Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Robert]

We are finally getting some good rainfall amounts here in Northern California. Here at the farm we are near average to-date for this rainfall season. Snow levels have been extremely high, 7,000 ft. (2134 meters). Considering the drought conditions we will take whatever we can get.

Personally, I enjoy hiking and getting out in stormy, rainy, windy conditions. It is not so good for the camera or photographs, so that will have to wait for another day. In the mean time here are a few photographs from past trips.



A shot from the top of Mt. Price looking south.



Now looking Northeast towards Lake Tahoe, hiding behind Dicks Peak. Lake Aloha in the foreground.



This photograph was taken in the autumn near the south end of Lake Aloha. Vaccinium caespitosum with red foliage and Phyllodoce breweri. A good plant combination seen often in the Sierra Nevada.



A beautiful valley on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. This is in the Monitor Pass area, one of my favorite areas to visit. I hope that I will be able to travel to this area this coming summer / fall and report on the beautiful alpine plants from this area. Much of the area is from 6,000 - 10,000 ft. (1,829 - 3,048 meters) elevation with a variety of habitats.



Mount Dana and the high country of Yosemite National Park. Its looking very dry as it was the autumn. This is good, Shepard's  Pass is even better. A very high and difficult pass to traverse and, of coarse, being remote, with the flora intact! This trip takes me a full day driving to reach the trailhead, then 2 days hiking, then climbing to reach the pass. The upper Kern River watershed is still a remote wilderness. High on my list of places to visit.

[Robert]

The Ebbetts Pass area is another favorite place to visit.



Calochortus leichtlinii, a species often seen in the high Sierra Nevada.



Monardella odoritissima, looking very good. Var. pallida is often seen too, with very pale almost white flowers.



Heuchera rubescens growing out of a rock.



And the last one for today. Hope Valley from Round Top Peak. Not the best lodging for a stormy night. I did find an avalanche shoot to protect me from the wind. The rocks did not seem that hard, or maybe I was tired, anyway I slept well.

[astragalus]

Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Yes, makes me want to reach for my walking boots - but not much wilderness in Kent! Thank you Robert.

[Robert]

Thank you so much!

I am very happy that you (all) have enjoyed a few photographs from some past adventures.

Today was quite the adventure too. I have a few photographs from today's trip to Camp Creek. They will have to wait. I got in late, a friend wrecked her auto. She is okay, however the car is totaled (a complete loss). My wife and I are helping out the best we can until she can get back on her feet, not that there is much we can do. I think that sometimes what really matters is that somebody cares, and does what they can do to help out.

Camp Creek will be tomorrow. It was an adventure too, as you will find out.

[Robert]

4 December 2014

Weather: Cloudy with rain showers.

Temperature: 57 F at 4,000 ft. (14c at 1,219 meters)
High: 60 F (15.5c)  Low 53 F (11.5c)

We are finally getting some good rainfall amounts in our area, with a line of storms in the westerlies due to arrive throughout the coming week.
Our rainfall amounts are near average to date. Some sites in our area have had flash flooding from down pours and are well above average. Still the snow levels remain high at about 7,000 ft. (2,134 meters), although they are expected to lower to around 5,000 ft. (1,524 meters) later this coming week.



 I started the day on an upper stretch of Camp Creek. I was hoping to check on a patch of Aralia californica. The rain had brought the creek level up more than I was comfortable with - I was not interested in starting the day wet!



I traveled to a site below the diversion dam where crossing the creek was much easier. I found this beautiful seedling of Darmera peltata in the rocks. This stretch of the creek is a scared site and I was surprised to find a camp of vagrants. Since the 2007 economic melt down, this has become a more frequent sight. It also explains the increase in "No Trespassing" signs in the last few years.

I became silent as a deer and slowly traverse around the camp without being noticed. The camp was in good order and kept clean.



In areas along an east facing slope there were clumps of Polystichum. I did not take a sample to key out, so I am not sure of the species, as there are several in this area.



Aspidotis densa, Dense Lace Fern or Indian's Dream, was common among the rocks in drier areas.



It is another California native fern that can take xeric conditions during the summer.

[Robert]

I traveled down stream past sites where my wife and I have often come.



Here there are thickets of Rhododendron occidentale. The fragrant flowers are a delight in May - June when the whole canyon can be sweetly scented.



