More Wildflowers in the Gorge

It's that time of year again when I tromp around the Columbia River Gorge in search of spring wildflowers.  In late March, my friend Young and I decided to return to the Labyrinth trail and see what was blooming.

Shooting stars

Boy did we hit the jackpot!  Right away at the trailhead we noticed lots of yellow desert parley coloring the meadows.  The first half mile of this hike followed an abandoned road cut into the side of tall cliff.  As we walked by a small waterfall gushing next to the cracked pavement, I saw huge swaths of delicate white prairie stars covering the adjacent steep slopes.

Lots of flowers along the trail

Where the old road intersected with the Labyrinth trail proper, lots of colorful things were blooming.  More desert parsley, prairie stars, larkspur, and some tiny white flowers I couldn't identify.  And I even spotted a small patch of shooting stars, their vivid magenta color most photogenic.

Larkspur

Young and I climbed through the rocky outcrops of columnar basalt that formed here many, many years ago.  We wound around several huge boulders and past small forests of brown-leafed oak trees, killed in a wildfire the previous summer.  We followed a tiny creek and passed by another waterfall, happily splashing through the rough terrain.

Heading through the Labyrinth

We came to a little meadow full of bright green grass, where tiny yellow flowers bloomed in massive numbers.  With my limited knowledge of botany, I thought these little blooms might be buttercups.

Monkeyflowers and prairie stars

Monkeyflowers tended to bloom in damp or wet areas, and as we passed by a tiny spring, I noticed a massive clump of delicate yellow monkeyflowers accented with tons of white prairie stars.

Nice pop of bright green new leaves

Not only were the flowers pretty - I liked the pop of uber-green new leaves sprouting from the few surviving trees.  And one of them really stood out amongst the tall basalt rock columns of a nearby cliff face.  It was nice to see that some of the trees didn't perish in the wildfire!

Lots of purple and white here!

Young and I passed by a slope absolutely covered with purple larkspur blooms, and more prairie stars.

Huge carpet of desert parsley

And another meadow covered with a huge carpet of desert parsley.  (As you can imagine, all these wildflower sightings really slowed our progress!)

Some pink prairie stars

Purple carpet of Larkspur below the trail

Young gets up close and personal

But finally we were able to cover the two-plus miles of the Labyrinth trail and came upon its junction with Atwood Road.  This old road ran along the top of the ridge here, connecting the Catherine Creek area to the east with the Coyote Wall trail system to the west.

Junction with Atwood Road

Normally when hiking the Labyrinth trail, I'd go eastward towards Catherine Creek and then loop back.  However, today I wanted to try a different route and suggested we instead head west to check out the Coyote Wall trails.  Young was all for it.

We found a few glacier lilies!

While trekking along Atwood Road, I spotted a small patch of lovely yellow glacier lilies.  An unusual find, these usually bloom high up in the mountains.

Lunch spot on a scenic bench

Not only hikers, mountain bikers also used the trails in this area, so Young and I were always on high alert.  As we approached a junction with the Old Ranch Road, which we decided would be part of our return loop, we came upon a group of four men with bikes.  Luckily, they were stopped for a break, so we chatted with them briefly.  It now being close to lunchtime, I commented to Young we needed to find a good spot to eat, and the bikers told us of a bench a short ways down an adjacent side trail.  Taking their advice, we found the aforementioned bench situated in a very scenic spot.  A great place for a lunch break - thanks to the mountain biking men!

Walking under the arch of a few large oak trees

After lunch, Young and I started down the Old Ranch Road, crossing under the scraggly branches of several huge oak trees.

Huge fields of prairie stars

The views from the Old Ranch Road were some of the best of the day!  The mighty Columbia River spread out below, anchored by ultra-green meadows dotted with thousands of blooming prairie stars.

More close-ups of pretty prairie stars

I've never seen such a high concentration of prairie stars ever!  I'm sure the abundance of wildflowers here had a lot to do with the wildfire that tore through this area last summer.

Heading down the Little Maui trail

From the Old Ranch Road, we walked steeply downhill for a mile or so until it intersected with our return path, called the Little Maui trail.

Huge patches of pink sea thrift

The Little Maui trail continued the wildflower theme with lots of wild cucumber plants, their blooms a delicate white, and many patches of tiny pink flowers called sea thrift.

Young points out a pink patch

The Little Maui trail also boasted many stunning vistas of the Columbia River and its gorge.

