Silver Star, How I've Missed You!

Next on the "Linda's summer wildflower tour 2023" is a recap of a most excellent trek I did up to SW Washington's Silver Star Mountain.  This is an annual hike that I usually try to time for Father's day because that's normally peak wildflower bloom.  Except for this year - our wet, cold spring delayed everything, so I didn't get out on this trail until the second week of July.

Tiger lily

However, even late as it was, I still managed to miss peak bloom by a week or so.  The lupine was already done, the Indian paintbrush on its way out, and the beargrass blooms were long gone.

Nice patch of tiger lilies

But after missing most of my favorite summer hikes for two consecutive years, I was overjoyed to be back on this trail, peak bloom or not!

Flower-lined trail

I started out from the Grouse Vista Trailhead to cloudy skies and cool temperatures.  The first mile or so climbed steeply up an extremely rocky trail so I was thankful for the respite.

Indian paintbrush

After getting through the steep rocky part, things leveled out and the forest cleared.  The views were nice - one could see forests and mountains for quite a ways.  And there were still quite a few wildflowers blooming next to the trail.

Old stump surrounded by wildflowers

Enjoying the views and flowers, I strolled through this portion of the trail until the forest closed in once again, and my path steepened up.

Prominent rock outcrop

I'd nearly forgotten what a tough climb it is to reach the top of Silver Star Mountain.  But remembering the spectacular views were worth it, I buckled down and kept going.

Silver Star summit

Soon I reached the trail junction, marked by a huge pile of rocks.  From here, it was a half mile slog to reach the summit proper.  

View from the top

But finally reaching the top, I was rewarded by awesome views of the surrounding green hills.  Usually four of the Cascade peaks are also visible, but today a low cloud bank hid them all.  And there weren't many wildflowers blooming.  It appeared I'd missed the peak.

Nice light on nearby hills

There were two other people already on the summit, but both of them left soon after my arrival.  So I had the place to myself for nearly all of the 15 minute break I took.

Flowers lined the old road to Ed's trail

Heading back down to the rock cairn junction, I then took a turn in the opposite direction of my approach.  When hiking at Silver Star, I always include a side loop on Ed's Trail.  Usually you'll find the highest wildflower concentration here.

These yellow butterflies were going after the yellow flowers

Today was no different.  Despite missing the wildflowers at their height, there was still enough color to entice me to get out my camera.

Another butterfly species

This trail follows an old gravel road across an open ridgetop.  Flowers bloom here in abundance all summer long.  My path was lined with occasional patches of bright orange Indian paintbrush.

One more yellow butterfly

There were also lots of yellow wildflowers blooming, a species which I couldn't identify.  But, oh did the butterflies love them!

I loved these bright blue butterflies

Purple color spot between the rocks

I followed the old road steadily downhill until it intersected with Ed's Trail proper.  I took a quick lunch break at this junction, readying myself to regain all the elevation I'd just lost.

Sweeping view from the road

After hiking down the wide gravel road it's always a shock to turn onto Ed's Trail.  A narrow, dirt path that winds uphill through thick underbrush, it's occasionally a bit sketchy.  Sometimes perched on the side of a steep slope, and in a couple places you need to use your hands to climb a short distance up a rock face.

A few wild iris were still in bloom

But, oh were there wildflowers!  The higher I climbed, the better the show got.

Fantastic clouds today!

And the cloud bank that had hindered my mountain views began breaking up into smaller, fluffier specimens.  They were quite pretty, and made great accompaniments to my landscape shots.

Wildflower and amazing sky

Ed's trail began with wildflowers

Finally, rounding a corner I came upon a huge meadow blazing with color.  Yellow, white and orange wildflowers covered an entire slope.

This slope was thick with colorful wildflowers

Oh it was magnificent!  All forward progress ground to a screeching halt.

The best wildflower display of the entire hike

Lucky for me, I hadn't entirely missed out on the yearly wildflower bloom.

A close up of the flowers

The rest of the trek on Ed's trail was a uphill slog, with a little bit of scrambling thrown in just to make things interesting.  The trail also passed through an interesting rock arch that always makes a great photo op.

Interesting rock outcrop

Usually super popular, especially when the wildflowers are in bloom, I didn't see a single soul the entire time I was on Ed's trail.  That's a first!

Looking back from where I was

Ed's trail eventually connected back to the huge rock cairn intersection.  From here, it was a 3-mile hike retracing my steps, back to the trailhead.

A bit of pink 

The famous rock arch

I returned to my car with a camera full of images and a big smile on my face.  It was wonderful to be back on another of my favorite summer wildflower trails.  Silver Star Mountain, I've missed you!

