A Five and a half mile hike
---- Three Corner Rock ----
Thursday, July 3, 2014

First let me show you where we hiked.

The trip to the trailhead was ten miles on a dusty dirt road, but there were very few potholes.

The trail was mostly along the PCT

We met some PCT hikers who had been out four nights.

Hard to believe, but they had a smaller packs than the packs of some in our group.

On the road in, we went past this pretty little waterfall

At the trailhead, our able leader assembles the group and gives instructions.

There were only ten hikers for this delightful hike.

There was a good trail but it was a bit of a climb.

After we left the PCT, part of the way was on what was called a "road" to the microwave tower on top of the mountain.

This sign pointed the way.

That pile of rocks is our destination

climbing that rock pile was not easy

Photos courtesy of Cathy

There were some big rocks to get over on the way to the top

Someone who was determined to get at least part way up the rock pile.

The view from the top was terrific

Photos courtesy of Cathy

That is Mt Adams in the distance.

(Unfortunately, my little point-and-shoot camera does not do the view justice).

We had lunch on the rocks

As usual, coming down was harder than going up.

Inside-Out Flower
Also called: American barrenwort
(Vancouveria hexandra)

The leaves of this flower are divided into numerous, small, duckfoot-shaped leaflets.

The genus of this flower honors George Vancouver, the 18th-century explorer of the Pacific Northwest.

Note the yellow flower on the tips

Tiger Lily
Also called: Columbia Lily
(lilium Columbianum)

The tiger lillies were very tall and beautiful

Goat's beard
Also called: buck's beard or bride's feathers
(Aruncus dioicus)

Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus) is a perennial that grows up to 6 feet tall.

In some parts of Italy the young shoots are eaten as a delicacy. They are usually boiled in herb infused water, and then cooked with eggs and cheese.

In the Italian town of Friuli, it is one of the ingredients in the local home-made soup called 'pistic'

Goat's Beard attracts a wide array of insects. The insects visit this plant for its sweet nectar.

Goat's Beard is a host to the larva of the Dusky Azure Butterfly.

Bead Lily
Also called: Bride's Bonnet, Queen's Cup
(Clintonia uniflora)
(Synonyms: Smilacina borealis var. uniflora, Smilacina uniflora)

There are twenty different lilies that grow in the Columbia Gorge.

The bead lilies we saw on this hike were particularly beautiful in that they had just opened and they were not fully flat, as are many bead lilies that one sees