4/20, Saturday, partly cloudy - partly sunny, warm (maybe reached 70°F), a bit windy. My only hike with Friends of the Gorge this year. Most weekend hikes were full when I registered. However, due to last minute cancellation, Mary was able to register one day earlier. So I picked her up on my way to Gateway TC - the first meeting spot at 8am.
There were total 14 of us including a guide (Paul) and two shepherds. Walking west towards Coyote Wall (see above photo), on a trajectory of dumbbell shaped, to cover different habitats. View is expansive, except in the oaks a couple of short stretches (the only possibility for bio-break). We had lunch at the 10 acre parcel Friends of the Gorge acquired recently (off trail). There, we may saw Bolander's linanthus. We walked by Burns family property many times, and saw this nice warning at two different locations. Yes, poison oak is starting their red young leaves. This Really Is: Private Property So, unless you are: Visiting Bearing Gifts of Wine and Cheese Injured, Dehydrated and need a cup of Tea Having Equipment Failure Genuinely LostPlease Respect Our Privacy Thanking you in Advance PS: Beware of Poison Oak.
Catherine Creek area is my favorite flower location in east Gorge. We saw many varieties today. Only saw 4 grass-widow left, balsamroot was starting to bloom, not a single broadleaf lupine in bloom, shooting star was at peak bloom, lots of popcorn flower, tomcat clover, 4 kinds of lomatium, including the one I was wondering about at White River Falls last weekend: fernleaf. Refreshed my failed memory of stoneseed, oak toothwort, ball-head waterleaf. Filaree was carpeting open space by every highway.Also saw a nuthatch. Heard him first knocking a tree.
The wind, sun, and distance (maybe 9 miles) was wearing out Mary. She and Sue's husband (Bruce?) went down earlier with a shepherd. She went back to Portland in Paul's car. I continued east.
The drive on Old Hwy 8 is quite pretty, a lot of flowers. I pulled into Horsethief Butte parking lot with a lot of people and climbing gears. It turns out that 5 Mazamas groups were doing BCEP class here today. To my surprise, I saw Tatiana (student) and Linda (assistant). All of them were camping at Maryhill State Park that night. Good timing. 
Glad that I wasn't here earlier. Now only me and a family of 5 in the park, scrambling all over. Balsomroot was blooming very nicely here. Some lomatium, death camas. Saw some flowers on the top that could be townsendia. On the way out, I picked some nettles to cook when I get home.
Waited for sunset at Rowena Crest. Ate an uncooked dinner here. Saw a couple doing wedding photography.Received an email from Paul saying that Mary forgot her phone in his car and she requested me to pick it up tomorrow. Dang! She knew I'd be short of time tomorrow.
As (un)luck has it, my rental car locked itself with keys inside. Had to call the road assistance. Took half an hour on the phone, and another hour for a guy to come out to my car. It went fairly smoothly. Cost? $58. What if my phone was also locked in the car?
