The cool wet weather in the Pacific Northwest this year has delayed snowmelt in the alpine areas. There is so much snow in the North Cascades that the road to Artist's Point near Mount Baker will not be cleared this year. Last weekend we headed down to the Wenatcheee Mountains on the east side of the Cascades hoping to find snow-free alpine areas. We were not disappointed.
The Claytonia megarhiza v nivalis was spectacular on the summit ridge of Iron Peak and there were even a few Douglasia nivalis still in flower. The Claytonia and Douglasia were dotted around the serpentine scree together with Anenome drummondii , Castilleja elmeri and Ivesia tweedyi. We were fortunate to meet Richard Ramsden on the trail who pointed out some of the other Wenatchee endemics such as Lomatium cuspidatum.
