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

[Robert]

Dichelostemma volubile is one of the few bulb species that have a twinning, vine like flowering stems that can grow a meter or so in length.



I guess that I have a good reason for calling this diary "my adventures" as I seem to always get myself into interesting situations.

I was having fun playing "cat and mouse" with the deer I was tracking while I was checking on all the plants. I do not know why but I ended up grabbing a Poison Oak branch!

Fortunately, I had some water. I washed things off the best I could and then treated my hand with moist clay. There was no Gum Weed in the area, as this would have been useful too. I could hear the river down below in the canyon and decided to go down to the river to wash off completely. The river was still 500 feet (152 meters) below and the terrain was getting very steep!



I traveled down through a labyrinth of brush, game trails, steep drop offs, and ledges. At times I could ski down on my butt, sliding on the pine needles and dry evergreen oak leaves. As I picked my way down, I continued to check on the wildflowers.



Finally, I reached the river and could wash off well.



When I was finished washing up it was time to find a way out. There were no trails and no easy way to get out of the canyon. I was not interested in trying to pull myself back up the way I came, so I decided to go down stream, Somewhere down stream there was a trail out. I just had to get there.

If the river had a sandy beach, the going could have been easy. There was no sand beach, just rocky ledges, brush, brambles, and poison oak up away from the river.

[Robert]

As I slowly worked my way down river, there were still good plants to see such as these, Erigeron foliosus var. hartwegii.



There was no shortage of Himalayan Blackberry. They are very difficult to move through. Understatement! 

However, in places I was pleased to see our native Blackberry (Rubus ursinus).



It was very slow and difficult going, however I finally came to a huge washout of the mountainside.  It might have been very steep, but the going was much easier than dealing with all the brush.

Here is a view looking down.



Near the top I had a good view across the canyon.



It may look easy traveling in this area without a trail but it is not.

[Robert]

I finally reached a dirt track. The going would be much easier now.



This deer (a different one) stopped to take a look at me before it ran off.



Lupinus latifolius was one of 5 species of Lupine seen on this outing.



Soon I was back on the ridge top and the oak savannah. There might not have been a lot to see, but I did keep my eyes alert. I did find the beautiful annual, Castelleja attenuata. A good find before arriving at the truck and the drive back to the farm.

I was very pleased with this outing with well over 100 species of plants seen.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Fascinating account Robert, thank you.

[Robert]

Fascinating account Robert, thank you.

Ralph,

I am very glad that you enjoyed the account of my last outing.

I never know what I might encounter or what there might be to learn.

I very much appreciate the comment.

[Hoy]

Robert,

you are a steady supplier of interesting stuff! I very much like your outings and I am a bit envious on the very variable flora!

How is your hand?

[Matt T]

Truly an adventure, Robert. An very enjoyable report and so many wonderful plants. Hiking off-trail can be so productive. We have few, if any formal paths here so most of our hiking is finding our own way across moorland, rock and boggy marshes, reading the landscape as we go. As with your adventure, it can be hard work at times but so rewarding when you discover such natural treasures.

[Hoy]

Matt, can't you show us some pictures of your outings and landscape?

[Matt T]

I have a couple of botanical expeditions in mind, Hoy. I'll be sure to take my camera with me and report back here.

One will be to check on the progress this season of the flora on these mountains, and I'm still trying to verify a record for Loiseleuria procumbens up here but the location is an almost vertical rocky cliff face at the summit. Another is to explore a small, but beautiful remnant of native woodland tucked into a ravine at the base of Beinn Mhor, the mountain the right in the pic below.



One problem moving around our landscape, as well as bogs, fens and marshes is the huge number of lochs, both sea and freshwater often entailing detours.



However, once you gain some height you're in a landscape of predominantly rocky moorland.



Being relatively small islands on the edge of the Atlantic, the weather can change suddenly but can also make for a dramatic day out.

[Robert]

Robert,

you are a steady supplier of interesting stuff! I very much like your outings and I am a bit envious on the very variable flora!

How is your hand?

Trond,

How is my hand?  So far, so good! My body has always reacted severely to poison oak. It generally takes 2 to 3 days for poison oak to show up after being exposed. By now I should see some redness on my skin. There is none, so I think that I will be okay.

I do agree that I am very fortunate. Within a 1 hour drive there are so many habitats and such a diversity of plants;  everything from the Lower Sonoran life belt of the California Central Valley, to the Arctic - Alpine zones at the Sierra Crest, to the High Dessert beyond to the east of the crest. There can also be considerable changes in the flora traveling north to south. There is so much to explore!

[Robert]

Truly an adventure, Robert. An very enjoyable report and so many wonderful plants. Hiking off-trail can be so productive. We have few, if any formal paths here so most of our hiking is finding our own way across moorland, rock and boggy marshes, reading the landscape as we go. As with your adventure, it can be hard work at times but so rewarding when you discover such natural treasures.

Matt,

I especially enjoyed the photographs from your part of the world!

I look forward to any postings you might make about outings in your region, both the flora as well as the typical difficulties that you encounter on such outings.

Have you lived in this region your whole lifetime? It is amazing how one can become such a part of ones natural surroundings when we have lived and interacted with the natural environment for a very long time.

Gardening looks difficult in your area?  I guess that you might use a greenhouse for some of your plants? As I remember, you enjoy growing Narcissus. It seems that you would need a greenhouse or some sort of covering to keep the wet out and get some sort of summer heat?

[Hoy]

Thanks Matt!

The pictures you show reminds very much of the coast here - about 100 years ago. Then they started planting trees all over (some didn't like it then and some doesn't still). In addition to native species many foreign, especially North American ones, were used. At the same time the use of all the moors and fields as pastures decreased and especially native birches and other trees expanded their areas.  And now most of the area is covered by forests. The preservable thousands of years old heathland has almost disappeared.

[Robert]

When doing errands in town now, I often bring the camera. The roadsides often have large displays of wildflowers at this time of year. Because of traffic it is not always a good idea to stop. Here are some plants I saw yesterday while doing errands.



Acmispon argophyllus var. fremontii. This beautiful Acmispon (formerly Lotus) grows directly out of rock crevasses on hot, dry, south facing cliff faces. The hairy, gray foliage is quite attractive.



Phacelia cicutaria. Another plant of hot, dry, south facing slopes. Some of the Phacelia species can be a bit difficult to distinguish from one another. When blooming it is easy.



Castilleja subinclusa. This Paintbrush species prefers somewhat shaded locations. The flowers are large and very showy.



A large flowered white Linanthus.



In places masses of them grew creating a beautiful display.

[Hoy]

Robert,

I am glad I can look at "your" plants while waiting for "mine"

Hot dry cliff faces are very rare here!

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
Linanthus is one of the American wildings which I've always wanted to grow since first seeing a drawing of it by LL (Timmy) Foster in an old ARGS journal. Sadly I've never managed to germinate seed of it from the Seedex; is this one you've had experience with in your home garden? Any hints?
Keep up the good work and more strength to your hiking legs
cheers
fermi