Calendar

Past Activity

Postponed: Iron Mountain

  • Start date: 07/05/2019

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 07/05/2019

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Please read my Iron Mountain article in the June Bulletin on page 6: When Is The Best Time To See A Spectacular Wildflower Display On Iron Mountain?

Departs from: Springfield, Winco Parking lot, I-105/Mohawk. 1920 Olympic Street, Springfield. This gives us easy access to get on I-105 or Marcola RD.
The early departure is to avoid the crowds and possibly afternoon hot temperatures. It is an hour drive up Mohawk Valley to Sweet Home where we head east up Highway 20 around 35 miles to Deer Creek Trailhead for the loop hike to Cone Peak Trail and the lookout where we will have lunch. Moderate pace with stops to view the flowers. It is not a flower identification hike nor is it a race. If questions, email me at jbjacobsen@comcast.net. Bathroom stop: east of Sweet Home/Foster Lake Viewpoint. There is also a toilet at Deer Creek parking lot.

  • Event Leader: Janet Jacobsen

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-206-1251

  • Event Leader Email: jbjacobsen@comcast.net

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 142

  • Season: 2019

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: sun protection, lots of water, lunch, snacks, appropriate clothing for weather.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 8

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 1900

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

The wildflower communities— forests, meadows, rock areas and rocky seeps —had spectacular displays. We looked up and looked down, oohed and aahed, and repeated the flower names in hopes of remembering. We were a bit shy of the "over 300 species" that can be found on the Iron Mountain Trail. Lana was pleased to see the Cascade lily just ready to bloom. We left Springfield at 7:30 am and were at the lookout platform for lunch around 1:00. Denise shared her childhood memories when she stayed at the lookout with her stepmother. On the way down we met a botanist researching the yellow monkeyflower and its decline. She was collecting tissue samples in an area where there used to be 20,000 monkeyflowers but now there were only 20. One wonders about the future for these unique wildflower habitats.