The first was another nearby lake, but I decided it didn’t look promising enough to warrant going down a steep bank to get to it. Before heading home, I made a few quick stops at nearby sites I’d seen on Google Earth. I only stayed a short while looking at one shore before heading back to the road. It was also quite shallow and filled with plants, but there weren’t quite as many interesting ones as the first little lake, and there was no bog or sundews. The first hidden lake was also filled with threeway sedge (front), bog buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), and a number of other aquatics.Īlthough the second hidden lake is only about 500′ from the first one, going over numerous logs and through tangles of rhododendrons-all in rubber boots-made it seem farther than that. Western oxypolis ( Oxypolis occidentalis) was in full bloom here and underneath numerous shrubs growing along the edges. On the south side, there was a small mossy bog with round-leaved sundews and tiny-flowered Oregon willowherb ( Epilobium oregonense). More threeway sedge and other true sedges ( Carex spp.) filled in the transition area between open water and (semi)solid ground. With binoculars, I could make out some lingering flowers on a narrowleaf bur-reed ( Sparganium angustifolium), old yellow pondlilies ( Nuphar polysepala), and maybe some kind of pondweed ( Potamogeton sp.). There were lots of interesting aquatic plants in the water, but I had a hard time getting close enough to get a good look at them. It was a good thing I had my boots on because even in August it was quite wet around the edges and didn’t have a very well defined shoreline. The first lake was only 300′ or so from the road. The old road bed had filled with smaller trees, so I just headed out through the woods, armed with my aerial photo. The road is now blocked off past the parking site for the lake, but after only a short walk past the blocking boulders and around the corner, I headed into the woods where an old road sign indicated a former road that once went between the two small lakes. With all the hubbub at the not-so-hidden Hidden Lake, I was ready to get away from the crowds (including a visit from a state police trooper-that’s a first for me while out botanizing!) and headed off to go find the two really hidden lakes across the road to the north of the main lake. Western oxypolis is a fairly rare plant that has only been found south of the McKenzie Highway. I’m still mourning the loss of my camera that got irreparably damaged during my quick dunk there and did not want a repeat of that. The bouncing effect wasn’t that different from the trampoline! And after my recent fall into a deep hole at Quaking Aspen Swamp (see Highs and Lows at Quaking Aspen Swamp), I really didn’t want to break through. I carefully walked along the edges, but I didn’t feel comfortable going out into the center. What I hadn’t remembered was that this is a floating bog. Although I hadn’t thought to bring a bathing suit, I was prepared with rubber boots. While everyone else was focused on the lake itself, I was more interested in the bog that lies along the northeastern edge of the lake. That actually looked like fun, but it was a little cool, and I wasn’t prepared to swim-another time perhaps. Adults were also swimming and jumping off a trampoline that is attached to a dock out in the middle of the lake. Unfortunately, that day was a Sunday, and the lake was particularly noisy with excited children. porrifolia, neither of which have “hoods”. I believe this is normal variation in the species-at least in this area-and not necessarily a sign of hybridizing with the far less common S. While the upper two tepals almost always form a partial hood, the lateral tepals may complete the hood (left), point upward (center), or stick way out to the side (right). I’ve been looking at a lot of them lately and noticing how varied their “hood” is. Travel 3 miles north on FR 58, turn left on FR5830 and travel 5 miles west.Hooded ladies tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana) is a fairly common late summer orchid in Western Cascade wetlands. Follow 57 west for approximately 7 miles to the Forest Road 58. Follow 42 south, across the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and back into the national forest, to Primary Forest Route 57. Day use: Recreation passes may be used as a form of fee payment.ĭirections from Sandy, OR - Travel southeast on Highway 26, across the forest boundary and past Government Camp, to Primary Forest Route 42.Camping: 50% discount for single site camping with any of these passes: Interagency Senior, Interagency Access, Golden Age or Golden Access.Camping: $19/night for single site, $8/night for extra vehicle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |