Hallelujah Trail

Fourteen of us went up Highway 20 to the Skillman area where we could take the trail west towards White Cloud.  Unfortunately the weather was hot and muggy - I can't believe I'm complaining about this but...- but we hoofed it through the forest admiring the many dogwoods.  While we watched our footing, Maureen got some art-y shots of minutiae.

I researched Solomon's Seal and came up with some confusing information. I find no evidence that we have Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum).  We do have False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina) - with it's flower on the terminal end.  The plants I thought were Solomon's seal were probably Hooker's Fair Bells.  All these plants are members of the Lily Family.  To confuse things there is also Star Flower or slim False Solomon's Seal.

We also saw pine drops, purple trillium (I think), larkspur, Madia (yellow flower with flower petals in groups of 3 - aster family), and lots of bleeding hearts.  Add Labrador Tea bush (I think).