Candystick (Allotropa virgata) is an unusual flower blooming in the Gorge's mid-elevation conifer forests now. Not an orchid, it's from the heath family. It's found in western parts of the US & Canada. It's a mycotrophic plant (myco=fungus, trophic=feeding) that gets ...

The giant helleborine (Epipactis gigantea) is an orchid that grows in boggy areas of the Gorge. Native Americans used it as ceremonial medicine in a girl's puberty rite. The plant was used to treat general body disease, & to purify a newborn infant ...

Iran war dividend:

Best coverage I've seen on the crisis facing Hood River pear growers. While Gov. Kotek's letter to the federal government omits the labor shortage from immigration enforcement, privately state lawmakers are told it's a big issue. The pear psyllid is ... oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/07/09/c...

Blueberries & raspberries are ripening. Now's the time to make traps & a natural spray for Asian fruit fly on berry crops. Here’s how. (thread) 1. Punch 8 holes evenly around top of a clear plastic disposable drink cup. 2. Tape the straw hole shut in the lid to keep water out ...

Last Thursday, we pulled Scotch broom near Ainsworth State Park in the Gorge. Those shrubs in the foreground didn't have a chance. Photo by Rick Shory.

Mario cowering in fear under the bed from the fireworks. Revelers, enjoy sending your tariff money to China to celebrate your “freedom.”

Happy Independence Day from the Gorge! Lupines, balsamroot, & cluster lilies make a festive display at moonrise.

The fire is now called the Crawford Oaks Fire. It's 10 acres, 0% contained. Level 2 & 3 evacuations are in effect for nearby residents. Maps in linked page below.

Vegetation fire near Columbia Hills State Park, WA: share.watchduty.org/i/105907?ts=...

Large-flowered collomia (Collomia grandiflora) grows in open or lightly wooded areas in the east Gorge at the end of spring. The pale orange flowers grow in a ring, but you seldom see the center of the ring with flowers. Why? They are special non-blooming flowers called ...

Call for pet food & medications from the Columbia Gorge Humane Society in The Dalles. Chewy donation link: www.chewy.com/g/columbia-g...

Lyle Hill Fire now 60% contained. Evacuations downgraded to levels 1 & 2, see link for detailed map: share.watchduty.org/i/105134?ts=...

FIRMS imagery of the Lyle Hill Fire. It is now burning in an area about 2 miles wide and a mile from north to south. The situation is changing rapidly. People in the area need to check status with Klickitat County Emergency Management: www.klickitatcounty.gov/249/Emergenc...

The Lyle Hill Fire is spreading fast & is now at 450 acres. Evacuation map at the link below: app.watchduty.org/i/105134

Portland's Morrison Bridge will be lit up tonight to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, considered by many as the sart of the Pride Movement.🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ lightthebridges.org

Vegetation fire in Lyle, WA share.watchduty.org/i/105134?ts=...

Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), AKA skyrocket from its firework-like flowers, grows in part to full sun in higher elevations of the Gorge. It ranges from BC to Texas along western North America. The plant is highly variable, & has been assigned multiple genera & species ...

Dead Canyon Fire in eastern Klickitat County, GO NOW evacuation: share.watchduty.org/i/104801?ts=...

The Oregon blue anemone (Anemone oregana) blooms in early spring at elevations from river level up to 5,000 ft. later in the season. It likes moist conifer forests. No medicinal uses are noted. As a member of the Ranunculus family, most species are toxic to some degree.

The driver of a stolen truck who killed longtime Solstice Pizza employee Stephen Hayes in Hood River by running him over while Hayes was trying to retrieve his bike from the pickup's bed pled guilty to manslaughter & other charges. Elizabeth Bowman, 43, of Hood River, is ...

A small brush fire has started west of Lyle near the Balfour-Klickitat Wayside Park. share.watchduty.org/i/104179?ts=...

Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii) grows in riparian areas, talus slopes, & cliffs in the Gorge & is in bloom now. The deep roots like some water. The blooms have a heavenly fragrance. This plant was exceedingly useful to Native Americans. A soapy lather from leaves was rubbed...

Douglas' helianthella (Helianthella uniflora) grows in shrub-steppe & open oak-conifer forests in the east Gorge, on hillsides at mid to upper elevations. Native Americans used a poultice of the mashed root for swellings & sprains & rheumatism of the shoulder or knee.

