Over the mountains to sunshine

[mmegaera]

It’s no secret that this has been the wettest winter on record in western Washington (almost 45 inches of rain between October 1st and April 30th – our average, for well over a hundred years of record-keeping, is closer to 35 inches for the entire year), and one of the coldest. There’s no argument that it’s been incredibly depressing as well (and personal reasons have made it even more so for me).

So, when the weather forecasters for this past week noted (with great cheer) that it was supposed to get to and over 70dF on the west side of the mountains for the first time this year on Wednesday and Thursday, and even warmer, with lots of sunshine, on the east side, I thought, you know what? Screw it, I’m going camping.

Of course, when I thought about the east side of the mountains, my first idea was to go back to the Okanogan, which almost feels like home after the time I spent there researching my first two Tales of the Unearthly Northwest. I was also hoping it would nudge me back into writing the third Tale, which has sat there a few chapters in whining at me for longer than I want to think about it, due to those personal reasons I mentioned above. That didn’t really happen, but at least I got to spend some time in the sun, in nature, and to see lots of spring wildflowers.

The first place I went for flowers wasn’t on the way to the Okanogan, not in the region proper. At some point in the past I had picked up a flyer titled Wildflower Areas in the Columbia Basin, and one of them was about ten miles southeast of Wenatchee.

That turned out to be something of an adventure, as the photo of the Rock Island Grade Road will show. At my first sight of it, I thought, oh my gosh, I hope that little dirt road climbing up the side of a canyon isn’t the one they’re talking about, but yes, it was.

The Rock Island Grade “Road”, looking back towards the Columbia River from where I saw so many wildflowers.

It wasn’t the steepest, narrowest road I’ve ever driven, but I think it’s the steepest, narrowest dirt road I’ve ever driven. The recommended place to stop was about two and a half miles up, and the flyer hinted that there was a parking area. Ha. And what it turned out to be was a place for locals to go up and shoot cans, with all of the attendant garbage. That said, it was also literally carpeted with wildflowers. I managed to park Merlin as close to the edge of the road (not, at that point, hanging over the cliff) as I could, in case someone else came by (no one did, thank goodness), got out, and this is what I saw.

Spreading phlox spreading everywhere along the Rock Island Grade Road.

A phlox close-up.

And another. One of the things that makes phlox one of my favorite wildflowers (and garden flowers) is the infinite variation of a simple five-petaled flower in such a limited color palette.

The yellow flowers are wild radish. The purple ones are blue mustard. Both are tiny, but were profuse.

Yakima milkvetch, which was a new one to me.

And the first of more balsamroot I’ve ever seen in one trip before, which is saying a fair amount.

After I made my way cautiously back down to the highway, I headed back to Wenatchee, then north along Hwy. 97, which borders the Columbia River. It was getting fairly late in the afternoon by then, so I stopped at Lincoln Rock State Park, the first of three parks with campgrounds north of Wenatchee. I’d never camped there before. All of the sites are within sight of the river, and it was a peaceful, warm evening. I sat out in my lawn chair and just absorbed it all. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera chose just then to give up the ghost, and apparently I’d forgotten to bring the spares, so I have no photos of that.

And that was my first day east of the mountains this year.  More tomorrow.

Mirrored from M.M. Justus -- adventures in the supernatural Old West.

Comments

[archangelbeth]

Ooooo, nice! (I've actually been mostly enjoying the rain here. I don't like the bright sun anymore.)

[mmegaera]

I normally like rain, too, but gets a bit old when you can count on the fingers of both hands the days without measurable rain since October 1st [wry g].

[archangelbeth]

Well, you can send s'more over this way if you need! O:>

[mmegaera]

You have no idea how much I wished I could have done that a few times this winter [wry g].

[archangelbeth]

I admit I'm concerned that we didn't get enough snow for a water-release -- I predict drought later on. *sigh*

Send moar Sno! Er, Rain!

[mmegaera]

Yeah. We had a winter like that two years ago. No ski season in the mountains to speak of, people being very careful with water the following summer, *and* the worst wildfire season on record. No, thanks!

[archangelbeth]

uuuuugh. Do Not Want.

[threeringedmoon]

As always, love reading about your road trips.

[mmegaera]

Thanks!

[cmcmck]

Here via _ysabetwordsmith_

Stunning pics! We obviously have photography in beautiful places in common! :o)

[mmegaera]

Thank you!

[mirrorofsmoke]

I'm here via ysabetwordsmith BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWERS OMG!

[mmegaera]

Thank you so much! And welcome.

[ndrosen]

You provide some lovely pictures in this and the next post.

[mmegaera]

Thank you!

[kk1raven]

Pretty! We've been having a lot of rainy days lately too - not an excess of rainfall, just an excess of days when it isn't dry or sunny.

[mmegaera]

Thank you! Apparently, according to several of our local weather forecasters, the number of days without measurable rain between October 1st and April 30th this year was less than ten. I would say that's a bit excessive [g].

We've gradually been having more days without rain since the first of May, though, and the fifth of July is just around the corner, right?

[kk1raven]

That sounds more than a bit excessive.