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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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 Sun Mar 30, 2003 11:05 pm Umtanum Ridge
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A friend and I headed over to Umtanum Ridge Sunday. I was afraid we were a little early for flowers. Much to my surprise and delight there were lots of flowers from just over the suspension bridge all the way to the ridge top. The flowers were different from the ones I have seen there in May but very colorful. I will get a report with photos together in the next few days. Until then here are a few...
Oh, and did I mention that it was 70 degrees? Well worth the drive.
 Flowers, flowers everywhere.  Sage Buttercups?  ???  Desert Bluebells?
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Alan Bauer
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Joined: 11 Jan 2002
Posts: 942 | TRs | Pics
Location: Fall City, Washington |
Excellent sightings on the flowers Jim. Thanks for sharing! The ones are indeed sagebrush buttercups, and those '???' purple critters are sagebrush violets (Viola trinervata). Desert bluebells are one of my all-time favorite desert wildflowers and I'm glad to see your report of them there. My favorite place I've photographed them is atop Steamboat Rock last April.
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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:26 am |
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Alan,
Thanks for the identification help. the Bluebells and Sage Buttercups came from photos you posted. The Sagebrush Violets I had no clue about. The Violets are among the nicest flowers I've seen. I don't recall ever seeing that variety before.
All totaled, we counted over 20 different types of flowers in bloom.
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 11:41 am |
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| JimK wrote: | | Alan,
Thanks for the identification help. the Bluebells and Sage Buttercups came from photos you posted. The Sagebrush Violets I had no clue about. The Violets are among the nicest flowers I've seen. I don't recall ever seeing that variety before.
All totaled, we counted over 20 different types of flowers in bloom. |
Hey JimK and Alan:
JimK - I probably saw you up on the ridge ahead of me. I hooked up with an old lady friend and we sweated our way up to the ridgetop together, and then walked on out to the Untanum Creek crossing via the road, and finished up by coming back down the creek "trail" to the car. A full day. Nice.
Alan - You are sure right about this being such a nice area of desert steppes and riparian woodland along the creek. Fabulous scenery, warm day...as good as it gets.
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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 1:15 pm |
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Larry,
We didn't see many people all day. However, we stopped at the high point on the ridge and talked with a single hiker. While there, a man and woman hiked by. That must have been you. You never know who you'll meet (or almost meet) on the trail.
That was quite a loop you took. I'll have to try it sometime.
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 1:29 pm |
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| JimK wrote: | | Larry,
We didn't see many people all day. However, we stopped at the high point on the ridge and talked with a single hiker. While there, a man and woman hiked by. That must have been you. You never know who you'll meet (or almost meet) on the trail.
That was quite a loop you took. I'll have to try it sometime. |
That was us, Jim. Saw you talking with the single hiker. We almost came over to yak, but thought maybe it would be rude, and you might have wanted your space. You never know. We too, were surprised by all the flowers...how nice was that!?! And, beautiful clouds all day.
The loop is quite nice. About 9 or 10 miles total. The only bad part is the first couple of miles heading down Umtanum Creek from where Burr Road crosses. Many washouts, and kind of tough going. The best bet is to just plunge in, and don't do like we did and try to cross the creek on logs and stuff. Just too many places to look for to cross, and you'll save time by just wading.
The last 3 miles is great trail. Lots of beaver activity, but boy...they must get their dams completely trashed every year.
The afternoon shadows were just beautiful on the rocks and groves of firs and pine trees. Saw one trout skittering in the shadowed water, and saw some nice Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowering on the left side (south-facing slope) of the lower valley.
Saw these REALLY tiny little pink flowers...almost looked like some miniature form of Cusick's Speedwell or something. Maybe Alan knows what it is. I would imagine the flower itself is only 1/8 inch in diameter.
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 1:36 pm |
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Oh...one more thing...how about those freaking BIRDS? Wonderful songs, a great variety of songs from several species of birds.
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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Mon Mar 31, 2003 3:24 pm |
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I'm glad you mentioned the birds. We stopped at one point within a circle of what sounded like a dozen of them. the conductor bird would start and then one by one they would sound off. It was quite a symphony.
