Fifteen of us spent Saturday in the Blue Mountains near Tollgate searching for wildflowers. We discovered that the season is late this year. Many of the early flowers were still blooming, and most of the early summer flowers were yet to appear. We finally found penstemons at the Lick Creek Trailhead after looking for them everywhere else. The scenery overlooking Lick Creek and at the Coyote Ridge Trailhead were spectacular - small meadows that were blanketed in wildflowers of every color and mountain overlooks at made me realize why I love the Blue Mountains! We identified over 60 different types of wildflowers and shrubs. The weather was marginal, but we didn't have any rain so that was a bonus. Although we weren't looking for birds on this trip, we did see and hear many of the mountain birds. A hermit thrush seranaded us while we ate lunch at Coyote Ridge and we found two nesting pairs of Williamson's sapsuckers along the trail. It was a treat to be able to enjoy the mountains and all of their beauty so close to home. A nice finish to another season of field trips. Ginger
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