In some years, spring is muted, and in some years, the mountainsides explode in color as wildflowers bloom enmasse, blanketing the sun-drenched slopes of the Cascades. This year, it was the turn for the eastern side of the Cascades to greet visitors with a fresh coat of balsamroot, phlox, lupines and many other varieties of flora. Normally a drab sun-baked brown for the rest of the year, the lush green slopes get carpeted with tiny shrubs and plants from different flowering species competing for space and attention from the pollinators which have a field day. Watching the flowers dance and sway with the cool winds from the Cascades blowing down these slopes is a mesmerizing experience.

What makes it even more special is the ephemeral nature of this phenomenon: blooms like these rarely occur every year, and even if they do, last more than a few weeks before they fade away and are taken over by the dry summer browns. Hence, it is worthwhile to go seek out these special places at the right time, all the while make sure not to trample on these delicate blossoms.

Wenatchee
WA USA