Phoebe "BertMoss" went hiking May 31, 2011 7 miles 2,000 feet gained

Mitchell Point /orchids galore / Elowah/Mc Cord

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Started out the day hiking Elowah falls & Upper McCord creek. The cliff at McCord creek is exploding with color! Pink, Red, Purple, Yellow, white... Lots of cliff paintbrush, smooth leaf douglasia, larkspur, Howell's daisy, white shooting starts, hot pink rock penstemon and tons of 5 ft ferns. It really is a sight to see, and so amazing such a variety of colorful wildflowers can grow on a rocky cliff wall.

Next I ventured up to Mitchell point where I met a flower lovers paradise, along the trail I found 17, yes , SEVENTEEN calypso orchids! all within 20 feet of one another! It was amazing. I also came across a couple bunches of naked broomrape (tee hee hee) a ton of bright purple Oregon anemone's, and some tall white groundsel. It was sunny and warm(ish) in the Hood River area with some partly cloudy skies, lending to decent views, but no mountain peaks.

soloman plume large leaf avens colorful trail white shooting star not sure what this is really called, but I call it "BertMoss" rainbow cliff one of many orchids star flower

Trail Talk

3 people have hearted this trip.

Kyle Meyer · June 1, 2011

Wow! Guess I have to go here soon.

Eric Peterson · June 1, 2011

Plus you got a good workout! Nice

Jen · June 5, 2011

Wonderful variety of flowers. Thank you for sharing these photos. I'm curious about the fourth and sixth shots. Is that an eriogonum, and a albino shotting star respectively??

Phoebe "BertMoss" · June 6, 2011

Well Jen, I am no flower expert, but I do have 2 excellent reference books. Photo 6 is a "white shooting star" they are not albino's of the purple ones that grow in the East Gorge, they are a "cousin" that grows on moist cliffs near waterfalls. and Photo #4, I am not really sure, there were at least 2 varieties of daisy-like flowers at McCord Creek.