Today, the weather was sunny to hazy sunny with light east winds to 5 mph picking up to 15 mph in the afternoon and highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.
Cowpie Lichen: Diploschistes muscorum ?
Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum
Lacelip Fern: Myriopteris gracillima
Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis
Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - A decent start to the bloom on burned areas on benches below the falls.
Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum ssp. proliferum
Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana
Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - In bud.
* Little Western Bittercres: Cardamine oligosperma
* Tansy Mustard: Descurainia longipedicellata (D. filipes)
* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Very numerous.
* Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera
* Smooth Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum
* Brittle Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa
Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus) - Leaves emerging from the ground.
Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus var. leucophyllus - Leaves emerging from the ground.
Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum
* Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii - Peak bloom.
* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense
* Slender Desert Parsley: Lomatium laevigatum
* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form beginning to bloom.
* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom.
* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum
Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana
Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis
Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - Basal leaves are numerous.
Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
*Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha
Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea x careyana - Balsamroots were heavily impacted by last summer's wildfire, so it remains to be seen how many plants have survived and will even flower this year.
* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous, probably near their peak bloom in the lower half of the park.
Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa
Animals Seen Along This Route:
California Ground Squirrels
Coyote
Mule Deer - Numerous tracks.
Bald Eagles
Coopers Hawk
Golden Eagle
Kestrels
Prairie Falcon
Red-tailed Hawks
Common Ravens
Magpies
Scrub Jays
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe - Singing and hazing a golden eagle.