[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2010]

[Wildflower Destinations in the Columbia River Gorge]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge

Klickitat Trail

Klickitat Wild and Scenic River

from Wahkiacus to Klickitat Springs

February 25, 2010

View from the Klickitat Trail on the east bank of the Klickitat River westwards towards Klickitat Springs...........February 25, 2010.

A view from the Klickitat Trail on the east bank of the Klickitat River westwards towards Klickitat Springs, WA...........February 25, 2010. Floods on the Klickitat River a number of years ago washed out the bridge connecting the Klickitat Trail on the east bank with the portion that runs westward from Klickitat Springs.

Weather: Partly sunny with a light wind. Temperature in the high 40s to low 50s.

This trail follows closely the eastern bank of the Klickitat River for about two and one-half miles downstream from Wahkiacus. The only access is from the lower Swale Canyon Trail, so it is an out and back hike.

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Wolf Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Felt Lichen: Peltigera sp.

Scouring-rush Horsetail: Equisetum hyemale

Sword Fern: Polystichum sp.

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Red Alder: Alnus rubra

Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea

California Hazelnut: Corylus cornuta v. californica

Black Cottonwood: Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

Willow: Salix sp. - Young twigs yellowish-orange

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri ?

Sedge: Carex sp. ?

Common Rush: Juncus effusus (ssp. ?)

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha ?

Medusa Head: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii (Synonym: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglasii)

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Rose Campion: Silene coronaria ?

Western Clematis: Clematis (ligusticifolia?)

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii

Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma sp.

Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia

Peak Saxifrage: Saxifraga nidifica var. claytoniifolia

Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

Hawthorn: Crataegus sp.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Ninebark: Physocarpus sp.

Sulphur Cinquefoil: Potentilla recta ?

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata

Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana?

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Pacific Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus ssp. macropetalus

Douglas' Spiraea: Spiraea douglasii (var. ?)

Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus

Locust: Robinia sp. ?

Deervetch: Lotus sp.

Rabbitfoot Clover: Trifolium arvense

Klamath Weed: Hypericum perforatum

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Blazing Star: Mentzelia laevicaulis

Wild Carrot: Daucus carota

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum

Bigleaf Periwinkle: Vinca major ?

Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum

Selfheal: Prunella vulgaris (v. ?)

Dalmatian Toadflax: Linaria dalmatica

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine

Elderberry: Sambucus sp.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Riverbank Wormwood: Artemisia (ludoviciana?)

Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea ?

Knapweed: Centaurea sp.

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum (v. ?)

Columbia River Goldenweed: Grindelia (columbiana ?)

Hairy False Goldenaster: Heterotheca villosa (Synonym: Chrysopsis villosa)


Animals Seen along the Klickitat Trail:

Mule Deer (numerous tracks along the trail)

Coyote (spoor on trail)

Common Mergansers

Northern Flicker

Scrub Jays

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Juncos

Black-capped Chickadees

Chestnut-backed Chickadees

Golden-crowned Kinglets

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Winter Wren

Small burnt-orange color moth

Small moth, light gray forewings & orangish hind wings

California Tortoise Shell


Slichter