Lilium pardalinum is frequently seen in this area too. I was surprised to find seed in some of the seed capsules. It had been extremely windy the previous day.



After a good survey of the plants in this area it was time to return to the truck on the ridge top. I was not going to return via the vagrant camp. These folks seemed clean and nice and I wished to leave them in their peace. I have had trouble with vagrants in other areas, so it was time to bushwhack my way straight up the canyon through the brush.

[Robert]

Everything was wet and slippery from the rain -  a difficult climb out of the canyon.



There can often be benefits from such situations. I found these Acrtostaphylos plants about half way up the slope. They were clearly different from A. viscida the most common species at this elevation. I have read about "other species" that grow in this area, species that I have never seen before. I'll return in the spring when they are blooming and hopefully they will key out.



I arrived at the ridge top and the truck - just in time. Shortly afterwards the heavens opened up with heavy rain. I was dressed in my rain gear, but was happy not to be caught out in this storm.

[Hoy]

An interesting landscape, Robert! And ferns too  ;-)  I even like the moss!

I prefer walking in sunny or overcast weather although I can see the charm in a wet landscape in rainy weather - if it isn't too cold or too windy!

What kind of gear do you bring on those trips? If I stay overnight outside (it's quite rare now) I am certain the ground is harder and rougher than some years ago. . . .

[Robert]

An interesting landscape, Robert! And ferns too  ;-)  I even like the moss!

I prefer walking in sunny or overcast weather although I can see the charm in a wet landscape in rainy weather - if it isn't too cold or too windy!

What kind of gear do you bring on those trips? If I stay overnight outside (it's quite rare now) I am certain the ground is harder and rougher than some years ago. . . .

Trond,

When I get a chance I'll take a photograph of the gear I bring on my "day" hikes and describe the gear. I do bring a few extras, as I have been caught in unexpected weather or have needed to stay the night. I do pack as light as possible.

There are more fern species, even at the lower elevations, that I have not shown yet. I have a good idea where I'll be going next, so hopefully I'll find some of the other species that grow in our area on this trip.

[Hoy]

Great! Looking forward to hear more - .

Have you tried sowing spores? I have - and some are easy and some difficult. Maybe they need to be quite fresh.

[Hoy]

Fern babies.
Spores are sown at the surface of peat and covered by something. Often I place the pot in an empty plastic box. When the spores germinate it is important that the prothallia never dry out.

Later when  small sporophytes have developed I place the peat directly on a moist surface lake this corner in the greenhouse.

[Robert]

Great! Looking forward to hear more - .

Have you tried sowing spores? I have - and some are easy and some difficult. Maybe they need to be quite fresh.

Trond,

I have not tried sowing spores,.......yet.

I enjoy our native ferns, so this seems like a good idea for me. With some species, the spores germinate in some of the older seed pans without any help on my part, however most do not. For me, a more systematic approach would be a good idea. Some of our native species will divide out, if somewhat slowly.

[Tim Ingram]

I'm also fascinated by these xerophytic ferns. We have grown Cheilanthes on the nursery in the past and they seem more tolerant than many other species and spores can hold viability for some time. These are just on the borderline of hardiness with us but maybe some of the Californian species would be hardier? I enjoy seeing these mountain and dryland ferns at Alpine Shows as much as dionysias and rosulate violas . There some very interesting S. American species too, hardly cultivated I suppose.

[Robert]

10 December 2014

Weather: Cloudy

High: 57F (14c) Low: 43F (5.5c)

Today, I scouted the Middle Fork of the American River. I had not hiked in this part of the canyon for over 30 years. Now it is part of a State Park. Generally, I'm apprehensive of such places, however this turned out to be an excellent place to visit. There is an extensive trail system both up and down river and on both the south facing and north facing sides of the river. There are plenty of spur trails, too, where the bulk of the visitors never travel.



Today, I started upstream on the north facing bank.



This is a State Park now, so they have to have their warning signs.



The rattlesnake and Cougar signs I liked the best. There were others. About 30 years ago a jogger was attacked and killed by a cougar in this area, however most of the time they shy away from humans.



Being the north facing bank, there were many fern species. This being Dryopteris arguta, Wood Fern.



Another shot of Dryopteris arguta.