I spent last weekend in a cabin outside of Garden Valley, Idaho. I was there for a wedding and so most of my time was occupied with that. However, anxious to explore, I found a brief moment to step out and observe the surrounding plant life. The cabin and an adjacent campground were located in an area that, before the economic downturn in 2008, was to become a major housing development. Because of this (and possibly other things), the area showed lots of signs of human disturbance, particularly the large number of introduced plant species. Fortunately, despite feeling like I was walking through a weedy field, I did come across a few patches of native plants. I may have to return sometime to get a better look at things because I wasn’t able to identify everything that I saw and I’m still not exactly sure what species of lupine and buckwheat I was looking at. Either way, the plants in the following pictures are a few of the things I found.
Aristida purpurea (purple threeawn)
Lupinus sp. (lupine)
Eriogonum sp. (wild buckwheat)
Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon serviceberry)
Don’t let my walk through a weedy field dissuade you. Garden Valley is an incredibly beautiful location. It sits adjacent to the South Fork of the Payette River and near the western edge of the Boise National Forest. It is an area worthy of exploring, which is why I plan on visiting again soon. I recommend you do too.
awkward botany 
Cool photos, Dan! So is the buckwheat the same type of buckwheat that you can eat or is related at all?
Thanks! The two buckwheats are in the same family (Polygonaceae) but in different genera (the pseudocereal = Fagopyrum and the wildflower = Eriogonum). Additional fun fact: both are in the same plant family as rhubarb.