Teri J Pieper

Author Archives: Teri J Pieper

Yesterday’s Wildflowers

May 13, 2013 – 7:16 am
Posted in wildflowers
Tagged balsamroot, lupine, Methow photography, Thompsons paintbrush, Wildflower photos
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This is the height of the wildflower season on our hill. The elevation of our house is about 1850′ and the colors of spring can be fleeting in this arid climate. Yesterday, before the wind came up, I was particularly struck with the beauty and diversity of this dry site’s wildflowers. Last week’s warm weather has been replaced with the more expected breezy and cool weather of spring.

Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata – the signature spring flower of for this valley

Thompson’s paintbrush (I think), Castilleja thompsonii

Calochortus sp (sometimes referred to as Cat’s ear)

Agoseris sp., again I am not sure

I am pretty sure this is bastard toadflax (not a pretty name for a delicate flower), however where I have seen it before it was more of a salmon color. Comandra umbellata

Columbia puccoon, Lithospermum ruderale

Bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata

Lupine, Lupinus sp

And another view of balsamroot, looking down-valley to Balky Hill and beyond

More Hiking with Dogs

May 8, 2013 – 5:58 pm
Posted in hike
Tagged dogs, hike, Patterson Mountain, Winthrop photography
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Luna and I missed our hike last week and so we were happy to get out today with friends and dogs. Starting early at the Patterson Mountain trailhead we joined two other women and four other dogs for a very pleasant hike before it got too hot. The weather has been unseasonably warm (not that we are complaining mind you) these last few days – up into the high eighties, so it was good to start at 7:30 am and enjoy the morning air and beautiful light. Only one other party started up before us. After the trouble I’ve had with Luna recently I put her on the leash and kept her there all the way up and down, only letting her off when we came to a little creek where she could wet her whistle and at the top of the mountain. She was very well behaved and even when I let her off she returned when called. I was much relieved. Of course the other dogs were fine. Well Cassidy had some barking issues but he and Kathryn worked through them and he was fine. We were rewarded with fine mountain and valley views at the top, wonderful wildflowers and at the end, the dogs got to cool off in the lake. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Patterson Lake and Mount Gardner

Luna stops to smell the flowers

This sign always seems out of place to me

It’s really hard to get three people and five dogs in a photo all looking at the camera at the same time.

Really, really hard

Little Bear doesn’t like crowds so he is hanging out behind the bitterbrush

Luna likes to be in the middle of everything

Cassidy always has something to say. He is very opinionated and frustrated when we don’t understand him.

There’s Little Bear. He’s a sweet fella

Dexter and his person Amy and their friend Peter made the hike this morning too but they had to race off to get to work on time.

Pretty death camas

How pretty is that?

We love our big ponderosa pines

And our balsamroot

My first bitterroot flowers this year!

With wild onions growing in the background

Moose really relaxed in the cold water

And Luna was ready to play

Fire’s Aftermath

May 3, 2013 – 9:31 am
Posted in fire
Tagged Methow photography, morel mushrooms, wildfire
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Around here the biggest disaster the people worry about is wildfire. Last year we had more than our share of fires in North Central Washington and many folks were trapped in their houses for days in hopes of avoiding the choking smoke. I am reminded of this now with the US Forest Service doing controlled burning in hopes of preventing uncontrolled fires in the future. The smell is strong in the air and I can see the smoke’s haze all over the valley.

One gift of fire is the morel mushroom. The fire morel is a delicacy that is hunted with great zeal in a burned landscape. My uncle came to visit this week in hopes of getting the mushroom season off to a good start. He had studied last year’s fires’ locations and aspects and picked one area to explore. He was right. With the little bit warmer weather we are finally getting, the fungi are just starting to show themselves and we both came home with about a gallon of them. He said the ones we harvested are most likely natural morels and that the fire morels will come on a bit later. On our menu last night was morel risotto! What a treat.

The landscape looks very bleak.

I heard and saw Black-backed Woodpeckers who come into a burned forest almost immediately to consume the insects that have arrived to consume the dead trees.

Many of the morels were growing out from under rocks and burned roots. This is a nice looking one.

I also heard Canyon Wrens’ beautiful songs from the cliffs above.

Back in the Boat Again

April 30, 2013 – 7:26 pm
Posted in kayak
Tagged kayak, Osprey, Patterson Lake, Pearrygin Lake, photography, Red-necked Grebe, Winthrop, Wood Ducks, yellow-rumped warbler
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Last week there were several good weather days and twice I managed to get my kayak in the water. Last year I hardly used it due to persistent lower back pain from gardening. I am trying to really take care of my back this year with more yoga and being very aware of how I move when I am carrying heavy stuff and trying to get help when I can. So far, so good for the most part. Of course with kayaking there is the business of getting the boat on and off the car to take it to the lakes. That worried me. I was able to do it and paddle two days in a row and I am happy to report that I didn’t have any pain! What a relief. Here’s hoping it stays that way all summer. Here are some highlights from two lakes near Winthrop.

Patterson Lake is my favorite

Interesting rock formations

Non-native trees line one end next to hay fields

Last year’s cottonwood leaf

Folks keep adding to this lakeside sculpture

You can tell from the line on the rocks that the lake is not yet full

These trees died after the lake level was raised some years ago. Now the snags are good habitat for nesting swallows and other birds.

Red-necked Grebe

Pair of Wood Ducks

Patterson Mountain reflected in Patterson Lake

More reflections near the boat launch

At Pearrygin Lake State Park, it’s still cold for swimming

A pair of Mallards

The hen decided to go her own way

The drake had to fly to catch up with her

4 Bufflehead ducks

They didn’t like me or the motorboat approaching from the other side

Pearrygin is a pretty warm lake with different vegetation types.

The reeds make nice reflections

This float had broken away from its moorings

In addition to motorboats, I saw this stand up paddler and a rowing scull

Killdeer on a mud flat

The mouth of Pearrygin Creek. This creek ‘blew out’ two years ago, resulting in flooding in the state park and the loss of this boat launch. They say that the state will replace it.

There are LOTS of Yellow-rumped Warblers out and about these days.

And Osprey are commonly seen above any water that might have fish in it. There were lots of newly-planted trout for the next day’s fishing season opener.

Another Hike with Dogs

April 25, 2013 – 4:02 pm
Posted in hike
Tagged dogs, hike, Lewis Butte, lupine, wildflowers, Winthrop photography
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Yesterday four women and five dogs set out for Lewis Butte, a popular spring trail near Winthrop. It’s on a south facing slope so the snow melts fast and the wildflowers come early and may not stay long in a dry year. All the dogs, except mine were on best behavior. Well, maybe Trip was ready to help Luna in her quest to scare every bird on the butte. Other than that, it was a good day, topped off with lunch at the Rocking Horse Bakery.

On the way up we were passed by two other women with four dogs! Here are two of their dogs and four of ours