As spring weather warms up, the first flowers emerge and the Neskonlith Hills are a good place to see them.  Pussy willows (salix sp.) were budding with yellow catkins on fuzzy grey tufts.

Sagebrush buttercups (ranunculus glabberimus) were the first to flower and they were abundant by the time other flowers appeared.

Draba verna has many different names and variations.    It is sometimes called whitlow grass, spring draba, nailwort, shadflower and others.   It is a member of the mustard family.

Western spring beauties (claytonia lancolata) graced the open slopes, covering some of the hillsides.  They are in the purslane family and they grow from marble-sized corms.

Graceful yellow bells (fritillaria pudica) were scattered in patches, always welcome on early spring hikes.   They are in the lily family and grow from small bulbs.

A few desert parsley (lomatium geyeri) were starting to flower.   Other varieties will follow.   There are 75 different varieties of lomatium.

Leaves, stems, and flower heads of arrow-leaved balsamroot (balsamorhiza sagittata) was growing through last years leaves and the mature plants will soon be covering the open slopes.

Yellow bells fade to orange-red at the end of their flowering period.

Larkspur leaves were developing and stalks will soon emerge.

The first yellow petals were starting to show for balsamroot flowers.

Yellow glacier lilies (erythonium grandiflorum) were not yet in flower, but the first ones were emerging with two leaves and a stalk.   We will return to enjoy them in flower.