Sisters, Oregon August 9 - 12, 2023
I spent four days about 6 miles outside of Sisters; hiked one longer hike and three shorter hikes. The first full day there I drove up the McKenzie Highway, almost to the summit, and into the parking area for Lava Camp, for the North Matthieu Lake trail. I had to get a permit through the forest service (small fee), but no one was there to check. The hike started in a burn area from the 2017 Milli Fire, for about a mile and a quarter, then got into forest for the rest of the hike to the lake. It was typical Cascades forest with firs and some pine. Many of the wildflowers had past their prime, but I did find a few to photograph. Next day I hiked to Tumalo Falls and Double Falls finding a mycotrophic plant, pinedrops. The third day I drove down FS16 to Three Creeks Lake and walked around the lake and found both red and yellow monkeyflowers, and a new one for me called Ranger’s Buttons. I also found this on the next day’s hike to Little Three Creek Lake, which I liked better, as it had a beautiful stream flowing out of it with typical streamside vegetation of monkeyflowers, gentians and paintbrush. A lovely little creek. And most surprising, on packing up to head back to Portland, when I opened the back swing up door of the Xterra, there was a bat clinging to the trim. This little guy flitted out on his own, but startled me on seeing it hanging there, so of course had to have it’s picture.
Double Falls on the Tumalo River
Lewis’ Monkeyflower
Pinedrops, a mycotrophic wildflower (needs no sunlight, has no chlorophyll for green leaves)
Pinesap, another mycotrophic plant, this one is going to seed
North Matthieu Lake
View from the rented house on a smokey sunset, Mt Washington
Ranger’s Buttons
Mountain Monkeyflower
Hooded Ladies Tresses
Explorer’s Gentian
The smokeless daytime view from the house; the Three Sisters and Broken Top
