2015 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[ArnoldT]

Robert: 

You reference Homeland Security and razor wire.  Are they there for the marijuana growers or some other reason.

[Robert]

Sorry to hear of the bad (in a sense) weather you have. Hope the summer doesn't get correspondingly warm.

The temperature here is also above average. The last year was the warmest ever (that is since about 1890 - it was considerably warmer in the bronze age!). But it isn't anywhere near your hot weather. Even in high summer we rarely reach 80 F.

I am also glad I don't have to cope with dope growers when I am out hiking! But the beautiful views you describe is alluring. We lack almost all kind of bulbs here.

Trond,

I found your statement about the temperatures during the Bronze age very interesting. Thank you for sharing this. I know that the Little Optimum, approximately 800 AD to 1,200 AD was also a warm period, the time frame when the Norse traveled and established colonies in Iceland, Greenland, and North America. I understand that the Norse were able to cultivate barley in Greenland during Little Optimum. I have read Brian Fagan's book "The Long Summer" that give a good over view of the climate from the end of the Younger Dryas to the start of the Little Ice Age. His other book "The Little Ice Age" covers the period of the Little Ice Age, approximately 1,300 to 1850. Books like these get me thinking about how our plants can adapt to climatic changes quickly went the earth's climate changes. If one believes what one reads, it appears that the earth's climate can change extremely quickly and frequently. Interesting things to ponder.

There was a newspaper article a few months ago where the sheriff's department promised to clear out the marijuana growers this year. It is about time! Someday my situation will change and then I will be in a position to guide someone around. Right now care giving elderly parents prevents me from this activity, but things always change. I feel fortunate to be able to have such adventures right in my own "backyard".

[Robert]

Tim,

I appreciate your comments. So many things to consider and ways to see the world. Very simulating for our minds! I have been researching other places to travel both in California and Nevada. As I have commented before, I could spend a lifetime studying the local flora and still only scratch the surface, however there are other places I would like to explore that are a little bit out of my range right now. I have to admit that I completely enjoy my current botanical outings and hope to be able to get out weekly and report my observations. Reporting my observations is something else I enjoy too.

[Robert]

Robert: 

You reference Homeland Security and razor wire.  Are they there for the marijuana growers or some other reason.

Arnold,

Oxbow Reservoir is very small and the concrete dam is quite small. It would be very easy to walk across the dam if there was not a locked gate and fence with razor wire that prevents anyone from easily crossing the dam. My comment about Homeland Security is partly truth as I would be in big trouble if I was caught trying to get around the fence. I'm sure that the sheriff would think that I was up to no good, rather then just wanting to get to the other side, after all from their perspective there is nothing over there, no trails or anything else that could be of interest. The other half is my strange humor. 

I'm not sure why they have the fence as there is no fence that prevents someone from crossing Hell Hole Dam much farther up on the Rubicon River. I know that the fence is not going to stop the marijuana grows. If they wanted to get across they would just put a chain to the fence and pull it over with their 4x4. It is no joke when I say these people are crazy, brazen, and dangerous. For those that do not believe such things I have saved some newspaper clipping about their activities from our local newspaper. But then newspapers can be hype.

[Hoy]

Trond,

I found your statement about the temperatures during the Bronze age very interesting. Thank you for sharing this. I know that the Little Optimum, approximately 800 AD to 1,200 AD was also a warm period, the time frame when the Norse traveled and established colonies in Iceland, Greenland, and North America. I understand that the Norse were able to cultivate barley in Greenland during Little Optimum. I have read Brian Fagan's book "The Long Summer" that give a good over view of the climate from the end of the Younger Dryas to the start of the Little Ice Age. His other book "The Little Ice Age" covers the period of the Little Ice Age, approximately 1,300 to 1850. Books like these get me thinking about how our plants can adapt to climatic changes quickly went the earth's climate changes. If one believes what one reads, it appears that the earth's climate can change extremely quickly and frequently. Interesting things to ponder.

.....

