Lewis and Clark Pass, June 27, 2020

Wind Danced Flowers; Gals Held onto Hats

A cloudy, windy morning, we left Great Falls at 7:30 a.m., meeting Shelley in Simms at 8:05 a.m. We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 a.m. After getting our gear ready, we presented Bonnie W with a 100-mile GIG mug.

The skies looked ominous. Everyone agreed with Gail that we would turn around if it started to rain. The wind continued, but no rain.

Wildflowers danced in the wind making it difficult to take photos. Our hat chin straps tugged against wind gusts of at least 30 mph. As we climbed closer to the pass, we viewed a large field of bistort swaying in the wind. After reaching the pass, we took photos at the Lewis & Clark Pass sign and found a spot somewhat out of the wind to eat lunch. We took more photos and headed back to the cars.

The wildflowers were not as abundant as last year in late June. But, we saw fields of fireweed that will be lovely when it blooms.

Heather, Bonnie W and Karen headed back to Great Falls. While Gail, Jo Ann, Shelley, and Catherine ate lunch at the Bushwacker in Lincoln. Shelley dropped Jo Ann off in Simms to ride back to Great Falls with Gail and Catherine. Shelley proceeded home to Conrad. The Great Falls group arrived around 4:30 p.m. A windy but fun day in the mountains, and a historic pass that most of us had not visited.

Who went: Heather, Bonnie W, Karen, Gail, Jo Ann, Shelley, Catherine

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Jo Ann's Pix

WILDFLOWERS
Alum Root, Roundleaf 
Anemone, Cut-Leaved, creamy white
Arnica,Heart-Leaved
Arnica, Seep-Spring
Bedstraw, Northern
Blanket Flower
Buckwheat, Suphur
Buckwheat, Yellow
Chickweed, Mouse Eared 
Chokecherry
Cinquefoil
Collomia, Narrow-leaved/Tiny Trumpet
Dandelion, Salsify
Fireweed (fields of it not yet in bloom)
Geranium, Sticky (Pink)
Indian Paintbrush-Red
Jacob's Ladder
Kinickinick
Lousewort, Parry's
Milkvetch, Drummond's
Monkeyflower, Yellow
Parsley, Fern-Leaved Desert
Penstemon, Fuzzy Tongue
Penstemon, Slender Blue
Phacelia, Silverleaf 
Phlox, Cushion-White
Prairie Smoke (past its prime)
Pussytoes
Saxifrage
Sedge, Small-Winged
Stonecrop, Lance-Leaved
Stoneseed aka Gromwell aka Lemonweed 
Townsendia, Parry's
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