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

[Robert]

Trond,

Things have been hectic. I am sure it is hectic for many around the holidays season. Having remarked about this, I managed to get to the Post Office early on the Tuesday before Christmas. No lines!     

Yes, we bought a new refrigerator, however it will not be delivered until Thursday. At least the weather is cool both day and night (-1 night, 9 C day). We bought a block of ice and this will be enough to keep our food cold and fresh. The automatic defrost element did not turn off and started to melt the plastic in the refrigerator!    The whole thing stinks!    and the old refrigerator is now in the driveway ready to go to recycling. At least the house did not burn down! 

Yes, spring comes very early to this part of California. This week's outing will be to the Cache Creek area to the north. Here the weather is much cooler during the winter. Wednesday looks like the best day this week.

One reason I traveled on the trail was that the surrounding hillsides were covered with dense chaparral. The trail up the valley was very convenient and took me in the direction I wanted to travel. Another consideration is Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum. I is dormant at this time of year. Extra caution is required while hiking, especially off a trail and being vigilant for Poison Oak slows progress. I did stray off the trail a number of times to investigated sites that looked interesting.

[Robert]

Yesterday I had a very productive day exploring the Cache Creek region of the inner coastal mountains of Northern California.

I spent the first part of the day exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains near Cache Creek, Yolo County, California.



The last part of the day of the day was spent exploring the hills near the North Fork of Cache Creek in Lake County, California.

As usual, I will be reporting on this outing soon.   

[Hoy]

Robert,

Glad your house didn't catch fire!

Chaparral and poison oak - I do understand why you prefer the paths

When I was a kid we didn't have electricity at our summer house (which at that time actually was a boat house) and therefore we used an old fashioned icebox. Once a week we had to take the boat to the city and buy a big block of ice. I still remember my father and uncle working hard with the heavy block. They used a big ice tong to lift it.

The Cache Creek region looks great!

[Robert]

Trond,

The Cache Creek area was indeed a fascinating region to explore. Much of the area I had traveled past when visiting my friends ranch in Mendocino County, California, however I had never stopped to look around. The wilderness area is fairly large. I am sure that I could spend a lifetime and more exploring the area. It is winter and I still found many interesting plants that I will want to see in bloom come spring. A major bonus is that this area is not that far from our Sacramento home.

Thank you for sharing your memories of father and uncle working with the ice blocks. Were the ice blocks sawed from lake ice and stored in a cave with straw to keep the blocks frozen all summer? or something similar? Nobody does it that way any more!

We have our new refrigerator now. 

[Hoy]

Trond,

. . . . . .

 Were the ice blocks sawed from lake ice and stored in a cave with straw to keep the blocks frozen all summer? or something similar? Nobody does it that way any more!

We have our new refrigerator now. 

Robert,

The ice was cut from frozen lakes and stored in big ice houses isolated with straw and sawdust during summer. In 1890 until WW1 Norway was the biggest ice exporter in the world. The trade diminished during the wars (and the ice machine was also invented) but the trade went on until  about 1960. An ice cube was 2 x 2 x 2ft. A major place for the trade was Kragerø where we have our summer house. The ice trade was also very important for the shipping companies 

https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isdrift#/media/File:Norway_ice_trade.jpg

[Robert]

Trond,

The ice block photographs were very interesting. I can see how the ice trade must have been important to shipping companies, especially long distant sea shipments of perishable products. As I vaguely remember ice was cut in a similar way in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and shipped to the Sacramento Valley and elsewhere by the railroads. As I remember San Francisco and its ports were an important destination.

[Robert]

CACHE CREEK

and

THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Part I

Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Sacramento Weather

Weather: Clear
Temperature, High:55 F, 13 C
                      Low:32 F, 0 C



On Wednesday I traveled to Cache Creek and the Blue Ridge Mountains located near the southern end of the inner coastal mountains of Northern California. The region I wished to explore was located just to the north of the area I had visited the previous week. The route I traveled took me northward up the Capay Valley. The photograph is of the eastern slope of Blue Ridge on the west side of Capay Valley. Last week I had hiked very near the opposite side of this ridge.



At the north end of Capay Valley, Cache Creek cuts through the Blue Ridge Mountains creating a roughed steep gorge. Here the coastal mountains start to gain elevations as one travels northward. The mountains are also much more extensive in an east-west direction with many convoluted canyons and ridges.



My first stop was along Cache Creek where Fiske Creek enters Cache Creek. The temperature at 9:00 a.m. was still a bit chilly at 31 F, -.5 C. Here spring arrives later in the season as the marine air from the Pacific Ocean has a greater distance to travel before arrive here. Higher altitude also contributes to the cooler temperatures during the winter months.



I parked the Outback on a bluff overlooking Cache Creek, elevation 594 feet (181 meters), and hiked the short distance down to Cache Creek, elevation 568 feet (173 meters) and crossed a very compromised cement bridge.



From here I hiked a short distance up Fiske Creek and then started up the northwestern ridge of the Fiske Creek drainage. Here the slopes were forested with oaks and California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana. Most of the oaks were Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii, however there were also California Black Oaks, Quercus kelloggii, some with a few leaves still hanging on their twigs.

[Robert]

I found many ferns growing in the shaded north facing draws. Adiantum jordonii was seen frequently.



Adiantum jordonii is a very pretty little Maidenhair Fern. I have found it a bit challenging to cultivate in the garden, however I have managed to keep a few alive. Providing favorable conditions during its summer dormancy has been my challenge.



Goldback Fern, Pentagramma triangularis, was seen frequently both on this outing as well as last weeks outing. Here the plants exhibited considerable genetic variation with some plants approaching the appearance of Pentagramma pallida, the Silverback Fern.



