Four devil-may-care-about-the-weather hikers joined me for a three-mile round-trip walk on Upper Salt Creek Trail, which connects Lower Springs Road and Highway 299, Redding. While we did get some sprinkles, the temperatures in the high forties kept us from overheating as we walked along Salt Creek and up an incline or two.
Along the way, we were treated to blooms that included western buttercups, Indian warriors, Henderson’s shooting stars, manroot, fiddlenecks, blue dicks, and spectacular chocolate lilies (Fritillaria affinis ). The area was thoroughly burned by the Carr Fire in the summer of 2018, causing large numbers of oak trees and gray pines to be destroyed, but the wildflowers are more abundant than ever! -Chris Harvey
