Field Trip 4 - Seattle Naturalists Intro Natural World Course - Naches Peak Loop

9:30AM at the Chinook Pass PCT parking lot on the left side of Hwy 410 just after crossing over Chinook Pass.  Before reaching this lot you will pass a parking lot on the left at Tipsoo Lake picnic area before going over the pass.  This is NOT the meeting area but a half-mile road walk from the PCC parking lot where we will gather.  You will need a NW Forest Pass or National Park pass. There are bathrooms at both parking lots.

Mt. Rainier National Park has many trails that lead to premier wildflower gardens.

After this field trip you may identify these species and more:
1. Broad-leaf Lupine
2. Common Paintbrush
3. Beargrass
4. Gray Jay
5. Blue (Butterfly)
6. Red Columbine
7. Glacier Lily
8. Tiger Lily
9. Thinleaf Blueberry
10. Sitka Mountain Ash
11. Sitka Alder
12. Alaska Yellow-cedar

There are several endemics here including Rainiera stricta (luina stricta) and Pedicularis rainierensis, a lousewort.  Other louseworts include bracted, coiled, bird's beak, and sickletop.   And there are many saxifrages. You can find pictures of these in the  WTU Herbarium Image Collection http://biology.burke.washington.edu and,  of course, on Google.

A plant list is available on wnps.org, Pierce County, Naches Loop Trail.

Destinations are quite dependent upon snow level. Today, 14 July,  there is still some snow on the north side of Naches Peak trail.  Leaders will scout this trail 20 July and inform you of conditions.  However, the Sheep Lake trail departs from the same parking lot, is snowfree and flowerful as of last weekend, is an easy trip and provides us with an easy and excellent alternative if we need one.   Kay