A field of Blue Camas near Oakville, Washington.
Anyone that knows the near-death experience of Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana will also enjoy the scenes in the glacial till areas of Western Washington this week. The blooming Blue Camas is creating carpets of flowers awakening in the warmth of spring.
Lewis and Clark first tasted Camas bulbs after a difficult and hungry passage over the Bitterroot Mountains. Upon their descent into what is now Northern Idaho, they were met by members of the Nez Perce tribe who gave them a meal that included Camas root. The natives dug a deep pit and lined it with split wood. This was to merely heat the rocks in the earthen oven. Once the fire was extinguished, Blue Camas roots were placed between layers of grass and on the hot rocks to cook for two days. The roots were made into bread-like cakes that could be preserved through the winter.
