Where have all the wildflowers gone?

Byline: BEST OF ... by The Register-Guard

Wildflower lovers on Team Best of ... don't get a whole lot of respect. Come summer, our compatriots brag about backpacking and river rafting, surfing and bungee jumping. So luring them into flowery alpine meadows takes a little shameless subterfuge.

We have to promise heart-pounding workouts, rocky scrambles, stunning mountain vistas, a meander through towering old-growth, perhaps even a spot of fishing in a tiny secluded lake.

Then, while they're gawking at the peaks, we're down in the duff with our beloved blossoms.

In the Willamette National Forest, there's always something blooming, from spring through fall, whether it's the pale violet of wild iris, the voluptuous pink of wild rhododendrons (indigenous in Oregon), the volatile orange of Indian paintbrush or the rock-loving varieties of penstemon.

Among the hot spots popular with wildflower lovers: the Iron Mountain Lookout trail in the Tombstone Pass area off Highway 20, and most of the trails accessible from Aufderheide Memorial Drive, which connects Westfir with Cougar Lake.

But Team Best of ... likes to satisfy its flower jones on the Browder Ridge Trail, just south of Iron Mountain. The trail takes hikers up through old growth to a ridgeline where the southern-facing slopes are a blossom lover's bonanza.

From now through August, visitors can expect to see a profusion of blooms - scarlet gillia, cat's ear lilies, fairy bells, red columbine, tiger lilies and shooting stars, the tubular flowers of which attract butterflies and humming birds.

Browder Ridge's meadows are the equal of the better known Iron Mountain displays, and the views of the surrounding peaks - the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson and Mount Washington - are even more spectacular. But the trail doesn't attract the same attention, probably because the ascent to the ridge is a steep climb with no switchbacks. The Sweet Home Ranger District Trail Guide calls it a moderate to difficult hike.

For those who prefer a more leisurely ascent, the Gate Creek Trail farther east goes in switchbacks up through old growth and brings visitors to the same lush meadows.

On a recent visit, bright monkey flower blossoms covered the ground at the Browder Ridge trailhead, and nearby rhododendrons still bloomed. Better still, there was only one other car parked at the trailhead. We love that.

It's a 3.7-mile hike to the ridge, and just more than 3 miles for those coming in from the Gate Creek Trail. The Browder Ridge trailhead is at 4,160 feet elevation and rises to 5,200 feet. From the Gate Creek side, the trail ascends from 3,600 to 4,850 feet.

Anglers can opt for a 1-mile side trip down to nearby Heart Lake, but we hear there's bushwhacking involved.

Team Best of ... doesn't like to nag, but hikers eager to get started have been known to forget basic safety tips. Let someone else know where you're going and when you plan to return. Take along water and food, rain gear and a fleece or sweater as the weather can change quickly.

One team member likes to take an extra pair of socks and sneakers to change into when the hike is over. Feet love to be liberated from hiking boots after a good climb.

GETTING TO

BROWDER RIDGE

Both access points to the trail are on Highway 20.

To get there, head up Interstate 5 to the Brownsville exit to Highway 228. In Sweet Home, the highway merges into Highway 20, and it's 34 miles to the Browder Ridge trail turnoff or 39 miles to the Gate Creek turnoff. Or take Highway 126 east to the junction with Highway 20 and backtrack.

Tougher route: For Browder Ridge, turn onto Road 15, drive 2.5 miles to a gravel road on the left. The trailhead is another 0.2 miles on the left.

Easier route: For Gate Creek, turn on Hackleman Road, also known as Forest Road 2672. Travel 1.8 miles to Forest Road 1598. Travel 2.8 miles to the trailhead.

Something is always blooming in the Best of ... archives. To see what's in season, go to www.registerguard.com/bestof.

CAPTION(S):

Tiger lilies like these can be seen along the Browder Ridge trail in the Willamette National Forest.