I've Seen The Elephant!
Saturday, we led a wildflower/birding hike in the Ruby Mountains with folks from Reno, Nevada. The sun was partially hidden behind low clouds so temperatures were pleasantly cool. Unusual for this time of year. At this altitude it’s usually harshly hot.
Little streams tumbled down mountainsides, with flowers clustered on lushly green banks. That’s where we saw the ELEPHANT, on the creek bank! Not one, but lots of them!
"Seeing the elephant" in the mid 1800s when people moved west on the California Trail came to mean surpassing anything done before, an experience on the trail that was traumatic, terrifying, and life-changing.
The California Trail is fresh in my mind because friends and I presented a talk recently in the City Park, "Women on the California Trail." (Nevada has more miles of the California Trail than any other state.)
So, when I saw the elephant beside the stream I thought of our talk and the California Trail.
The "elephant" is, of course, a wildflower! Did you guess?
Rising out of lush greenery around streams are bright pink flower stalks, 12-18 inches tall, covered in small reddish-purple blossoms. Each tiny blossom looks like an elephant’s head with even a trunk. That’s the real name of the flower, "Elephanthead."
You hardly have to use your imagination. They look just like small heads with trunks! The spike is packed so tight with these little heads it looks like a pink pagoda.
Like Dumbo, I’m seeing pink elephants.
Years ago I remember I loved showing this flower to our boys when we hiked. "What are elephants doing in our mountains?" we’d say. When we got home we hauled out the LP to play Dumbo’s song.
This elephant isn’t traumatic, or terrifying. Seeing these elephants could be life-changing, though; hiking in these mountains often is.
"Pink elephants on parade. Here they come……"
You know you can call for a family wildflower hike. We’ll find those pink elephants, along with birds, trout hiding in high mountain lakes, and lots of fresh air and blue sky.
Little streams tumbled down mountainsides, with flowers clustered on lushly green banks. That’s where we saw the ELEPHANT, on the creek bank! Not one, but lots of them!
"Seeing the elephant" in the mid 1800s when people moved west on the California Trail came to mean surpassing anything done before, an experience on the trail that was traumatic, terrifying, and life-changing.
The California Trail is fresh in my mind because friends and I presented a talk recently in the City Park, "Women on the California Trail." (Nevada has more miles of the California Trail than any other state.)
So, when I saw the elephant beside the stream I thought of our talk and the California Trail.
The "elephant" is, of course, a wildflower! Did you guess?
Rising out of lush greenery around streams are bright pink flower stalks, 12-18 inches tall, covered in small reddish-purple blossoms. Each tiny blossom looks like an elephant’s head with even a trunk. That’s the real name of the flower, "Elephanthead."
You hardly have to use your imagination. They look just like small heads with trunks! The spike is packed so tight with these little heads it looks like a pink pagoda.
Like Dumbo, I’m seeing pink elephants.
Years ago I remember I loved showing this flower to our boys when we hiked. "What are elephants doing in our mountains?" we’d say. When we got home we hauled out the LP to play Dumbo’s song.
This elephant isn’t traumatic, or terrifying. Seeing these elephants could be life-changing, though; hiking in these mountains often is.
"Pink elephants on parade. Here they come……"
You know you can call for a family wildflower hike. We’ll find those pink elephants, along with birds, trout hiding in high mountain lakes, and lots of fresh air and blue sky.
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