Dalles Mountain Ranch in the Columbia Gorge

Sorry I haven't posted for a while - it's not because we haven't been active! These are just some of the photos I took on our @6 mile hike on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge on May 10, 2009. We read an article in the Sunday Oregonian about places to see wildflowers. It was a good weather day so we packed lunch and drove to the Dalles Mountain Ranch - part of a Washington State Park. It was so worth the 2-hour drive each way. We spent about 4 hours hiking this fantastic wildlife area. The dominant wildflowers are balsam and lupine, but we also saw Indian paintbrush, larkspur, phlox and quite a few plants we have yet to ID! Looks like we'll have to sit down with the plant books!
These photos include a snake that we saw on the way down from the top of the ridege; a big bumblebee nectaring; a beautiful little green butterfly (moth?); close-ups of balsam, desert parsley and Indian paintbrush; and a photo of a Western Meadowlark!






This area was filled with the song of the Western Meadowlark! It was the first time we've heard or seen them. It was ironic, this was the one and only place we've experienced Oregon's state bird - in Washington State! Beth heard the song first and located the bird in her binoculars. It looked like a meadowlark, but to make sure she pulled out her iPod and listened to the song on her bird ID program. It was just thrilling - and it's a lovely song. The birds were singing to each other for most of our hike up and down the ridge.
We spoke to several people on site and they told us this was the best wildflower year in decades, so we were extremely lucky to have experienced it. I would compare it to Dog Mountain, only an easier hike up and down. But the views, including of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson, were spectacular, the geology was interesting, and the fields of flowers were like walking through a Monet painting!