Wildflowers Galore

 Hiya Gang,
Little Fox here with my pals Navy and Cocoa Beanie.  After our day of adventuring around the gorge we decided to finish our mini-get-away with another hike. It's prime wildflower season so this longer hike should be a shoe-in for many-a-flowers.

Navy looks good with Mt. Hood and Horsethief Butte in the background.  

Navy found some Balsamroot and a few early Lupine. Navy also found Mt. Hood in the background. 

This hike is on an old ranch and besides being a state park its also a right of way for high voltage power lines.  At times you can hear the buzzing of the lines but it doesn't distract us from the views or flowers. 

Navy and Cocoa switched spots and Cocoa did just as good of job as Navy finding flowers. 

It's hard to take a bad picture up here. 

Being that it was prime wildflower season in the Gorge it was busy but there were a few pockets of solitude while hiking.

Even Sequoia got in on the pictures. 

So the next question is easy:  Where to next gang? 

Spring Wildflowers

Hello Blog World.  Little Fox here with a wrap up of my Spring wildflowers.  Spring started early this year, right around the end of February.

Yep, you are not mistaken.  These  little flowers are about as tall as me.  These are some of our earliest flowers. Always a good sign that spring is coming.

Fast forward a month.  Now it's early April and I am at an old ranch that is now a state park.  The ranch is an old homestead and they planted a few trees along the creek.  Some of the oaks are still around.

I call this place Little Fox's grotto. It's very peaceful here. 

A nice collection of Lupine and Balsam Root. 

Back at the ranch, a few weeks later.  California Poppy have invaded.  They spread pretty fast when they get started....invasive for us but the State flower of California (and illegal to pick in that state).  A certain dog is attempting to photo bomb.

Away from the ranch but still in the same area.  Flowers are slowly dying off...spring is almost over (this Picture from 5/19/21).

Lupine, an oak tree and...what another photobomb by Sequoia.  This is MY blog....not his.

Sequoia is a little confused why someone would not want him in their blog.  I guess I can't blame him for wanting to share the spotlight with me.

Perhaps we can hit DQ for a PupCup (a vanilla sundae, peanut butter, and two milkbones) or Starbucks for a Pupacino (whipped cream in a small cup...and one of the most popular items on the Starbucks secret menu) for Sequoia?  

Spring is nearing an end.....bring on Summer!

An adventure with Sequoia at the Dalles Mountain Ranch

 Hiya Blog Pals.  
Sequoia says "Time for a hike".  I am not one to argue with Sequoia so let's go!

And....we are off!

Today we are exploring the Dalles Mountain Ranch.  A former homestead for a few families now a state park.

The trail today takes us all over the ranch.  You can see the power lines, the Columbia River and Mt. Hood in the background. 

The ranch was pretty quiet today.  There were people out for sure but the ranch is really popular during wildflower season.  But the sun is out and the temperature is in the 50s, not bad for January.

The ranch was originally homesteads from the 1850s.  The biggest homestead was the Crawford's.   In the late 1860s the Crawford boy married a local girl whose parents homesteaded the adjacent land.  Growing crops was a big fail but the Crawford's ranched the land for years (until the Great Depression hit).  Once the depression hit, a wealthy doctor bought the ranch, ranched it until it went bankrupt, and sold it to another ranching family in the area.  The Blakely's ranched the land until their retirement and then deeded it to the state in 1993. 

The park has preserved many building from the Crawford ranch.  Original buildings, the original home from 1905 (built from timber from the original homestead house), a cemetery and lots of random farm equipment. 

The plan was to eat lunch at the ranch and explore the area.  The park removed the picnic tables for the winter so we continued onward to another lunch spot.  Perhaps another time to explore the ranch?

The land out here is not great for growing crops.  There are a few groves of decidous trees planted randomly....or so it seems.

