About the time that the balsamroot blooms along Dalles Mountain Road, moist marine air layers drifting in from the Pacific Ocean are reaching as far inland as The Dalles and Celilo. This weather condition results in low morning overcast, which burns off as the sun warms the top of it. Long story short, this results in some great sky conditions for a photographer.
This fence is in the Dalles Mountain Ranch area of Washington's Columbia Hills State Park, which stretches from the shores of the Columbia River high into the Columbia Hills. The snow-capped mountain on the horizon is Mt. Hood. The body of water on the left edge is the Celilo Pool of the Columbia River, impounded behind The Dalles Dam. The city of The Dalles lies along the river directly in line with Mt. Hood.
The yellow flowers in the foreground are Northwest Balsamroot. Dalles Mountain Road is an excellent area to view Balsamroot, which blooms here during April, usually peaking in mid-April.
