Sunday, July 20, 2014

Johnson Ridge Hike


View from Scorpion Mountain Peak, Looking East
View from Scorpion Mountain Peak, Looking East

Left: Johnson Ridge Meadow Slope; Right: View from Scorpion Mountain, Looking South
Johnson Ridge Meadow SlopeView from Scorpion Mountain, Looking South

Hike Notes
Length: 9.9 miles (WTA reports it as 9.0)
Duration: 6 hours
Elevation Gain: 4,723 ft (starting 3,700 ft, max 5,540 ft)
Location: Central Cascades, Stevens Pass West

Our second hike of the 2014 season. A pleasant hike under misty, cool skies. We made it to Scorpion Mountain Peak and then on a little more to Joan Lake, which was still snowed in. This hike made up for the less than idea Crystal Mountain Loop Hike a week earlier. The Johnson Ridge trail has you following a ridge that unexpectedly has very large trees on it, lending a sheltered feeling. You are literally weaving between trees as you follow the ridge. Then you poke out onto a meadow for a bit, and then back into trees. Very magical.

Plants
[Ericaceae] Cassiope mertensiana (White Heather)
[Portulacaceae] Claytonia lanceolata (Western Spring Beauty)
[Liliaceae] Clintonia uniflora (Queen-Cup)
[Onagraceae] Chamerion angustifolium (Fireweed)
[Liliaceae] Erythronium grandiflorum (Yellow Glacier Lily)
[Liliaceae] Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)
[Boraganaceae] Mertensia paniculata (Tall Bluebells)
[Scrophulariaceae] Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)
[Ericaceae] Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heath)
[Rosaceae] Potentilla flabellifolia (Fan-Leaved Cinquefoil)
[Ericaceae] Orthilia secunda (Sidebells Wintergreen) was Pyrola secunda[Ranunculaceae] Ranunculus easchscholtzii (Snowpatch Buttercup)?
[Ericaceae] Rhododentron albiflora (White Rhododendron)

Left: Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heath); Right: Cassiope mertensiana (White Heather)
Phyllodoce empetriformis (Pink Mountain-Heath)Cassiope mertensiana (White Heather)

Left: Chamerion angustifolium (Fireweed); Right: Lupine with small beetleChamerion angustifolium (Fireweed)Lupine with small beetle

Left: Claytonia lanceolata (Western Spring Beauty); Right: Clintonia uniflora (Queen-Cup)Claytonia lanceolata (Western Spring Beauty)Clintonia uniflora (Queen-Cup)

Johnson Ridge Meadow Flowers (South-Facing)
Johnson Ridge Meadow Flowers (South-Facing)



Left: Johnson Ridge Trees (at the ridge) ; Right: Orthilia secunda (Sidebells Wintergreen)Johnson Ridge Trees (at the ridge)Orthilia secunda (Sidebells Wintergreen)

Mertensia paniculata? (Tall Bluebells?)
Mertensia paniculata?Mertensia paniculata?

Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)Nothocheolone nemorosa (Woodland Beardtongue or Turtlehead)

Left: Potentilla flabellifolia (Fan-Leaved Cinquefoil); Right: Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)
Potentilla flabellifolia (Fan-Leaved Cinquefoil)Lilium columbianum (Columbia Lily)

Left: Ranunculus easchscholtzii (Snowpatch Buttercup)?; Right: Mosquito at Joan Lake (buzzing us as we stood on a snowfield)
Ranunculus easchscholtzii (Snowpatch Buttercup)?Mosquito at Joan Lake

Trail as View from Google Earth









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