The Timber Culture Act of 1863 granted homesteader an additional 160 acres of land if they planted 40 acres of trees.  The belief at the time was that trees would bring rain to dry land.  The program lasted about 20 years and wait for it.....didn't work (shocker right).  Anyway.

Sequoia has informed to be quiet, quit the history less, and continue hiking.  Not wanting to upset this little dog we are off!

Bear BACK in Charge Blog #13.

Hello Blog World,
Welcome to the great wildflower hunt day 1.  Baxter here in charge of the blog.  Today, I am at the Dalles Mountain ranch in wine country in Washington state.

Dalles Mountain Ranch is an old ranch.  Now it's a state park and you can hike along the old ranch roads.  Lots of space to explore.  Let's go. 

Some sort of yellow flowers.  Let's get a closer look.

Looks like Balsam Root.   Can you see how windy it is?

Lupine is out.  It smells very fragrant, one roommate thinks it smells like lavender.

The Columbia River in the background and Mt. Hood.  What a great day.  

I bet this is what Jerry's garden is like.

Good thing this bear doesn't have any allergies.

I have to admit, it's hot today.  You know what would be refreshing?

Soft serve ice cream, hmm maybe a slurpee, or a big glass of ice tea.  I know, I know.  I will convince my roommates to take to Dairy Queen.

An ice cream sandwich all to myself?  This is the life.

Gotta eat my snack before it melts. 

WildFlower Identification.

It's wildflower season and my trusty hiking companion Sequoia is doing his pre-hike sniff he always does before a hike.  Let's go. 

In the background we have Horse thief Butte.  During the last ice age there was a big ice dam and when the dam broke it flooded the river and carved out the Columbia River Gorge.  Horse thief Butte was one of remnants of the ice age flood.

The wildflowers are out and about.  These are California Poppies and they are the state plant of California.  I love California Poppies, they flower when the sun is out and are really easy to care for.

The higher up I got on the trail the better the views of the river I got. 

I was at an old homestead.  The family that homesteaded the land planted an orchard but I think these trees are Oak.  There is a little creek on this hike so every once in a while there are pockets of trees. 

Another great spring time flower, Balsam Root.

Do you see these little flowers? They are white (and they have a purple counterpart).  What are they?  Great question, I need to do some research and find out. 

Some sort of desert parsley? 

A nice meadow of Lupine and Balsam Root.  Perfect spot for a snack. 

The flowers are sure out today. 

Sequoia is getting hungry.  Time for lunch and a break,

Ahhhhh, this is the life!  I just finished lunch, have more hiking to do, and have a comfortable spot to relax for a while. 

A trip to the ranch

Hello Blog Pals ~
It's been a busy day for me, Little Fox.  My roommates told me we were going to an old ranch that is now a state park.  I don't know much about ranches except that they always have a cook who makes big meals for all the ranch workers. I am hoping there is a chuck-wagon meal waiting for me at the ranch.

Let's Go!

The wildflowers are out today.  This tree smells great!

This balsamroot doesn't smell but I love the color. Now do you think they have one in Orange?

Taking a rest, more balsamroot.

The yellow really brings out my pawsitive personality doesn't it? 

Now, if you remember I was told I was going to a ranch and I was expecting a chuck wagon dinner cooked by a ranch hand.  All I see are wildflowers, where is the ranch?

Barbed wire, fence posts I must be getting close. 

A nice little boquet of balsamroot and blue lupine. 

Another barb wire fence, I must be getting closer. 

Do you see it?  The ranch (oh yes and Mt. Hood).  I am so hungry. 

I hope they have a ranch chicken dish cooked in a cast iron oven served with a big salad and corn bread muffins.  

Sequoia is staring off toward the ranch - I bet he is hungry too. 

---Lunch time---

My roommates told me it was lunch time and we were at the ranch.  I didn't smell ranch chicken, I didn't smell any fresh cornbread. Hmm, this could be interesting.

Well it wasn't what I was hoping for but we have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some chips,  a cliff bar and some cheese.  Not a bad lunch.