The ghostly white trunks and branches of California Buckeye, Aesculus californica, stood out in the landscape.



Cerocarpus betuloides is a common species of the lower chaparral and oak woodland plant communities both in the coastal mountains as well as the Sierra Nevada foothills.

[Robert]

Once again Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita, Common Manzanita, was seen frequently on this outing. Even with cooler temperatures some plants were still found in bloom.



Some of the plants were quite large and the beautiful chestnut-red bark on the older trunks was striking.



Plentiful numbers of Eriophyllum lanatum were seen. When they bloom in the spring they can create a spectacular floral display with their showy golden yellow daisies.



Up to this point, most of the area I hiked through was oak savannah with some scattered brushland. This region is now a protected wilderness area, however at one time it had clearly been grazing land. I found large numbers of invasive species on this portion of my hike, which is not unusual for this type of habitat in California. The dried seed heads of Gastridium phleoides were easy to spot. The dried remains of Avena sp., Cynosurus echinatus, Bromus diandrus, and Elymus caput-medusae were some of the other invasive species that were frequently seen this day.



Micranthes californica was well into growth in shady, moist locations. Later in the spring they will send up stems of small white flowers. The individual flowers are not much, however large drifts of this species in bloom can be very showy. This is a summer dormant species that I have finally established in cultivation at the farm and hope to establish in our Sacramento garden too.


To be continued.........

[Maggi Young]

Wishing you all the best in the coming year, Robert - and looking forward to your reports as ever!

[Robert]

CACHE CREEK

and

THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Part II

Continuing up the ridge, the terrain leveled somewhat and the habitat shifted abruptly to a large expanse of dense chaparral. I thought that this might be an interesting place to explore and I was fortunate to easily find a way into this large tract of chaparral.



Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, was the dominant species in this chaparral community. This is not unusual for low elevation chaparral plant communities in this part of California.



Scattered among the dense growth of Chamise were Coastal Whiteleaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. pulchella. It was not surprising to find them in this location, however this find does extend their range into Yolo County, California. I will certainly add this find into the appropriate data base.



What was a surprise was finding Mimulus aurantiacus growing in small clearings surrounded by Chamise. I usually find this species growing on steep rocky cliff faces or dry rocky slopes.



Where the sloping hillside became steep and shaded California Bay, Umbellularia californica, grew in dense colonies surrounded by an ocean of Chamise. In these shaded groves Goldback Fern, Pentagramma triangularis, grew abundantly with scattered plants of Soap Plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, Ceanothus oliganthus, and where there was a bit more sun Lepechinia calycina.

[Robert]

As I hiked through the chaparral the terrain gradually gained altitude. Eventually a nice vista opened to the east with a dramatic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the seam cut by Cache Creek Canyon.



To the west the rolling hills and ridges continued off into the distance.



After investigating the chaparral, I followed a trail that opened into an area of Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii, savannah.



Here the grassland was dominated by invasive species. Geranium molle was one of many invasive board-leaf species that grew with the grasses. In addition, Torolis arvensis, Erodium botrys, and E. cicutarium were some of the most frequently seen invasive species in this area.



Hiking along I found this bird nest - more or less intact. I have no idea who made it or lived in it.

[Robert]

After hiking around and exploring the area for several hours, I decided to check another site to the west in neighboring Lake County on the North Fork of Cache Creek.

As I hiked back to the Outback I discovered a small patch of Coyote Bush, Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea, with their attractive white pappus getting ready to carry the seed off into the surrounding countryside.



After a short drive I arrived at the North Fork of Cache Creek. I have driven past this trailhead many times in the past, but this was the first time I ever stopped to look around.  I was kinda' shocked by my first impression of the trailhead.    The trail headed directly and disappeared into a vast expanse of tall invasive weeds. Maybe I made a mistake coming here! This did not look very productive. I was not impressed by a 2 meter high jungle of dry Star-thistle, Centaurea sp., Ripgut Bromegrass, Bromus diandrus, Medusa Head, Elymus caput-medusae, and many other noxious, invasive weeds.



I did not want to give up easily, so I started off down the trail. After 1 or 2 km I came to a seasonal stream and started to find some native plant species such as Bush Lupine, Lupinus albifrons.



Among the Bush Lupine were many small clumps of Eriogonum nudum with their dry flowering stems still attached.



There were also a few large shrubs of Frangula californica ssp. crassifolia. I saw this same species on my previous outing, last week, and this time a was able to get a satisfactory photograph to share.

To be continued.......

[Robert]

Wishing you all the best in the coming year, Robert - and looking forward to your reports as ever!

Thank yo so much! 

And may you and all of the other forumist have a blessed new year!  There may, or may not, always be evil in this world, but it is always pleasant to reflect on our many blessings. The troubles of this world are but one tiny grain of sand in a limitless universe of love that surrounds us. We can be reminded of this constantly in the faces of loved ones we share this planet with.     

[Robert]

CACHE CREEK

and

THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Part III

Beyond the seasonal creek the trail left the open, and weedy Cache Creek flood plain and entered the oak forest that clothed the surrounding hills. The forest in this area had burned approximately two years ago. Not much was remaining of the trees and shrubs except the blackened remains of the trunks and larger stems.



Even very destructive fires can often renew the land in this part of California. Many of the stump sprouting trees and shrubs showed lush, exuberant new growth such as this Cercocapus betuloides.



Everywhere there were signs of new growth. Pictured are new seedlings of Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita.



As I climbed higher into the surrounding hills it became apparent that the fire had burned the vegetation is a patchwork manner, some areas being burned, other areas not being burned at all. This is a common characteristic of wildfires in California. Beyond this California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana, parts of the terrain where not burned at all.



Another view from high on the hillside showed the Cache Creek flood plain and the "badlands" above, on the northeastern bank of the creek.