Robert,

The climate has changed many times since the last glaciation. Speaking of Norway it was a warm period 6-7000 years ago and also 3000 years ago. At that time probably all the glaciers were gone and forests covered mountain plateus like Hardangervidda which is now treeless. The temperature were at least 2-3C higher than now. Where I live wild boars roamed the woods. They are long gone (also due to hunting - the land here at the coast has been inhabitated since the ice started retreating about 13000 years ago. They probably followed the herds of reindeer. People plants and animals came from the North Sea continent which is now the North Sea (they also came from east and north in other parts of Norway). As many parts of the World was flooded when the ice melted, Norway has risen. In Oslo the sea stood 223m higher 10000 years ago. The land still rises. At my summerhouse the uplift has been about 25cm in 100 years.

Since the warm period 3000 years ago the climate has generally cooled. Now it is warming again. Whether this is a bad thing or not I don't know but it certainly isn't a new thing.

Many plants and animals will adapt or move but I think some will go extinct also when the climate changes like it seemingly does now.

[Robert]

Trond,

There is certainly much to ponder. My night stand (ie the wall next the bed) is loaded with library books, but then when isn't it. There are plenty of books on the past climate of our planet that I can get through our excellent library system. And I enjoy the subject.

I am hoping to get out tomorrow, however things are quite tough right now. I'll have to see how things are in the morning and take it from there. If nothing else, getting out will be a good mental health day, lots of stress helping my dying parents.

[Hoy]

Robert,

I feel sorry for you and your parents. I know how it is, my dad passed away 15 years ago after several years of illness. My mother is still alive but she is at a nursing home uncapable to take care of herself.

A walk, even a short one, helps.

Trond

[Robert]

Friday, 29 January 2015

Weather: High Clouds

Temperature  High: 67 F (19.5 C)   Low: 37 F (2.5 C)

Today I traveled to the village of Cool, elevation 1,545 ft. (471 meters). A number of different trails start at this point, traveling off in different directions. The State of California started to build a dam on the North Fork of the American River, near by, in the 1970's and gave up on the project in the early 1980's. A large amount of former ranch land and the North Fork canyon are now owned by the State and are protected. This is a great blessing as many of the choice locations where I hike are safe and will not be flooded by the dam.



Here is a view from the traihead.



It is a very pastoral setting and was originally range land for cattle.



There are nice views to the distant peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Unfortunately, the land has been highly degraded and there are very few native plant species, most of the grasses and annuals are exotics from Asia and very invasive. There are even exotic shrubby species too. The land has a long way to go to recover. The State has fenced off areas in an attempt to speed the recovery of the native species.



I had to hike about 2 miles (3.2 km) through very unproductive land until I found this wooded ravine to scout out.



Whiteleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida) where blooming everywhere. This is the normal start of their bloom time at this elevation. There is considerable variation in the species, both in plant habit, as well as the color of the flowers, timing of the blooming, and the number of flower buds on the various plants. Most plants have some variation of flush pink flowers, however a few can be pure white. Some plants can also be very dense and full - very handsome plants, worthy of the garden.

[Robert]

There were a considerable number of species to see in the relatively undisturbed area of the ravine , however it soon opened out to the old abandoned dam construction site.



A very blurry photograph of Dodecatheon hendersonii getting ready to bloom. This is about 30 - 45 days before their average bloom time at this elevation. At the farm, the flower buds on this species are still tucked down into the rosette of leaves.



This old construction site is still a mess, however the native vegetation is making a good comeback. To me it is interesting that this site is recovering much faster than the grazing land. Without much effort, I'm not sure that the native flora can ever recover on former grazing land. I see this same situation on former grazing land all throughout California. There was a time when the native wildflowers grew so thickly that an insect  could travel for miles from petal to petal without ever touching the ground. Sadly, not true now.



On both sides of the canyon there are huge scares from the dam foundation where everything was removed down to bedrock.



This view is looking upstream from the dam site.

[Robert]

I finally made it down to Rocky Island Bar on the North Fork, elevation 502 ft. (153 meters).



From there I started down river. There are plants I want to see down river and I was scouting a means to approach them from this direction. I did not have enough time to do this today, however I did find a route or two that may prove productive on a future visit to this area.



I was still in the former construction area. It was interesting to find El Dorado Pine planted, I guess to help reclaim the land. This pine is a man made hybrid between Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) and Knobcone Pine (Pinus attenuata). They have certainly have survived, however they seem odd to me, out of place.



In a few locations Lomatium utriculatum was in bloom. It is an attractive plant and is a very strong and useful medicine. I'm always happy to see them doing well.

