lush vegetation and a unique array of water-loving flowering plants. Of particular note are yellow monkeyflower and pink Lewis monkeyflower, false Solomon’s seal, and bleeding heart. Dry and rocky places have wildflowers better adapted to these environments. Here you may find yellow stonecrop, blue larkspur, lavender cliff penstemon, and the whites of pearly everlasting, prairie star, and cats ear, among others.
If wildflowers lead the brigade of popular plants, then the least popular plant, poison oak, also deserves mention. This species is most common in dry, sunny places, but it can also be found in denser forests. You should be especially wary of this rash-producing menace when you are hiking in the eastern Columbia River Gorge. Poison oak comes in a variety of forms, sometimes growing as a vine and sometimes as a low bush, but it always has lobed, often shiny leaves, that grow in groups of three. Hikers who travel with the family pet need to remember that, no matter how smart you think Rover is, he probably isn’t bright enough to recognize and avoid poison oak. Many unsuspecting pet owners have picked up a nasty rash from merely petting their dog after a hike in poison-oak country.
Silver dollar plant
Trillium
Oregon grape
Grass widow
Tall larkspur
Common camas
Author beside old cedar tree
Corydalis
Arrowleaf balsamroot
False Solomon’s seal
Beargrass
Oak tree and licorice fern
Teasels
Grasses in a wetland
Licorice ferns
Ferns and mosses on talus slope
Wind-contorted fir tree
A type of shelf fungus
Two varieties of fungi
Bigleaf maple
An unidentified fungus
Various species of moss grow abundantly in our forests. Trying to identify these species is beyond the interest level of most hikers. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the old adage about moss growing only on the north side of a tree does not work around here. If you get lost and try to navigate by this old trick, you’ll be in big trouble because in this wet environment moss grows on all sides of the trees.
Mushrooms and fungi are an area of special interest for many Northwest hikers. Our forests feature several dozen varieties growing out of the ground, out of old stumps, and even out of living trees. Many species are edible, and collecting mushrooms is a fun activity. Do not, however, eat any mushrooms unless you are experienced and completely confident in your ability to identify the various species. There are several poisonous types in our area, and every year people get sick, and some even die, from eating the wrong mushrooms.
Fur, Feathers, Scales, & Slime: The Local Fauna
Hikers aren’t the only creatures leaving footprints on our area trails. By far the most common large mammal you will encounter, apart from Homo sapiens and their canine companions, is the black-tailed deer. Even on trips within the city limits, you are likely to see deer tracks, and every hiker who spends time in the backcountry will see lots of deer. Next on the list of large mammals is the Roosevelt elk. It’s always a thrill to catch a glimpse of these large, impressive animals. The most likely area to observe elk is in the Coast Range. Other large mammals prowling area forests include black bears and mountain lions, but the average hiker would be extraordinarily fortunate to see either.
Smaller mammals are another story. In the right habitat, every hiker will see chipmunks, Douglas squirrels, and pikas. Some representative examples of the other common smaller mammals in our area are porcupines, beavers, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, red and gray foxes, marmots, and snowshoe hares. Hikers who are quiet stand a better chance of seeing these, and all other, wildlife.
A type of shelf fungus on a log along the Clackamas River
As is true throughout the world, insects are, by far, the most common form of wildlife in our area. Apart from admiring butterflies, however, most hikers think of insects only when they are forced to swat bothersome mosquitoes. Higher on the food chain are spiders. The thick vegetation and the abundance of insects for prey ensure that spiders are quite common. The most important result of this fact is that the first person to hike a trail in the morning must negotiate an obstacle course of webs. You will spend considerable time (and a lifetime’s vocabulary of swear words) wiping the webs off your face, hair, and clothing. My advice is to wave a walking stick in front of you or, better yet, convince your hiking partner to take the lead. Another good option is to hike in the winter, when spiders are less active and build fewer webs.
After insects, our most common and conspicuous form of wildlife is birds. The feathered menagerie includes a wide range of colors,