Maryhill Fire, 75 acres northeast of The Dalles: share.watchduty.org/i/103593?ts=...

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici is hosting a passport fair for members of the OR-1 congressional district. It's on Saturday 6/27 to allow people who work during the week to have access to Passport Office staff. Enroll here: www.eventbrite.com/e/passport-f...

A new species of spider has been found in caves & rocky crevices in the Columbia Gorge: columbiainsight.org/new-spider-s...

Piperia unalascensis, the short-spurred rein orchid, grows in dry open woods at all elevations in the west & central Gorge. But I found this one far east in high grassland oak savanna, so it can be a bit of a rebel. No known medicinal use is reported. The short green spikes ...

The phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae) grows in shady forest in the Gorge. It's rare but can be found in good numbers where the soil is rich. The ghostly plant has no chlorophyll & cannot photosynthesize. It grows with the aid of decaying humus through a 3-way ...

It’s done!

‘Tis the season for Hood strawberry-rhubarb pie!

Just when I was losing hope, a photo-confirmed monarch was sighted yesterday in NE Portland! Be on the lookout for them & report your observations to journeynorth.org.

Striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata) is one of our more stylish orchids. It grows in conifer & deciduous forest at lower to middle elevations in the Gorge & is blooming now. As a saprophyte, it has no leaves & gets nutrients from soil fungi. The medicinal uses of the genus...

Calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa) are tiny, about 1-1/4" (3.1 cm) across & easy to miss where they grow in dense conifer forests of the Gorge. But up close they are stunningly beautiful. Native Americans chewed the bulbs to treat mild epilepsy. They won't grow in your yard as ...

Look at this BS from USPS: They are canceling my Informed Delivery enrollment, just before the midterms. No way now to know what mail or packages I will be receiving.

We were out at Cascade Locks yesterday pulling Scotch broom. It was a hot day, but a big success. We cleared another 1/4 mile of roadside & removed smaller shrubs on land cleared last year. The area is looking great!

Ticks are especially active this year in the Gorge. Be sure to check yourself & pets during & after every outing. Use repellent in the field & long clothing. Avoid lying down on the ground or brushing against branches or long grass. Photo from a prior bad year.

Fragrant popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys figuratus, white flowers) is a member of the borage family. It blooms profusely in vernal pools in Gorge oak savanna habitat if conditions are ideal. The fragrance is so strong it can be almost overpowering at times. The genus has a ...

Haystack Butte Fire update: The forward rate of progress has been stopped to the east of the fire and helicopters continue working on the west and north sides per Incident Command. Evacuations have been rescinded.

Level 2 evacuation: share.watchduty.org/i/100617?ts=...

Haystack Butte Fire now 1,000 acres. share.watchduty.org/i/100617?ts=...

Haystack Butte Fire near Wishram, 30 acres. share.watchduty.org/i/100617?ts=...

Bike lanes, road diets, Vision Zero, & the arts tax have only deepened the reputational hole Portland has dug for itself: www.kptv.com/2026/05/29/p...

The Dalles is getting hammered by storms now. They will move west through the Gorge in the next hour.

Cascade penstemon (Penstemon serrulatus), the blue flowers below, grows in moist places in open woods at all elevations in the west Gorge. No Native American uses are noted. It's fairly common & a delight to find with its vivid blue color. It's the larval food plant for ...

The Tuthill Fire is in Lyle, WA & is 25% contained. share.watchduty.org/i/100033?ts=...

On 5/20, OHA reported 1 new COVID death in Oregon; the total is now 10,969. Hospitalizations are at 0.1 per 100,000, the same as the national average. We're in a lull period. Wastewater detections are low statewide. At the end of May, stocks of the Novavax vaccine expire. Now ...

We harvested balsamroot seed yesterday & got around 2 lbs. of raw seed. It was a spectacular afternoon. Found a bird's nest; the bird flew away so fast we couldn't identify it, but we left the area immediately.

The Horsethief Lake Fire is now 100% contained. Kudos to firefighters for a superbly overwhelming initial attack, what we are going to need more of in the coming fire season. FIRMS image from yesterday.

Horsethief Lake Fire reported east of The Dalles in Washington. share.watchduty.org/i/99757?ts=1...