[Wildflower bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2011]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Champion (Company) Haul Road from Wahkiacus to Beeks Canyon

Klickitat River Canyon through the Klickitat Wildlife Area

April 26, 2011

View north along the Klickitat River from the Company Road......February 20, 2011.

A view north (upstream) along the Klickitat River from the Company Road.......February 20, 2011. The photo is taken about one-half mile upstream from Soda Springs (which is on the far bank). The hill on the horizon a the center of the photo is where the Glenwood Highway winds its way downhill towards the Leidl Park crossing of the river.

Note: Since this visit, much of the Haul Road has been removed and several river channels crossing the old road bed have been reinstated. One can safely hike upstream from Wahkiacus or an alternate trailhead off SR142 for about 4 miles before reaching the first river channel across the route. It's definitely unsafe to try to cross the channel except during late summer or early fall. There may be a user trail around this obstruction, but it may be difficult to follow as it is not a sanctioned trail and thus not kept clear.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Field Horsetail: Equisetum arvense

Scouring-rush Horsetail: Equisetum hyemale

Imbricate Swordfern: Polystichum imbricans

Western Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Western Red Cedar: Thuja plicata

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

White Alder: Alnus rhombifolia

* Shiny Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Cascade Oregon Grape: Berberis nervosa

* Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

* Willow: Salix sp.

Duckweed: Lemna minor

Pacific Rush: Juncus effusus (var. ?)

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

Medusa-head: Taenitherum caput-medusae

American Water Plantain: Alisma plantago-aquatica

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Several plants with flower buds.

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum

* Pale-anthered Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum -Fading out of bloom.

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Curly Dock: Rumex crispus

Willow Dock: Rumex salicifolius

Streambank Springbeauty: Claytonia parviflora

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

Bouncing Bet: Saponaria officinalis

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

Western Clematis: Clematis ligusticifolia

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Hairy Bittercress: Cardamine hirsuta

* Oak Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods forming.

Watercress: Nasturtium officinale

Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum ssp. stenopetalum

Thinleaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia - Some plants forming flower buds.

* Bulblet Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum (formerly Lithophragma bulbifera)

* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflorum

Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia

* Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

* Spreading Gooseberry: Ribes divaricatum

* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier cusickii

Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus (douglasii ?)

Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Sulphur Cinquefoil: Potentilla recta

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Blackcap Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

Trailing Pacific Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (formerly var. thompsonianus) - A few plants beginning to bloom.

Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea (var. ?)

* Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Common St. John's Wort: Hypericum perforatum

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Mahala Mat: Ceanothus prostratus

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Fading out of bloom.

* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

* Klickitat (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form.

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Western Snakeroot: Sanicula crassicaulis

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon/Primula poeticum

Broadleaf Star Flower: Lysimachia latifolia

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa - Seen from a distance with binoculars.

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Dalmatian Toadflax: Linaria dalmatica

* Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

* Cleavers: Galium aparine

Bigroot: Marah oreganus

Blue Elderberry: Sambucus cerulea

Long-spur Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa

White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Some plants in bud.

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea ?

Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea ?

Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense

Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare

* Spring Gold: Crocidium multicaule

Cotton-batting Plant: Gnaphalium chilense ?

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along This Route:

Mule Deer

California Ground Squirrels

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawks

Canada Geese

Common Mergansers

Ravens

Crows

Northern Flickers

Belted Kingfishers

Scrub Jays

Stellers Jays

Spotted Towhees

Robins

Townsend's Solitaires

House Finches

Dark-eyed Juncos

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Canyon Wrens

Violet-green Swallows


View north along the Klickitat River from the Company Road......February 20, 2011.

A view north (upstream) along the Klickitat River from the Company Road......February 20, 2011. The high hillsides on the right bank are portions of the Soda Springs unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.

Paul Slichter E-mail