I visited on Monday/Tuesday and both the lupine and balsamroot looked to be at peak all the way from the gravel road starting on hwy 14 up to and past the ranch up high, at the ranch itself and going up to Stacker Butte. Now`s the time to visit. A few notes:
- Not sure how the last couple of hot days have affected it since, but it was the best lupine display I`ve seen there - different shades of purple, very vibrant.
- I didn`t hike up Stacker but note the dirt road up to the trailhead from the ranch road has gotten very rutted heading up the hill, almost to the point of needing high clearance, 4WD. Almost.
- In not so positive news, the area around the old car has really gotten trampled. Even from last year, there`s numerous trails on the hillside by the car, bare areas, and obvious areas where feet and tripods have done a number on the flowers. I`m afraid in another year or 2 it will just be one big bare patch the way visitation has exploded in that spot.
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