Silver Star, How I've Missed You!

Next on the "Linda's summer wildflower tour 2023" is a recap of a most excellent trek I did up to SW Washington's Silver Star Mountain.  This is an annual hike that I usually try to time for Father's day because that's normally peak wildflower bloom.  Except for this year - our wet, cold spring delayed everything, so I didn't get out on this trail until the second week of July.

Tiger lily

However, even late as it was, I still managed to miss peak bloom by a week or so.  The lupine was already done, the Indian paintbrush on its way out, and the beargrass blooms were long gone.

Nice patch of tiger lilies

But after missing most of my favorite summer hikes for two consecutive years, I was overjoyed to be back on this trail, peak bloom or not!

Flower-lined trail

I started out from the Grouse Vista Trailhead to cloudy skies and cool temperatures.  The first mile or so climbed steeply up an extremely rocky trail so I was thankful for the respite.

Indian paintbrush

After getting through the steep rocky part, things leveled out and the forest cleared.  The views were nice - one could see forests and mountains for quite a ways.  And there were still quite a few wildflowers blooming next to the trail.

Old stump surrounded by wildflowers

Enjoying the views and flowers, I strolled through this portion of the trail until the forest closed in once again, and my path steepened up.

Prominent rock outcrop

I'd nearly forgotten what a tough climb it is to reach the top of Silver Star Mountain.  But remembering the spectacular views were worth it, I buckled down and kept going.

Silver Star summit

Soon I reached the trail junction, marked by a huge pile of rocks.  From here, it was a half mile slog to reach the summit proper.  

View from the top

But finally reaching the top, I was rewarded by awesome views of the surrounding green hills.  Usually four of the Cascade peaks are also visible, but today a low cloud bank hid them all.  And there weren't many wildflowers blooming.  It appeared I'd missed the peak.

Nice light on nearby hills

There were two other people already on the summit, but both of them left soon after my arrival.  So I had the place to myself for nearly all of the 15 minute break I took.

Flowers lined the old road to Ed's trail

Heading back down to the rock cairn junction, I then took a turn in the opposite direction of my approach.  When hiking at Silver Star, I always include a side loop on Ed's Trail.  Usually you'll find the highest wildflower concentration here.

These yellow butterflies were going after the yellow flowers

Today was no different.  Despite missing the wildflowers at their height, there was still enough color to entice me to get out my camera.

Another butterfly species

This trail follows an old gravel road across an open ridgetop.  Flowers bloom here in abundance all summer long.  My path was lined with occasional patches of bright orange Indian paintbrush.

One more yellow butterfly

There were also lots of yellow wildflowers blooming, a species which I couldn't identify.  But, oh did the butterflies love them!

I loved these bright blue butterflies

Purple color spot between the rocks

I followed the old road steadily downhill until it intersected with Ed's Trail proper.  I took a quick lunch break at this junction, readying myself to regain all the elevation I'd just lost.

Sweeping view from the road

After hiking down the wide gravel road it's always a shock to turn onto Ed's Trail.  A narrow, dirt path that winds uphill through thick underbrush, it's occasionally a bit sketchy.  Sometimes perched on the side of a steep slope, and in a couple places you need to use your hands to climb a short distance up a rock face.

A few wild iris were still in bloom

But, oh were there wildflowers!  The higher I climbed, the better the show got.

Fantastic clouds today!

And the cloud bank that had hindered my mountain views began breaking up into smaller, fluffier specimens.  They were quite pretty, and made great accompaniments to my landscape shots.

Wildflower and amazing sky

Ed's trail began with wildflowers

Finally, rounding a corner I came upon a huge meadow blazing with color.  Yellow, white and orange wildflowers covered an entire slope.

This slope was thick with colorful wildflowers

Oh it was magnificent!  All forward progress ground to a screeching halt.

The best wildflower display of the entire hike

Lucky for me, I hadn't entirely missed out on the yearly wildflower bloom.

A close up of the flowers

The rest of the trek on Ed's trail was a uphill slog, with a little bit of scrambling thrown in just to make things interesting.  The trail also passed through an interesting rock arch that always makes a great photo op.