Return to Flowerland

I'll admit it, I'm a flower follower.  During spring and summer my hikes are planned around the local wildflower bloom.  Whenever I hear an area is at peak, you can bet I'll find a way to get there.

Paintbrush going crazy!

One of the best early summer wildflower shows can be found on the flanks of Silver Star Mountain.  Located in SW Washington, this small patch of National Forest-designated scenic area is sandwiched between logged clear cuts and rural homes.  The Yacolt Burn, largest wildfire in Washington state history, swept through in 1902 leaving huge gaps where trees failed to reseed.  Luckily for us wildflower lovers, these bare areas have cultivated into spectacular meadows full of every color flower imaginable.

Pyramid Rock in morning light

Last year, the wildflower bloom was the best I'd ever witnessed.  As a matter of fact, my friend and I took so many photographs we joked about needing a flowervention.  With memories of last year's show still fresh, I was looking forward to my annual summer visit.

Beargrass bonanza

By late June I started getting reports that Silver Star's bloom was on.  Picking the final Friday of that month, I arose early to get a jump on the hikers.  With the numerous flower reports hitting social media, I assumed the place would be crawling with people.

Pretty white unknown flower

Many trails cris-cross the mountain, but access is primarily from two trailheads, the north Ed's Trail and the south Grouse Vista.  Parking at Ed's trailhead meant navigating a horrible rutted, rocky road, so I always head to Grouse Vista.  Arriving before 8 am, I was pleased to see only two other vehicles in the parking area.

Views from Silver Star summit

The only downside to parking at Grouse Vista is enduring a steep, rocky boring trail for nearly three miles to reach the mountain's base.  But that's the price of admission to these lovely flower fields, so I put my head down and chugged uphill.  About a mile and a half in, the forest cleared and I was rewarded with sweeping views of the surrounding forested (and clear-cut) hills.

Another summit vista

It was here that the flower show started.  Hundreds of bright orange Indian paintbrush dotted the adjacent hillsides. Directly below Pyramid Rock was a huge patch of beargrass, their mauve stalks standing at attention.  While photographing the sights a group of people passed by heading back towards the parking area.  Wondering about such an early departure, one person mentioned they'd tried to catch sunrise on Silver Star, only to be foiled by heavy cloud cover.

Flower show from the old road

Continuing onward, I dived back into the forest, and up more miserable rocky trail.  Finally, arriving  at the four-way junction below Silver Star's summit, a quick half mile climb and I was taking in the panorama from the mountain's very top.

Tiny aster

So far the only people I'd met were the group heading back to the parking area.  But, as I made my final steps onto the top of Silver Star, I noticed two other people were right behind me.  So much for having the place to myself!  But the couple that arrived soon afterward were very nice and we both marveled at the views and flower show.  After many photos and a good conversation, it was time to move on.

Mt St Helens hid behind the clouds

Despite an awful road, the hike from Silver Star's northern trailhead, Ed's Trail, is the most popular way to access this scenic area.  The trail boasts jaw-dropping scenery.  Following a ridgeline where on clear days, three snow-capped mountain peaks are visible, hikers meander through fields thick with colorful wildflowers.  Not wanting to miss this show, I decided to add a loop through Ed's trail to the day's agenda.

Lovely yellow butterfly

Normally, the best wildflowers can be found along an abandoned road paralleling Ed's Trail.  But approaching this road, I was disappointed to see the bloom was nowhere as colorful or diverse as the previous year.  Although it was still quite lovely, last year's amazing flower show had set the bar quite high.  I'm assuming our hot, dry spring months were to blame.

Sweeping views

Although the morning's overcast skies began to clear, the mountains remained hidden behind some stubborn clouds.  Mt St Helens teased a bit, her base partially visible at times, but that was the extent of it.  No mountain views today.

Trailside color

The old road meandered downhill, and although the mountains weren't visible, the adjacent foothills were.  It was still a perfectly acceptable view, and although the wildflowers didn't match last years phenomenal bloom, they still weren't too shabby.

Tiger lilies

Approaching the junction with Ed's Trail, the beargrass became more numerous until I came upon a slope covered with white, poofy stalks.  I love beargrass, so seeing such a large concentration was a huge treat.  Perfect place for lunch break!

Huge fields of beargrass at Ed's trail

Body refueled, it was time to tackle the wonderful Ed's Trail.  Wandering uphill along a sharp ridge, the flowers were at their colorful best.  Such a wide variety - beargrass, wild iris, tiger lilies, lupine, Oregon sunshine, and tons of orange paintbrush.  By now it was early afternoon, and butterflies began floating between the blossoms.  Truly wonderful!

