This hike was part of the Western Study Weekend for the North American Rock Garden Society.
Today the weather was in the upper 30s to mid 40s in Gorge. There were intermittent sprinkles interspersed with sunshine. Winds were getting gusty in the late afternoon along this route.
Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoense
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Leaves only.
*Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica
*Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Blooming along lower sections of the road.
Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum - Leaves out but no blooms yet along the upper ridgetop.
Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare
Western Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata - One plant seen in bud.
Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata
Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva
Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum
Obscure Buttercup, The Dalles Mt. Buttercup: Ranunculus triternatum
* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Very numerous.
* Smooth Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum -
Woollypod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshii (var. ?) - Only the leaves and last year's woolly pods were present.
Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Leaves emerging from the ground.
Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus) -
Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus x sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus Leucophyllus var. ? in Washington, Lupinus sericeus in Russ Jolley's book on Gorge wildflowers.) - Dried remains of last years plants seen. This blooms in both spring and fall.
Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
Canby's Desert Parsley: Lomatium canbyi
Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum- Abundant bloom (very pungent fragrance) at lower to middle elevations.
* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - White-flowered variety.
Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom.
* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Numerous.
Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - A few small plants were seen in bloom.
Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii - This plant was seen in bloom about one month ago, but no blooming plants were seen today.
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
Northwestern Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea - Some leaves emerging.
* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous.