A Wildflower Walk

We take a first spring walk up Blodgett Creek Trail in nearby Blodgett Canyon. And we see wildflowers galore. Just in this one patch are: the sunflower cousin Arnica cordifollia, or Heart-Leaf Arnica with bright yellow ray flowers on 6-to-12-inch stems;  Castilleja rhexifolia, or Common Paintbrush with scarlet clusters of flowers;  and the beginning blooms of Lupinus sericeus, or Silky Lupine with whorls of purple flowers on very erect stalks.  What a privilege to have your path edged with such beauty.

Trillium ovatum, or simply Trillium, is one of the first mountain flowers to bloom in spring. Its showy white flowers have faded to pink by the time we see it.

When we look up from the trail, we see craggy peaks to the north...

...and still more crags. We scope the scree with binoculars, hoping to see wildlife. And yet, all is still and severe in its beauty.

Back on this often shaded, duff-strewn trail, it's a quiet, contemplative walk.

A Fragile Fern (Cystopteris fragilis) catches my eye as it thrives on shallow, rocky soil.

So does a pale Blue Clematis (Clematis occidentalis) as it starts its vining habit.

We love getting high enough on the trail to get a peek into more than a million acres of roadless, protected Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

Finally, we stop for a snack where the creek meets the trail. It is much calmer than the downward-falling stream below. But still, it is gorgeous!