Photo: Sagebrush buttercup in the Saddlerock area.
During a walk on the south side of Saddle Rock (Circle Street access) on Sunday, March 7 we saw our first wildflowers of the season. The sagebrush buttercups were out in good numbers. We also saw one blue bell and one yellowbell.
To prepare for the coming wildflower season, take our Wildflower Quiz and learn more of the flowers in our local foothills. Or see our slideshow of Central Washington Wildflowers to learn more of the common regional flowers.
Also, the Land Trust has prepared a most-excellent and totally-awesome on-line field guide to our most common foothills wildflowers and grasses.
Note: The trails on the north side of Saddle Rock (startng on the Jacobson Preserve above the WRAC) still have muddy sections and walking the mud is damaging to the trail as well as to the vegetation beside the trail (people tend to avoid some of the mud by going off-trail). The trails here are not officially closed, but we strongly recommend hiking on the south side of Saddle Rock for another week or two until the north side dries out. Another option: Hike the north side early in the morning after a cold night when the mud is frozen.
