Spring is when the flowers come out. When spring actually shows up depends on where you are. Down in the lowlands we can find spring as early as the end of March. In the mountains spring can come as late as July when the snow finally melts. We know it's spring when we find flowers blooming along the trail.
Even though it was chilly and dumping rain the flowers were everywhere on the Twin Falls trail. The trillium are finally blooming in volume. They seem awfully late this year, but now they have arrived. Skunk cabbage is stinking up the place and the salmonberries are blooming. And as wet as it's been lately it's no surprise that there were swamp violets popping up.
Since many of the local trails start in the lowlands and top out above 5,000 feet we've got a lot of spring left. The season will migrate up the mountain as the snow recedes and the flowers will follow. The flowers will end in late summer up in the alpine.
So if you miss the flowers now just climb a little higher and look around. There will be plenty of color until fall. Then it's time to chase the berries.
