Silver Creek
The Trailhead
July 20, 2023 - Silver Creek is 200 yards south of our tent. The creek winds through a ponderosa and spruce forest with occasional ledge peaking out of the ground. It’s a pretty creek even if the water is slightly brown. It’s not a dirty brown, but tea brown for the same reason that tea is brown, natural oxidation of vegetable matter steeped in the creek.
We had followed the edge of the creek for about a mile before we came to a damp meadow. It would make the perfect campsite and it had an excellent mix of wild flowers. I counted 22 species, all native, currently blooming. Here are a few of the more interesting ones.
Monkshood (Aconitum) with an unknown white fluffy flower.
Little Elephant Heads (Pedicularis attollens)
Inset closeup of single flower (wildflowersearch.org)
Mountain Death Camas (Zigadenus elegans)
Pine Drops (Pterospora andromedea)
They were not fully open during our visit.
Around 3 p.m. the wind picked up. Rain was coming! We slipped into our tent to relax and listen to drops of rain tapping on the rainfly and the creek tumbling over rocks. We occasionally hear thunder in the distance. We aren’t concerned. Living less than 10 miles from here, we know the weather spits and drips most afternoons but will stop soon enough.
It’s nice just to sit and listen. We can hear birds chirping then a softer background noise of rustling grass. The peaceful sounds are interrupted by the buzz of a mosquito. She will not be successful. The tent is made of very fine netting, which will prevent our mosquito neighbor from completing her visit. The temperature has dropped after the rain but the sun will be out soon and warm the grass enough for it to dry.
I am reminded of a poem.
All night the sound had
came back again,
and again falls
this quiet, persistent rain.
…
Robert Creeley
After the grass dries, we will explore around camp more, make dinner, then hang our food from a tree (bear bag). In the morning, we will hike back over the mountain toward home.
The valley south of home
If you want to see more of the wildflowers from our trip, I’m working on a wildflower post for next Sunday.
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