Posts Tagged ‘Helianthella’
NARGS Campout Day 1: Bachelor Mountain
Little sunflower (Helianthella uniflora), normally found east of the Cascades and very common in the Rockies, grows abundantly at Bachelor Mountain.
Every year (well almost), the Oregon chapters of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) get together for a camping trip to some mountainous area in Oregon. I have been organizing these trips for a while now, and in spite of the demise of our chapter in Eugene, I still wanted to continue this tradition. This year, we gathered everyone in the Western Cascades to see the great bloom at Coffin and Bachelor mountains in Linn County, south of Detroit. I had hoped to write a full report, but of course I’m off on another botanizing trip soon and don’t have time. Running out of time seems to be a theme for me during the hectic wildflower season in the mountains. So here are some highlights from our fabulous day on Bachelor Mountain (July 5). Read the rest of this entry »
Gorgeous Day at Coffin and Bachelor
The show of beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) is once again outstanding on the open slope of Coffin Mountain. The Penstemon procerus and mountain sandwort (Eremogone capillaris) were also quite showy.
I’ve been trying to get back to Coffin and Bachelor mountains for several years, and, coincidentally, I finally made it back this past Wednesday, August 3, exactly three years to the day of my last trip. These two mountains have fairly short trails and are side by side, but it is still hard for me to do both in one day (without rushing too much) unless I camp nearby to give myself more time. Otherwise, I’d head up there at least once a year. They really are jewels for flowers and butterflies. I don’t know why more people don’t know about them. They deserve the popularity of Iron Mountain and Cone Peak, but I can’t complain too much about how much quieter they are.