Monte Carlo from McIlroy Saddle

[bobcat]

There are many roads to Monte Carlo, and this was one I had not yet taken. I began from the McIlroy Saddle in Washington DNR’s Buck Creek area west of the White Salmon River. The route uses the Buck Creek Trail, which does a 21-mile loop around this drainage. I ascended Penny Ridge through secondary forest, soon emerging to get views back to the Columbia Gorge and cloud-enshrouded Mt. Hood. The trail eventually merges with an abandoned jeep track that runs along the ridge crest with blooming oak meadows on the left and maple/Douglas-fir woods on the right. A few big old growth trees stand sentinel, somewhat incongruously, alongside the meadows.

The area is a paradise for wildflower enthusiasts: there are no vast, color-saturated meadows for the photographing hordes, but an impressive variety of species survives on these slopes due to the microhabitats of the east/west transition zone and the changes in elevation (I identified about 90 species in bloom on this trip). On this lower stretch, balsamroot, lupine, paintbrush, long-leaf phlox, and dense clusters of three-foot-tall little sunflowers are trail companions. Higher up, the route reenters coniferous forest where silver fir and noble fir join the mix. The jeep track joins an infrequently used ATV track that takes you up to the southern point of Monte Carlo’s summit ridge, the eastern heel of the horseshoe-shaped Monte Cristo Range (Little Huckleberry Mountain is the western heel).

A series of meadows interspersed with small copses of montane woodland run along Monte Carlo’s level one-mile summit. The views are mainly to the west: Little Huckleberry Mountain rears prominently and then the spine of Indian Heaven topped by Lemei Rock. Nine-leaf desert parsley, ball-head waterleaf, upland larkspur, and paintbrush form part of the meadow palette. There are two small meadows and then a long meadow before you reach the northern meadow, with its western facing rock garden of penstemon, stonecrop, and desert parsley. Mt. Adams forms the backdrop. I turned around here, but the trail continues down to a saddle, from which you can ascend Monte Cristo and/or descend to the valley of the Little White Salmon River to the west.

About 10 miles, 2,100’ elevation gain

[Splintercat]

Lovely blooms, John! I was having trouble orienting myself until I looked at the Lemei Rock photo (which I assume by the trees is north-facing?). As aways, I'm impressed by your intrepid explorations of the road less traveled..!

Tom

[miah66]

I second Splintercat's remarks! I've seen this area in Craig Romano's book but have never ventured up there. Fantastic variety of bloom photos! You should share them w/ the Oregon Wildflower's facebook group. or Oregon Wildflowers

[ErinL]

Wow! Great photos. I don't think I've ever seen a shrubby penstemon before. Thanks for sharing this report.