Cowiche Canyon Preserve, Rocky Top and Cowiche Mountain — Friday, Apr. 2, 2021

I took an afternoon walk yesterday on the Cowiche Canyon Uplands from Summitview and today at Rocky Top.  Yesterday I walked Radio Flyer to the Lone Pine Trail, up that trail to the Jeep Rd, & then the south leg of the Summitview South Loop.  I saw a nice patch of Gray's Desert Parsley and some Big Headed Clover in bloom along with lots of violets and the little Rock Onion (Allium macrum).  Overall, though, the flowers were a little disappointing compared to a couple of weeks ago.  Most of the Grass Widows, Yellow Bells, & Canby's Desert Parsleys were past.

Today I went up to Rocky Top and walked up Walk & Roll and down Green Harvester.  The wildflowers were much better here.  The violets, Cushion or Hood's Phlox, Rock Onion, and Large-fruited Desert Parsley (Lomatium macrocarpum) were quite profuse.  In fact, I don't think I've ever seen the Large-fruited Parsley as profuse as I saw it today.  There was also quite a bit of Hooker's Balsamroot.  As with Cowiche Canyon, the Grass Widows & Yellow Bells etc were mostly past, but some of the later bloomers are coming on - Carey's Balsamroot, Goldenweed, & Thyme-leaf Desert Buckwheat to name a few.  Both afternoons were partly cloudy & warm.