Big fish wandering willows6/2/2023 ![]() ![]() Having already photographed them in one spot, I would have kept going, but the narrow petals of the flowers at this spot made me realize this might be the other species, Parnassia fimbriata. This species is common here and was at the height of its bloom. I’d already stopped near the beginning of the road to look at some beautiful Casacade grass-of-Parnassus ( Parnassia cirrata) growing alongside western oxypolis ( Oxypolis occidentalis). No more gentians, but I again did a double take farther up the road when I passed another of several populations of fringed grass-of-Parnassus. There were also still minor ditches where spring runoff cut across the road. I drove more slowly than usual to keep my eye out for more gentians. I had planned to spend the whole afternoon wandering along the creek, but curiosity kept me heading down the road past my trailhead. I had worried that since this road was cutting into a wilderness, it would be left to its own devices and eventually be decommissioned, leaving me with a much longer walk to Rattlesnake Mountain, but apparently the road is being maintained. I was surprised-and pleased-to find that the washout was filled in completely with new gravel. ![]() A major washout there has always kept me from venturing farther down the road. Although I had been told horror stories about the road before I ever drove on it, it hasn’t been in the best shape but has always been drivable for a passenger car up to just before the second trailhead, which is how I usually access the creek. The road into Fish Creek Valley was punched into the area just before it was made into a wilderness. fimbriata (right) look more like paws, and the petals are narrower. ![]() The two species of fringed grass-of-Parnassus: Parnassia cirrata (left) has yellow staminodia with little balls at the ends that look like frogs’ feet and rounded petals. Seeing gentians more than makes up for being too late for most flowers. I’ve driven by this site a number of times, but without the blue flowers to catch my eye, I never realized they were there. There is another record of it being found in the Calapooyas a little south of there but none in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide that I know of. In fact, the most southerly site I’d ever seen it was in northern Douglas County on cliffs above Bradley Lake, where I was actually planning to stop on my way home in a couple of days. I’d never seen it in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide. I stopped the car and was shocked to see the gorgeous, large blue flowers of explorer’s gentian ( Gentiana calycosa). Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of blue out of the corner of my eye-lots of blue. As I drove up to the second trailhead, which is how I usually access the creek, I was thinking about the darling one-flowered gentian ( Gentianopsis simplex) I hoped to see. The most exciting part of the day-and the whole 3-day trip, for that matter-happened soon after I arrived. And I’m so glad I didn’t let it stop me, as I had a great day. The smoke was quite evident, especially later in the afternoon, but since I wasn’t going up to any of the summits, the lack of a view wasn’t much of a drawback, and it wasn’t bad enough to sting my eyes or irritate my throat. I’m not sure the little spots and stripes are really necessary to guide the bees to the pollen-this little bumble bee seemed to know just where to go-but they sure add to the beauty of these stunning flowers. The deep tubes of explorer’s gentian are pollinated by bees.
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