Kiger Gorge

Steens Mt.

September 10, 2000

Weather: Partly cloudy (lenticular cloud along east side of summit ridge) with moderate wind and cool morning temperatures. Some fresh snow drifts are still visible on north-facing slopes along the east face from the snows of Labor Day 2000.

* indicates flowers currently in bloom

*1. Alpine Sorrel: Oxyria digyna

2. Spring Beauty: Claytonia species (megarhiza ?) (Rosettes of basal leaves)

*3. Gordon's Ivesia: Ivesia gordonii

*4. Fan-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis

*5. Prairie Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii

6. Fireweed: Chamerion (Epilobium) angustifolium (In seed)

*7. Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

*8. Mountain Agoseris: Agoseris glauca var. monticola

9. Long-leaved Arnica: Arnica longifolia (In seed.)

10. Low Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula (Nearing bloom)

11. Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana (Nearing bloom)

12. Discoid Goldenweed: Ericaeria discoidea var. discoidea (Haplopappus macronema) (In seed)

13. Greene's Goldenweed: Ericameria greenei (Haplopappus bloomeri var. greenei) (In seed)

*14. Shrubby Goldenweed: Ericameria suffruticosus (Haplopappus suffruticosus)

*15. Green Rabbitbrush: Ericameria viscidiflora var. viscidiflora

*16. Dwarf Mountain Butterweed: Senecio fremontii var. fremontii

Animals Seen:

Dark-eyed Juncos

Pine Siskins (on seed heads of Steens Mt. Thistle)

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Unidentified Hawks Numerous, with adults and immatures of several species?

6 Mule deer does