highway 140 headed towards Adel, OR. Pass the Warner Ski Area and cross over the crest of Warner Pass. Continue downhill for several miles and at the first 4-way paved road junction, turn left onto paved FS Road 3615. Drive uphill north into the forest, past the Walker Trailhead, past Bull Prairie and Mud Creek Forest Camp (potable water). Continue north, passing the trailhead for Crooked Creek. Turn right (north) onto gravel FS Rd 3720 and descend gradually through forest to the trailhead (unsigned) which is 1-1.5 miles east of Can Forest Camp. You'll note red, white and blue National Recreation Trail markers on the trees where the trail crosses the road. Turn left onto a spur road for about 200 yards to large turn around, large enough for horse trailers. There is no water or vault toilet at the trailhead.
The portion of the Fremont National Recreation Trail that descends north towards Honey Creek before climbing to Vee Lake leaves from the NW corner of the turnaround.
For the south bound portion of the trail follow the spur road south and cross FS Rd 3720. The faint trail descends through riparian meadows and aspens (follow ribbons hung in 2018) before veering left and following the east side of Swale Creek for about one quarter mile. Easily cross the creek (flows year round...filter it) and the trail begins climbing the northeastern slopes of Crook Peak, passing through several old clearcuts and areas thinned several years ago. The trail generally is fairly easy to follow, but gets light use so watch for the National Recreation Trail markers or ribbons on trees, or the slight depression of the trail itself.
The trail climbs at a fairly comfortable grade and switchbacks up the northeast slopes of Crook Peak before climbing the eastern slopes which afford nice views east over the Warner Valley towards Hart Mt. At the SE corner of Crook Peak, there's a snow patch that lingers into early to mid-July and can be dangerous to cross due to steepness. We carefully hiked down around it. The trail descends the south slopes of Crook Peak (the only area we passed with weedy grasses) to a forested pass between Crook and McDowell Peaks. We then switchbacked up the NW corner of McDowell Pk, left the forest, and climbed through open meadows of flowers to the SW where we turned around. McDowell is proably the easier of the peaks along this route to climb.
Generally, the route is fairly easy to follow, but especially inexperienced hikers will want to pay attention in places the trail is hard to distinguish from the surrounding terrain or where it passes across roads or thinned forest areas. We always carry a GPS so we can retrace our steps if we lose the trail. Note: The map on our GPS showed the old route around the west side of Crook Peak, which has not been in use for many years.
Weather: Temperatures in the mid 60s with light winds in the morning gaining to very gusty winds in the afternoon and mostly clear skies.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
Brown-eyed Wolf Lichen: Letharia columbiana
California White Fir: Abies concolor x Abies grandis
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis
Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis
Western White Pine: Pinus monticola
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa
Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides
* Threadleaf Sedge: Carex filifolia var. filifolia
* Whitney's Sedge: Carex whitneyi - NE side of McDowell Peak
* Smooth Brome: Bromus inermis
* Mountain Brome: Bromus sitchensis var. marginatus
* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum
* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides
Blue Wildrye: Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus
* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa
* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda var. secunda
Western Dwarf Mistletoe: Arceuthobium campylopodum ? - on ponderosa pines around the Swale Trailhead
* Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Beginning to bloom at Swale Trailhead.
Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus ssp. macrocarpus
* Mission Bells: Fritillaria atropurpurea - Blooming on the NW side of McDowell Peak.
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Fading out of bloom.
False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - In bud.
* Panicled Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum
California False Hellebore: Veratrum californicum (var. ?)
Rein Orchid: Platanthera unalascensis
* Mat Buckwheat: Eriogonum cespitosum
Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum - In bud.
Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides - In bud.
Sierra Buckwheat: Eriogonum marifolium var. marifolium - In bud.
Goose Lake Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. anserinum - In bud. Leaves very much like those of E. ovalifolium.
* Modoc Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. modocense
* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii
* Mountain Dock: Rumex paucifolius
Erubescent Springbeauty: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra
* Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata
* Mountain Sandwort: Eremogone capillaris var. americana
* Sticky Starwort: Pseudostellaria jamesiana
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum
* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus
* Fendler's Meadow-rue: Thalictrum fendleri ?
* Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens
* Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - Blooming on McDowell Pk
Desert Alyssum: Alyssum desertorum - Fruits forming.
* Dropseed Rockcress: Boechera pendulocarpa
* Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera sparsiflora
* Large Mountain Bittercress: Cardamine cordifolia - Along Swale Creek
Daggerpods: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides - Fruits forming.
Western Twin Bladderpod: Physaria occidentalis ssp. occidentalis - Fruits forming.
