This prolific group of thistle thrived on an old narrow gauge railroad track, now trail, between Olsen Ranch meadow and Lake Almanor. Some single stalks support several blossoms, others proudly display a single dazzling crown. Weed they may be, but bees seem attracted by the neon like glow created on an overcast day. These may be the Anderson thistle variety, according to a Sierra Nevada wildflower guide. They range along the Sierra-Cascade ranges into Idaho.