Bill's Botanical Forays

Camp Caro brings back a lot of memories for me. I spent a lot of time in the Dishman Hills when I was younger and Camp Caro was the place that I entered the Dishman Hills most often. There is a county park with a lodge for rent on the site. There are two trailheads accessible from the park. One on the West side, there is a trail that heads over to East and West Ponds, and over to the Edgecliff area. On the South side past the lodge, there is a trail that hooks up with the main trails, including the one that heads up to the top of Tower Mountain.

Today my brother Doug and I took a short mile or so hike on the south side trail. The hike took us by the Caro Cliff and Enchanted Ravine. We saw grass widows, sagebrush buttercup, yellow bells, bulbous woodland-star and for the first time on this trip, some dogtooth violets (Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh subsp. grandiflorum.) We also saw some pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea Nutt.) stalks from last year.

All in all, it was fun re-visiting a place that I spent a lot of time when I was younger. Maybe next time, I will schedule a whole day of hiking in the Dishman Hills.