Not Fireworks- FlowerWorks

Since May 1, I have logged just over 210 miles of hiking – primarily across Mount Helena. That’s just a bit over 4.75 miles every day. My tracker also suggests that I have climbed a touch over 54,000 feet of elevation in that time- about 10 miles of vertical.

I believe that you never walk the same trail twice. The scenery, flora and fauna, weather, etc., is always changing. Now, after 44 consecutive days of walking many of the places over and over, I believe it even more.

I’ve seen hundreds of thousands of flowers in that time. From tens of thousands of individual plants. I’ve been able to ID 128 species- let’s assume I have a 10% error rate- it’s still better than 110 species. I have at least 15 plants that I have not yet been able to identify. During all those miles, I’ve also heard and or seen, thousands of birds from at least 130 species.

This is the part that keeps me going back out- every single one of those 44 days I have seen a new something and I’ve seen and old something disappears. May 3 was the first day I saw Arrowleaf Balsamroot. Today, they are fading fast and being replaced by Hillside Arnica and Limestone Hawksbeard.

If I had the time and equipment, I could have set up a time-lapse camera in one spot and the NE flank of Mt Helena would have appeared to flow yellow flowers as the Balsamroot made its way up and across the field of view.

All the smaller flowers, too, have staged their way across the slopes. Currently we have Bitterroot and Phacelia and, what seems like an endless variety of vetches and locoweeds. But a couple of weeks ago it was Douglasia and Rockcress and lomatium.

On several occasions through this phenological experience, I have said to myself that wildflowering is like watching a very low elevation, slow motion fireworks display. A display that is only available to those who are patient, observant, and persistent. I guess it a “flower-works” display.

I’m grateful to have the time (and sunlight) in the morning and evening to be able to spend these precious hours in nature. I also know that, with Mid-summer only 8 days away, these days are numbered.

I am also grateful to have Mt. Helena so close that I can take all this time in nature and still work 40+ hours every week.

Gratitude for being able to live in a place where a slow motion flower-works display occurs and have the daylight hours to observe it.

That’s pretty cool in my book.