Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Robert]

Hi Robert,

I have just taken time to read through your adventures! Very exciting and very different from my part of the world! The scenery is amazing and the plants look fabulous even in their fall costumes.

Jandals asked what you bring in, and I'm glad he didn't ask me because I though he ment what kind of gear you bring with you on your walks


Here everything is dripping wet and although this is at the wet west coast we have had unusually amounts of rain. And today, November 1, the temperature has already reached 16.5C (61.7F) which is unheard of!

Some of the plants you mention do very well here. I have planted a bigleaf maple where I work and ia ponderosa pine in my garden. Both are coming of ages and look good.
The Madrona has been more difficult, probably wrong provenience for my climate.

I am looking forward to the next chapters of your adventures during the winter and spring!

Trond,

Very interesting - the weather in your part of the earth. I understand that there were forest fires last winter in the far north of Norge. It had been very dry! Or maybe my report was not correct. And too much warm weather it sounds like! My brother is a climate scientist so I will pass on the information.

Madrone needs excellent soil drainage and good air circulation. It is even tricky to grow around here. It is interesting to know what California native plants work for you in your home area.

Sounds just wonderful to me!

Maggi,

It has been a number of years since I have been on a horse, however it can be a great way to visit the high country - especially if the horse is nice. Unfortunately, some horses are not user friendly!

[Hoy]

Trond,

Very interesting - the weather in your part of the earth. I understand that there were forest fires last winter in the far north of Norge. It had been very dry! Or maybe my report was not correct. And too much warm weather it sounds like! My brother is a climate scientist so I will pass on the information.

Madrone needs excellent soil drainage and good air circulation. It is even tricky to grow around here. It is interesting to know what California native plants work for you in your home area.

The wildfires were several places and not in the far north but mostly in the northwestern parts of the southern half We had the driest winter on records and where they had below freezing as well as desiccating easterly winds they also lost a lot of plants.
Fortunately we had a mild winter where I live so we escaped both wildfires and the worst damage from freeze drying.
2011 was the coldest winter on record and this summer (and possibly the whole year) is the warmest ever (well, since the bronze age maybe). This fall has been among the wettest!

[Robert]

5 November 2014

69 F (20.5c)

High Clouds

Today I scouted for acorns - mostly from Quercus chrysolepsis (Canyon Live Oak). I started at the upper limit of its altitude range, about 4,000 ft. (1,219 meters). There was not an acorn to find - on any species.



The Ceanothus prostratus (Mahala Mats) was looking nice in most places. At this elevation this species carpets the shady forest floor where other vegetation is not growing. Most plants looked healthy however some had considerable die-out due to the on going drought.

This area was not productive for acorns so I moved lower into the canyon of the South Fork of the American River, about 1,700 ft. (518 meters) elevation.



Quercus chrysolepsis likes the north facing slopes, where Lonicera interrupta grows through the various tree species looking lush and almost tropical. This time of year the berries are showy.



Quercus chrysolepsis has two types of leaves spine-toothed like these



and entire leaves. Many times both types are found on the same tree.



There was not one acorn to find this day. Drought had reduced the crop and the wildlife had finished off the rest. The seed of Aesculus californica (California Buckeye) is toxic. California Native Americans crushed the seed into pulp and then dumped the mix into streams to stun fish. An easy way to catch dinner.

[Robert]

Before leaving for the day, I scouted around for plants of Iris hartwegii. I have found the lavender -blue form in this area. There were plenty of plants around so I'll be coming back in the spring when they are blooming.



The Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifoia) berries are starting to color up.



Some plants are loaded with berries. Around here they are sometimes call Christmas berry as the berries often last through the holiday season.



I'm always on the lookout for bulbs. The ghost-like remains of Calochortus albus were everywhere. Fritillaria micrantha grows nearby too, at the top of Ol' Stone Face - a 10 to 15 meter high stone face coming out of the South Fork of the American River. When I was young a group of us would come down here and dive off the top into the river below. Too old for that now!

Until next time!

[Tim Ingram]

Great to see the detail of those plants. The Oaks of California look to be as fascinating as the Manzanitas, and we have recently had a talk on irises which included a little about the Pacific Coast species - rather elegant plants and not so much cultivated here.

These are just a few pictures from the North York Moors - a very different environment on a much different scale, but equally full of detail. South Moor is small sheep farm surrounded mostly by Forestry plantations of firs and larch. Not such a good place for a variety of other plants except in rougher spots and along streams which have retained more natural deciduous woodland. But there is still something about the place with small farms and villages dotted about in quite isolated valleys - a much softer landscape than California, but with quite a harsh and bleak climate at times. Lots of stone walls and buildings like Low Staindale (Cotswald stone, which is very similar, has been described as 'trapped sunlight' - very apt). I could easily imagine making a rock garden in such an environment! The Bridestones Nature Reserve (National Trust) is a more natural and undisturbed area of wood and moorland which we just skirted the edge of - would be nice to explore more of this.