Interesting rock outcrop

Usually super popular, especially when the wildflowers are in bloom, I didn't see a single soul the entire time I was on Ed's trail.  That's a first!

Looking back from where I was

Ed's trail eventually connected back to the huge rock cairn intersection.  From here, it was a 3-mile hike retracing my steps, back to the trailhead.

A bit of pink 

The famous rock arch

I returned to my car with a camera full of images and a big smile on my face.  It was wonderful to be back on another of my favorite summer wildflower trails.  Silver Star Mountain, I've missed you!

St. Helens Superbloom

 The things we photographers do to get the shot.

First views

Back in mid-July photos began circulating on some of my online hiking groups of a massive lupine superbloom on Mt. St. Helens' east side, near Windy Ridge.  Images of entire slopes colored purple with flowers got my attention.  Such prolific wildflower blooms don't come around very often, so naturally I wanted to go there and capture some photographs for myself.

Lupine fills the plain, except in the tire tracks

But the problem was reaching this side of MSH required a long drive.  The usual route from Portland, approaching from the south, was closed due to a large landslide on one of the Forest Service roads.  That meant anyone who wanted to travel here had to take a circuitous path.  I'd need to drive further north and then east to the Washington town of Randle, and then head south towards the Windy Ridge Trailhead.  Google maps estimated this would take 3 1/2 hours.

Paintbrush was thick here

The long drive made me hesitate.  Gas was expensive, and I'd need to find someplace to camp overnight if I went.  Seven hours round-trip was too much time to spend in the car.  Over the next two days I vacillated between wanting to go see the superbloom but not wanting to be in the car for so long.

A little flower garden

However, the lupine bloom photos continued to show up on my Facebook feed until finally I caved.  I couldn't miss this rare event!  Devising a plan to travel there after a morning doctor appointment, in order to break up the long drive, I decided to sleep overnight in my car.  

Paintbrush, up close and personal

So on a hot, sunny July mid-morning I started out from home towards Mt. St. Helens and that amazing wildflower show.  Along the way I ended up being delayed by not one, but two construction zones, pushing my drive time closer to four hours.  Finally at 3 pm I rolled into the parking area at Windy Ridge.  Access to the superbloom meant hiking from here to access a loop connecting the Boundary and Truman Trails near the mountain's north side.  Did I have enough time to hike the 9-mile round trip?  Or should I wait until tomorrow morning to visit the flower fields?

Spirit Lake (that red dot in the middle is a person)

Well, sunset wasn't until nearly 9 pm.  I had a headlamp and flashlight in my backpack.  And I could cover two miles in an hour (without photo stops, that is.)  I'd driven all this way, and didn't want to wait until morning.  So I decided to go for it.  

The beginning of the superbloom

So off I went, hustling down the 2-mile gravel road to access the flower trails.  Although it was a warm mid-afternoon I covered the boring road walk relatively quickly.  My excitement began to mount as I rounded a corner and got my first glimpse of MSH's flattened summit.

Looking towards the lava dome

As I approached the trail junction between the Truman and Boundary Trails, a younger man came up behind me.  Like myself, he was armed with a camera, and after a bit of chit chat I learned the guy was also after superbloom pics.  

Now, which trail to start first?  The man turned towards the Boundary Trail so I decided to go explore the Truman.

These flowers were dwarf lupine

The Truman Trail began on what appeared to be an old road.  Right away, lupine and Indian paintbrush blooms rose from the rocky soil.  The lupine flowers were small and close to the ground, a variety known as dwarf lupine.  There were also a couple of really large patches of bright orange paintbrush.

No, the mountain wasn't erupting - winds at the summit stirred up dust

I rambled along the trail, snapping copious flower pics, and admiring views of Spirit Lake that kept getting closer the further I traveled.

Field of purple

After about a mile of walking, I reached a junction with a short trail that would take me over to the Boundary Trail.  Although so far there was lupine blooming, the amount of it wasn't anywhere near what I'd seen in the online photos.  But beyond this trail junction was where I started seeing the massive purple fields of internet fame.

