Eldorado National Forest
|
North Fork Middle Fork American River Eldorado National Forest |
May 12, 2022
Still on a spring find-new-trails kick, I head up past Foresthill on Mosquito
Ridge Road. I haven't been up here in twenty-six years, when I took My Barbara
on our first-ever motorcycle ride to see the Placer Grove Big Trees.
A brochure from the local ranger station shows a couple of official trails along this route. I'll try the nearest one, which begins just past the American River bridge.
Starting up the canyon
Fernald's Iris
Yellow Star Tulip
This trail needs some maintenance
Drug Snowbell
Woollypod Milkvetch
Towering Larkspur
Mountain Misery
White Globe Lily
Tomcat Clover
Fireweed
Paintbrush
Tincture Plant
Kellogg's Monkeyflower
Great lighting on a Twining Snakelily
Small Baby Blue Eyes
These two are new to me:
Broadleaf Starflower
White Hawkbit
Late-season Star Tulips
I never would have identified that red flower had I not noticed that it was growing from the same stem as the yellow one. Amazing.
Western Wallflower
Violet Draperia
End of the line
Actually, the trail continues very steeply down to the river; but I decline that option. Not only is the sky clouding up, but I am being bothered by the first mosquitoes encountered on a trail in a couple of years. On the other hand, what was one to expect on Mosquito Ridge?
The Paintbrush are in the way
Early-season Canyon Liveforever
Late-season Indian Pink
The river looks the same in this direction
§: Well, this trail is not for the faint of heart or anyone prone to
dizzy spells; for much of the route is on a very steep slope, and a fall could prove
fatal. The trail also needs some pruning of overgrown bushes but I believe that
I avoided adding to my lingering poison-oak rash.
I did manage to photograph several new flower varieties today; so I am happy.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality | |
| Flowers | |
