Posts Tagged ‘Mount Jefferson’
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 »
Singing the Blues at Tidbits
Explorer’s gentian (Gentiana calycosa) growing out of a crack in the rock face at the base of the “east Tidbit”. Seeing this same plant well over a decade ago was what first made me wonder if these rock-loving gentians were really the same species as those that grow in wetlands in the High Cascades and elsewhere in the West.
On Friday (September 23), Nancy Bray, Ingrid Ford and her adorable dog Bogy, and I headed up to Tidbits to see the gentians. I had planned to get up there early in the season to see the many great plants that grow on the massive rock formations, but there are just too many places to visit. But although it was actually the first day of fall, there are still a few things to see. Thank goodness for the gorgeous gentians. They are somewhat like dessert after a great meal, saving the best for last, the final sweet treat that lingers with you and tides you over until the next flower season. There are not very many species of Gentiana in the Cascades, and they are never terribly common. Tidbits is one of the few places in the Western Cascades with a good show of gentians, so it is always worth a late-season trip. 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.