In Mineral King, you can walk from Cold Springs Campground up to the actual Mineral King valley on a trail, called “the Nature Trail”. That name bugs me. My faithful blog reading and commenting friend (Hi Mel!) suggested “the Wildflower Trail”. I prefer aliteration, and because I never take a pack or food when I use that trail, it is a walk. Thus, “Wildflower Walk”.

Every year, it seems there are new or interesting things to see. In the photo below, there are lots of white dots. This is Sierra Star Tulip, the most prolific I’ve ever seen it.

Look at this little thing! It actually comes in different sizes, but I didn’t have a quarter in my pocket to show you the differences.

This year there are clusters, something I don’t recall seeing in the past.

What is this? An unfamiliar flowering shrub. How can something be unfamiliar when I’ve been walking this trail since 1985?

Mr. Unfamiliar Shrub has these flowers. I didn’t stick my nose in them to see if there was a scent – I only just met them and didn’t want to overstep the bounds of politeness.

The Wildflower Walk has the best and most accessible aspens. I went nutso over them last fall. You can see those posts here and here and here and here. Here too. Go ahead. Each link will open in a new tab or window. I’ll wait.

There is a little footbridge. I’ll tell you more about that in another post. (Sophie, got some news for you!!)

Languid Ladies or Sierra Bluebells are one of the first flowers to bloom each year. I love blue.

I have no idea what these are. They are sort of boring. I usually don’t like white flowers because they are a little boring.

Sierra Forget Me Nots – sometimes they are called Sierra Stickseed. Sometimes they come in pink. I love blue.

Larkspur are sort of a bluish purple. I love blue and bluish purple.

 

Little white boring flowers.

These have the appropriate name of “Elephant Heads”. I can forgive them for not being blue.