Purple as far as the eye can see!

Now I was walking towards Mt. St. Helens' open crater.  One could see the huge hole blown into the mountainside from the fateful 1980 eruption.  The mountain lost nearly 1400 feet of elevation in this single blast.  MSH now resembled a flattened pancake with a small dome rising in the center.

Superbloom and Spirit Lake

As I approached the Boundary Trail, the lupine show kept getting better and better.  Just past this trail junction I again ran into the young man I'd spoken with at the beginning.  Inquiring how the flower conditions were in his direction he smiled and said "incredible."

My flower-lined trail

And so it was - hiking along the Boundary Trail I traveled through the most amazing bloom of lupine I've ever seen anywhere.

The late evening sun made for spectacular lighting

Small purple flowers covered every inch of the broad plains north of the volcano's crater.  It looked as though someone had taken lavender paint and coated the entire landscape.

Paintbrush mixed in with the lupine

Traveling along the Boundary Trail, the hour was approaching 7 o'clock and the sun was dropping fast.  The low angle sun made for some most excellent light on the lupine fields.  But it also meant nighttime was coming fast, and even though I was prepared with flashlights, I didn't really want to hike out in the dark.

Colorful slope

So I kind of hustled through the last mile of the lupine bloom.  In hindsight, I really wish I would've taken more time.  But the thought of hiking out in the dark was a great motivator.  Arriving back at the trail junction near the gravel access road I met at least two groups of people and one lone woman who were all hiking in at this late hour.  It appeared they all planned to capture the sunset.

Downed trail marker

Once on the gravel road, I covered the two miles of uphill and then a steep downhill in record time.  I arrived back at my car just past 8 pm with the sun low on the horizon, but still lighting the sky.  Although my original plan was to spend the night in my car and drive back the following day, I started reassessing things.  The thought of sleeping in my cramped car didn't seem like sch a good idea anymore.  My cozy bed at home was calling.  And I still felt very much awake.  Leaving now meant less traffic and no waiting at both construction zones.

  

Lavender fields forever.....

So that's how I ended up driving back home that same evening.  The trip back wasn't as bad as feared.  I put in a couple of podcasts and they occupied my mind as I navigated first the winding Forest Service roads, and then highways of increasing size and traffic.  I pulled into my driveway just before midnight, jazzed that I'd actually pulled off the long drive and hike to see the lupine superbloom!  It might have been a crazy trip but I now had some amazing images to show for my hard work.

Final look as I puffed up the gravel road

Those of you who admire the pictures we photographers share now have an idea of the effort that goes into getting these amazing scenery shots.  It often involves long drives, late nights, early mornings, hikes in the heat or cold, and time spent sitting waiting for the sun to rise or set.  It also requires large investments in camera equipment and photo editing software, as well as lots of time spent learning how to use both.  Finally, with every photoshoot comes hours of post-processing - sorting and choosing the photos to edit, and then spending more time editing each image until it becomes the amazing final product you enjoy viewing.

So please, please don't copy any photographers images without permission.  We work very hard to create these works of art.  All photographs are the property of the person who captured them (and are often copyrighted).  I enjoy sharing my pictures online and hope they bring joy to those who view.  However, if you are interested in obtaining one of my photos, please ask!  

Paradise Park

Now that I'm done recapping my spring Ireland trip, it's time to post some hiking pics!  Making up for being waylaid with plantar fasciitis last year, I've been hiking a lot this summer.  My focus has been to follow the wildflowers wherever they've been blooming.  And as you'll soon see, I think I've done a pretty good job.

Timberline Lodge and Mt. Jefferson

One of the summer's memorable hikes happened just two weeks ago when my buddy Young and I tackled the long trail to Mt. Hood's Paradise Park.  One of my favorite summer wildflower hikes, health issues had forced me to miss this annual trek for the past two years.  

I'd gotten intel from one of the local Facebook hiking groups that wildflowers were peaking in Paradise Park and putting on a spectacular show.  That was all the motivation I needed.  I texted Young and we agreed on a day and time to get up there.

Not much snow left on Hood!

There's lots to like about the hike to Paradise Park.  For one, it starts at Mt. Hood's famous Timberline Lodge.  Not only scenic, but the place also has bathrooms, water, and acres of parking.  Just uphill from the lodge, Young and I caught the Timberline Trail/Pacific Crest Trail (they are one in the same for several miles north of Timberline Lodge) for a couple of fast downhill miles.  Not far from the trailhead, we ducked under a ski lift.  It was still running for summer skiing high on one of Mt Hood's glaciers, although there didn't appear to be much snow left.  As a matter of fact, the summer ski season ended just a week later.

A fine patch of asters

The flower show began almost immediately.  We oohed and aahed over several patches of purple asters carpeting the nearby slopes.

Aster close-up

A few strands of pink fireweed also added color to the surroundings.

Fireweed bloom

Traversing a couple of rocky gullies, we finally arrived at the top of Zigzag Canyon.  Beyond this point, the trail dived down for a steep mile until it reached the Zigzag River.  Being a fast-moving glacial stream, getting across was sometimes tricky.  But Young and I took a break and watched where other hikers crossed.  From our observations, we were able to determine the best rock hopping route to the other side.  No problem - just a bit of wet feet for me (but my boots were waterproof.)  

Nice morning light on this canyon

Now safely across the river, Young and I concentrated on ascending the steep bank on the other side.  The temperatures were starting to rise as we huffed and puffed our way uphill.  After climbing for a mile, we came upon another trail branching off the Timberline trail.  This was the path to Paradise Park.  We were almost there!

Paradise Park's main meadow was especially colorful

But Young and I still had a bit of climbing to do.  Up and up, we wound through alpine meadows, frequently stopping to catch our breath and admire the scenery.  Flowers bloomed here and there, but not in great quantity.  This part of the trail seemed to go on forever.  When would we reach the main meadow?

We hit peak bloom

Then, turning a corner, there it was!  Paradise Park's famous wildflower meadows spread out before us.  And it was one of the best blooms I'd seen in many years.  Purple lupine stood out prominently, accented with yellow Goldenrod and white, puffy pasque seedheads.  The concentration of flowers was astounding.

Higher up, orange Indian Paintbrush stole the show

Aside from the high concentration of wildflowers, one of the great things about Paradise Park's main meadow is it also features a nice view of Mt. Hood.  And lucky for us, it was a blue-sky day - no clouds or fog obscuring the mountain. 

Young is all smiles

As I crept through the meadow, snapping copious photographs, Young followed another hiker on a narrow user trail that appeared to head uphill towards Mt. Hood.  Engrossed in my photo session, after a few minutes I looked up and realized my friend had disappeared over the first rise.

Interesting wispy cloud over Mt. Hood

There was only one thing to do - follow Young uphill.  I didn't want us to get separated!  As I trudged up the path I noticed the wildflowers transitioning from lupine to pasqueflower seedheads, beargrass, and patches of the most brilliant orange Indian paintbrush.  Wow, this was just as good as the main meadow!  A tiny, wispy cloud hovered over Mt. Hood and it was so unusual looking that I made sure to feature it in several shots.

Young in a flower-filled meadow (she's on the trail)

It was really, really hard to tear myself away from this gorgeous, flower-filled meadow.  But, after catching up with Young and snapping photos as we descended, I knew we had to move on.

We came upon this huge patch of lupine

So we continued on the Paradise Park trail, and the flower show continued with us.  Paintbrush and asters joined in as we contoured around a couple of small hills.  They were nice but not as impressive as that colorful meadow.  Surely nothing else would compete with the grand flower show we'd just witnessed.

This meadow was also full of pasque flower seed heads

Oh, but it did!  We rounded another bend and came smack-dab into an enormous wildflower patch, thick with lupine and pasqueflower mop heads.   

Field of purple

The meadow was absolutely packed with lupine!  It colored the entire slope purple.  I'd never seen such a high concentration of this wildflower before.  And Mt. Hood peeped between the trees to join the scenery.

