Portland Hikers Archive

Catherine Creek Wildflower Walk 3-5-08

I joined up with the TrailsClub Wednesday to enjoy some eastern Gorge sunshine and scout wildflower showings. Several of the 14 today had their wildflower books in tow. I have to tell ya, it was CHALLENGING for me to move along (the lower paved trail) like I was looking for a contact lens in the grass ;), but I learned more about the lovely flowers, practice photo ops,  and had wonderful comraderie to make the day quite pleasant. We also hiked a short loop up and around the arch. "I" didn't see any poison oak or ticks, but we knew they were there sometwhere, tiny and lurking...We had minimal breezes, warm temps and SUN, we walked maybe 3-4 miles total I'm guessing.

grass widows:

desert parsley:

prairie stars (?):

rose hips:

grass widows overlooking waterfall:

crossing creek:

looking east towards Memaloose Island:

looking up at the arch:

lunch (yes we were careful were we sat :) and we had a the sweet song of meadowlarks serenade our time here:

Mt. Hood:

"trail" on top of arch (be very careful!):

looking down from top of arch:

grass widows waving goodbye!

Other flowers pointed out to me today were yellow bells, gold stars, salt and pepper, other desert parsleys, saxifrage, and more.

There is more info on this area in the Field Guide: http://portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Catherine_Creek_Arch_Loop_Hike

Re: Catherine Creek Wildflower Walk 3-5-08

Re: Catherine Creek Wildflower Walk 3-5-08

Jane and Steve, thanks for the reports and photos!

Jane, the white-pink flowers are indeed prairie stars (Lithophragma parviflora). The yellow parsley is probably Pungent Desert Parsley (Lomatium grayi). The purple parsley which is currently blooming at Catherine Creek and other eastern Gorge locations is Columbia Desert Parsley (Lomatium columbianum).

Steve, the white flowers look like Line-leaf Montia (Montia linearis).