Wildflowers

[Abalone]

If you enjoy viewing the Wildflowers,.. the Bloom along the Columbia River Gorge each spring I just recieved a report that the bloom is just beginning up in the Klickitat area. There are many locations to view but I like Catherine Creek as it is a huge area 10,000 acres of diverse terrain that is blanketed with wildflowers. Look out for poison oak later on. But the blooms starts about now and goes to late May or June when things dry up. If you have never gone to see the bloom you really are missing something special. Take a Camera with a Macro lens and about Ten rolls of film.

I have spent many a day up there photographing and have some incredible photo's. Very relaxing to do and it gets you out of the house.

Here is a good website for Columbia River sites and Plant I.D.
http://ghs.gresham.k12.or.us/science...gorge/02/9.htm

There are Wild Turkeys there too.

[ 03-01-2004, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: Abalone ]

[Riverkeeper]

For sure. Catherine Creek is a great little hike and the flowers are amazing. Tom McCall Preserve on the oregon side is great as well. The cool thing is that between now and june, there will be a whole series of different things blooming in the gorge. If you were to go to the same spot once every two weeks, you'd see different flowers. Right now, I'd expect to see things like Sisyrinchium douglasii and Fritillaria pudica starting to make a good showing.

[Abalone]

RiverKeeper: It sounds like you are really into it. I used to go up the Gorge two or three times each spring and hike Catherine Creek. I stumbled on to it about Twenty years ago before it became popular. There are Rattle Snakes, Poison Oak etc. but Wow what a view. It's fun to pak a lunch, hike up about half way and pick a spot to have a picnic.