Dog Mountain

This last weekend I seized the opportunity to get away overnight.  I have consistently put off going to Dog Mountain but knew this was the last great opportunity for this flower season.

Dog Mountain is about 55 miles east of Vancouver right on the Columbia River.  It is a popular hike and the huge bonus is the spectacular views and great wildflowers.  Unlike other areas of the Cascades that are still snowed under, this mountain is snow free right now.  I saw some pictures from the 4th of July weekend on Flickr and I knew I had to make a visit a priority.

I needed a place to stay so I took a look at Google Maps.  I spotted a landmark reference for Sandhill Cottages so went to their website.

http://www.sandhillcottages.com/index.htm

A restored 1930's era Auto Court. 

Totally charming, I was hooked.  I called and they had a unit open so I grabbed my stuff and drove smack into I-5 Friday afternoon bogged down traffic.

Stupid stupid stupid why didn't I go via Yakima?  Somehow I convinced myself that traffic at 215 could not possibly be as bad as traffic at 315.

Well it took 2 hours to get to the other side of Tacoma, about 45 miles.  A total of 5 1/2  hours for the usually 4 hour drive.

But Oh look what greeted me.  A funky little cabin that reminded me of the cabins at the ocean so many years ago.

Beadboard walls!  Super comfortable bed!

The bathroom shower fixture was directly overhead.

The little porch, the wood was worn and raw.   Boy did that take me back to childhood.  I stepped carefully and did not need needles and alcohol for splinter surgery.  There was a slider on the porch and it was nice to sit and read just enjoying being outside.

They had chicken and you could buy fresh eggs and coffee, beans roasted on site.

No radio , no TV ( but WiFi no problem)

It was perfect.

But the little kitchen area took the cake.  A Crosly Shelvador, something I have never seen before.  A refrigerator with a sink and 2 burner stove top.  All in one unit.  To my dismay I assumed that cooking utensils and dishes were provided, they were not. 

Next time I will be prepared.

I got up early the next day and drove to the trail head, arriving before most of the crowds.  My Wildflower hike book mentions that Phantom Orchids were possible here and suggested that the Ausperger Mountain Trail is the best way up and then come down Dog Mountain trail.  I heeded Professor Kruckbergs advice.  I grabbed a walking stick since I knew Phantoms likes to grow under and associated with low shrubby plants like Salal or Oregon Grape.  This trail area is filled with Poison Oak so I was needed my stick for safety.

The trail got underway with a nice sloping climb.  It was persistent but not bad.

There were fabulous views out from the trees of the Columbia River and the mountains to the west.  I was not having a lot of flower or bug action and I was disappointed that the Rattlesnakes seemed to be sleeping in.

But what greeted me when I entered a stretch of piney woodland... I still cannot wrap my brain around.

Phantom Orchids

Not a few, not some

Hundreds.  Hundreds of the RARE Phantoms.  The hillside was littered with them.  Occasionally there were clumps that looked like bouquets.  It went on and on and I was giddy with the thrill of it.

I was so distracted as I walked along that I misstepped right off the edge of the trail, giving my upslope foot a scary twist.  My ankle and instep are still puffy.

But oh the views.  Oh the flowers. 

That is Mt St Helen's.  I was up there a year ago.

Mt Hood, in Oregon, plays peak-a-boo

I am looking ahead to the last bit of this climb.

Bugs were surprisingly few.

Lupin and Paintbrush

I think this bee was snoozing.

I didn't see the pretty beetle on this Larkspur, it was far too small.  I regret the timing, the green metallic sheen would have been awesome.

Wild Ginger, on of my favorite flowers.

The perfect lunch spot.  The lookout point on "Puppy" a little mountainette next to Dog.

The route down was slippery with little stones and I am so happy I came up the way recommended.  I was the only one going up the trail when I was on it.  Beating the heat of the day was key, though here the winds are very persistent so overheating was not an issue.  Coming down the trail I encountered still more Phantoms on the trails.  Overall I encountered seven different orchid species in bloom, one a variant I had never seen before; an "immaculata" Spotted Coralroot.

Getting back to my cozy cabin I spent the afternoon reading, sipping coffee, fresh roasted in the office

and still trying to wrap my mind around the magnificent bounty of Phantoms.

I was higher than these clouds!

Orchid Trips

Over the last two weekends I have been on two lovely trips with the Native Orchid Society.


http://www.wanativeorchids.com/


Each trip was distinctly different from the other.


Last weekend was to see a specific orchid. Truly that! The Phantom Orchid is simply that , a rare and elusive plant that blooms inconsistently. You cannot count upon it being at the place it bloomed last year. The Phantom is totally without chlorophyll and makes use of an intermediate fungal hyphae ( underground fungal threads) to connect itself to the host plant.


The venue was a stunning private home on the Olympic Peninsula. The owners had a wonderful home in the woods and had worked hard to preserve the second growth forest around their home. It was here they found the Phantom Orchids and to the knowledge of our leader, this is the only known spot on the Olympic Peninsula where this flower is currently known to bloom.