[Robert]

It was time to head back to the truck. On the way back an Oracle Oak (Quercus x morehus) caught my attention, so I went to investigate.



I'm glad that I did, as I found this acorn pounding site used in the distant past by Native Americans.



The women used heavy stones to pound acorn into flour in these holes. Later the acorn flour was leached to remove the tannins from the flour. Well prepared acorn is quite good. When we had more time available, my wife and I would gather acorn to later pound and leach our own acorn flour.



On the way back to the truck I was very please to find Hatweg's Umbrellawort (Tauschia hartwegii).



Some of the plants were in bloom or getting ready to bloom. This species likes growing in the shade of the native oak trees.

In some way I thought this outing to be unproductive. I found 52 species of plants, not bad considering considering the degraded state of the land. There are a few more trails to explore from this trailhead. This trailhead is easy access to the general population and I'm sure that it is crowded with people on the weekend. A place to go on a week day if you want to avoid crowds!

[Yann]

I desire to live near such nature, lucky Robert

[Robert]

I desire to live near such nature, lucky Robert

Yann,

Yes, I am extremely fortunate to live near such natural beauty. It is my desire that all who want to can live in a world surrounded by such natural beauty. Now that I'm approaching 60 years of age, it is time to redouble my efforts on the worthy goal of stewardship of this awesome planet. When I was young, I corresponded with Helen and Scott Nearing and thought highly of their Forest Farm. Later I learned of Dick Proenneke and his life at upper Twin Lake in Alaska. In time, I was able to visit Forest Farm, unfortunately Helen and Scott were already gone from this life. I have never made the journey to Twin Lake, however we are still blessed with beautiful and wild places in our California Sierra Nevada Mountains that are to my liking.

For better of worse, anyone can find information about Scott Nearing or Dick Proenneke on the internet.

Thank you for your comment Yann. I hope that your garden is a miniature paradise for you.

[Matt T]

Another inspirational instalment, Robert. Thank you. I enjoy your mix of unfamiliar plants, beautiful landscapes and historical/cultural information. Reading your adventures makes me want to return to northern California and spend some time botanising.

[Hoy]

Robert,

Once more a very engaging trip! You are dissatisfied with 52 species found but how do you count? I mean, do you just count different native plants on that particular trip or all kind of plants?

I have a lot of questions for you - if you bother!

It is a very pastoral setting and was originally range land for cattle.

There are nice views to the distant peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Unfortunately, the land has been highly degraded and there are very few native plant species, most of the grasses and annuals are exotics from Asia and very invasive. There are even exotic shrubby species too. The land has a long way to go to recover. The State has fenced off areas in an attempt to speed the recovery of the native species.

What kind of animals grazed here before cattle? I have read that the landscape was open and dotted by oak trees when the settlers arrived, but without grazing I would assume that it was all forested with dense woods.

And how have the exotics established there? Are they brought in deliberately to "improve " the food for the cattle? I don't think the soil has been plowed in these places.
 

This old construction site is still a mess, however the native vegetation is making a good comeback. To me it is interesting that this site is recovering much faster than the grazing land. Without much effort, I'm not sure that the native flora can ever recover on former grazing land. I see this same situation on former grazing land all throughout California. There was a time when the native wildflowers grew so thickly that an insect  could travel for miles from petal to petal without ever touching the ground. Sadly, not true now.

I am not astonished that the construction site recover better than the grassland as the exotic plants are (mostly I assume) specialists on open meadows with good soil rather than on the meagre rocky habitats.

The native wildflowers, where they annuals or perennials?

From there I started down river. There are plants I want to see down river and I was scouting a means to approach them from this direction. I did not have enough time to do this today, however I did find a route or two that may prove productive on a future visit to this area.

Do you have a map or do you memorize all the routs you take (and plan)?

The women used heavy stones to pound acorn into flour in these holes. Later the acorn flour was leached to remove the tannins from the flour. Well prepared acorn is quite good. When we had more time available, my wife and I would gather acorn to later pound and leach our own acorn flour.

I have read that acorns were an important resource in the stone age in Europe (including Norway) and that the word "acorn" and "acre" (åker in Norw) are related.

Have you tried different kind of acorns?