You've got to be on your toes to keep up with AHG hiking events. An impromptu flower walk to Grouse Gap changed to plan B because of the sudden Klamathon wildfire that broke out near Hornbrook Thursday afternoon and quickly grew to threaten Hilt and the Colestin Valley. With travel on I-5 iffy at best we decided to drive up Highway 66 to explore flowers on the PCT, going up to Little Pilot Peak on Soda Mountain.

We were hoping to drive away from the smoke and when we arrived there was no smoke over head. Wildflower season is still in full bloom so to speak up at 5,000 feet elevation! Liz, our flower floozy, made a list of more than 50 flowers that she was able to identify. Everyone enjoyed spotting new flowers and finding out what they were. My favorite new flower was called Owl's Clover and we were glad to finally find some Corn Lily's blooming.

On our way up the trail we met three through hikers, the first of the season. A young woman from the Netherlands and a couple from the Czech Republic.

The PCT follows a gentle incline through forests and meadows until you reach a gap between two large trees with a path up the hill to the top of Little Pilot Peak. As we hiked up the hill we saw remains of wild peonies which was a thrill to our flower lovers. We took lunch at the top and viewed the smoke raising from the fire. We saw Borax bombers dropping retardants on the flames. And we noticed ash falling down on us from the sky. After lunch we made quick time back to John's SUV as more ash fell and the smoke moved over head.

We really enjoyed all the new flowers we discovered and Liz's narrative. We stopped for refreshments at Caldera and learned that Mary Ellen, our newest member, is a wiz at figuring out the bill.

Rich

Here is the Wildflower List from Liz:

Alice's Fleabane (Erigeron alicae), Azure Penstemon (Penstemon azureus), Bell Catchfly (Silene campanulata), Blue Elderberrry (Sambucus caerulea), Blue-headed Gilia (Gilia capitata), Brewer's Lupine (Lupinus breweri), Candy Flower (Claytonia sibirica), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Coral Root (Corallorhiza striata), Corn Lilly (Veratrum viride), Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), Creamy Stonecrop (Sedum oregonese), Coyote Mint (Monardia odoratissima), Fendler's Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), Grand Collomia (Collomia grandiflora), Indian Pipe/Ghost Plant (Monotropa uniflora), Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium cranium), Manroot (Marah oreganus), "Martian" Lomatium/Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), (Meadow Larkspur (Delphenium nutallianum), Mountain Arnica (Arnica latifolia), Nettleleaf Horsemint (Agastache urticifolia), Ookow (Dichelostemma congestum), Oregon Geranium (Geranium oregonum), Oregon Checkerbloom (Sildacea oregana), Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum), Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Plume Solomon's Seal (Maiaithemum rademosa), Round-headed Buckwheat (Eriogonum spaerocephalum), Salsify/Oyster Root (Tragopogon porrifolius - nonnative), Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) - nonnative), Sierra Sedum (Sedum obousatum), Siskyou Mountain Owl Clover (Orthocarpus cuspidatus), Scarlet Gilia (Ipmopsis aggregata), Siskyou Onion (Allium siskyousense), Snowberry (synphoricarpus albus), Star Solomon's Seal (Maiaithemum stellatum), Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Tongue-petaled Clarkia (Clarkia rhomboidea), Western Collumbine (Aquilegia formosa), Western Groundsel (Senecio ntergerrimus), Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum), Western Wallflower (Erysium capitatum), Western Morning Glory (Calystegia occidentals), White-flowering Current ( Ribes alba), White-flowered bog orchid (Plantanthera leucostachys), Wood Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), "Little Guy"/prostrate rose (my name - can't find it in docs), Woodland Star (Lithophragma glabrum), Yarrow (Achillia millefolium)