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This is Page 1 of 4 - the best of July 2018!
posted: August 3rd, 2018
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This page begins with July 3rd and a trip to Upper Grapefruit Rocks, on the Elliott Highway.  We had a great time and found an abundance of amazing flowers.  After we finished up at Grapefruit Rocks we went back towards Fairbanks and stopped to climb a short distance up the Wickersham Dome Trail.  We stopped after maybe 1.5 miles and called it good.  In Row 14 we begin a July 17th and 18th trip up the Steese Highway to Twelvemile Summit and then Eagle Summit, where we camped in our canopy on the night of the 17th.  Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin July 3rd
  As it says up above, on July 3rd we went out to climb Upper Grapefruit Rocks. The trail can be found at about 39 mile on the Elliott Highway. The first shot in this row shows Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), the second photo shows the Smallflower Columbine (Aquilegia brevistyla) and the third photo shows a Northern Groundcone (Boschniakia rossica).
July3rd_001_GrapefruitRocks_EpilobiumAngustifoliumRC
July3rd_001_Grapefruit
Rocks_EpilobiumAngustifoliumRC
July3rd_002_GrapefruitRocks_AquilegiaBrevistylaRC
July3rd_002_GrapefruitRocks
_AquilegiaBrevistylaRC
July3_001_GrapefruitRocks_Boschniakia_rossicaRC
July3_001_GrapefruitRocks
_Boschniakia_rossicaRC

  Still climbing towards the top of Upper Grapefruit Rocks, the first and third shots in this row show examples of Death Camas (Anticlea elegans) and the center shot shows another Smallflower Columbine (Aquilegia brevistyla).
July3_005_GrapefruitRocks_Anticlea_elegansRC
July3_005_GrapefruitRocks
_Anticlea_elegansRC
July3rd_003_GrapefruitRocks_AquilegiaBrevistylaRC
July3rd_003_GrapefruitRocks
_AquilegiaBrevistylaRC
July3_006_GrapefruitRocks_Anticlea_elegansRC
July3_006_GrapefruitRocks
_Anticlea_elegansRC

  Here is one more shot of the Smallflower Columbine (Aquilegia brevistyla) and then two shots of Spotted Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium guttatum). We feared that we had missed the season for this Orchid, but it ended up being perfect timing to find thousands of them at their peak.
July3_013_GrapefruitRocks_Aquilegia_brevistylaRC
July3_013_GrapefruitRocks
_Aquilegia_brevistylaRC
July3_016_GrapefruitRocks_Cypripedium_guttatumRC
July3_016_GrapefruitRocks
_Cypripedium_guttatumRC
July3_019_GrapefruitRocks_Cypripedium_guttatumRC
July3_019_GrapefruitRocks
_Cypripedium_guttatumRC

  Here are three more shots which feature the Spotted Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium guttatum). Isn't this absolutely amazing?
July3rd_023_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_023_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_029_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_029_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_039_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_039_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC

  And here are another three shots of the Spotted Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium guttatum). Can you believe our good fortune?
July3rd_040_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_040_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_053_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_053_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_054_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_054_GrapefruitRocks
_CypripediumGuttatumRC

  In this row are three scenery shots which show increasingly zoomed-in shots looking toward Lower Grapefruit Rocks.
July3_054_GrapefruitRocks_LowerGrapefruitRC
July3_054_GrapefruitRocks
_LowerGrapefruitRC
July3_055_GrapefruitRocks_LowerGrapefruitRC
July3_055_GrapefruitRocks
_LowerGrapefruitRC
July3_085_GrapefruitRocks_SceneryRC
July3_085_Grapefruit
Rocks_SceneryRC

  Here is a shot of another Spotted Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium guttatum), then a patch of Canadian Dogwood (Cornus canadensis) and finally, an example of Tufted Fleabane (Erigeron caespitosus).
July3rd_082_GrapefruitRocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3rd_082_Grapefruit
Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC
July3_086_GrapefruitRocks_Cornus_canadensisRC
July3_086_GrapefruitRocks
_Cornus_canadensisRC
July3_087_GrapefruitRocks_Erigeron_caespitosusRC
July3_087_GrapefruitRocks
_Erigeron_caespitosusRC

  In first position in this row is another example of Tufted Fleabane (Erigeron caespitosus). The second shot is a scenic shot from the topmost of the Grapefruit Rocks. The third shot is a Northern Green Orchid (Platanthera hyperborea var. hyperborea).
July3_088_GrapefruitRocks_Erigeron_caespitosusRC
July3_088_GrapefruitRocks
_Erigeron_caespitosusRC
July3rd_101_GrapefruitRocksRC
July3rd_101
_GrapefruitRocksRC
July3_090_GrapefruitRocks_Platanthera_hyperborea_var_hyperboreaRC
July3_090_GrapefruitRocks_Platanthera
_hyperborea_var_hyperboreaRC

  Here are two more shots of the Northern Green Orchid (Platanthera hyperborea var. hyperborea). The final shot in this row, a Pale Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja caudata), was taken after we left Grapefruit Rocks and started climbing up the Wickersham Dome trail. The Wickersham Dome trailhead can be found at about milepost 28 on the Elliott Highway.
July3rd_110_GrapefruitRocks_PlatantheraHyperboreaVarHyperboreaRC
July3rd_110_GrapefruitRocks_Platanthera
HyperboreaVarHyperboreaRC
July3rd_109_GrapefruitRocks_PlatantheraHyperboreaVarHyperboreaRC
July3rd_109_GrapefruitRocks_Platanthera
HyperboreaVarHyperboreaRC
July3rd_117_WickershamDome_CastillejaCaudataRC
July3rd_117_WickershamDome
_CastillejaCaudataRC

