Flowers on CDT Do Not Disappoint; Nor Do the Views
On an overcast day that turned sunny, nine of the GiG headed out to climb Rodgers Peak at 7 a.m., hoping to get up and down the mountain before the predicted thunderstorms at 3 p.m.
We followed the trail, littered with elk poop the whole way, marveling at all of the different zones of flowers. First, we were in the glacier lilies and spring beauties with some valerian and wild anise. This gave way to ballhead waterleaf and Oregon grape and heart-leaved arnica. Then when we got above tree line to the alpine area, we were treated to douglasia, forget-me-nots and yellowstone draba in profusion. In fact, we saw about 30 wildflower varieties on this hike (see below for list).
Besides the flowers, the views showed their beauty too. We could see into the Scapegoat wilderness and the Rocky Mountain Front as well as the Highwoods, Adels and the buttes where the mountains meet the plains.We could also see Holter and the Gates.
When we reached the top, we took a moment to remember Chrissie, who had signed up for this hike, and Sue's daughter Julie as it was the one-year anniversary of her losing her brave battle with melanoma. Bonnie put a rock on the cairn in Chrissie's honor followed by Sue who put up one in her daughter's memory.
When we got back to the car, we all discovered ticks on us. We had found two on the trail, but now we were picking them off right and left. We found more in the car and more at home.
On the way home, we stopped at the Deli out of Vaughn run by the Mennonites. We sampled some wares from cheese curds to pulled pork, ice cream and blueberry turnovers, all delicious. They have a lot of bulk good and the same Amish Wedding brand canned goods that North Forty carries.
We arrived back at our cars around 2:30, a great day and we did make it down and even back to town before the sprinkles started.
Who went: Camille, Rosanna, Bonnie, Brenda, Mary, Catherine, Kathy M, Sue, Sara, Katie
We followed the trail, littered with elk poop the whole way, marveling at all of the different zones of flowers. First, we were in the glacier lilies and spring beauties with some valerian and wild anise. This gave way to ballhead waterleaf and Oregon grape and heart-leaved arnica. Then when we got above tree line to the alpine area, we were treated to douglasia, forget-me-nots and yellowstone draba in profusion. In fact, we saw about 30 wildflower varieties on this hike (see below for list).
Besides the flowers, the views showed their beauty too. We could see into the Scapegoat wilderness and the Rocky Mountain Front as well as the Highwoods, Adels and the buttes where the mountains meet the plains.We could also see Holter and the Gates.
When we reached the top, we took a moment to remember Chrissie, who had signed up for this hike, and Sue's daughter Julie as it was the one-year anniversary of her losing her brave battle with melanoma. Bonnie put a rock on the cairn in Chrissie's honor followed by Sue who put up one in her daughter's memory.
When we got back to the car, we all discovered ticks on us. We had found two on the trail, but now we were picking them off right and left. We found more in the car and more at home.
On the way home, we stopped at the Deli out of Vaughn run by the Mennonites. We sampled some wares from cheese curds to pulled pork, ice cream and blueberry turnovers, all delicious. They have a lot of bulk good and the same Amish Wedding brand canned goods that North Forty carries.
We arrived back at our cars around 2:30, a great day and we did make it down and even back to town before the sprinkles started.
Who went: Camille, Rosanna, Bonnie, Brenda, Mary, Catherine, Kathy M, Sue, Sara, Katie
| Flowers: alpine forget-me-not ballhead waterleaf blue-eyed Mary cinquefoil/potentilla cinquefoil/potentilla cous biscuitroot douglasia early buttercup edible tobacco root five-fingered or sulfur cinquefoil glacier lily gooseberry grouse whortleberry heart-leafed arnica huckleberry | Indian paintbrush Jacob's ladder larkspur mouse-eared chickweed nine-leafed biscuitroot pasque flower prairiesmoke shooting star spring beauty sticky cinquefoil strawberries western tobacco root/valerian wild anise Wyoming kittentails yellowstone draba |
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