We also saw several varieties of nearly microscopic flowers. 1/8 inch in diameter at the most. A really spectacular variety.
I'm sorry you did not stop to say hi. That other hiker has been all over that area for 20+ years. With your knowledge added to ours it would have been entertaining as well as instructive.
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Karen
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
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Tue Apr 01, 2003 5:27 pm Spring in the city!
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Snow levels are dropping pretty low the next couple of days but spring is alive and well in Seattle. Saw my first bluebells of the season today along the Ship Canal in the Fremont District today while taking an urban stroll.
Karen
PS Larry, WHERE were you when you took the last image of the purple flowers?? GREAT shot!
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:38 pm |
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| Karen wrote: | | Snow levels are dropping pretty low the next couple of days but spring is alive and well in Seattle. Saw my first bluebells of the season today along the Ship Canal in the Fremont District today while taking an urban stroll.
Karen
PS Larry, WHERE were you when you took the last image of the purple flowers?? GREAT shot! |
Karen, do you mean the one up above on this page? That was taken by Alan.
Let me think...where was I...oh, I know! At the time Alan was taking the flower photo, I was just stepping out of the shower. I clearly remember using the hair brush as a microphone...I was singing along to Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky"...I think that, right after that, I cut up a D'Anjou pear into eight pieces and dipped them into a bit of chocolate syrup. They were good. Probably right after that, I satisfied my addiction to nwhikers.net and got back online.
That's all I remember.
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Karen
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
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Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:33 pm I MUST be nuts after all
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because, Larry, that is NOT the same photo you had up a few hours ago!!! So either you are playing tricks on me or else I really am nuts.
That being said, I also like the photo that is showing NOW. Was that taken from your shower?
Karen
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Wed Apr 02, 2003 7:04 am |
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| Karen wrote: | | because, Larry, that is NOT the same photo you had up a few hours ago!!! So either you are playing tricks on me or else I really am nuts.
That being said, I also like the photo that is showing NOW. Was that taken from your shower?
Karen |
Well, these darn photos are always changing on me, Karen. I never know which one is going to be up there next. It drives me.....well, nuts.
Now that I'm thinking (!) of it, maybe you meant the photo with the yellow sunlight on the ice, with the purple "stick bush" in the upper left corner of the image? If it's that one you are referring to, then that was on James Pond near Mora Campground, inland from Rialto Beach. A cold day indeed.
You are correct. The photo of the surf at Rialto Beach was actually taken from my shower with a very long lens. I must admit that, more than once, I've stepped out of the shower, looked at the surf, and tried to jump in. I'm always shocked back to reality when I find myself head first in the toilet bowl. It's quite an experience, and only seems to happen to me. In fact, it has taken a lot of soul-searching for me to admit that happening on this public forum. But, I try to be honest about this stuff, and I have confidence that the people in this forum sympathize with me. (In fact, one of my life goals is to garner sympathy, because derisive laughter seems so prevalent).
Here...I'll put up the photo I think you might be referring to. See my avatar?
*Larry attempts to jump into the avatar photo, to slide across the ice, but the rug has too much "grip", and he pitches forward, landing head first in the bowl of Kelloggs's Special K. He immediately thanks himself for having the presence of mind to have washed his head earlier.*
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Karen
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Joined: 22 Dec 2001
Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
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Wed Apr 02, 2003 5:11 pm Mystery Flower
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What is this? It looks like an avalanche lily but I found it growing at sea level in a Seattle Park.
Any ideas?
Karen
 mystery flower
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Larry
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Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 1084 | TRs | Pics
Location: Kitsap |
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Larry
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Wed Apr 02, 2003 6:11 pm |
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That is a beautiful clump of Fawn Lilies, Karen! Very nice find.
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Mtnclimberhiker
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Joined: 01 Apr 2003
Posts: 3 | TRs | Pics
Location: where ever the winds blow |
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Mtnclimberhiker
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Thu Apr 03, 2003 7:32 pm Familiar with the Peninsula Wilderness Club in Bremerton?
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Awesome pictures and I bet you have some interesting stories to tell?
We are always looking for presenters.....do you have any formal presentations you'd be willing to share. Think they do pay a small stipend.
Thank you 
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