We hiked the desert lands trails of Central Washington in May and saw many wildflowers, some of which were common to the Kamloops area, but some were new to us. Our hike into Northrup Canyon started in the lower channeled scablands, a rocky scrub grassland, but the trail went up a side canyon to one of the only native forested valleys in Grant County. It was still a dry environment with sagebrush, ponderosa pine, and juniper. Some lodgepole pine and Douglas fir stand in the upper valley where the cliffs above support greater moisture retention. We encountered a number of wildflowers in various ecozones as we climbed higher into the canyon, some of which are shared below. Later that day we hiked into nearby Lenore Caves and spotted three new varieties.

All photos taken by the author. Click an image for a larger (lightbox) view and a caption. One flower is as yet unidentified so feedback is appreciated.