* Tower Mustard: Turritis glabra
* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflora - Still blooming at the Swale Creek crossing.
* Oregon Saxifrage: Micranthes oregana
* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Gooseberry: Ribes sp.
Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. ?)
Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus - Past bloom.
* Nevada Cinquefoil: Drymocallis lactea var. lactea
* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum
* Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata - Swale Creek
* Bittercherry: Prunus emarginatus var. emarginatus
* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata
Threadstalk Milkvetch: Astragalus filipes
* Woollypod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshii var. purshii
* Utah Peavine: Lathyrus pauciflorus var. utahensis - ?
Pursh's Deervetch: Acmispon americanus var. americanus
* Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus
* Stony Ground Lupine: Lupinus saxosus - Still in bloom on the west slopes of McDowell Peak
* Hansen's Clover: Trifolium longipes ssp. hansenii
Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa (ssp. praemorsa ?)
* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa
* Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus
* Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana
* Sticky Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum var. incisum
Tall Annual Eveningprimrose: Epilobium brachycarpum
* Spreading Groundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum - Beginning to bloom.
* Dwarf Groundsmoke: Gayophytum humile
* Long-leaved Evening Primrose: Taraxia subacaulis
* Nineleaf Biscuitroot: Lomatium brevifolium-triternatum
* Slender-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum - Fading out of bloom.
Bigfruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum
Nevada Desert Parsley: Lomatium nevadense - Fruits forming.
* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule
Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi
* Western Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis
Whitevein Wintergreen: Pyrola picta
* Tall Mountain Shooting Star: Dodecatheon jeffreyi - Blooming along Swale Creek.
Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora
* Narrowleaved Collomia: Collomia linearis
* Yellow-staining Collomia: Collomia tinctoria - In bloom at the Swale Trailhead.
* Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata - Beginning to bloom.
* Ballhead Gilia: Ipomopsis congesta var. palmifrons
* Harkness' Flaxflower: Leptosiphon harknessii
Granite Phlox: Linanthus pungens
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis
* Brewer's Navarretia: Navarretia breweri
* Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii
* Moss Phlox: Phlox muscoides
Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum - Past bloom.
Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora
Austin's Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae
* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla var. alpina
* Varileaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla ssp. virgata
* Linearleaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis
* Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha
* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale
* Toiyabe Bluebells: Mertensia cuscickii
* Leafy Bluebells: Mertensia oblongifolia
Nettleleaf Horsemint: Agastache uricifolia var. urticifolia
Western Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima
* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum
* Hairy Paintbrush: Castilleja pilosa var. pilosa
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
Owlclover: Orthocarpus cuspidatus (var. ?)
* Showy Penstemon: Penstemon speciosus
* American Brooklime: Veronica americana - Swale Creek
* Serpentine Bedstraw: Galium serpenticum
Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus - In bud.
Roundleaf Snowberry: Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. rotundifolius ?
* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca
* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla
* Mountain Agoseris: Agoseris monticola
* Sagebrush Agoseris: Agoseris parviflora
Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa
Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha
* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea
* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia
Low Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula
Western Wormwood: Artemisia ludoviciana (var. incompta ?)
Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata
Hoary False Yarrow: Chaenactis douglasii var. - In bud.
* Peregrine Thistle: Cirsium cymosum var. cymosum - Beginning to bloom at Swale Trailhead
* Tapertip Hawksbeard: Crepis acuminata - Beginning to bloom.
* Baker's Hawksbeard: Crepis bakeri ?
Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia
* Modoc Hawksbeard: Crepis modocensis
Greene's Goldenweed: Ericameria greenei
Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa (var. ?)
* Scabland Fleabane: Erigeron bloomeri var. bloomeri
* Plantain-leaved Daisy: Erigeron eatonii (var. plantagineus ?)
California Rayless Daisy: Erigeron inornatus var. inornatus
* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis
* Yarrow-leaved Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides
Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri - In bud.
* Crag Aster: Ionactis alpina
* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
Spiny Skeletonweed: Pleiacanthus spinosus
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus
* Stemless Goldenweed: Stenotus acaulis
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale
Salsify: Tragopogon dubius
Mule Deer - nice buck
American Kestrel
Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Common Nighthawk
Pileated Woodpeckers - Pair
Clark's Nutcrackers
Green-tailed Towhee
American Robins
Hermit Thrushes
Mountain Bluebird
Olive-sided Flycatchers
Brewer's Sparrow
Dark-eyed Juncos
Rock Wrens
Horned Toads
California Tortoiseshells
Painted Lady ?