Directions and Plant Lists to the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park
Directions and Plant Lists to The Dalles Mt. Ranch Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park
Weather: Today, the weather began cloudy with a light rain setting in. Winds were light and temps were in the mid 40s. After lunch, the skies cleared and became sunny, with winds remaining light and temps climbing into the low 50s.
Note: Most of the snow has finally melted atop the Columbia Hills (except above the lowest microwave tower), but the water table is still high and thus Eightmile Creek is running at flood stage (making for a beautiful waterfall above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead). High water means that it is not possible to cross Eightmile Creek without getting very wet for the next 2 weeks. If you hike from the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, you won't be able to cross to the floriferous east side of the creek. Obtain access to the east side of the creek from the Dalles Mt. Ranch Trailhead. Remember: Display your Discover Pass ($10 per day, available at both trailheads.). The trailheads are checked by all park personnel, and they will ticket anyone parked along The Dalles Mt. Road or on the road up to the Natural Area Preserve trailhead if you are within the boundary of the park.
Cowpie Lichen: Diploschistes muscorum ?
Lace Lipfern: Myriopteris gracillima
Scouring Rush: Equisetum hyemale
Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis
Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei
Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Terminal buds are swelling, and these beautiful trees should begin blooming in a couple weeks or so!
Tree-of-Heaven: Ailanthus altissima
Red-osier Dogwood: Cornus sericea
Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana
Smooth Sumac: Rhus glabra
Poison Oak: Toxicoscordion diversilobum - Bare stems only.
Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii
Ripgut: Bromus diandrus
Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides
Great Basin Wildrye: Leymus cinereus
Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii
Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata
Cereal Rye: Secale cereale
Medusa Head: Taenitherum caput-medusae
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Leaves only.
Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Basal leaves.
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica
Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum - Only leaves.
Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Only leaves.
Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina - Only leaves.
Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum
Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum ssp. proliferum
Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana - In bud.
Erubescent Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. depressa - In bud.
* Chickweed: Stellaria media - A few plants in bloom.
Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Leaves only.
* Little Western Bittercres: Cardamine oligosperma - Blooming adjacent to the picnic shelter at the Crawford Oaks Trailhead.
* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Becoming numerous.
* Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera
* Fringepods: Thysanocarpus curvipes
* Smooth Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum
* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa
Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii
Black Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii
Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata
Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus) - Leaves emerging from the ground.
Prairie Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. aridus - Leaves only.
Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus var. leucophyllus - Dried stems and leaves of last year's plants.
* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium - One plant in bloom.
Blazing Star: Mentzelia laevicaulis - Dry stems from last year's bloom.
* Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii
* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense
* Slender Desert Parsley: Lomatium laevigatum
* Large-fruit Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum
* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - A few plants in bloom.
* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum
* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - A few plants mixed in with.
* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Still only leaves.
Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa - Not in bloom.
Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Leaves only.
Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - Basal leaves only.
Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - Leaves.
Henbit: Lamium amplexicaule - In bud.
Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata
Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea x careyana - One plant observed with leaves emerging from the ground.
Rush Skeletonweed: Chondrilla juncea
Chicory: Cichorum intybus
Wavyleaf Thistle: Cirsium undulatum - Only leaves.
* 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 herd
Bald Eagles
Red-tailed Hawks
Western Meadowlarks
Common Ravens
Magpies
Scrub Jays
Lewis' Woodpeckers
Northern Flickers
Says Phoebes
American Robins
Western Bluebirds
Spotted Towhee
Horned Larks