Hardy Ridge/Phlox Point, WA    June 1, 2018    (Hike#35)

This hike was my hardest yet, post surgery – 8.2 miles/2200 feet.  The first part is a road walk through beautiful forest along equestrian trails in Beacon Rock State Park.  Then steep switchbacks lead up to the saddle of Hardy Ridge where the ridge walk to Phlox Point is lined with flowers and views of the Columbia River, Mt Hood and Mt Adams. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike, but am still feeling the last 2 miles – it was just a bit long for my stamina. I am glad I did it, as my next stage of treatment begins next week, and I don’t know if I will have a physical setback.  And I love hiking through lush blooming wildflower meadows!

Lower trail

Views from the top:

West, Columbia River

South, Mt Hood

Southeast, Hamilton Mountain

Southeast, Bonneville Dam

East, Mt Adams, Table Mountain

Phlox Point ahead –

North from Phlox Pt

Our first bear grass of the season:

So much Indian Paintbrush!

Orange and red

Paintbrush with blue eyed Mary

Paintbrush

Serviceberry

Phlox

Blue-Eyed Mary and biscuit root

I tallied at least 51 different flowers, not counting varieties of each.

choke cherry

Hooker’s fairy bells

penstemon

mariposa lily

yellow violet

Oregon sunshine

Columbia wind flower

rose

columbine

lupine

oxeye daisy

youth-on-age

bleeding heart, candy flower

inside out flower

clover

cow parsnip

penstemon

Of note, lupine, larkspur, mariposa and tiger lilies, and nodding onions were mostly in bud form, and should be blooming profusely soon.

CRAFTING:

Just a bit of knitting, and I am down to cream and white on the Elgol cross stitch – filling in the empty spaces seems to be the best soother of my current anxiety about upcoming treatment.

MEANWHILE:    The garden is almost ready for planting. And I have decided to add the England trip reports in separate posts.