When we left Portland it was raining and it was still raining when we arrived at the trailhead.

Not withstanding the weather outlook 24 hearty souls were ready to hike.

It stopped raining when we started up the trail

This is the approach to the first falls

We had to cross that bridge

The mist was thick enough that we all got wet.

After crossing the bridge we climbed up several hundred feet.

The upper falls were spectacular

Fortunately, there was a railing.

The view was awesome

Our biologist leader also knew about rocks.

He explained how the different layers of lava cooled at different rates, producing very different rock formations.

The trail was narrow and the fall-off steep, but there was a railing.

The first plant noted by our leader was:
Digitalis purpurea
common name: Foxglove

Our leader noted that the heart medicine "digitalis" is derived from this plant. Note: this plant will flower on a long stalk.

Rumex venosus
common names: Veiny dock, winged dock, wild-begonia
Note: there is no relation to begonias
Rumex venosus is a member of the knotweed family

This is an edible plant, but multiple boiling is required to remove some of the bitter taste.

Miner's Lettuce

There are several plants called Miner's Lettuce.
This is probably Claytonia sibiria
Claytonia perfoliata has leaves that fuse to form a disk and the flower is in the center of the disk.

Indian Plum
Also called: osoberry
Oemleria cerasiformis

The fruits of osoberry are edible and resemble small plums which are dark blue when ripe.Indigenous peoples of the Americas include osoberry in their diets, make tea of the bark, and chew its twigs to use as a mild anesthetic and aphrodisiac. (from Wikipedia)

Whitlow Grass
Also called:
Spring draba, shadflower, nailwort,or vernal whitlow grass

Scientific name: Draba verna

Whitlow Grass grows in very early spring. The flowers have four deeply notched white petals, and are borne an inch or two above the ground by a long stem. The leaves are clustered at the base. (from Wikipedia)

Pacific bleeding heart
Also called Western, or wild bleeding heart
Scientific Name:
Dicentra formosa

There were many many of these getting ready to bloom.

salmonberry
Scientific Name: Rubus spectabilis

The fruit matures in late summer to early autumn, and resembles a large yellow to orange-red raspberry with many drupelets.
Salmonberries are edible and share the fruit structure of the raspberry, (from widipedia)

False Solomon's seal

Note true Solomon's seal has flowers joined where the leaves join the stem.

False Solomon's seal makes flower on the top of the plant.

Duck's foot
Also called: Inside-out flower
Scientific name"
Vancouveria hexandra

Ladies Bedstraw
Other names: Robin-run-the-Hedge, Maiden's Hair, Strawbed, Cheese Rennet, Cheese Running

This is a low growing, spreading groundcover plant. The bright yellow flowers are lightly honey-scented and appear between July and September.

Snowberry
Also called: Waxberry or Ghostberry
Scientific name: Symphoricarpos

The flowers and the berries will be white.

Snowberry (S. albus) is an important winter food source for quail, pheasant, and grouse, but is considered poisonous to humans. The berries contain the isoquinoline alkaloid chelidonine, as well as other alkaloids. Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children. (from Wikipedia)

Columbia Kittentails
Also called: Columbia Synthyris, Mountain Kittentails, Tailed Kittentails, Western Mountain Kittentails Scientific name: Synthyris missurica

Columbia Kittentails is a perennial. You can go back and see it next year.

Western Saxifragia Scientific name: Saxifraga occidentalis

Western Saxifragia has saxifrage having loose clusters of white flowers on hairy stems growing from a cluster of basal leaves

Gorge Primrose
Also called: Cliff Dwarf-primrose, Dwarf Primrose, Smooth Douglasia, Smooth-leaf Douglasia
Scientific name: Douglasia laevigata

A very small Indian paintbrush

We even saw some pretty little mushrooms