This nice little patch of avalanche lilies was growing along the way trail (running to their left and then up the rocks) that ran up to the ridge line in the upper reaches of the Duckabush valley in the Olympic National Park. One of the main reasons I took the photo was because of the lily in the upper left … while lilies typically have 6 petals, this one only had 4. “Huh” I said. I’d better take a photo.
Lupine in the high country of the Olympic National Park. One of my favorite locations for shooting photos. and one of my favorite subjects.
Also called “Lady Slippers”, these are some of my favorite springtime flowers. Most of the orchids that are native to the Pacific Northwest are even smaller and less showy than these.
Just a couple of flower photos to brighten up the last few days of (calendar) winter. Both Bear Grass and Tow-headed Baby are relatively common wildflowers in Olympic National Park. Tow-heads are an anemone that have gone to seed (aka western pasque flower). Towheads are found in mountain meadow areas, but bear grass is found at most elevations.
The photo above is Happy Lake … a seldom visited spot in the Olympic National Park. The Happy Lake Ridge Trail is seldom hiked, but it a wonderful loop hike, ending at Olympic Hot Springs. It’s a longer hike now … since the road is washed out 5 miles or so before the Olympic Hot Springs trailhead. Happy Lake was quite buggy … but mid-July tends to be that way. Notice the left over snow and the Avalance Lilies.