  These three shots were taken as we climbed up towards Wickersham Dome. The first shot is a Tall Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum ssp. villosum) and the second and third shots show the Elegant Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja elegans). Isn't it elegant!
July3rd_121_WickershamDome_PolemoniumCaeruleumSspVillosumRC
July3rd_121_WickershamDome_
PolemoniumCaeruleumSspVillosumRC
July3_06_WickershamDome_Castilleja_elegansRC
July3_06_WickershamDome
_Castilleja_elegansRC
July3_08_WickershamDome_Castilleja_elegansRC
July3_08_WickershamDome
_Castilleja_elegansRC

  Here is a shot of a Long-Pod Stitchwort (Minuartia macrocarpa) in first position, another Elegant Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja elegans) in second position, and then a scenic shot looking towards the summit of Wickersham Dome. Can you find the tower up on the summit?
July3rd_122_WickershamDome_MinuartiaMacrocarpaRC
July3rd_122_WickershamDome
_MinuartiaMacrocarpaRC
July3_13_WickershamDome_Castilleja_elegansRC
July3_13_WickershamDome
_Castilleja_elegansRC
July3_21_WickershamDome_SceneryRC
July3_21_Wickersham
Dome_SceneryRC

  Surely you can find the tower on the summit of Wickersham Dome in the first shot in this row, right? The second shot shows Kazuya at the point where we decided to turn around and head back. We'd already climbed Upper Grapefruit Rocks today, so we felt no need to climb to the summit of Wickersham Dome too.
July3_22_WickershamDome_SceneryRC
July3_22_Wickersham
Dome_SceneryRC
July3_24_WickershamDome_Scenery_KazuyaRC
July3_24_WickershamDome
_Scenery_KazuyaRC

  Here are the final two shots taken while on the Wickersham Dome trail. The first shot shows a Lessing's Arnica (Arnica lessingii) and the second shot shows Pink Plumes (Bistorta plumosa).
July3_26_WickershamDome_Arnica_lessingiiRC
July3_26_WickershamDome
_Arnica_lessingiiRC
July3_29_WickershamDome_Bistorta_plumosaRC
July3_29_WickershamDome
_Bistorta_plumosaRC

End July 3rd, Begin July 17th
  On July 17th we headed for Twelvemile Summit and Eagle Summit. It was a chilly morning and it had rained during the night, so we were taking our time and stopped at a nesting platform that was built for the Western Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) so that they would stop building their nest on a power pole which is close-by. Here is a shot of a young in the nest. We searched in the distance and found the adult in a distant tree, which you can see in the second and third shots.
July17_004_OspreyAlongSteeseHighwayRC
July17_004_Osprey
AlongSteeseHighwayRC
July17th_001_Chatanika_OspreyRC
July17th_001_
Chatanika_OspreyRC
July17_008_OspreyAlongSteeseHighwayRC
July17_008_Osprey
AlongSteeseHighwayRC

  Now we have made it to Twelvemile Summit, at about milepost 85 on the Steese Highway. Note the weather, and also note how Kazuya is bundled up in the third photo. It was windy and cold.
July17_012_TwelvemileSummitArea_SceneryRC
July17_012_Twelvemile
SummitArea_SceneryRC
July17_013_TwelvemileSummitArea_SceneryRC
July17_013_Twelvemile
SummitArea_SceneryRC
July17_015_TwelvemileSummitArea_Scenery_KazuyaRC
July17_015_Twelvemile
SummitArea_Scenery_KazuyaRC

  Now we are underway again for Eagle Summit. We stopped along the highway where we saw this Small Blacktip Ragwort (Senecio lugens) which you see in first position. There were also an abundance of Monkshood (Aconitum delphiniifolium) there, as you can see in the second photo. The third shot is a close-up of the Monkshood (Aconitum delphiniifolium).
July17_019_AlongHighwayNearEagleSummit_Senecio_lugensRC
July17_019_AlongHighwayNear
EagleSummit_Senecio_lugensRC
July17_016_AlongHighwayNearEagleSummit_MonkshoodRC
July17_016_AlongHighwayNear
EagleSummit_MonkshoodRC
July17th_011_EagleSummit_AconitumDelphiniifoliumRC
July17th_011_EagleSummit_
AconitumDelphiniifoliumRC

  At this point we have made it to Eagle Summit. The first two shots show the Blunt Leaved Bog Orchid (Platanthera obtusata) and the third shot shows a Sudetic Lousewort (Pedicularis sudetica).
July17th_008_EagleSummit_PlatantheraObtusataRC
July17th_008_EagleSummit
_PlatantheraObtusataRC
July17th_009_EagleSummit_PlatantheraObtusataRC
July17th_009_EagleSummit
_PlatantheraObtusataRC
July17_021_EagleSummit__Pedicularis_sudeticaRC
July17_021_EagleSummit_
_Pedicularis_sudeticaRC

  Here is an example of a Mountain Valerian (Valeriana capitata) and that is followed by another shot of Pink Plumes (Bistorta plumosa). It's now 9:55 AM, so there are a large number of photos which were taken on July 17th on the following page too.
July17th_015_EagleSummit_ValerianaCapitataRC
July17th_015_EagleSummit_
ValerianaCapitataRC
July17th_018_EagleSummit_BistortaPlumosaRC
July17th_018_EagleSummit_
BistortaPlumosaRC

End Page 1, but July 17th Continues on Page 2
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