Columbia Gorge Wildflowers - Spring 2014

The Spring wildflowers are busting out all over this April. Join us at Next Adventure on Tuesday, April 22 for a FREE presentation on local wildflowers. Those familiar with Russ Jolley's most excellent local guide book Wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge know that the cliffs leading up to Upper McCord Creek Falls are host to some of the rarer and shorter-blooming floral gems of the Gorge. Endemic Columbia Kittentails and showy Douglasia can be found clinging to the basalt for only a short window. I hiked the trail this past week and found that the kittentails were just about past, with only a few flowers remaining, and the Douglasia just starting to bloom. There were many other flowers blooming in adjacent habitats, in the deep woods, streamside and in wet meadows. Bloomtimes seem pretty much on track for a normal year. A hike down past breathtaking Elowah Falls and along the Gorge Trail 400 led to a new loop connecting to the new Historic Highway path and a new pedestrian bridge over McCord Creek. (left - Serviceberry; center - Desert Parsely; right - Saxifrage ) (left - Larkspur; center - Columbia Kittentails; right - Cliff Paintbrush ) (left - Fringecup; center - Corydalis; right - Salmonberry flower ) (left - Trillium close-up; center - Bleeding Heart; right - Checker Lily ) (left - Oregon Grape; center - Calypso Orchid; right - Camas )