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Kamiak Butte is a high, east-west trending ridge that stands above the loess-soiled farmland of eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is located east of Colfax, Washington and slightly southwest of Palouse, Washington. Its rocky high point is3641 feet which is about 1000 feet higher than the surrounding farmlands. It is an old mountain consisting of quartzite which was largely covered by Columbia basalts. During the Ice Age, fine soils were deposited at the fronts of the glaciers or deposited downstream along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. These fine soils or loess were lifted by the frequent winds and deposited over much of eastern Oregon and Washington and western Idaho. The depositions of loess are as much as 200 feet thick in eastern Washington, an area known as the Palouse.
The County Park allows camping, hiking and picnicking. There is no charge for day use, although a donation is requested. The gate closes at dusk so campers are restricted to the park overnight. There is a 3.5 mile loop trail which starts at the day use area on the forested north side of the park, with the eastern loop following an old access road while the well-maintained western loop climbs more steadily to the ridge top. The summit is more open with a mix of open forest and rocky meadows. The trail roughly follows the summit ridgeline and offers access to most of the wildflowers one will see. At the west end, there is a mix of private and county property so follow the directions of the numerous signs to limit wanderings onto private property. Elevation gain is about 900 feet. Allow 3-4 hours for a leisurely walk along this moderate hike.
Weather: Temps high 30s to high 40s. Partly cloudy with fits of snow. Winds to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Visibility to 5 miles due to blowing dust.
Complete plant list for Kamiack Butte. - To be placed online by mid-May. Updated in mid summer 2013?
Coniferous and Deciduous Trees:
Grand Fir: Abies grandis
Western Larch: Larix occidentalis
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa ssp. scopulorum
Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca
Douglas' Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii
Lewis' Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Leafing out.
Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides - Leafing out.
Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa - Leafing out.
* Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana ?
Lichens:
Horsehair Lichen: Bryoria sp. - Brown color
Pixie Cups: Cladonia sp.
Cowpie Lichen: Disploschistes muscorum
Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri ?
Tube Lichen: Hypogymnia sp.
Wolfsbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina
Pelt Lichen: Peltigera membranacea ?
Pelt Lichen: Peltigera sp. - Dark blue-green or dark gray upper surfaces. Large brown apothecia.
Lichen: Physcia sp. or Xanthoparmelia sp. ? - On shaded to parly-shaded rock surfaces.
Rimmed Navel Lichen: Rhizoplaca melanophthalma ?
Blistered Rock Tripe: Umbilicaria hyperborea ?
Navel Lichen: Umbilicaria phaea
Beard Lichen: Usnea sp.
Brown-eyed Sunshine Lichen: Vulpicida canadensis ?
Mosses:
Grimmia Moss: Grimmia sp.
Homalothecium Moss: Homalothecium sp.
Mnium Calcareous Moss: Mnium (insigne or spinulosum ?) or Plagiomnium sp. ?
Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum
Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum
Electrified Cat's Tail Moss: Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus
Ferns:
Lacelip Fern: Cheilanthes gracillima
Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis
Polypody Fern: Polypodium hesperium
Western Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum
Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum ssp. pubescens
Oregon Cliff Fern: Woodsia oregana ssp. oregana
* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri
Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum
Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa - In bud.
Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - In bud.
Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegnaria spicata
* Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Fading out of bloom.
False Solomon's Seal: Maianthemum racemosum var. amplexicaule
Star-flowered False Solomon's Seal: Maianthemum stellatum
* Sierra Fairybells: Prosartes trachycarpum
* White Trillium: Trillium ovatum
Idaho Trillium: Trillium petiolatum - In bud.
California False Hellebore: Veratrum californicum
* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum
Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia
Elegant Rein Orchid: Piperia (elegans or unalascensis ?)
Parsnip-flowered Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides (var. heracleoides ?) -
* Western Springbeauty: Claytonia lanceolata
* Streambank Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia parviflora ssp parviflora
* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana
* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra
Dwarf Miner's Lettuce: Montia dichotoma - Past bloom.
Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla
* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media
* Piper's Anemone: Anemone piperi
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum
* Sagebrush Buttercup: Ranunculus glaberrimus var. ellipticus
* Sagebrush Buttercup: Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus
Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis ?
Western Meadowrue: Thalictrum occidentale - In bud.
Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens - In bud.
Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum
* Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera sparsiflora ?
American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras
* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma
Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods maturing.
Lava Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. glabella
Gooseberry-leaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. grossulariifolia ?
* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera
* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum
* Peak Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. leptopetala
* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii
Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii var. douglasii - In bud.
* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - Beginning to bloom.
Large-leaf Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum
Large-leaved Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. perincisum
Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Leafing out.
Mallow Ninebark: Physocarpus malvaceus - Leafing out.
Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. glandulosa ?)
Graceful Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. ?
Bitter Cherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - In bud.
Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa - In bud.
Little Wild Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa - Leafing out.
Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus - Bare stems.
Birchleaf Spiraea: Spiraea betulifolia var. lucida - Leafing out.
Silky Lupine: Lupinus sericeus var. sericeus - Frost-damaged leaves emerging from the ground.
White Clover: Trifolium repens ?
Hairy Vetch: Vicia villosa
Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium
Enchanter's Nightshade: Circaea alpina
Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum
* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum
* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi
* Large-fruited Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum - Cream-flowered variety.
* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum
Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi
Clustered Frasera: Frasera fastigiata - In bud.
* Cusick's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon cusickii
Skyrocket: Ipomopsis aggregata
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis
* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum
Common Hound's Tongue: Cynoglossum officinale
Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale
* Small Bluebells: Mertensia longiflora
* Blue Forget-me-not: Myosotis micrantha - Beginning to bloom.
Common Veronica: Veronica officinalis ?
* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta
Stiff Yellow Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja lutescens ?
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
Foxglove: Digitalis purpurea
Sulphur Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. attenuatus
* Mountain Kittentails: Synthyris missurica ssp. major
Cleavers: Galium aparine
Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum ?
Twinflower: Linnaea borealis var. longiflora
Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus - Leafing out.
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor
Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides - In bud.
Raceme Pussytoes: Antennaria racemosa
Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - In bud.
* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata - Beginning to bloom but showing signs of frost damage.
Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare
Rocky Mountain Sunflower: Helianthella uniflora var. douglasii
Western Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri var. albertinum
Small Tarweed: Madia exigua
Large-flowered Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. carthamoides
Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - In bud. Evidently var. ochroleucus is also present here.
* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale
Northern Mule's Ears: Wyethia amplexicaulis - Basal leaves.
Least Chipmunk ?
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Elk - Heard and plenty of droppings on the ground
Kestrel
Townsend's Solitaire
Dark-eyed Juncos
Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Chickadees - Heard, not seen.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cascade Tree Frog
Green Stink Bug