Three significant hikes:
May 5 – Weldon Wagon Road, WA
We returned to this favorite trail while the balsamroot were fresh, and the later season flowers were just beginning to bloom.
Open slopes of balsamroot along the upper trail.
Mt Hood view from the open trail.
Late season flowers:
Old plow at the turnaround.
Second growth firs viewed through oak trees.
May 11 – Saddle Mountain, OR
Another favorite trail – this time we were early for the full bloom, and saw fawn lilies in the upper saddle.
The alder trees in the lower forest had not leafed out yet. We made our way up to the prominent knob, admiring lots of early flowers in the alternating woods and open slopes.
Alder trees
The knob, and first view to the ocean.
Some of the early flowers:
Lilies along the first summit before the saddle:
Glacier lilies
Pink fawn lilies
View to the saddle and summit.
Prairie fire in the upper meadows.
Lewisia foliage – too early for flowers.
View of three Cascade peaks from the summit.
May 28 – Ridge Trail, Forest Park, Portland
This was our first time hiking the Ridge Trail in Forest Park.
This trail has an excellent view of the iconic 1930’s St Johns Bridge, over the Willamette River.
The trail ascends 1000 feet from the start near the St Johns Bridge in North Portland, to the intersection with Firelane 7. We continued the loop on Firelane 7, the Wildwood Trail, and Leif Erickson Drive, before returning on the lower Ridge Trail for a total distance of 4.25 miles. Most of the time we were in the forest.
Through the woods…
Vine maples
Mushroom
Late trillium
We stopped to admire the bridge again on our return trip – sky a little bluer than when we began.
My next and last May 2021 post will be about our wonderful first post-Covid-vaccination trip to visit our daughter, in Washington DC.
Margaret Quilts 
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