On top of McBee Grade — rising up outside of the Tri-Cities — clumps of wildflowers sprinkle the landscape.
It’s like the sun’s been playing kissy-face with the ridges. Recently, Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Senior Correspondent Anna King rolled up that steep gravel road with a regional wildflower expert.
Anna King: Ernie Crediford is slowly driving me up McBee Grade. We’re up way high, and there are no guardrails. Crediford is craning his neck to spy wildflowers and native plants on the hillside. I’m hoping his gaze soon returns to the road. Bella, his little blue heeler, is also nervous in the back.
Ernie Crediford: Right here. As you're driving up, you'll see the phlox, you'll see the balsamroot. You'll see the green rabbitbrush and the yarrow. It is still in bloom right now. And you'll see the desert parsley, the nineleaf desert parsley are called triternatum. And in just about a week or two, you're gonna see the penstemon are blooming up here. Oh, just drop dead gorgeous.”
King: Crediford is a self-taught wildflower expert. He’s heavily involved with the Columbia Basin Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society. For about a dozen years, he’s led hikes and discussions at this time of year.
Crediford: But this is where we see the sticky-stemmed penstemon, beautiful purple flower. When you see it down along the bank here, get out. If you can, climb up the side of the bank on one of the side ridges here and look up. It's just the banks are just covered.
That might be some right there. It's in bloom. Here it is! Oh my gosh! It's in bloom right now! This is the perfect time to be here. It's the perfect time.
King: Crediford says the Mid-Columbia wildflowers will be out for about the next couple of weeks.
Hunting wildflowers for peak joy on the McBee Grade, I’m Anna King.
Note: This transcript has been edited for clarity.
