Desolation Wilderness III - flora

Wildflowers boomed in early July in Desolation Wilderness this year. I don't know whether this is typical for the area, but figure it probably is. High elevations yield snows into early June, and summer is brief, so it's game on once days lengthen. At just a few weeks past the solstice, the sun is hot, pollinators abound, and every new step yields a new flower.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the ability to look up this plant before leaving, and didn't bring any flower identification tools with me to Europe. And I am typing painfully slowly! So - I think the plant pictured below is a penstemon. This showy flower decorates the rocky hillsides and was very abundant. This one, situated next to an ancient down log, seemed to point both in the direction of the log's spiraling grain and the path we walked upon.

Penstemon and down log, Desolation Wilderness, 2012.

And more ancient wood, this snag still of use to woodpeckers before it topples. I think these holes are the work of pileateds, although I am not sure if they hang out at high elevation. There were definitely hairy woodpeckers around, which also could have been responsible.


Woodpecker work, Desolation Wilderness, 2012.