Today we drove to the Grouse Vista Trailhead in Yacolt Burn State Forest to hike up to Silver Star Mountain. This was 6.4 miles round trip with 2,000 ft of gain. We saw lots of wildflowers in bloom, from along the forest trails to the open spaces, great day!
The first mile or so is in the forest going steeply uphill with lots of rocks and gravel on the trail. After 0.8 miles, the trail leaves the Yacolt Burn State Forest and enters the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We saw lots of bunchberries in bloom.
Further up the trail, where the trail levels off for a bit, there were paintbrush and peas lining the trail.
When the trail split at 1.5 miles, we took the trail on the right, the south side of Pyramid Rock. This section lasts about 1 mile and has great views to the south, where we saw Mt Hood and a hazy Mt Jefferson.
After rejoining the main trail we saw many avalanche lilies in boom.
There was only one snow patch to cross today, and it was shortly before the end of the trail.
Distant views of Mt Rainier and Mt Adams to the right of the top of Silver Star Mountain.
Before heading to the top of Silver Star Mountain, we first went to the lower peak.
To the south we saw Mt Hood and a hazy Mt Jefferson, and
to the northeast, we saw Mt Rainier and Mt Adams.
Lots of paintbrush in bloom as we headed up to the top of Silver Star Mountain.
A great variety of wildflowers in bloom on Silver Star Mountain, Mt St Helens seen to the north.
There were some beargrass in bloom.
Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams, all to the north to northeast of Silver Star Mountain and
to the south, Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson.
zoom of Mt Hood
zoom of Mt Jefferson
zoom of Mt Adams
zoom of Mt Rainier
zoom of Mt St Helens
We took our lunch break here, enjoying the views and the wildflowers.
On our hike back down, we stayed on the main trail the whole way, going to the north of Pyramid Rock.
With all the wildflowers in bloom, we saw many bees and 
butterflies along the trail.
some of the many wildflowers we saw in bloom along the trail today:
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