Mt. Hood Zig Zag Canyon - August 2023
Good news, I finally upgraded my camera so my photos are looking a lot more crisp. Today was the first day shooting with the new set up and I am pretty happy with the way they turned out. I spent the day exploring the south side of Mt. Hood around 5000’-6000’ elevation. The soils were sandy, volcanic, sloped, and very exposed. This area is usually buried with feet of snow 6-8 months out of the year, but in this brief window of summer, a brilliant display of wildflowers flourished. Further down Mt. Hood, I came across a mixed canopy of White Pine and Mountain hemlock that provided some shade and some unique plant communities. These two species of trees didn’t grow very tall at all (<20 feet) and had all types of bends and breaks from the harsh environment they grow in. Reminded me a bit of Bonsai. One of the dominant plants of this area was the sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), which is probably my favorite member of that genus. Very cool to see Calyptridium umbellatum for the first time, I was convinced it was a buckwheat until I looked it up afterwards. To be honest, I am not super familiar with alpine habitats, but it was very refreshing to see a whole new plant community and ecology. Definitely going to make an effort to explore more of Mt. Hood this and next year. Here are some of the notable plants I saw today!
Eriogonum umbellatum
Eriogonum umbellatum
Anaphalis magaritaacea, Solidago sp.
Solidago sp.
Phlox diffusa
Lupinus latifolia
Lupinus latifolia
Pedicularis racemosa
Pedicularis racemosa
Pedicularis racemosa
Arnica latifolia
Arnica latifolia
Lupinus lepdius
View of Mount Hood from south side.
Pinus albicaulis
Pinus mertensiana
Eucephalus ledophyllus
Eucephalus ledophyllus
Oreostemma alpigenum
Oreostemma alpigenum
Calyptridium umbellatum
Calyptridium umbellatum
Juniperus communis