Wildflower close-up

Wowza!  All forward progress ground to a screeching halt for several minutes.  I'm embarrassed to say how many images I snapped.....and it was really hard to whittle them down to the four I've included here.

Another happy hiker

I think the thing that finally tore me away from this spectacular meadow was my grumbling tummy.  It was nearing noon, and we were both definitely in need of some food.  From previous visits, I knew of some nearby campsites that made good lunch spots.  So I packed my camera and hiked on.

The flower show continued in the next canyon

Reaching the campsites required climbing into and out of a drainage area.  As Young and I headed downhill to the very small creek crossing, again we were distracted by more wildflowers popping out of the hillsides.

Young getting photographs

A great vantage!  Tons of colorful blooms with Mt. Hood rising above the canyon.  How could we not resist another photo stop?

Monkeyflowers blooming by a small creek

Only our hunger kept us from taking another extended photography break.  Again, I packed the camera away and we crawled back up the opposite bank.  On top were several campsites, with nice logs to sit on.  Perfect for a lunch break!

Young picks the perfect lunch spot

Paradise Park is also a very popular backpacking destination.  It being Saturday, we'd seen many folks on the trail shouldering huge backpacks - some hiking the PCT, some the round-the-mountain Timberline Trail, but several had Paradise Park as their destination.  The problem for us was that many of the sites we'd hoped to use for our lunch break were already taken by backpackers.  A few tents were already staked at some of the more popular places.  But lucky for us, we did manage to find an open campsite.  Young quickly claimed a nearby stump and leaned her back upon it.  She then propped her feet up on an adjacent tree.  It looked quite comfy!

More of the mop-heads

My PB and J sandwich helped restore some energy.  After downing more food, along with lots of water (it was getting hot out here!) Young and I packed up our lunch things and continued down this flowerful path.

We took a side trip to Split Rock

We passed by fields of purple asters and more mop-headed pasqueflowers (I fondly refer to them as "hippy on a stick.")  Now out of the woods and above treeline, the sun beat down upon us.  

Flower garden below Split Rock

One of the local landmarks in this area is a huge boulder that is cracked down the middle.  It sits prominently on the barren alpine tundra above Paradise Park Trail.  Nicknamed "Split Rock" I often take the side trip to visit this unusual sight.  I asked Young if she was interested in seeing Split Rock up close, and of course she said yes.  Unfortunately there were two guys camping right next to the rock, so we didn't linger long.

The scenery was absolutely fantastic!

The final mile of this lovely alpine wonderland wandered through another flower-filled meadow.  It was all so beautiful!  I wished I'd thought to bring overnight gear - I didn't want to leave!  

Crossing a rocky gully on the return trip

But finally our path dived steeply downhill to meet up with the Timberline/Pacific Crest Trail.  From here it was a tough 6 mile trek eastbound on this trail back to Timberline Lodge.  By now it was mid-afternoon and the sun was beating down upon us.  Temps were nearing the 90s.  Although there were a few areas of forest that provided shade, much of this return trip would be in full sun.  And uphill.

Getting ready to navigate the Zigzag River crossing

There was only one way to get through this - put our heads down and hike.  So that's what Young and I did.  Although we passed by a few nice wildflower patches along this trail, nothing compared to the floral show we'd witnessed in Paradise Park.  

Flower-filled gully near Timberline Lodge

The worst part about hiking the Paradise Park loop is that the final 3.5 miles are all uphill.  After Young and I safely crossed the now-raging Zigzag river, we knew there was a tough climb out of the canyon ahead.  We promised each other that after this hike was finished, we'd head to the nearest brewpub for a well-earned adult beverage.  As Young and I struggled through the final hot, tough miles, our mantra became "think of the beer!"

Beer always tastes best after a long hike!

Nothing tastes better after a hot, dusty trek than an ice-cold brew.  Our reward for covering 13.7 miles and 3000 feet of climbing.  A steep price of admission to Paradise Park's incredible wildflower meadows.  I'd say it was totally worth it!