On last May weekend, I was invited to Oregon to admire arnica blooming. I wanted to see this scene for a couple years already but always missed the right time. It was last chance to do it this year because it was the end of the blooming season. So we decided to go for the whole long weekend to warm up in sunny Oregon after Spitsbergen and to enjoy green and blooming after the ice and snow.
Dog Mountain was the first point of our plan. It was not hot (as somebody promised) on the parking lot, but at least it was sunny and warm enough, pretty good for shorts and t-shirts. Only shivering people in warm clothes who descent toward us caused some concerning thoughts.
Ascended to alpine meadows. Arnica definitely exists and there are huge fields of it here.
Columbia River below. It should be a nice view of the surrounding mountains, but the weather didn’t permit to see them.
Went further up.
At this moment a huge cloud came and sit to the mountain. Fog, rain, wind, the temperature fell down to 0C. I had an only light jacket with me. Well, for the last month I used to cold weather, but to Oregon I came for spring and flowers, not to freeze again. However, we continued to go up and enjoy the arnica.
On my way down I saw the people in light cloths who went up toward me and looked on cold and wet me in astonishment, and though that for them everything is ahead yet.
By the way, I want to visit arnica medows in the next spring again, but better at the more gentle conditions.