[Hoy]

Tim's landscape is more like what I have around me here than yours, Robert, except that his lacks the fjords! But it is fascinating to compare. When I look at such pictures I am always tempted to go and look in person. . .

Robert, it seems you had a nice walk despite the meagre result gathering acorns. Better luck next year.
I have a small California Buckeye in my garden but it has never flowered and now I am tempted to try Mahala Mats and Toyen too!

[Robert]

Tim,

Thanks so much for sharing the photographs. Beautiful countryside! I would not hesitate hiking in that environment at all! It seems as though there is plenty to explore and much to see if one has a keen eye.

Commercial logging in our area has created a somewhat similar situation. The natural undergrowth is gone with the monoculture of timber trees. With our elections yesterday it appears this situation is likely to accelerate. Much has been lost around here - the "49ers" (gold mining) was very destructive to the native flora (and more) and most of our old growth habitat was lost with commercial logging in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Even as a young boy I remember the towering ancient sugar pines (Pinus lambertiana) - long gone now. I feel there is a considerable need for me to get out there and save what treasures I can find before they are lost. I'm constantly surprised by what I find. Nature is constantly changing which makes things fun and interesting for me.

Trond,

I really appreciate your comments. In general I gather seed for my own use - so there is much that I pass by. Now that I know that you are interested in Ceanothus and Heteromeles I easily gather seed for you when their time is ripe.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Robert, your accounts and pictures are fascinating. If you ever have seed of Pinus attenuata or Pinus lambertiana I would be very interested!

[Robert]

Robert, your accounts and pictures are fascinating. If you ever have seed of Pinus attenuata or Pinus lambertiana I would be very interested!

Ralph,


Pinus lambertiana has already shed its seed for the season, so most likely there will not be any seed until next season. Sometimes I've been able to pick them off the ground - with the drought I'm not counting on this. The wild animals are very hungry and are not leaving much this season. I will take note to gather seed next year. When I come across Pinus attenuata I'll get a few cones. They never open until one puts them in the oven. I generally get excellent germination.

[Hoy]

. . . .

Trond,

I really appreciate your comments. In general I gather seed for my own use - so there is much that I pass by. Now that I know that you are interested in Ceanothus and Heteromeles I easily gather seed for you when their time is ripe.

Glad to hear that - and thank you!

[Jupiter]

Robert following this thread I'm really struck by how different your flora is to ours; it's a completely contrasting environment! We hear a lot about how similar California is to South Australia, and in terms of climate I suppose that's true, plus you have our Eucalyptus trees everywhere now apparently. However get up into the mountains and it's clearly worlds away. I'm looking forward to the spring, hoping that you might find the time to continue the photo essay. I'm going to make a concerted effort to post more of our local indigenous flora; in varying environments.

[Robert]

Jamus,

Interesting comments - and I think very true. If one uses the Life Zones of C. Hart Merrium, in an hour one can drive from the Lower Sonoran Zone (Sacramento Valley) to the Arctic Alpine Zone (Sierra Crest) up the mountain. In some places in the Southern Sierra it is even more dramatic such as King's Canyon National Park.

From our Great Central Valley driving west, within an hour one is at the Pacific Coast and the climate is very different from the inland valleys. The coastal fog belt rarely gets warm from the cool fog that arrives more or less every day during the summer.

NW California has (had) Giant Coastal Redwoods and rain forest conditions - SE California has Death Valley, an extreme of dry and heat (120 F , 50c is common sometimes even hotter!). A long days drive will get me to either location.

With such extremes there is an incredible variety of plants.

Also, my photo easy will be on going. During the winter I will be focusing my attention on the lower elevations scouting for various plants (there are many - Calochortus is one group) that need attention before they are lost due to the rampant development.

There are and have been many extremely talented people who have devoted themselves to learning and understanding our native flora. Having said that, I think that we really do not understand everything that is out there. Much work remains to be done. By brother is a (now retired) research scientist - he tells me that good field work trumps lab work. I know that there are talented people working in the field now, however I think that average ordinary people like me can contribute too.

[ashley]

... Having said that, I think that we really do not understand everything that is out there. Much work remains to be done.  ...

Very true Robert.  About even familiar things we understand just a little. 
That is the endless fascination of the world, and of science as a tool to explore it.

[Jupiter]

Here in Australia we have a few good citizen science projects. Atlas of Living Australia is probably the largest.  http://www.ala.org.au/

Incredibly valuable contributions from interested amateurs; this sort of thing is the future for sure.

[astragalus]

Really interesting to follow your adventures, Robert.  Hope the terrible drought comes to an end soon.

Tim, I loved your first picture of the farm because you could see the stone wall close-up.  The top course of stone is wonderful - parallel slabs laid on a fairly steep slant.  I saw this a lot in the west of Ireland near the Burren.  Always wanted to do that - maybe in my next life!