Mount Baker’s Magnificent Flower Fields, with Cryptopod

I’ve got many pretties for ye today, my darlings. I figured we’d return to our other volcano today, and enjoy all the pretty flowers, because what else could be better on a Saturday? Not much!

Mount Baker’s wildflower season peaked early this year, due to our unusual heat. Almost all the snow was gone, and the spring streams were dry. It didn’t matter to the monkeyflowers, though. They were in vigorous bloom, on the rocks, along the streams, and practically in the streams as well.

Image shows a huge bush of pink Lewis' Monkeyflower leaning over the rocky banks of a stream.
Lewis’ Monkeyflower

We encountered Lewis’ Monkeyflower all over the place, pinking up the local gray andesite, but my camera was not doing pink that day, so unfortunately I haven’t got many artistic shots of them. However, the Seep or Common Monkeyflowers were also in full bloom, and were even more happy growing in the streams, and my camera was doing yellow, so that worked out.

Image shows a triangular rock lifting above the water. Yellow seep monkeyflower is clinging to the wet bits of the rock just above the waterline.
Seep Monkeyflower adorning the base of a rock in the stream.

I love how vibrant that is against the dark water, the gray rocks, and the swirls of algae.

And it wasn’t just the rocks that were being all mountain-lake delightful: enormous fallen logs that look just a bit like rocks themselves also played host to flowers, and looked fabulous.

Image shows swirls of algae at the top left. In the center, an oblong gray log topped with wild grasses rises out of the water. Seep monkeyflowers are draped over the right side of the rock.
Monkeyflowers dangling off a lovely large log.

There were enormous banks of purple daisies.

Image shows a lot of tall purple daisies. There are two orange butterflies on them.
A vibrant bank of purple daisies.

You can see a few of the ubiquitous orange butterflies hanging about on the daisies. You’ll see that much closer soonish, because there were many butterflies, and they were all absolutely mad for those daisies.

The fireweed was just starting to come into its own, and it starred in many pretty scenes. Here it is with some pretty white daisies.

Image shows a blooming fireweed with two white daisies.
Fireweed with daisies.

Have you ever looked at the blooms in a fireweed stem up close? They’re really delicate and beautiful.

Image shows the delicate purple blossoms of fireweed, which are composed of four petals and many drooping stamens.
Fireweed flowers up close.

There’s even a cryptopod in that one, if you look closely enough!

And now, because you’ve all been very patient, I shall give thee flowers with volcanic scenery. Here is fireweed with a beautiful mountain tarn.

Image shows a bit of the Bagley Lake trail, with a stem of fireweed in the foreground. In the distance, the cirque is visible with a blue-green tarn within.
View of the tarn and cirque with fireweed in the foreground.

And here are some of Mount Baker’s plentiful andesite columns and lovely fireweed.

Image shows several fireweed blooms to the right. Gray andesite columns peek through walls of trees across the valley.
Volcanic columns peeking through the greenery.

Believe it or not, these are just a small sampling of all the flower photos I took. You can find many more over at Flickr if you’re not done enjoying the blossoms. I loved our trip to Mount St. Helens a lot, but when it comes to blooming things and pretty insects, Mount Baker has her beat this year. Superb!

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Mount Baker’s Magnificent Flower Fields, with Cryptopod
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