My summer in the USA

[Jandals]

Arrived back in New Zealand last week after escaping our winter and enjoying a summer in the States . Actually , when I arrived in Oregon in early June it was hard to tell the difference as I was greeted by cool , cloudy and often rainy days . My first foray into the Siskiyous was almost entirely in the rain but the sun came out a month later for my second visit .
My trusty camera had a meltdown on day 1 . I hadn't budgeted on replacing a camera so I bought the best Walmart had to offer . I could not afford to go to a real camera shop .
Most of my time was spent in WA , OR , WY and CO . I managed to collect some seed for both the NARGS and the SCRGC seed exchanges and will post pictures later of plants that I collected from but am unusure of the names . Speaking of which , I still have a lot to learn about the US flora . So , please , if you see errors in the following posts , please let me know .
Will post 30-40 pictures and spare you all from the other 700 . Unless , of course , you need to drift of to sleep . Then I could do a few more

Chinook Pass WA 21 June



Pulsatilla occidentalis



Trillium ovatum



Trillium ovatum ( faded ) and Achlys triphylla



Achlys triphylla



Lewisia tweedyi



Erythronium grandiflorum





Fritillaria pudica ( I think )



Iris sp . Roadside near Ellensburg Pass WA

[Jandals]

Sounds like my place


Lewisia rediviva with Shellrock Mountain



Campanula scabrella


Kayaking on the Rogue River OR . When I saw these guys I thought to myself there is no way I would do that . Little did I know what fate had in store for me


Smilacina racemosa


Iris innominata


Lewisia cotyledon purdyi in the Siskiyou mist


Asarum marmoratum


What the car looks like when 3 plant nuts spend a long weekend in southern Oregon

[Jandals]

The slugs are fairly big in the northwest . Please note that I was trying to blend in as a local with my Oregon Ducks flipflops


Sedum spathulifolium


Calochortus tolmiei on the OR-CA border


Cypripedium californicum


Lilium bolanderi


Xerophyllum tenax had a big flowering year


Lewisia leeana


Calyptridium umbellatum


Off to Wyoming for Aquilegia caerula


A pika . I have a stuffed toy pika that lives in my car . Hibernates over winter by the rev counter and spends the summer on the dash

[Jandals]

Last lot . Helianthella quinquenervis


Primula parryi


Caltha leptosepala


Sedum lanceolatum


Hymenoxys grandiflora


Rhodiola rhodantha and R . integrifolia


Phlox condensata


Claytonia megarrhiza



I've never been on a river in a kayak before so the Arkansas River was a new experience . Fortunately one I enjoyed and a great way to finish my trip . From Canon City I drove via Tucson to LAX where I returned my car and hopped on the plane home . When I fuelled the car in Tacna AZ last Wednesday it was 120 deg F . Now I am suffering from severe temperature withdrawal but todays sun and a high of 60 deg F is better . I really enjoyed my time in the USA with its friendly people and incredible scenery , animals and plants .
Cheers
Steve

[David Sellars]

Fantastic pictures Steve! You really got around and saw some great plants.  The field of Calyptridium is stunning.  Where was that?

[cohan]

So many beauties! (and great pics- your walmart camera did a great job!) I agree with David, the Calyptridium field is impressive, but they are all choice- I don't think anyone would complain if you gave us a round 2, or 3....

[Jandals]

Fantastic pictures Steve! You really got around and saw some great plants.  The field of Calyptridium is stunning.  Where was that?

Thanks David . The Calyptridium field was one of the highlights for me . Also one of those OMG moments you sometimes get when out looking around . In the picture below the brown bare bit in the top center is the patch . The second picture is taken from the same spot as the original posting , but looking the other way . There was also a much smaller patch on the other side of the ridge which is where I collected some seed a month later for the seed exchange

Looking west to Dutchman's Peak from above FR 20 ( Mt.Ashland Road ) and the big brown bit



and even more Calyptridium

[Jandals]

So many beauties! (and great pics- your walmart camera did a great job!) I agree with David, the Calyptridium field is impressive, but they are all choice- I don't think anyone would complain if you gave us a round 2, or 3....

Thanks . I like my new camera but I'm still getting the hang of all its functions . I think I did a week or two with the auto focus function accidentally turned off . Typical . I will post some more next week to see if anybody can ID some plants for me

[cohan]

Looking west to Dutchman's Peak from above FR 20 ( Mt.Ashland Road ) and the big brown bit
and even more Calyptridium

Wow!

[Hoy]

So many beauties! (and great pics- your walmart camera did a great job!) I agree with David, the Calyptridium field is impressive, but they are all choice- I don't think anyone would complain if you gave us a round 2, or 3....

It is one problem though, I can't focus on my work!

[cohan]

I'm on vacation  Just waiting for a long enough break between thunderstorms to go outside to do some work..

[Lori S.]

Wonderful pictures, Steve!  What a fabulous trip it must have been!  So many special and beautiful plants, and the Calyptridium pix are mindboggling.  

Looks like June 21st is a little early for the high country there.  

It sounds like your trip was quite lengthy from your comment about collecting seed "a month later".  You certainly packed in some amazing sights!

[RickR]

It's quite evident that you did some heavy research choosing your destinations, Steve, and it certainly paid off well!  Every pic is captivating, and oh my gosh, that Calochortus (along with everything else)!  Those little point and shoot cameras have come a long way... Bravo!

[Toole]

Great effort Steve --Damn it  !!  i should have taken up your offer of travelling with you ,at least for part of the time .
Maybe next year Bud.

Cheers Dave.

[Jandals]

Cheers Toolie . Yep , we would have had a good time . Hope to go back next year for august/september and catch an IPPS conference and the far west trade show . Also see a few more plants and their seedy bits and the offer still holds .

Lori - the seasons were all mixed up . The Pacific Northwest was at least a month late because of late snow followed by cool weather . Colorado was at least a month early because of drought and less winter snows .
I was in the states for 9 weeks and put 15 000 miles on my rental car . If things had been more normal I was contemplating the mileage to Calgary from Spokane . Maybe next time , especially if Toolie was riding shotgun .

Many of the places I visited I had been to before and only the Siskiyous were new territory . Sean Hogan was my guide there which really helped . A local guide is invaluable and I hope I can reciprocate for any NARGS members wishing to visit New Zealand .

A couple more pictures now and then a few more next week with sp. after there name

Lilium columbianum


Wyethia sp


Caltha leptosepala