North Shore Missouri River, June 18, 2020

Snake on Trail Gives a Scare at End of Nice Hike along the Missouri with Flowers, Hoodoos

After three and a half days of rain, Karen, Jo Ann and Katie were aching to get in a short hike, this time to see prairie flowers. We started at the Ryan Dam trailhead but headed west toward Cochrane Dam rather than the usual Morony. We went to the falls overlook and then continued to the Ryan Dam/Great Falls overlook, where some powerlines secure to hoodoos high above the island.

It was interesting to get another vantage point from on high.  On the way going, we marveled at the flowers, the prickly  pear and yucca blooms in particular. On the way back, we took a jump as a rattle snake gave us his warning shake and coiled ready to strike. Boy, did Katie take a leap as she was closest to the little bugger.  He wasn't very big but he gave us a big fright. Luckily, we were steps from the car or we would have been timid on the trail after that.

We saw almost 30 wildflowers on this desert soil, surprising really with how dry it is.

We left at 3 and were back by 6 p,m,

Jo Ann's pix

Katie's pix

Flowers we saw

Yucca
Prickly pear
American vetch
split pod milkvetch
white penstemon
yarrow
prairie roses
Hymonoxys acaulis
bull thistle
butterfly weed
sulphur buckwheat
cushion goldenweed
cushion buckwheat
sulphur buckwheat
American vetch
Scarlet globemallow
bastard toadflax
dalmation toadflax/butter and eggs
dame's rocket
sweet clover
alfafa
Missouri milkvetch
Miners candle
dusty maiden
daisy
blue flax
leafy spurge
​geyer's onion