On the Stony Lake Trail
On a pleasant April day the Lac du Bois Grasslands Conservation area called for a nature hike. It did not disappoint. The entire route was covered in wildflowers and there were many birds along the loop route. The trail was an old double track used by homesteaders that climbed into the hills and worked its way over to Stony Lake. On the way back, the route was to the steeper south-facing slopes overlooking the middle grasslands.
There were many sagebrush buttercups, desert parsley, yellow bells, and western spring beauty. Featured in the gallery below are yellow bells (Fritillaria pudica), big-fruited desert parsley (Lomatium macrocarpum), arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), western spring beauty (Claytonia lanceolata), slender phlox (Microsteris gracilis), and small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum). Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
There were a number of emerging wildflowers too, including lemonweed/stoneseed (Lithospermum ruderale), rust-infected mustard (pseudo-flower – Puccinia monoica), and sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum).
Soon to flower (about 2 weeks) will be upland larkspur, fern-leaved desert parsley, pussytoes, and the full balsamroot bloom. More information on these wildflowers can be found at these links: