We, a very enjoyable group of Mountaineers, saw 56 species of plants in bloom (thanks Paul for the list below!) while hiking on the Wildcat, Cheeky Bugger, Westberg, and Chest Pains trails (caltopo route is in the first link). There is a lot of balsamroot out in the open areas and the lupine and showy phlox will be in full bloom soon. The flowers have been thicker here in prior years, but is is a very good display right now which will continue for weeks. On the western portion of the route, partially in woods, we saw many early flowers (spring beauties, ballhead waterleaf, shooting stars, a few sagebrush violets and yellow bells, and more). In the more open eastern section the later flowers are coming on, wild buckwheats, Gairdner's penstemon, rockcresses, and many more.
As always, thanks for all of the trail work done by mountain bikers, the trails they have built meander through the wildflowers giving ever changing views of the beautiful surroundings. Thanks to WTA and all of the volunteers who added the flowery switchback on the Westberg trail; it would be great to have additional switchbacks above this section to replace the steep and very braided trail. Thanks to whoever is closing many of the old steep social trails; the caltopo map is a little off, it shows us going up one of these closed trails to get to the Wildcat trail, seeing it was closed, we went up part of the Boy Scout trail to get to the trail that connects to the Wildcat and Cheeky Bugger. I've also attached the google maps link for the trailhead (no pass required, no privy, adjacent to the road is a beautiful flower garden and occasionally free vegetables later in the season, and a very pleasant and friendly gardener).
WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM (56 species)
white (12)
western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
wax currant (Ribes cereum)
longhorn plectritis (Plectritis macrocera)
desert-parsley / biscuit-root, probably bigseed (Lomatium, probably macrocarpum)
desert-parsley / biscuit-root, probably Geyer’s (Lomatium, probably geyeri)
Yakima milk-vetch (Astragalus reventiformis)
bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata)
lance-leaf spring-beauty (Claytonia lanceolata)
miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
large-leaf sandwort (Moehringia macrophylla)
annual Jacob’s-ladder (Polemonium micranthum)
spring whitlow-grass (Draba verna) — just finishing flowering
yellow (18)
holly-leaf Oregon grape (Berberis / Mahonia aquifolium)
desert-parsley, probably nine-leaf (Lomatium, probably triternatum) — large numbers
bare-stem desert-parsley / biscuit-root (Lomatium nudicaule)
golden currant (Ribes aureum)
Carey’s balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana)
Hooker’s balsamroot (Balsamorhiza hookeri)
hornseed buttercup (Ceratocephala testiculata)
false agoseris / prairie dandelion (Nothocalais troximoides)
tall western groundsel (Senecio integerrimus)
Columbia(n) puccoon (Lithospermum ruderale)
thyme-leaf buckwheat (Eriogonum thymoides)
Douglas’s buckwheat (Eriogonum douglasii)
bitterbrush / antelope brush (Purshia tridentata) — just coming into flower
desert spring-gold (Crocidium multicaule) — just finishing flowering
desert yellow daisy (Erigeron linearis)
yellow bells (Fritillaria pudica) — just finishing flowering
alyssum, small or desert (Alyssum alyssoides or desertorum)
heart-leaf arnica (Arnica cordifolia) — just coming into flower
reddish: pink to red to red-purple (14)
red-stem stork’s-bill (Erodium cicutarium)
long-leaf phlox (Phlox longifolia)
showy phlox (Phlox speciosa)
tufted phlox (Phlox caespitosa)
slender / midget phlox (Microsteris gracilis)
harsh paintbrush (Casilleja hispida)
scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)
dagger-pod (Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides)
rockcress, sicklepod/small-flowered or/and slender/few-flowered
(Boechera pauciflora or/and sparsiflora)
prairie-star, bulbiferous or/and small-flowered
(Lithophragma glabrum or/and parviflorum)
Gairdner’s penstemon (Penstemon gairdneri)
shooting-star, probably desert / Bonneville (Primula, probably conjugens)
big-head clover (Trifolium macrocephalum)
prairie smoke / old man’s whiskers (Geum triflorum)
bluish: blue to violet to blue-purple (9)
blue mustard (Chorispora tenella)
ball-head waterleaf (Hydrophyllum captitatum)
small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora)
lupine, maybe Bingen (Lupinus, maybe sulphureus var. bingenensis)
rock lupine (Lupinus saxosus)
large-flowered triteleia (Triteleia grandiflora)
sagebrush violet (Viola trinervata)
sagebrush bluebells (Mertensia oblongifolia)
larkspur, probably upland / common (Delphinium, probably nuttallianum)
green (2)
Thompson’s paintbrush (Castilleja thompsonii)
vine maple (Acer circinatum)
brown (1)
chocolate tips / fern-leaved desert-parsley (Lomatium dissectum)
BIRDS (21 species)
European Starling
American Robin
Red-tailed Hawk
?Northern Harrier
Turkey Vulture
Common Raven
Northern Flicker
Mourning Dove
Chipping Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Mountain Chickadee
House Finch
Cassin’s Finch
Purple Finch
Cassin’s Vireo
Red-breasted Nuthatch
BUTTERFLIES
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Julia’s Orange-tip (Anthocharis julia)
Blue, species uncertain
MAMMAL
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) — 2
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