4/17, Saturday. Picked up a rental car ~8:15am. Drove straight to Rowena Crest without stop. On the way, many mustard flowers along I-5 in southern WA, and filarea along I-205 and western I-84 on the highway divide. Some poppy along rocks by I-84 on the eastern Gorge.
I was lucky to find a parking spot next to the trail head, and started towards McCall Point with my umbrella and face mask. Very crowded trail, for a good reason. 
Flowers were abundant. Probably will be even better in a week. Lupine was still starting. Lomatium columbianum was mostly in buds already. Balsomroot was the show now, and probably for another week or two, but not longer, given the warm weather.
The summit didn't have as many flowers. You can see this "end of trail" sign. Most people stayed lower where the flowers were. About 10 minutes before the end, you could see Mt. Hood. But Mt. Adams and Columbia River are almost always in the view. Lower plateau had tons of blue-eyed Mary. Lots of miner's lettuce in flower, popcorn flower, larkspur, toothwort, Oregon sunshine, a few prairie stars, some golden bells, some big pink vetch, paintbrush, a few shooting stars, even glacier lily.
I finished the hike an hour ahead of schedule. Didn't even stop for lunch, because I didn't want to sit down (tick season). So headed to an even shorter hike on the way: Mosier Plateau, hoping to finish in an hour. Again, I was lucky to find a parking spot right by the TH. Temperature was rising.
The town of Mosier felt hot. The waterfall offers some refreshing air. Many desert parsley here. Heading up the zigzag, again, a lot of people, sometimes, hard to step aside. Tons of vetch here. Only saw 1 bachlor's button. 1 bicolor cluster lily.
Again, on the plateau, balsomroot was the show. Earlier than I thought. The cell tower has no-tresspassing sign, so I didn't go there.
The lookout had some log bench and fences. People picnic here. Continued down a bit closer to the edge, more flowers, and better view of the river. Looks like I need to go to Dog Mountain early May this year for balsomroot.
On the way back, I almost forgot to stop by Hood River's Panorama Point. The roads near the point offers fabulous view of fruit blossoms in the shadow of Mount Hood. Some orchards have view of Adams. I'm, maybe a week later than the peak. Leaves were coming. So a shade of green amids of the snowwhite flowers.
3pm, drove towards Portland. The car reported 86°F. Multnomah Falls parking lot was full. Ramp was closed eastbound. Westbound cars were parking long the ramp. Refilled my water bottle in office, half with coffee from yesterday. ~5pm, headed back home. Minor traffic out of Portland. Returned the car ~8:20pm.