The Columbia River is in view

And another waterfall!  I'm not sure the name, but I'd guess it's probably Little Maui Falls.  It was a cute two-tier feature that trickled merrily through the rocks.

Little Maui falls

Heading back toward the Labyrinth trail

From here, Young and I headed back towards the huge basalt monolith that marked the Labyrinth trail's beginning. 

Huge basalt formations

We passed by huge patches of wild cucumber and yet more prairie stars.  It was definitely a good year for these delicate white blooms.

Wildflowers make me smile!

A great day to be outside enjoying all the beauty of nature!  Wildflowers always make me smile, and today I had lots to grin about.

Spring Wildflowers are Back!

 Warning!!!  

I'm about to inundate you with bunches of purple flower photos.  Yes - wildflower season is finally here and I couldn't be happier.

Striped grass widows

In March and April when the local wildflowers start blooming, my attention gets divided between skiing and wildflower hikes.  I usually find it difficult to balance these two desires.  However thanks to the mountain's current skimpy snowpack, this year's decision has been much easier.

Flooded trail

So in mid-March after a soggy week that saw record rainfall in Northwestern Oregon, I convinced my hubby to join me for a shakedown hike to visit two of my favorite wildflower areas in the eastern Columbia River Gorge.  After hearing rumors of a huge grass widow superbloom in the Memaloose Hills and Rowena Plateau, I was dying to get boots on the trail and see it for myself.

Lovely yellow bell

Our first stop that morning was the Memaloose Hills trail.  This area was known for its prolific spring wildflower meadows.  A short path took visitors to the summits of two small bluffs near the town of Mosier.  I usually visited later in April, when yellow basalmroot blooms carpeted the slopes, so today's trek was about a month earlier than normal.

Mt Hood view atop Chatfield Hill

Grass widows are tiny, six-petaled purple flowers that bloom in the eastern reaches of the Columbia River Gorge.  Known as the first wildflower of the season, when the grass widows begin to emerge, you know spring is on it's way.  Usually grass widows bloom in early March, but due to our unseasonably warm winter, some of these flowers had already been spotted in late January on the Washington side of the Gorge.

Columbia desert parsley

Much to my delight, I spotted the tiny purple blossoms of grass widow flowers right from the parking area.  As hubby and I started the gradual climb to the first hill, we traveled through a scrubby oak forest, its floor dotted with purple blooms.  The previous week's rainstorms had left huge puddles in places - a few totally blocking the trail, which required some creative reroutes.

A nice cluster of grass widows

Not only grass widows, delicate flowers called yellow bells also bloomed amongst the oak trees.  And occasionally I spotted clumps of Columbia desert parsley.  Endemic to the Columbia River Gorge, this rare plant sported purple flowers, instead of the more common yellow color of regular desert parsley.

More purple goodness

Hubby and I made our way up Chatfield Hill, the first of the two Memaloose Hills.  We took in wonderful views of Mt Hood and nearby farms as we made our way to the top.  Purple grass widows dotted an otherwise empty hillside.  Normally I only hike here during the peak balsamroot bloom, so it was quite different to see the place without it's usual fields of yellow.  

The flowers were out on the Rowena Plateau

After a quick scenery and snack break atop Chatfield Hill, hubby and I retraced our steps back down and headed for the neighboring knoll, Marsh Hill.  This hill was also known for its prolific balsamroot blooms, but again we were a couple of weeks too soon.  I did spot one or two yellow blossoms just beginning to emerge, a sign of things to come.

These flowers bloomed in a puddle of standing water

I stopped and admired a huge patch of grass widows scattered amongst the rocks on Marsh Hill's summit.  Views of the mighty Columbia River extended both east and west.  The trail then looped around Marsh Hill's backside, through some oak woods and past a cute frog pond, before reuniting with the main path.  

Purple-dotted meadow

Our Memaloose Hills meanderings had taken up most of the morning, so before heading to our second hiking destination, hubby and I made a lunch stop at my favorite taco truck in the nearby town of Mosier.  After stuffing ourselves with their delicious tacos and splitting a burrito, we waddled back to the car for our next hike, the Rowena Plateau.

A perfect specimen!

Time to walk off some calories!  The Rowena Plateau, owned by the Nature Conservancy, was another early spring wildflower destination.  Like the Memaloose Hills, it was also known for its prolific basalmroot bloom.  But I was pleased to discover balsamroot was not the only flower that unfurled its petals in the spring.  As hubby and I made our way along Rowena Plateau's wide open plain, I spotted thousands of purple dots covering the meadows.

