The peak of the balsamroot bloom this year happened while I was on vacation in Utah. I adore balsamroot, so on Sunday Greg and I drove out to the eastern Gorge to check out the beautiful yellow flowers before they were all gone.
Dalles Mountain Ranch
Except for one other couple, who left about 10 minutes after we got there, we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We spent half an hour delighting in the flowers near the gate and for that first quarter mile of road beyond the gate. The balsamroot were definitely past peak and starting to look a little ragged. The lupine looked great, though. Also, it was such a clear day that we could see Mt. Jefferson in the distance. 😀
I noticed a sign at the TH that I hadn’t seen before. Not surprising, since this is owned by Washington State Parks, but the sign indicates you can buy a pass in the park, even though there is no pay station there.
Tom McCall Nature Preserve (aka Rowena Plateau)
Here too the balsamroot was past its peak, but still looking fine enough for photos.
