Wildflower Walks

Pink mountain heather

Phyllodoce empetriformis

Description: Bright pink bell-shaped flowers growing in clusters from evergreen shrubs 8 to 20 inches tall. Found in most soil of higher mountains. Blooms late June to August. (”Peterson Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Recently seen: Stateline Trail to Illinois Peak, southwest of Superior.

The walk: From the west side of Interstate 90 in Superior, drive about 1 1/4 miles southeast on Diamond Match Road. Turn southwest onto Cedar Creek Road (Forest Road 320) and follow it about 25 miles to the Stateline trailhead at Cascade Pass on the Montana-Idaho border. From the parking area, the trail tracks up and down along the ridge through fairly open forest, providing views west into Idaho and east into Montana. At about 1 3/4 miles, the deep blue water of the uppermost of the three Oregon Lakes can be seen on the Montana side of the ridge. Past the overlook, you’ll see pink mountain heather in many open areas along the ridge. (Heather is just one of many flowers that were blooming along the trail earlier this week, including columbine, a variety of penstemon species, purple shooting stars, yellow pasqueflowers, bluebells, gentian, phlox and more.) At about four miles, the trail begins to climb through craggy rocks on the side of Illinois Peak. At about 4 1/2 miles, the path passes a second trail that drops to the southwest on the Idaho side of the ridge; continue southeast uphill a short distance to a grassy junction, following a fainter trail northeast to the top of the mountain at five miles. Enjoy lunch on the open, grassy 7,690-foot summit of Illinois peak, taking in the expansive views of surrounding mountains, then retrace your footsteps to the trailhead.

Justin Grigg