balsamroot on upper Coyote Wall
We did a 14-mile loop around Catherine Creek and Coyote Wall, looking for the best stuff. We found the best balsamroot on the upper flanks of Coyote Wall (you have to go above the fence line, up closer to the powerlines) and tucked into sunny west-facing aspects in the Labyrinth. We found the best lupine above the Indian Pits. The best - and most prolific - Camas and Death Camas was on the Catherine Creek syncline, pooling in the drainages and seeps. The Desert Parsley is everywhere. Monkeyflower comes and goes in the wet areas, and the Chocolate Lilies are thick in places, particularly in the sunny dells below the Atwood Road. The Shooting Stars are on their way out. The Saskatoon Serviceberry is a white flower riot. A single Trillium and Calypso Orchid found a home in the Douglas Fir forest on the west side of Catherine Creek. Lots of other little flower delights are hitting their stride right now.
balsamroot on the east side of Catherine Creek
balsamroot on Coyote Wall (Little Moab)
Tracy Hill
lupine and a Pondo
Camas
thicket of Camas
Mt. Hood, ish
Standard tick and poison oak precautions apply. At least the poison oak is leafing out now, so you can see how much you're actually wading through, instead of guessing.
