We hiked up a rugged and steep ridge from the Dewdrop Range to the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment, then hiked along the rim trail and came down the Dewdrop Trail for a 7 km challenging outing.   Along the way we took a few photos of wildflowers and flowering shrubs.

The Ragged Red Ridge is a south-facing rocky exposed ridge with very few trees, almost no sagebrush, and some scrubby grasses.   In open spots we spotted some Silverleaf phacelia (phacelia hastata).   This perennial has a taproot and a woody base.   Leaves are hairy and  of a silvery-green color.  White terminal flowers with long stamens bloom in spring.

The star of the day was Okanogan fameflower (talinium sediforme) growing near the top of the ridge on rocky, infertile soil.   Small white flowers bloom for a short period in May-June.

Thread-leaved sandwort (arenaria capillaris) also called fescue sandwort was spotted in open glades on the trail above.

Moss capsules shone in a temporarily sunny patch in behind a log, developing spores for future germination.

Showy jacob’s ladder (polemonium pulcherrimum) was blooming alongside the Dewdrop Trail in the open douglas fir forest.

A few fairyslippers (calypso bulbosa) were spotted in a shady spot near a stream.

Harsh red paintbrush (castilleja hispida) was emerging in the dry, open forest.   Note the hairy stems and leaves.

We hiked at the peak of Shrubby penstemon (penstemon fruticosus) bloom.   These were growing on rocky, open slopes.

On top of the ridge we spotted a mountain sagewort (artemissia ssp.).    The flowers are leaves were aromatic when crushed.

At the bottom on the dry plateau brown-eyed Susans (gaillardia aristata) were starting to bloom in open spots.

We were pleased to find the fameflower in bloom.   We know other spots to see it and hope to find them in bloom on an upcoming hike.