Soda Springs is about 1-1/2 mile from the bridge in Mineral King. This was a walk, and I wore my Crocs to prove it. (We took nothing but photos, left nothing but footprints. Aren’t we groovy?)
We had this view of Timber Gap at our backs.
Bigelow Sneezeweed remains my favorite yellow flower.
Arnica? Meh.
Things are beginning to dry out. If you look beyond these asters, you can see the wall that leads down to Soda Springs in the distance.
There were still lots of hidden gems among the grasses.
I didn’t think of putting my feet in the water. This is because they didn’t hurt, wearing my trusty and well-loved Crocs.
Soda Springs flows down into the creek, which is the East Fork of the Kaweah River. Yeppers, it is that rusty puddle that continues to bubble to the surface.
Sulphur Flower is so named because of the color. I didn’t stick my nose in it, but doubt if it smells like sulphur.
It turns a beautiful rust color as it is finishing its season. (I think this is Sulphur Flower but I couldn’t swear. Trying not to, anyway.)
Wire Lettuce has the weirdest name and is a basic shade of pink that is uncommon among Mineral King wildflowers.
There were 2 sizes of Sierra Gentian, but my favorite, Explorer’s Gentian, wasn’t yet in bloom unless you really poked around carefully in the tall grasses.
The Baby’s Breath was very thick on the northwest side of the Crystal Creek crossing.
100 page paperback, flowers in photos, common names only, lots of chatty commentary, $20 including tax. Available here Also available at the Three Rivers Historical Museum, Silver City Store, from me if I put them in my car, or Amazon.
2 Comments
Gotta love a walk that includes wildflowers! 🙂
Cheryl, I bet there were birds too, but I wasn’t paying any attention to them.
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