[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2016]

Wildflowers Currently in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Canyon Creek South Loop Trail

Klickitat State Wildlife Recreation Area (from the Glenwood-Goldendale Highway)

April 2, 2016

Unidentified buttercup from the Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 21, 2014.

A view of a mystery buttercup seen in the Klickitat Wildlife Recreation Area. A few plants are similar in appearance to obscure buttercup (Ranunculus tridentatus), but most seem to be intermediate in form between the latter species and the sagebrush buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus).

Today the weather was in the mid 50s in the morning to mid 60s by afternoon with mostly sunny skies and just a faint breeze.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Blue Grass: Poa leibergii

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Nevius' Onion: Allium nevii - In bud.

* Scilla-like Onion: Allium scilloides

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

* Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum - Beginning to bloom.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra (ssp. rubra ?) - In bud.

Water Chickweed: Montia fontana ? - In bud.

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - Beginning to bloom.

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - Numerous leaves along vernal streams.

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Numerous.

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum (Synonym: Lithophragma bulbifera) - Bulblet form.

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum (Synonym: Lithophragma glabra)

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - Beginning to bloom.

* Clayton's Saxifrage, Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - Beginning to bloom.

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. ? - In bud.

* Hood River Milkvetch: Astragalus hoodianus - Beginning to bloom.

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Mostly leaves, but a few flower buds.

Wild Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum var. incisum - Basal leaves.

Marsh Mallow: Sidalcea oregana var. oregana - Basal leaves.

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Mahala Mat: Ceanothus prostratus

* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola nuttallii ssp. praemorsa - Beginning to bloom.

* Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii

* Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

* Klickitat (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form.

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom.

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana (Perideridia gairdneri) - Leaves only.

Kinnickinick: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

* Desert Shooting Stars: Dodecatheon/Primula conjugens

Poet's Shooting Stars: Dodecatheon/Primula poeticum- Leaves coming up with a few flower buds visible.

Bolander's Babystars: Leptosiphon bolanderi - In bud.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

* Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilus - Beginning to bloom

* Ballhead Desert Parsley: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Beginning to bloom.

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - Beginning to bloom.

* Sleeping Combseed: Pectocarya penicillata

* Scouler's Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys scouleri var. penicillatus - Beginning to bloom in drying, shallow mud puddles.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha - Beginning to bloom.

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - A few plants beginning to bloom on upper west-facing slopes.

Rush Skeletonweed: Chondrilla juncaea

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous on upper west-facing slopes.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Beginning to bloom.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Animals Seen During This Hike:

Pacific Tree Frog

Western Fence Lizards - Numerous. Scuttling through the oak leaves.

Mule Deer herds

California Ground Squirrels

Douglas' Squirrel - Heard.

Western Gray Squirrel nest

Ravens

Northern Flicker

Stellers Jay - Heard

Western Meadowlarks - Heard.

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos

Chickadees - Heard

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Canyon Wren

Sara's Orangetips

Little Bowman Creek at the Canyon Creek Trailhead, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016. - Mount Hood from an old homestead along the Canyon Creek South Loop, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016.

Mount Adams from a high point on the Canyon Creek South Loop Trail, Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 26, 2016. - Canyon Creek gorge viewed north from the east rim, Klickitat Wildlife Area.......March 26, 2016.

The photo at upper left shows the ford of Little Bowman Creek at the Canyon Creek Trailhead. In good weather, the ford is about 12' wide and perhaps 3-5" deep with good bottom. The photo at upper right shows Mount Hood looming over an old field at a homestead at the south end of the Canyon Creek South Loop. The photo at bottom left shows a view of the summit of Mount Adams lurking over the oaks at a high point along the Canyon Creek South Loop. The photo at lower right shows a view into the Canyon Creek Gorge, looking north from the east rim. Slopes there are rocky with a 45-50 degree slope, so walking is discourage there! Pungent desert parsley and gold stars dot the rocky ground.
Paul Slichter