Photos and text by Mike Sweeney

Wildflowers are carpeting the high trails in Cache County in their annual midsummer celebration.

Below are a few of the species along the High Creek Trail, northeast of Richmond. Not pictured are white columbine, showy daisy, mule's ear, scarlet gilia, thimbleberry, wild strawberry and others blooming along the trail. The beautiful but poisonous monkshood, with its showy purple flowers, is preparing to bloom.

A U.S. Forest Service sign about a mile north of the Pepperidge Farm cookie factory on U.S. 91 points the way to the trailhead. To get to the waterfall, take the left-hand fork instead of the route marked "Trail," one mile up. (The right-hand fork goes to High Creek Lake.) The trip to the waterfall is a moderate climb of two miles.

Mountain hollyhock, Iliamna rivularis, blooms next to the trail. Note the maple-like leaves.

Yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttalus, is at far left in the beaver-dam pond.

Indian paintbrush, Castilleja miniata, comes in burnt-orange and crimson.

A hiker's reward for reaching the top of the trail is an ice-cold drink from the point where this waterfall exits from solid rock. Don't drink from any lower location, though, or you risk a Giardia infection.

Richardson's geranium, Geranium richardsonii, blooms in abundance along the trail. Color ranges from delicate pink to lavender to white. The orange and black spot in the flower at left is a bee.

An unidentified variety of penstemon -- possibly Albert's, Penstemon albertinus -- frames a view of Old Baldy.

The rocky dome of Old Baldy looks like something out of Yosemite National Park. Hikers see this view shortly after they begin the walk up High Creek Trail.

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