Head for the Hills, Part 3

As I work on the final post of this wildflower triptych, I'm struck by how quickly the experience fades into the background. It was about four months ago I was eagerly meandering along on this hike, soaking up the views and the details near the ground. And here it is almost Thanksgiving! Hence, my sincere thanks to those who keep these trails open and protected.

In this post, we'll cover the final miles of the Canyon Creek Meadows hike, including a spur trail to Wasco Lake.

Backtracking along the 1.5 mile Three Fingered Jack spur trail is much quicker now, as it is all downhill! We spot many old favorites along the way, such as the lovely pink Lewis' Monkeyflower, more Streambank Arnica, some Partridgefoot, and quite a bit of Scarlet Indian Paintbrush. Most notable, we came across a small cluster of rare Sucksdorf's Paintbrush, growing along a brook.

Castilleja suksdorfii

Spiraea splendens

The last section of the hike takes us through a marshy area that has fewer blooms and almost no other hikers. It's a more localized trail without vistas other than burned trees and several creeks that feed into the marsh.


Fortunately, few mosquitoes are about, and there is a bit of a breeze. Further along, we see more Lupine and Sitka Valerian, as well as Rosy Spiraea, shown here.

Just before reaching the spur trail junction to Wasco Lake, some movement in a small pool catches my attention: it's a full grown Cascades Frog, about three inches long. I watch it swim about and then encourage it to eat more mosquitoes.

Rana Cascadae

The spur trail to Wasco Lake is 0.7 miles each way, starting at elevation 5,300 ft. and going mostly downhill to the lake. This area is totally burnt, with plenty of new growth popping up. The Pearly Everlasting covers these slopes, but I also spot some Bleeding Hearts and Bracken Ferns.

Young trees are getting plenty of sun.

Half way to the lake I meet two hikers and their two very wet dogs coming out. This is fortunate because they let me know that there are actually three lakes along the trail and Wasco is the last one - and is good for swimming they say.

First Lake of Three

This part of the hike is eerie, walking among the dead, but still standing trees. We spot no animals of any kind along here. Once reaching Wasco Lake I take another break and poke around the shore a bit. The water is very clear, warmer than I expected, and quite shallow at the south end, good for wading.

Wasco Lake - shallow and fairly warm at this end.

From Wasco Lake it is about 2.2 miles back to the trailhead. The route is mostly downhill and we get a couple of Mt. Jefferson views. At this point my feet are tiring and I've run out of snacks - all the more motivation to get back! Near the main trail junction, this Tall Cinquefoil decorates the downed trees scene.

Potentilla arguta

That's a wrap, as they say. I hope to return to this area next year, at a different date to find the many other blooms in the area. Meanwhile, to see the rest of the photos for this post, follow the link below.

Links:

Canyon Creek Meadows Photo Album, Part 2