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olderthanIusedtobe
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostWed Jul 03, 2019 3:19 pm 
Mt. Baker Hwy was calling me again. I intended to drive up Canyon Creek Rd. last year but found out that wasn't an option. Figured I better do it now while I could. Never been up there before. That's an interesting drive. For a "damaged" road I gotta say it's nowhere near as bad as Suiattle River Rd. has been the last several years or Chiwawa River Rd. is typically. Damaged is a relative term I guess. Anyway as I expected that's a quick and relatively easy way to get up into high meadow wandering. Went a bit east on the High Divide from Excelsior Peak. Then couldn't pass up taking a boot path a little way along a ridge heading toward the backside of Church Mountain. I'm assuming it's possible to traverse all the way over there. Monday was a beautiful day w/ a surprising number of folks out, lots of friendly hikers (and pups). Some decent flower displays and false hellebore is coming out.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostWed Jul 03, 2019 3:19 pm 
Church Mountain has been on my list for a long time, I finally got around to it. Tuesday was nowhere nearly as nice as Monday, but I barely got sprinkled on so it was okay. Actually cool temps were fine for the way up, I was still sweating like crazy. That is a grunt. The meadows you traverse thru are lovely, nice flower displays off and on. Marmots all over up there. About the time I got to a the lookout site the fog/clouds moved in and I couldn't see much of anything. Of course it lifted almost as soon as I started heading down. Glad I tried this finally.
So...if it looks kinda like sage, and smells kinda like sage, and tastes kinda like sage, even though it's totally not where you would expect to find it at...?

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capbiker
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PostThu Jul 04, 2019 7:35 pm 
I was out there Monday as well, but didn't see that many people and no dogs! We ended up heading west along High Divide for a couple miles. Did see folks up on Excelsior Peak, but passed on the Peak this trip. It's SOOOO nice to have Canyon Creek Rd open! Nice photos...it was a stellar day, even though Mt. Baker never fully rid herself of those clouds.

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gb
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gb
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PostFri Jul 05, 2019 9:53 am 
olderthanIusedtobe wrote:
Church Mountain has been on my list for a long time, I finally got around to it. Tuesday was nowhere nearly as nice as Monday, but I barely got sprinkled on so it was okay. Actually cool temps were fine for the way up, I was still sweating like crazy. That is a grunt. The meadows you traverse thru are lovely, nice flower displays off and on. Marmots all over up there. About the time I got to a the lookout site the fog/clouds moved in and I couldn't see much of anything. Of course it lifted almost as soon as I started heading down. Glad I tried this finally.
olderthanIusedtobe wrote:
So...if it looks kinda like sage, and smells kinda like sage, and tastes kinda like sage, even though it's totally not where you would expect to find it at...?
Probably Artemisia ludoviciana, although could be Artemisia michauxiana. http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/browse.php?Classification=Vascular%20Plants&BrowseBy=Species&OrderBy=SciName&BeginsWith=A#Artemisia

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Jul 05, 2019 12:32 pm 
Thanks gb. I just associate it with being in dry areas east of the crest (shrub/steppe). I thought I saw some just a bit down slope of Stujack Pass last year. I also don't really think of it being up in the mountains here in Washington. There was quite a bit along the trail to Wolf Creek Meadows. I've seen it in the Sierras and the Northern Rockies on east slopes.

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