Cache Meadows Loop Highlights
Lilies (Lilium columbianum), lupines, and lovage. Gotta love that alliteration!
While up in Clackamas County, I spent a great day on July 20 doing the loop trail at Cache Meadows. This easy trail passes by a number of meadows and wetlands and several small lakes. I’m way behind on writing reports, so I’ll just post some photos for this trip.
This dragonfly appears to have just hatched and still has not developed its full coloring.
Left: A highlight of the day was coming upon dozens of western coralroot (Coralorhiza mertensiana), including quite a few yellow “albinos”. Right: Rushes are easy to ignore, but they can be quite lovely up close when in full bloom. I believe this one is Baltic rush (Juncus balticus).
The pondlilies (Nuphar leptosepala) were coming into bloom on some of the lakes.
An unusual Queen’s cup (also known as bead lily). I saw two of these “Clintonia biflora”—double-flowered Clintonia uniflora.
I was quite puzzled when I came across some unfamiliar backwater just before I arrived at Cripple Lake. Then I noticed this fresh-looking beaver dam. I met a family camping by the lake, their yearly ritual. They told me the beaver was building it when they were there last year. The young boy took me out to see the beaver’s impressive lodge. It will be very interesting to see how the habitat changes over the years after this significant alteration by nature’s engineering wizards.