2016 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Maggi Young]

Good luck with the computer wrestling, Robert - these things are easier said than done!

[Ian Y]

Good to have you back in the forum Robert, computers are not too difficult I am sure you will soon be up and running - you just need to learn the bits that do what you want and ignore all the rest.

[Robert]

Wonderful news!

My laptop computer is up and running at home again. I still have a few things to update however, and I have two outings to share as I get things organized and get myself back in the rhythm.

This Wednesday I will be in El Dorado County, California continuing my surveys.

I am very excited to be back again.     

[fermi de Sousa]

Glad to know you are back, Robert
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Welcome back Robert, you've been missed.

[Robert]

Yes, I am very happy to be back! 

Hopefully, I will be able to post a few photographs from my latest outings later today.

Tomorrow, I will be returning to the Iron Mountain area in El Dorado County. There are a number of sites I want to check on in the middle elevation areas. I hope that I will also have time to travel higher into the Sierra and see where the current snow level is located. There are a number of snow melt species that I would like to see this spring.

[Robert]

An ocean of Limnanthes blooming at the top of the Clarksville Grade, El Dorado County, California. This scene is at 1,083 feet (330 meters) elevation, generally at the higher end of this species elevation range.

I will be posting more photographs from this site as well as the Rock Creek area sometime later.

[Hoy]

Looking forward to that, Robert!

I used to grow a few Limnanthes in my garden. It was a pretty bloomer when my garden contained less trees and shrubs

[Robert]

Here are a few photographs from yesterdays outing. The computer is different now and it is taking me some time to get ajusted to the differences.



Flemming meadow. 3,842 feet, 1,171 meters. It is early spring at this elevation. Only a few of the early bloomers are out.

[Robert]

My computer is different from how it was a month ago.    How the photographs are edited for the forum is different. It will take some experimenting on my part to get this adjusted to my liking. 



More scenes from yesterday's outing.

Ceanothus prostratus is in full bloom now carpeting the forest floor in many areas. This is an average colored form. Some are very pale, others are a rich deep blue-lavender color.



A natural rock garden on a steep south facing slope near Camp Creek. Mimulus kelloggii, Dichelostemma capitatum, and others are in bloom. Also Pellaea mucronata



Higher upper the mountain at North-South Bald.

Nemophila maculata.



I drove up the road until it was blocked by snow, 6,680 feet (2,036 meters). A good place to look for snow melt species.

[Gabriela]

You may find some real treasures in the snow melt areas Robert.
What a nice baby blue eyes, or should we call it baby purple eyes? 

[Robert]

Gabriela,

I hope to be exploring these areas as the snowline recedes up the mountain.

Here in California we can Nemophila maculata "Five Spots".     I think you can see why! I is a great little annual that I hope to establish in our garden. I have a small batch of seedlings growing and blooming now. I hope to get a good seed set. 

[Robert]

Flemming Meadow

&

Iron Mountain Area

Part I

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

(Sacramento) Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High: 83 F (28 C), Low: 54 F (12C)



This week's outing started at Flemming Meadow, elevation 3.842 feet (1,171 meters). It is still early spring at this elevation and only the early blooming species have started to flower. In the meadow there were a few open flowers of Ranunculus occidentalis, as well as 2 species of Spikerush in bloom, Eleocharis macrostachya and E. parishii.



Many of the deciduous trees are just starting into leaf. The new growth of Quercus kelloggii (California Black Oak) is very attractive. A whole hillside of this species at this stage of growth is quite the sight.



The trail from Flemming Meadow to Camp Creek is very wide as it starts out. The forest is mostly coniferous, Pinus ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii, with a few deciduous and evergreen broad leaf trees.



Trail Plant, Adenocaulon bicolor, is aptly named as it is a constant companion in this type of forested environment.



Many of the early blooming species were in their prime such as these Primula (Dodecantheon) hendersonii. This species is quite interesting at this elevation. In some ways it is suggestive of P. subalpinum, a species found in the Southern Sierra Nevada at higher elevations.

[Robert]

There are many fantastic woodland species in this area. Viola lobata was in its prime.



At this elevation Viola lobata blooms a bit later than some of the other Viola species. Higher up the mountain the bloom cycles of Viola lobata, V. purpurea, and V. sheltonii overlap with each other. I have never noticed hybrids between these species, however I have found plants that are suggestive of a hybrid between Viola purpurea and V. bakeri.



Fritillaria micrantha is another delightful woodland (chaparral too) species in this area. The flowers are quite small and it has always been difficult for me to get a good photograph with a camera that only understands auto-focus. This photograph turned out pretty good. 



I only found a few plants of Trillium angustipetalum. None were in bloom. I have some excellent photographs of this species in full bloom from my trip to the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. I will post that outing when I get a chance.



The forest floor is quite moist in areas. Fragile Fern, Cystoperis fragilis, was frequently seen in the areas with year around moisture.

[Robert]

The environment in this part of the forest is quite shady, the prefect environment for Asarum hartwegii. The flowers of this species are quite large compared to some other species and are very interesting with their hairy surface. Unfortunately the close-up photographs of the flowers did not turn out. A camera that only understands auto-focus makes such photographs extremely difficult. 



Farther along the trail there were large colonies of Viola sheltonii. At this elevation this species blooms in March. I examined the plants closely and noticed that some had set seed that was nearly ripe. Other plants had numerous seedlings sprouting near their bases.

Higher up the mountain Viola sheltonii can bloom with both V. purpurea and V. lobata. I have never noticed hybrids between these species, however where the range of Viola purpurea and V. bakeri overlap I have noticed plants that are suggestive of hybrids between the two species.



In shady and rocky areas along the trail Polystichum imbricans ssp curtum was seen occasionally. I was very pleased to make a positive identification of this subspecies. The submarginal sori were very obvious. At other sites this characteristic of the sori can be mixed with the characteristics of subspecies imbricans. I find this to be very interesting and just the sort of thing that I like to study.



As the trail approached Camp Creek the forest canopy began to open and become less shady. Hairy Woodrush, Luzula subsessilis, is a very common species throughout our area. It can be confused with Luzula comosa. I guess I should check the seeds size and shape to be sure of its identity as suggested by the Jepson Manual, however I am quite comfortable with this naming at this time.



At this point the trail opened quickly and traversed a sunny south facing slope. I have visited this site a fair number of times over the years and have always found this site to be the most wonderful natural rock garden.

With my next posting I will describe many of the species I found on this sunny slope.

To be continued.....