Posted by Steve Cole on August 22, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Third time was the charm! Wildflowers are peaking right now.
I started at Reflection Lake and hiked up Mazama Ridge, including the side trip down towards where the Skyline Trail crosses the creek below Sluiskin Falls. Conditions are past prime around the lake and up towards Faraway Rock. After that, they are as good as it's going to get!
Here's my favorite place along the ridge (2/3rds of the way up the ridge?). It's nowhere near as dense as last year but it's a lot more than I was hoping for this year. Blooms are mostly lupine, with bistort, valerian, paintbrush, and false hellebore. There were even a couple white lupine in the first main meadow.
Dropping down the ridge towards the Skyline Trail is also in real good shape. Lot's of valerian & false hellebore in bloom. Along the creek you'll find some pink monkeyflower. The mountain made two VERY brief appearances during the day (wasn't in position either time ) and I came across a black bear in one meadow and had a fox walk around me up at Faraway Rock.
Got a lot of shots to wade through so I'll have more posted on my blog in the next day or two.
Posted by Erik Lundh on August 22, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Steve,
It sure looks like the flowers are in full bloom here. I like the colors and the trail disappearing off in the distance. The only nit is my eyes are led off into a burnt out sky. Maybe a blend would have solved that problem.
Posted by Steve Cole on August 22, 2010 at 1:23 PM
HI Erik,
This was just a conditions photo from my point & shoot. It was the quickest photo I had access to.
Discussion
6 repliesI started at Reflection Lake and hiked up Mazama Ridge, including the side trip down towards where the Skyline Trail crosses the creek below Sluiskin Falls. Conditions are past prime around the lake and up towards Faraway Rock. After that, they are as good as it's going to get!
Here's my favorite place along the ridge (2/3rds of the way up the ridge?). It's nowhere near as dense as last year but it's a lot more than I was hoping for this year. Blooms are mostly lupine, with bistort, valerian, paintbrush, and false hellebore. There were even a couple white lupine in the first main meadow.
Dropping down the ridge towards the Skyline Trail is also in real good shape. Lot's of valerian & false hellebore in bloom. Along the creek you'll find some pink monkeyflower. The mountain made two VERY brief appearances during the day (wasn't in position either time
Got a lot of shots to wade through so I'll have more posted on my blog in the next day or two.
It sure looks like the flowers are in full bloom here. I like the colors and the trail disappearing off in the distance. The only nit is my eyes are led off into a burnt out sky. Maybe a blend would have solved that problem.
This was just a conditions photo from my point & shoot. It was the quickest photo I had access to.
Link
Happy shooting!