We hiked up a steep trail from the Dewdrop Range to the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment, a 9.2 km return strenuous hike (2400 feet elevation gain).   The trail follows a gully, then an open rocky ridge to the summit where we enjoyed open forest.    Along the way I stopped to enjoy a vriety of wildflowers, flowering plants, birds, insects, and landforms.

Shared here are a few photos from the hike – shrubby penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus), silverleaf phacelia (Phacelia hastata), desert yellow fleabane (Erigeron linearis), showy Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum), small-leafed pussytoes* (Antennaria parvifolia), Okanogan fameflower (Talinum sediforme sp.), meadow death-camas (Zigadenus venosus), and milkvetch* (Astralagus beckwithii).

All photos by the author taken the day of the hike.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

shrubby penstemon

small-leaf pussytoes

milkvetch

Jacob's ladder

Okanogan fameflower

death camas

desert yellow fleabane

silverleaf phacelia

ragged lava flow ridge

our route

Other sightings from that day included arnica, balsamroot, star-flowered false solomon’s seal, fairybells, pearly everlasting, old man’s whiskers, rockcress, and several mustards.     We will be back to enjoy the next wave of wildflowers and flowering shrubs in the weeks ahead.

More information:

• Silverleaf phacelia
• Desert yellow fleabane
• Polemonium
• Okanogan fameflower
• Shrubby penstemon
• Meadow death camas

* tentative ids