Flower fields like these make me happy

Oh it was wildflower perfection!  We wound along trails lined with little purple flowers, my camera shutter clicking nonstop.

Looking out over the Columbia River

As we'd encountered at Memaloose Hills, the trail here had also been flooded in places.  Hubby and I gingerly hopped over some puddles, while having to make our own detours around others.  One spur trail led to a most excellent viewpoint of the Columbia River and Washington side of the Gorge.

Grass widows blooming in the low spots

I couldn't believe the sheer concentration of grass widows in some areas.  Huge purple patches colored low spots between small rises in the terrain.  In other places, large purple-dotted meadows spread across the plains.

Tiptoe through the wildflowers

Hubby and I spent a happy afternoon walking around the flower fields of the Rowena Plateau.  Enjoy the next few photos - I took so many it was hard to decide what to include.

Nearby California scrub jay

A cheerful bunch of flowers

More pretty grass widows

Yay!  It's hiking season again!

There's nothing that makes me happier than walking through a trail lined with colorful wildflowers.  I'm so glad spring is finally here.  It's time to get outside and hike!

A Muddy Hike Through the Labyrinth

Although I try to ski as much as possible during the winter months, due to crowded slopes, I refuse to ski on weekends.  So when the weather provides a dry weekend day, I rally my friends for a hike.  Which is what I did one sunny, but chilly late January day, recruiting my hiking (and skiing) buddies Young and John.

An icy Labyrinth Falls

John suggested we travel further east in the Columbia River Gorge and check out the Labyrinth Trail.  A favorite hike for all of us, it's a great place to visit in the winter, as well as spring and fall (but way too hot for my liking in the summertime!)  Sadly, this area was decimated by a large wildfire last July, and had been closed ever since.  But recently reopened for hiking, my friends wanted to check out the damage.

At trail's beginning

On a sunny, but very cold morning, John piloted his truck towards the Labyrinth trailhead, located on the side of Washington State Route 14.  As my friends and I changed into boots and loaded our backpacks, John made a terrible discovery.  In his haste to get out of the house that morning, he'd forgotten to grab both his and Young's trekking poles.  Although not totally necessary, the poles provided stability on downhill trails, as well as saving wear and tear on the knees.  The older I get, the more I depend on my trekking poles to avoid falls.  So my friends weren't too happy about hiking sans-poles.

Brown trees - evidence of last summer's fire 

But we were already here, and John wasn't about to drive home to get their poles, so down the trail we went.  This hike began on an abandoned road, the asphalt slowly deteriorating.  Not far from the trailhead, we passed by a lovely little cascade, informally named "Labyrinth Falls."  Cold evening temperatures had caused frosty icicles to form on the surrounding vegetation.  So beautiful!  I even spotted a tiny rainbow near the waterfall's base.

In some places, the trail was a nice rock-paved path

After a half mile of asphalt trekking, my friends and I came to the official trailhead.  Rocky promontories rose up from the surrounding hills and the ground was covered in bright green vegetation.  So unusual to see these green slopes in January!  Sadly, any tree left standing bore dry, brown leaves - a somber reminder of the past summer's wildfire.

More reminders of the fire

It was here the climbing began.  We wandered up, up, up through rocky outcrops of columnar basalt, winding through a few narrow gaps and passing beside a cliffy area.  Kind of like going through a maze, I think this is what gave the Labyrinth it's name.  My friends and I passed by another pretty waterfall, sadly now framed by lifeless, brown trees.

The lone ridgetop tree survived

My friends and I clambered atop a high ridge and gaped at the Columbia River spread out below.  I recognized a prominent lone oak tree situated at a high point, and was relieved to see that it had survived the fire.

Walking through a very rocky slope

After about a mile of climbing, we came to a trail junction.  Turning east, my friends and I followed a fairly level path as it contoured across a wide open meadow, now littered with rocks and burned out trees.

Huge hole in the side of this tree!

Past a large tree with an enormous hole on the side (a great place for birds and animals to take shelter) we hiked a winding path that took us downhill and then through a forest that had been absolutely torched by the fire.

More fiery devastation

It was especially sad to see the blackened tree trunks and scorched forest floor.  Further along, we walked through a rocky area, the barren boulders dark with ash.  Not much green growing here.  The only good thing about this wildfire, it did open up the views ahead to tall cliffs near the Catherine Creek area.

Views through the trees

Wandering around the area directly below these cliffs, I spotted the first purple grass widow of the season.  Such a surprise!  These tiny wildflowers usually don't start blooming until late February at the earliest.  Wow, this was way too early!  A consequence of this unusually mild winter.

