3/23/12 Elk Viewing Map & Wildflower Report

Reflecting Pool on Smith Creek 

Three elk herds this morning in Boxley Valley. One near the Ponca Access, another just south of Moore Creek, and a third down by the trailhead to the Upper Wilderness. Good viewing all around with lovely morning light and light fog.

This morning was great landscape weather. This is due primarily to relatively cool temperatures and high humidity from all the flooding. The river continues to rage above flood stage.

Unless you are ready to wade, the wildflowers in Lost Valley are pretty much out of reach. Today the dogwoods are in bloom -- just. Some are white and many blooms are still green. This will evolve very rapidly so if you plan to visit, certainly most will be white this weekend. Wildflower fans can locate plenty along trails on high ground all along the river hiking trails. Rain has been pretty ideal this year and the wildflower bloom is heavy.

Waterfall and cascade fans will experience what could be the very best weekend in 2012 for visiting so far. It could be the best all year because it does not get much better than this. There are now cascades where they seldom occur, and the traditional cascades and falls are running hard.

Smith Creek Preserve will be very good now. The road down to the creek is lined with wildflowers. The creek itself has many beautiful cascades and water features. Dutchman's Breeches are in bloom and Smith Creek is one of the best places to see them. The hike down to the creek descends about 500 feet in a mile, it is not hard, but it is also not easy. Experienced hikers will have no problem with it. See the website for directions and details. It is now marked with a sign on the north side of 21 as you head out of Boxley Valley. Park near the sign, and walk past the gate following an old road down to the creek. Remember this area is not patrolled so you should not hike alone, and also let someone know you are going to hike there.

If you don't mind getting a little wet, you can wade the bridge at Lost Valley and see the falls, cascades, and wildflower bloom along the trail. Water levels drop pretty fast so it might be dry by the time you visit.

Ozark Wildlfower Season 2 Months Off

Crested Iris -- Lost Valley

Mark your calendars to visit for spring wildflower season. The spring season runs from late March until about the first of June. The easiest way to time the beginning of the season is to track the emergence of daffodils. When the daffodils are ready to bloom, the very first wildflowers should be in bloom.

Wild flower season follows pretty predictable patterns each year, but the blooming dates shift around according to weather and micro environment. This can move peak blooming dates a week or so.

Maybe the most interesting part of this is micro environmental factors. Lowlands and hollers bloom first and mountains much later. There seems to be a difference in bloom times in different hollers. For example, Lost Valley is about a week ahead of Smith Creek Preserve.

Selective Light and Dreamy Bokeh Convey the
Emotion of Spring Wildflowers -- Lost Valley

Some of the destinations favor certain wildflowers. For example, Smith Creek Preserve is great for Dutchman's Breeches, Lost Valley has a great Ozark Wake Robin (trillium) bloom.

Remember that there are early species and late species. The bloom dates between them can be over a month. To get all the species you need to make many visits and visit different locations.

Make this the year you start a "bucket list" for wildflowers. My bucket list has gone beyond collecting species and now includes getting better poses for each species.  I will do a few different posts on wildflowers in the coming weeks.

You never actually "get" a flower species, your compositions show different moments in composition, time and light. My belief is that taking pictures of wildflowers is a powerful way to strengthen your compositional skills. When you see a great wildflower picture, you are witnessing the command of the camera, an understanding of existing light, the play of color, and negative space, etc.

Because wildflower photography is deceptively difficult, working at wildflower photography will carry over to all your photography. Wildflower photography is more than a great time, it will strengthen all your skills. The 2012 season is now just a bit over 2 months away.

2011 Wild Flower Season Underway

In just the last week Lost Valley has transformed from the very earliest signs of wildflowers to a widespread bloom encompassing virtually the entire Lost Valley hiking trail.

As in years past the concentration of flowers is in the very first section of the trail up to the Natural Bridge.

As of this writing the species in bloom are as follows:

White Trout Lillies,  Now Peaking at Lost Valley and Smith Creek

Harbinger of Spring
White Trout Lillies
Sharp Lobed Hepatica
Ozark Wake Robin (still early)
Trillium (Toad Shade)
Toothworts

The flowers are more abundant than last year and seem to be earlier, perhaps a week or so. The White Trout Lillies are now peaking. They are amongst the earliest blooms and also the first to go. If you wish to see them it would be a good idea to get out in the next week or two.

This time of year the two upper buffalo river destinations for wildflowers are Lost Valley and the Smith Creek Preserve.

Smith Creek Preserve, while less known, is the equal of Lost Valley for wild flowers. For some species it is much better. It has one of the very largest blooms of Dutchman's Breeches in the region (still a way off). Smith Creek seems to lag a bit behind Lost Valley on the blooming dates, probably about a week.

Just about any Ozark hollow will have wildflowers now. Check the tributary creeks, springs and roadside drainages along the entire Buffalo National River. The bloom dates will vary about according to the micro-climates in the different locations.

The best time for wildflower pictures is about mid morning. Most species open and close depending on temperature and sun light.

Stay tuned for news on the wildflowers. This is just the beginning of the annual wildflower and flowering tree show. It is one of the most popular natural events in our region.