“The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.” – Tennessee Williams

Saturday, once the clouds parted and a few rays of sun appeared, my best hiking buddy Sarah and I headed out to explore a trail new to us. We headed towards Zig Zag Mountain, just off Lolo Pass Road. While we only got a couple of miles in during the late afternoon, we were greeted with a variety of wildflowers that look no worse for wear after last weekend’s surprise dusting of snow. Here are just a few of the blooms we saw:

Trilliums are continuing to bloom. Some are starting to show the first tinges of purple as they age.

Salmonberries are just starting to open.

To be honest, seeing my first Salmonberry bloom of the season is almost as exciting as seeing my first trillium, because it means Oregon berry season is not too far away.

When we passed the Palmate Coltsfoot, Sarah asked if it was a weed. I told her that weeds were all about perspective. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what it was and had to look it up when I got home. I still have a lot to learn about wildflowers. One of my favorite things to do is take the picture, and then go on a hunt through books and the internet to figure out exactly which one it is.

One that I am very familiar with is smooth yellow violet. The leaves are edible, and make quite a nice salad. Think of something along the flavor profile of arugula.

The most beautiful flower sighting of the day goes to he fairyslipper. These tiny little orchids were quite prolific as well, though a little hard to photograph because of the way they face the ground. While it took getting my knees a little muddy, I did manage to pull off a shot.

Did you get out and hike over the weekend? What wildflowers did you see?