This joint Shasta Chapter CNPS and Shasta Environmental Alliance field trip brought out only six participants, who came from as far as Montague, Fall River Mills and, of course, Redding. Nevertheless, it was a friendly, cohesive group that got to see many wildflowers and beautiful views and enjoy hiking temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees on a hot-valley day.
Crossing lower Panther Meadows, we observed primrose monkeyflower, mountain monkeyflower, swamp onion, scarlet Indian-paintbrush, and soft arnica, among many others.
Photo by Patricia Witt.
The trail continues on through a mixed mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir forest with occasional western white pine and white-bark pine. Much of the trail went through terrain of volcanic cinder, rock, sand, and ash where we found Davis’s knotweed, Shasta knotweed, marum-leaved buckwheat, pussypaws, shaggy hawkweed, and western pasqueflower, as well as an abundance of coyote mint and silvery lupine. Cascade heather was everywhere but past bloom, and alpine buckwheat was thriving in upper Panther Meadows.
Photo by Mike Spiess.
Our total walk was under five miles. We had lunch on top of rocky Gray Butte, with beautiful views of rugged Mt. Shasta to the north, and the valley and surrounding mountains to the east and west. ~David Ledger
