Sunshine's Back!

Beautiful day today!  I hiked something different today--started at the upper parking area off Valley View Drive, and went as far south as I could, following the Raptor's Rest Trail and the Bearly There Trail.  Lovely walk in dry, grassy woods (after the steep climb, UP!), but didn't see anything different in the way of flowers.  Got a good work-out and enjoyed the sunshine!  Here's my favs:

Balsamroot that is well-bloomed out; the next photo is a close-up of this.

What a cool discovery!

Balsamroot

Meadow Death Camas

Meadow Death Camas

Woodland Star or Prairie Star

I think this must be a different variety than what bloomed some in April; much bigger!

Prairiesmoke

Larkspur growing by a downed tree snag.

Larkspur

Prairiesmoke

Biscuitroot--this one looked really purple, and bloomed out.

 Blue Penstemon, almost

Kalispell is starting to green-up!

Rainy Weekend!

Everything is getting a good dose of moisture this weekend.  The weather was still clear after church this morning, so I thought I'd head up to Lone Pine and see if I could stay ahead of it.  Got showered on several times, but nothing too serious.  As long as I can get my camera out and keep the raindrops off the lens, they (the raindrops) make for some nice photographs.  No new blooms to report, but what is there just keeps growing and getting prettier.

If you are local and can hike the cliff trail, you would see lots of Arnica, Oregon Grape, Woods Pussytoes, Paintbrush and False Solomon's Seal.  Around the top there is still lots of Larkspur, Balsamroot, Biscuitroot, and Stoneseed.  The Lupine are starting to bud out, and I saw lots of Penstemon buds getting ready.  The Blue Flax is starting at the very first lookout point past the bridge.  On the way down the Valley View trail, I mainly saw Arnica, Oregon Grape, some Clematis and a Fairyslipper or two.  At the beginning of the trail just off Valley View Drive there is lots of Chokecherry still in bud.

Here are my favorites from today in the rain.

These apple blossoms look like little pink roses to me!

Woods Pussytoes; at first glance it's nothing special, until you look closely.

Paintbrush

The Calypsos are about done, but looked sweet with the raindrops.

The False Solomon's Seal have gotten really tall!

Stoneseed and Balsamroot in back

Pale Comandra

Pale Comandra with a few more flowers opened.

Stickseed--not to be confused with Forget-Me-Not.

Clematis

Clematis and Arnica

Mysteries solved

I've been seeing these plants around the top of Lone Pine, but I hadn't been able to identify them until now.  Corn Gromwell is considered a weed (on the Montana wildflower website) and is related to Stoneseed.  The white flower is very small.

This is Rockcress to the best of my knowledge, though it is different than the other rockcress I've seen.

I just saw this one on Friday and it is a new one for me.  Pale Comandra; hope to see some more that are a little more opened soon.

Pale Comandra buds

Pale Comandra flowers opening

Quick Check

I hadn't got back up to Lone Pine this week, so I made a quick trip over my lunch hour from school on Friday.  Just walked around the top, but actually saw some new blooms!

The Larkspur, Arnica and Balsamroot are still blooming and gorgeous.

newly opened Arnica

more mature Arnica

Larspur

newly opening Larkspur

Balsamroot

Balsamroot

New plants at the top of Lone Pine are Lupine, Pearly Everlasting, Death Camas, Blue Flax, and Strawberry.

new Lupine bud

Pearly Everlasting

Death Camas, poisonous

Blue Flax

Blue Flax

Strawberry

Yellow!

Most of the new flowers blooming now at Lone Pine are YELLOW!  You'd think all this sunshine we've had just got concentrated into those little plants!  They sure make the woods cheerful and bright.

New yellows:  Arrow-Leaf Balsamroot, Heart-leaf Arnica, Oregon Grape, and Stoneseed:

Arnica is definitely the dominant flower in the woods right now.

At the start of the trail, just off Valley View Drive, there are several shrubs that may not really be "wild;" for instance, lilacs.  But there are sweet buds on the chokecherry tree and an apple tree:

There are several new paintbrush along the Cliff Trail:

At the meadowy top of Lone Pine there was quite a variety of colors.  In addition to the yellows, there is still lots of Biscuitroot, Larkspur, PrairieStar, and Prairiesmoke.

Along the Valley View trail through the woods I saw lots of clematis--this one isn't quite focused right, but if you click on the photo, I think you can see an enlarged version of it and the big bumblebee that is clinging to one of the blooms.

There were a few more mystery plants, and when I get them figured out, I'll post 'em.  Our weather may cool for a bit and get some rain, which we really need!