Wild iris

My camera's memory card was on overload as I snapped image after image of this gorgeous alpine paradise.  I could see why so many folks braved the horrible road to hike Ed's Trail.  It's truly one of the Pacific NW's showcase hikes.

The amazing Ed's trail

However, despite the glowing online flower reports, Silver Star's trails weren't busy at all that day.  I ran into a handful of people on the old road, and only a half dozen on Ed's Trail.  Not sure if the cloudy forecast, or the fact it was a Friday, kept people away, but, hey - I wasn't complaining!

More butterflies!

Yes, Ed's Trail delivered in a big way.  I sauntered across the ridge, through an interesting rock arch, and climbed up a few steep slopes, all the way admiring more meadows of floral splendor.  Before I knew it I was back at the road junction below Silver Star Mountain.

Lots of color along Ed's Trail

Then I had to retrace my steps back down that miserable, rocky first trail back to my car.  Although the return trek is never as fun, I did encounter lots of butterflies enjoying the afternoon heat and partial sunshine.  Some of the butterflies seemed to follow me as I trekked down the trail.  And although catching them standing still was tricky, I did manage to capture a few with my camera.

Ed's Trail's famous rock arch

For all you photography geeks out there - Some readers may remember my purchase of a mirrorless camera last August, the Fujifilm XT-1.  After a undergoing a huge learning curve (the controls were totally different than my standby Canon 7D) I've come to love this compact, lightweight little camera.  It's a perfect size and weight for hiking, and produces images that are nearly as good as my Canon.  I've been using the XT-1 almost exclusively on most of my hikes this summer.  All photos from this post came from my Fujifilm XT-1.  You can compare with my photos from last year's trip (which were shot with my Canon 7D) and tell me what you think.

One more butterfly!

Although not as spectacular as last year's mega-bloom, Silver Star Mountain still lived up to it's reputation as the place to go for fabulous early summer wildflowers.

"Flowervention" on Silver Star Mountain

Two hikes in one weekend!  What was I thinking?  I awoke Sunday morning to a tired, stiff body and was seriously questioning my sanity.  But I'd promised my new hiking buddy Catherine a trip to Washington's Silver Star Mountain, and I wasn't about to go back on my word.

Flowerama!

Saturday I'd enjoyed a wonderful 10-mile trek through wildflower fields dotting Mt Hood's SE flank (if you missed the recap read about it right here).  Hungry for more bloom-peeping, I'd ambitiously asked Catherine to join me for another hike the very next day.

Catherine admires the colorful flowers

It didn't take long for my enthusiasm to win over my body's achy protests.  After all, I was visiting Silver Star Mountain - the premier wildflower hotspot in SW Washington.  And I'd heard nothing but glowing reports about this year's massive bloom.

Slope full 'o daises

Luckily, my initial hike with Catherine to Mt St Helens hadn't scared her off, and she was willing to join me on another ramble.

Hiking around Pyramid Rock

Although as the crow flies Silver Star Mountain isn't far from the Portland Metro area, visitors must travel a series of winding country lanes and rough gravel roads to gain access.  Hikers have a choice of two trailheads - Ed's Trail on the north and Grouse Creek Vista to the south.  Although Ed's Trail is my favorite path up the mountain, it's horrific rocky access road is not.  To spare my sanity (and car!) I chose to start our hike at Grouse Creek Vista.

More paintbrush

Mid-July is prime wildflower (and crowds) season, so we got an early start, and rolled into the trailhead parking area by 8:30.  My plan was to take an old, rocky road that was now a hiking trail 3.5 miles to Silver Star's summit.  From the summit, we'd loop around and follow Ed's Trail before descending the Tarbell Trail back to the car.

Green ridges spread out in all directions

Catherine and I trudged up the rocky road.  The first mile was fairly steep, and we were thankful for the day's overcast skies and cooler temperatures.  Thick forest lined our road, so there wasn't much to see.  That changed in a big hurry.

Views from Silver Star's summit

About a mile and a half into our hike, the forest began to clear until we came out onto an open slope.  Views stretched forever.  I could see the foothills with their patchwork-quilt pattern of forests and clear cuts (thanks to logging).  Up ahead Silver Star's summit rose before us, our immediate goal.

Unique pink flowers

But - oh the flowers!  Both sides of the trail were packed with colorful blooms.  Orange Indian paintbrush dominated, but white daisies, lupine, and an unknown yellow flower were close seconds.  All forward progress ground to a halt.

