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This
is the beginning of our 24th
year of looking at wildflowers
in Cook County, MN. We are three
senior women who just love to
get out and explore and learn
new things. We are even getting
together all winter but don't
find too many flowers at that
time, but no matter.
Joe
Pye Weed - Photo by Erik
W. L. Anderson
August 10th, 2005 - Report
by
Our first quest was to see
exactly where the Pipsissewa
was. We didn't remember exactly
the same. Well it's 4.8 on the
Bally Creek Road after leaving
County road #48 - then 5.1 is
where there is a large batch of Linnea.
Neither of these were in bloom.
Years back there didn't seem to
be as much Pipsissewa as now.
The only place we knew of was
way in the woods. Now you can
see as much as you want right
from the road. We did go back on
a trail to see the Rattlesnake
Plantain and were unsuccessful.
We then went slowly along the
Bally Creek Road #158 sometimes
driving sometimes walking. We
also walked down some of the old
forest roads. One of the Forest
roads was 158A off to the left.
We first walked the road to the Cascade
River. It was a 
good road so
I went back and got the car
while B looked around finding
Berries on the Highbush
Cranberry bush (they weren't
ripe yet) and Virgin's Bower
down on the river bank.
We were getting hungry for lunch
so we went to one of our
favorite spots - the F.S.
Cascade River Campground at the
intersection of Bally Creek and
Devil Track Road. We ate lunch
on the banks of the Cascade
River, enjoying watching the
fish jump. The flowers we could
see: There were hummocks of Joe
Pye, White Dead Nettle, Meadowsweet,
Arrowhead and Water
Parsnip.
The Dandelion type seedpods that
I have seen more of this year
than previous years is
Goatsbeard. Mary would use hair
spray on them and then they make
beautiful dry arrangements.
The additional flowers we saw
today were: Asters,
Goldenrod,
Yarrow,
Pearly
Everlasting, Eyebrite, Cow
Wheat, Canada Hawkweed, Red
berries on Bearberry, Fireweed,
Evening
Primrose, Tansy
and Rabbit's-foot Clover.
It has been so dry here, Forest
fire on Alpine Lake and many
of the plants and trees are
turning yellow because of the
stress.
We still had a Wonderful Day !
Click
here for the most recent report!
Be sure to stop back
throughout the Spring and
Summer to see our weekly
wildflower reports from
Lorraine Anderson of Grand
Marais, Minnesota.
