July 31st, 2023

7/31/2023

On Wednesday, July 26th, the crew sampled Mt. Pugh: a 7200' peak off of the Mountain Loop Highway, by Darrington. The ascent was steep (5300' in 6 mi.), but incredibly worth it. We recorded 69 plants across heath fields (Empetrum nigrum & Phyllodoce glanduliflora), talus, and rocky cliffs that comprised the alpine area. A notable botanical find was Campanula lasiocarpa, and it was also pleasant to see Artemisia furcata, Silene acaulis, and Micranthes tolmiei. Mt. Pugh marks the sixth peak of the season, with many more fun adventures in store for the month of August!