Fabulous flower show

Catherine was amazed.  Her first time to Silver Star, she'd never seen such a concentration of wildflowers.  We spent so much time photographing, she joked we might need a "flower intervention" (aka "flowervention") or our families would be sending search parties to look for us.

Best display yet

But finally we tore ourselves away from the beauty and continued on, past conical shaped Pyramid Rock, and back into the forest for the final mile climb .

We came out on the saddle between Silver Star's twin summits.  Despite still-cloudy skies, breathtaking views abounded.  Green ridges stretched out in multiple directions.  Flowers bloomed in the open meadows below.

Look who's coming out of the clouds??

Choosing the northerly peak, I was pleased to find only one woman sitting atop.  But we'd no sooner dropped our packs, when a group of men arrived.  On their heels was another hiking party.  And another....And another..... In the span of 10 minutes I counted 30 people packed onto Silver Star's small summit area.  This definitely wasn't the place to find solitude!  The noise and chaos got to be too much, so Catherine and I cut our break short.

Wide-open panoramas

Thanks to numerous online hiking websites, Silver Star has become a wildly popular destination.  As Catherine and I trekked back down from its summit, we passed a steady stream of people crawling to the top.  The majority appeared to be coming from Ed's Trail.  Amazed that so many people were willing to brave that awful road, Catherine started asking people about their drive in.  One couple admitted the potholes were so bad they'd parked their car and walked the road two miles just to reach the trailhead.

And, yes, more flowers

After touching the summit, I directed Catherine down another old roadbed, heading northeast towards Ed's Trail.  We came out into another clearing and the flower show was at it's colorful best.  More paintbrush, lupine, yellow Oregon sunshine, daisies.....oh the list went on and on...Truly the best wildflower display yet!  (Might there be another flowervention happening soon??)

Gentian

More frantic photography ensued (mostly by me).  Catherine noticed a couple climbing a small rise, and wanting to see what was going on, followed them up the flower-filled knoll.  On top was a drop-dead gorgeous view of Mt. St. Helens, slowly emerging out of the morning's clouds.

Lots of pink wildflowers

The skies were beginning to clear, and this open ridge was the best place to see three Washington Cascade peaks lining the skyline - Adams, Rainier, and St Helens.  As Catherine and I wandered down this rocky road to clearing skies, the views just kept getting better.  Wildflowers and snow-capped mountains - perfect!

Mt St Helens and Rainier anchor the skyline

At the junction between the road and Ed's Trail, Catherine and I came upon a break in the ridgeline that framed Mt Hood perfectly.  We decided this was a great place to have lunch.

Photo ops abound

Properly refueled, we then tackled the gradual uphill climb along Ed's Trail.  One of my most favorite places to hike, I kept looking back at the panorama of peaks along the horizon.  The wide-open meadows here were the result of the Yacolt Burn - the largest forest fire in Washington state's history.  This fire burned so hot that trees have failed to reseed and grow.  But...the silver lining was that the fire created these fabulous wildflower meadows we were enjoying today.

Amazing wide-open vistas from Ed's Trail

Ho hum.....more wonderful wildflower displays......I was starting to get floral overload!

Catherine admires the view

The mountains and now-clear skies made for some great photo ops.  And because I like people in my shots, Catherine became my model.  (She's learned when you hike with me you get included in lots of pictures.)

The famous rock arch

We passed through the famous rock arch, along crumbly steep slopes, and up a rocky cliff (about 15 feet of vertical climbing - it was fun!)

Mt Hood sighting

Soon we were back at the junction below Silver Star's summit once again.  Seven miles covered thus far, it was time for the homestretch to the trailhead.  Decision time - did we take the longer, less scenic, Tarbell Trail and make a loop, or the rocky road we'd followed this morning?

I managed to catch one butterfly standing still

The decision was unanimous - the flower fields had been so lovely, both Catherine and I wanted to see them a second time around.  Plus, compared to the Tarbell Trail, this route was about a mile and a half shorter.

Back through the flower zone

So back through the amazingly beautiful flower zone we traveled!  By now, the afternoon heat had brought out the insects, and hundreds of colorful butterflies floated through the blooms.  It was fun to watch them swoop and dive.  One butterfly seemed to follow me as I walked along the trail.  What a great way to end such a wonderful day!

Purple lupine patch

Second consecutive day of hiking, another 10 miles logged, and I felt just fine.  Maybe I need to do less working and more wildflower hiking!  (Of course, that might lead to another "flowervention.")   :)

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