The saying is true, ya know. April showers do indeed bring May flowers; they’ve been popping up left and right, and in front and behind everything! I’m getting to see more than the Lomatiums and Balsamorhiza after a month of monitoring our lands! It’s so exciting to see the newcomers everywhere I go. What we’ve all been surprised about in the office is all the rain we’ve been getting as of late. The past couple of years the main concern wouldn’t be if a flooded road could be crossed or if your rig would get stuck in the mud, but rather if driving on a road would spark a fire. Although, I’m sure that will be our concern soon enough.

While I definitely would have loved to be out in the field spending some quality time getting to know plants and lands while monitoring for potential collection sites, I am taking advantage of the stormy days. I’ve been slowly picking up on how to use arcGIS and making my own maps. In fact, I’ve already mapped out that population of Cryptantha spiculifera that I stumbled upon last week! It was a great feeling making my first map. I can’t wait to learn more about the ins and outs of arcGIS!

Before we got stormed in, I got the chance to meet the botanist before my mentor, Denise. We spent the day out in a couple different lands, monitoring for another rare plant, Polemonium pectinatum. We were checking a location given to Kim by one of the Range Specialists in the office, and found it exactly where he said it would be.

Polemonium pectinatum, Washington Jacob’s Ladder

Thanks to all the rain we’ve been experiencing in the Spokane District, my target list is constantly growing. One of my favorite additions to the list is Iris missouriensis. It’s everywhere!

Iris missouriensis, Rocky Mountain Iris

While May was still decently rainy, we did have nice breaks of sunshine! During Memorial Day Weekend, it was sunny with highs in the 80’s! I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and make my way to Glacier National Park; boy, was I happy I did! While most of the park was still closed due to snow and somewhat frequent avalanches, I was able to venture to a glacier! While Spokane has reached May weather, it seems West Glacier is just now arriving to what could be considered April weather in terms of botany. The glacier lilies were just blooming, and I stumbled upon a familiar friend, Trillium ovatum. I was so excited when I saw it blooming, the leaves so familiar as trillium is quite common back in Indiana. I also saw Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, but as far as flowers, that was it really.

Trillium ovatum, Pacific Trillium

Myosotis alpestris, Alpine Forget-Me-Nots

I made my way up Avalanche Trail to get to Avalanche Lake, where the backdrop is the Sperry Glacier. I started my morning early, to try to avoid the masses, and I am glad I did! The trail was decently quiet, allowing for maximum enjoyment of the sights, sounds, and smells! Seriously, I could not get over how magnificent it smelled out there. I would have loved to bottle the smell up and fill my apartment with it. Anyway, after about 2 miles, I made it to Avalanche Lake and was washed over with a sense of serenity. The view was so beautiful, the sun was shining, and the nearby glacier kept the temperature perfect. The moment reminded me a lot of when my 11th grade English teacher prompted us to spend the class period out in the wilderness reflecting, as part of our Naturalism teachings; I was grateful that Mr. Kreibel had taken the time to teach us to appreciate nature while in nature, not just in literary contexts. It was here that I decided to sit and just take it all in. It really just made me so grateful to know that there are so many dedicated people that want to protect the freedoms we have that allow so many of us to do what we love.

views along Avalanche Trail

Avalanche Lake

It was also there at the lake that a curious chipmunk befriended me and my bright yellow water bottle. As far as the wildlife goes, I didn’t come across any bears, just my new found friend.

Spunky chipmunk that attempted to steal my raisins and climb in my pack!

In case you were wondering, Kim and I have decided that the answer to my cliche title is definitely ticks and mosquitoes. While it does not rhyme, it’s the truth. Lucky for me – Kim is a great supervisor and whenever we go out, she’s the tick magnet. Also bug spray has quickly become our best friend.

Until next time,

V