Corvallis to Marys Peak backpacking - 6/11
Lisa Millbank
We finally arrived at the trailhead for the North Ridge Trail, which would take us up to the parking lot on Marys Peak. It was really a beautiful trail, although long and tiring with the packs we were carrying. The mysterious bell-like songs of VARIED THRUSHES, the tumbling music of WINTER WRENS (video), and querulous mews of HERMIT THRUSHES accompanied each switchback. A few HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS sang their squeaky, abrupt little songs.
Lush carpets of
OREGON WOOD-SORREL mingled with STAR-FLOWERED FALSE SOLOMON'S-SEAL, FALSE
LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY, DEVIL'S-CLUB, WESTERN WHITE WINDFLOWER, WESTERN GOLDTHREAD,
BANEBERRY and lots of other forest plants. When we finally got up near the top,
there were SOOTY GROUSE hooting and we got a look at a cute fledgling VARIED
THRUSH in the NOBLE FIR forest.
Eventually we emerged on Marys Peak,
feeling as though the clock had been turned back to late March. There were
fresh, white WESTERN TRILLIUMS, SMALL WINDFLOWER and GIANT FAWN LILIES blooming,
along with yellow AVALANCHE LILIES. RED-FLOWERED CURRANT was starting to bloom
and would be a buffet for hummingbirds as they eventually moved upslope. We were
exhausted, and it was a relief to get to the campground and listen to a
wonderful thrush chorus of AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED, HERMIT and SWAINSON'S
THRUSHES. We had a hungry STELLER'S JAY visitor at our campsite. I was surprised
to hear a distant RUFFED GROUSE drumming in the evening. That night, a NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL called in the distance.
|
|
| Red Crossbill |
| Hermit Warbler |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| Mountain Quail |
| Gray Jay |
| Varied Thrush |
| Hermit Thrush |
| Pine Siskin |
| Sooty Grouse |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Common Raven |
| Ruffed Grouse |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl |
