On a fall hike into the hills on a grey day a few wildflowers were still in bloom in the grasslands and in the forest routes.

Curly-cup gumweed (grindelia squarrosa) plants were still producing many flowerheads.   Most parts of the plant are sticky and resinous.

Mullein stood tall on open slopes with a few yellow saucer-shaped flowers.

In wet spots there were many hawkweed flowers (crepis trectorum) still flowering, but also producing fluffy seedheads.

There were several Isabella tiger moth caterpillars feeding on sweet clover.

White prairie asters (aster ericoides sp.) were clustered and abundant.

A few late-season gaillardia still graced the grassland slopes from time to time.

A number of seasonal ponds were being recharged with fall rains and runoff.

The main purpose of the hike was to explore some old hidden homesteads, like this one:

Soon all signs of wildflowers will disappear with hard frosts.   We will then have to continue to share discoveries from earlier in the year.