Flowers and Weeds in Gold Butte!

Join Jim Boone and the Friends of Gold Butte to look for wildflowers and follow-up on a weed eradication project that we started in May 2021.

Right now, there is quite a display of wild poppies near Whitney Pocket. We will drive to that area and wander among the flowers for a couple of hours. After that we will drive up to the campsite atop Whitney Pass where there remains an infestation of Horehound (Marrubium vulgare), a small shrub. Two years ago, we removed hundreds of Horehound plants from that area. In 2002, I did not see any weeds re-growing. This year however, the Horehound is back. I stopped two weeks ago and saw two growing. I dug them up, then noticed another, and another few. After digging up a dozen, I decided that perhaps a work party was in order. Although first impressions are often wrong, my impression is that this should be a quick and easy project.

We will meet at 10:00 AM the Whitney Pocket Day-Use Area parking lot, which is where the porta-potty is located. I can take 2-3 passengers up the hill to the work area.

Link to map and info about Whitney Pocket Day-Use Area parking lot:
https://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/GoldButte/POI-gb/WPocket_DayUse/_WPocket_DayUse.htm

Please bring plenty of water, food and snacks for yourself, as well as whatever items you need to be comfortable. Please dress in layers, as the morning temperatures might be cool, but daytime temperatures will be warm (but at higher elevation).

Please bring gloves, sunscreen, and a hat. A full-sized shovel will also be helpful, but we will supply buckets and trash bags.