On Saturday, May 21, I went up to check my trail cameras on the upper Powers Creek Trail. The only picture was of a Mule deer buck on one of the cameras. The other camera had not had its motion sensor set properly and therefore, had not been functioning.

As I walked along the rim trail, I noticed a small black spot moving in a steep, rocky area on the far side of the canyon. With my binoculars, I identified it as a black bear. With my camera's zoom lens cranked up to maximum, 12 X, I managed to get a couple of pictures. 

The area that the bear was climbing about is enticingly scenic but I know that the climb down into the canyon, then up the far side, would be well beyond my present capabilities.

[There was a day, not so many years ago, when I made that traverse of the creek and its canyon, following a trail that took me well up on Mount Swite. An arrow on the carved wooden sign at the trailhead had read "Hidden Lake" but I never found the lake, for up on Mount Swite I came into an area that had been logged, where the trail dissolved in a maze of logging roads.]

Now, at the edge of a small forested area I found some mushrooms. They seemed surprisingly durable, as I had been walking past these unidentified fungi at weekly intervals for the previous three weeks. Finally, I had sent a couple of photographs to Fred Schueler, hoping that he might be able to help with their identification. His reply: "Yikes, Gyromitra! These are the mushrooms that almost killed Frank and me when we ate them down in Nova Scotia in 1976."

My Audubon Guide to North American Mushrooms includes descriptions of several species of the Genus Gyromitra, some of which are said to be edible--with caution--others are deadly. Apparently Fred and Frank ate one of the most dangerous species. The description of these Powers Creek mushrooms and their location pointed to the species Gyromitra esculenta, Conifer False Morel. An identifying characteristic separating it from others that are similar in appearance is the presence of interior chambers.

So on Saturday, I sliced one of the largest specimens with my pocket knife (carefully washed later, back home!). There they were, the open chambers identifying it as a Conifer False Morel.

Along the trail, and the steep slopes bordering it, a great variety of flowers are blooming. I took photos of most that were new for this season.

Short-beaked Agoseris

Alpine Lewesia is a little gem that I think is not common in our area--more likely to be seen in alpine areas to the south of us.

Round-leaved Alumroot was found growing in a bed of lichen on a rocky prominence. Another beautiful little plant, 

Naked Broomrape  grows entirely without leaves. It is a parasite on the roots of other plants, especially stonecrops and saxifrages.

Naked Broomrape--parasitic on Western Saxifrage

This plant, for me, is an unknown. I have tentatively labelled it Buckwheat but there are several buckwheats in the area and I would some help identifying this one.

For a week or so, I  kept seeing some deep blue flowers that confused me. Now I know that they were Larkspur blossoms that had not yet fully opened. They appeared at first as simple cone shapes. Then Saturday, I found a couple of them that now resembled little birds (larks!).

Some of the fully opened blossoms Larkspur blossoms!

Lupines are just beginning to bloom. I think that they are Arctic Lupines but I am not sure. 

Many of the leaf clusters held drops of rainwater--like sparkling jewels.