Looking up at Catherine Creek ridge

My friends and I then began our climb to the top of the cliffs.  Following a beaten path through a large talus slope, we huffed and puffed our way to the wide plateau above.  Then we all followed the cliff's edge, climbing higher.  Our goal was an old track called Atwood Road, which we would follow back towards the Labyrinth.

First grass widow of the season - way too early!

The early morning's cold temperatures kept the trails frozen and firm as my friends and I had hiked through the Labyrinth and on the side trail towards the cliffs.  But by midday radiant heat from the sun's rays had warmed things up enough to start melting the firm, icy ground.  After veering away from the cliff's edge, we started following an old dirt road towards the top of the ridge and Atwood Road, and found this track coated with thick, slippery mud.  It was so bad everyone had trouble keeping traction while slogging uphill.  I felt especially sorry for Young and John - without their trekking poles providing some stability, conditions were doubly treacherous.

Climbing up the cliff face

After what seemed like a very long trudge, my friends and I finally arrived at the junction with Atwood Road.  Climbing done, it was time for a mostly level trek back to the Labyrinth trail.  Unfortunately, we discovered Atwood Road was just as muddy and slippery.  Gingerly, we all made our way along this next leg of our hike.

Hiking along the clifftops

Happily some of the forest along Atwood Road had been spared the wildfire's flames and appeared to be green and intact.  Diving into these forested areas, we discovered much lower temperatures in the shade.  The surrounding air was still cold enough to keep the muddy trail frozen - at least firm enough that we could walk without slipping and sliding.  A welcome break!

Young inspecting a large, blackened tree

The shady, treed areas along Atwood Road were so cold that in some areas I discovered large patches of hoarfrost still intact.  A white, feathery type of frost that forms through sublimation, or water vapor turning directly into ice, hoarfrost is created during cold, calm nights.  My friends and I poked at the delicate, hair-like crystals, marveling at the fact that Mother Nature could generate such intricate formations.  It appeared as if these icy spires had grown right out of the mud!

Hoarfrost on Atwood Road

Now way past noon, my tummy was rumbling mightily.  I implored John to make a lunch stop soon.  However, he wanted to find a spot with a view, and remembered there were a few places not far away.  So on we trudged, until coming to a large clearing with some fantastic wide-open Gorge panoramas.  Insisting that we make this our lunch spot, my friends and spread out our sitting pads (because the ground here was quite muddy!) and took a load off.  John was right - having lunch with this spectacular view was worth the wait.

Very interesting phenomenon!

After satisfying our hunger - both our tummies with food and our eyes with views, it was time again to get back to struggling through the muddy trail.  After sliding around for another half mile, my friends and I came to the Upper Labyrinth trail junction.  Now all we had to do was walk downhill for two miles to get back to John's truck.

Lunch with a view

Downhill - of course that was the problem.  This Upper Labyrinth trail was as slick with mud as Atwood Road had been.  Plus throw in the fact that it veered steeply downhill made for extremely treacherous conditions.  Here is where trekking poles would come in not only handy, but necessary for stopping sliding feet.  Now John was kicking himself for forgetting his and Young's.

Sweeping river views

However, my friends and I wanted to get back to the parking area, and this trail was the shortest way down.  So gingerly, we began our descent.  We all quickly found out that walking in the muddy tread wasn't going to work.  Instead, my friends and I chose to place our feet on the grassy area next to the trail, which we found to be much more stable.  Yes, I know technically you're not supposed to hike off-trail, but in the name of safety we chose to bend the rules a tiny bit.

Rocky promontories

Although the grassy area next to the trail was also soft at least it wasn't near as muddy.  My friends and I were able to quickly cover this steep segment back to our original junction with the trail heading towards Catherine Creek.  From there, it was a repeat of the morning's trek, however this time with more mud.  Passing by the largest of the columnar basalt outcrops, I was surprised to see a group of rock climbers rappelling off its near-vertical faces.

This block of columnar basalt was being used by rock climbers

Despite missing their trekking poles, Young and John did very well navigating the muddy trail and grassy edges.  Luckily no one fell and the only casualty was extremely dirty boots and pant legs.

Lovely green vegetation lines the trail

Another great day to be outside!  Despite the fire damage, the Labyrinth trail was still outstanding, with wide-open views, green landscapes, and even a couple of very early season wildflowers.  I could have done without the mud, but it does make for a good story.