The wildflower season is gaining speed in the lush meadows that ring Mount Ashland. From now through August, there will be changing displays of flowers of different heights, sizes, and colors. The bumblebees will be particularly active in August, as would, in a “normal” year, numerous PCT thru-hikers (but probably not this year 😦 ). We started from where the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses the Mount Ashland Ski Road about two miles short of the ski area and hiked the PCT west to Grouse Gap and back. This is an easy six miles (with no appreciable gain) through patches of forest and swaths of meadows, with occasional views of Mount Shasta. A Lazuli Bunting and a Western Tanager made colorful cameo appearances, as did a doe with two spotted fawns and a nest of noisy baby woodpeckers. But this venture was about flowers and, by focusing on them, we stretched what’s usually a three-hour hike into a four-plus hour one. This was easy to do on a day that offered clear, sunny, and cool hiking weather. 🙂 We had the trail to ourselves going out but “distance-passed” more than a few hikers on the way back.
BOOTS on the TRAIL 
We live in the Medford area. Moved down from Portland to be closer to the outdoors.
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Oh, we love that hike! I recognize every beautiful photo in this series. It makes me homesick. Do you guys live in the Rogue Valley?
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We’ve had good luck using John Kemper’s “Wildflowers of Southern Oregon” to ID many of the plants/flowers more frequently seen here in Southwestern Oregon. When that doesn’t work, we go to the “Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest” website (www.pnwflowers.com) and fiddle with its search features. We’re doing pretty good at the genus level but are likely not recognizing some of the subtle differences between closely related species. Still, flowers don’t hop around as much as small birds and are thus easier (and less frustrating) to ID. 😉
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How are you able to ID so many plants?
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Thanks! This is just one of the many great hiking places we have around here. 🙂
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Thanks! I missed getting a shot of the doe with the two spotted fawns.
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Loved the photo of the deer amongst the lupine. A work of art.
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Beautiful pictures! Looks like a great place for a hike!
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