We were given ample opportunity to view and photograph the two flowering spikes. The freshest spike had grown up inside some greenery which produced a twisted, convoluted stem. The white blossom, as white always is, a challenge for my little cameras.






Sorry this image is so small. Somewhere along the line I lost my original image and could only salvage this from my Flickr account.







But I was thrilled to see this lovely thing and visit such a nice couple who clearly care about the world around them.


Plus needing to pass through Kingston, I stopped at Mora for ice-cream. Simply the best ice-cream shop ever. This picture is from last month when I hosted a little traveler called Rhiney. There is something deliciously decadent about walking on the ferry on the hottest day of the year and riding across to have ice-cream for dinner.








Yesterday was a different type of trip. Lake Elizabeth, outside Skykomish is in the far northeast corner of King County. For years the little lake could be driven to but a land slide took out the road about three miles from the lake, requiring an approximate three mile hike in. I had read about the lake but had never been. When I saw that there were plans for this trip, I knew this would be the opportunity to visit a new place in the company of friends.



I got off to a bad start in messing up on the written directions to the starting point. I encountered two train crossings in my misadventure and had to stop at the train crossing each time, putting me further behind the rendezvous time.



Worse was that each crossing stop was for the same train. A long slow train. But I got to the start and was happy to see some familiar type vehicles. I started up the trail across a bridge that had "road closed " sign. I figured my group was just up the way by about 1/2 hour or less.





I encountered a fire truck simply parked. It seemed strange. There were, however many pieces of heavy road construction equipment along the road. They were trying to do work on this road but personally I wonder if it is worth it. I think I counted at least four landslides that have impacted the road and taken good chunks of it away. You could see parts of the hillside want to slide down in the future. I figured that the water truck was a precaution around the heavy equipment, should all the work spark some fire.





But later I met a ranger simply standing with supplies and a radio near his truck. It turns out there was a spot fire high on the ridge above us. I could clearly see the column of smoke rising from a place at the base of a cliff. In talking to the ranger , he said they figured it was someones poorly left campfire. It had been smoldering for several days. I heard helicopters later on and found out on my return that they had dropped firefighters into the high spot along with equipment. The fighters would camp for several days working to put down the fire. The helicopters would drop supplies as needed. On the return hike I could hear chainsaws working high on the ridge.



As I hiked along I counted the mile markers placed by the county for the road workers. Doing the math I had to wonder where the lake was since the trip schedule said this was about a seven mile (total) hike. I had already done about 3 1/2 and there was nothing but a running creek. I eventually crossed what was the original landslide that took out the road several years ago. I knew my hike was going to be longer than advertised.



I caught up to my group and the leader said that the original bridge crossing was not supposed to be the planned starting point and that today's hike would be longer than anticipated. OK I am game for anything. The weather was fine, there were a lot of butterflies to try and photograph. The only thing more frustrating than trying to identify butterflies (I find it very challenging) is photographing them.



I believe this is a Hydaspe Fritillary , Speyeria hydaspe.






This is Phoebus Parnassian , Parnassius phoebus. They were everywhere and totally frustrating to capture.




This pretty Garter Snake offered a lot of opportunity to take a picture.

We reached the lake which owing to its remote access is little visited. The trail around it has been little used and so we started bushwhacking through greenery.

We encountered many Slender Bog Orchid , Platanthera stricta along the long trail in and around the lake itself.

We also had one small patch of Tall White Bog-orchid just starting to open.

Even though my brothers and sisters insist I was, this is not where I was found as a baby.

Skunk Cabbage

All over in the boggy area frogs of many sizes were swimming popping and hopping. They blend in so well that you really have to be careful when walking in their territory.

The trail, such as it was, became choked with fallen trees and the overgrowth did not support going any further. I was thrilled we came this way, however, as I found a single specimen of Pinesap an odd saprophyte, much like the Indian Pipes. I have never seen this except in book pictures.

We also encountered some Common Butterwort. I am disappointed this photograph did not turn out well. They are pretty little flowers and totally insectivorous. Their leaves trap bugs to supplement their "diet" in nitrogen poor soils. In my reading I found out that it was believed the juice of butterwort protected cows from the elf arrows and humans from witches and fairies. The juice is also used on chapped udders of the cows.

We backtracked the trail and headed off around the lake encountering a better trail and a few more species including Heartleaf twayblade and Listeria caurina (banksiana) Northwestern Twayblade, an impossibly tiny orchid.

By now it was 2:30 and I knew I had at least seven miles to hike back down. I decided to call it a day and I hiked back to my car along with another member. Seven hours on the trail with no opportunity to sit down; about 15 miles round trip, I was feeling it late last night. But I was thrilled with the six different orchid species encountered as well as the Pinesap and Butterwort.

Today does not feel like a day for a long hike, so I will go out and find something "easy" and new.