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

[Hoy]

Robert,

we have 26C today and I think it is very hot

No sign of drought either, we have had thunderstorms and heavy rain the last few days. No time for outings so I enjoy yours

[Robert]

Oh for a scent button!  Real citrus blossom is my favourite scent of all but the Mock Orange flowers run a good second! Just thinking about these fragrances takes me on a trail of happy memories.

Maggi,

Real Citrus scent is a favorite here at our Sacramento home and garden. We have a lemon and an orange tree. The flowers have a wonderful scent, the fruit is good too. Right now when it is 38.5 C, fresh lemon juice mixed with cool water is very refreshing. The oranges are ripe in the late winter when there is no other fresh fruit.

It is amazing how scents can trigger such a positive response! We try to incorporate both scented foliage and scented flowers into our garden just for such an effect. 

[Robert]

Robert,

we have 26C today and I think it is very hot

No sign of drought either, we have had thunderstorms and heavy rain the last few days. No time for outings so I enjoy yours

Trond,

Hopefully you will be able to get out soon. I very much enjoy your reports from Norway and beyond.

Yesterday, it was 38.5 C. For us this is hot. I have to admit that 26 C can seem very hot on a sunny day in the high Sierra Nevada hiking in the full sun.

[Hoy]

Maggi,

Real Citrus scent is a favorite here at our Sacramento home and garden. We have a lemon and an orange tree. The flowers have a wonderful scent, the fruit is good too. Right now when it is 38.5 C, fresh lemon juice mixed with cool water is very refreshing. The oranges are ripe in the late winter when there is no other fresh fruit.

It is amazing how scents can trigger such a positive response! We try to incorporate both scented foliage and scented flowers into our garden just for such an effect. 

Robert,

The ability to smell is a very primitive trait and linked directly to the brain! When you recognize a scent it will usually bring forth old memories as images, not words

[Robert]

Robert,

The ability to smell is a very primitive trait and linked directly to the brain! When you recognize a scent it will usually bring forth old memories as images, not words

Trond,

An interesting concept to consider. I wonder if there is a link between scent and vivid dreaming? The like to keep the windows open at night to let the garden scents into the house. Also, I always know when it is going to be a hot day at the farm. In the early morning the down slope air movement in the morning brings with it the scents of the high mountains. It is very delightful, but also a warning of hot temperatures later in the afternoon.

Today, I finally will be taking my truck in to be repaired. It will take a week to repair, however I will have a rental car for the week. It appears that Thursday will be my day for field work. The plan is to travel into the high country of the Sierra Nevada. The weather has been hot and I am sure that the snow is melting rapidly, however from a distance the high peaks are still white with snow. It should be an interesting outing.

After I get the rental car there is always the chance I can get away for an hour or so. There is so much work these days, I'll just have to see.

[ArnoldT]

The nerve endings in the nose (Olfactory bulb) is the only location where the central nervous system is in direct contact with the outside world.

Very important indeed.

[Robert]

The nerve endings in the nose (Olfactory bulb) is the only location where the central nervous system is in direct contact with the outside world.

Very important indeed.

Arnold,

Very interesting.

I am off this morning to the high Sierra Nevada. The mosquitoes are out in force!    I will have a full report soon.

[Robert]

I had a very successful outing yesterday into the high country of the Sierra Nevada.



Not only did I see many old friends in bloom such as Nemophila maculata (pictured), and huge drifts of Ranunculus alismifolius, but I also found beautiful stands of Carex scopulorum var. bracteum. There were many lesser, but common, Sedges and Rushes in bloom, such as Carex filifolia.



In rockier sites Phlox diffusa was in bloom. One goal was to observe snow melt species. Claytonia lanceolata, two Lewisia species, and Dicentra uniflora, were some of the species seen.

Unfortunately, I am extremely busy right now, so it might not be until Monday or Tuesday when I start posting this outing. I am very pleased that my timing was perfect to see the early season flower show. There was so much to see. 

[Hoy]

Glad you timed it perfect, Robert! The I have something to look forward to

[Robert]

Lyon's Creek

Part I

Thursday, 9 June 2016

Sacramento Weather

Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High: 84 F (29 C), Low: 58 F (58 C)

Placerville

Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High 84 F (29 C), Low: 51 F (10.5 C)



On Thursday I traveled to Lyon,s Creek. Lyon's Creek drains the southern most end of the Crystal Range, an area between Pyramid Peak to the south and Mount Price to the north, flowing westward to Silver Creek. There are two small lakes within the drainage, Lake Sylvia more or less at the base of Pyramid Peak and Lyon's Lake sightly to the northwest below Mount Price.

The lower end of the drainage consists of a series of meadows, some being vernally moist yet very xeric in the late summer and autumn. Other meadows within the chain are hydric during snow melt but more mesic during the remainder of the season. The meadows are separated by rocky areas of granite boulders, most likely moraine remnants from the last ice age. 50 to 60 years ago the meadows were used as pasture land for sheep or cattle. These are some of the factors that help shape the flora of this area.

I started my hike at 6,726 feet (2,050 meters) near where one of the original livestock camps once existed. Immediately as I left the truck I was greeted by a small patch of Lewisia nevadensis. The plants were quite showy yet they did not quite fit the exact description of Lewisia nevadensis. This species is one of the four known Lewisia species within the drainage. Lewisia nevadensis is said to hybridize with Lewisia triphylla. I have seen the two species growing and blooming mixed together side-by-side in this area, however I have never noticed any distinct hybrids between the two species. Both Lewisia pygmaea and L. longipetala are found within in this area but at much higher elevations.



Some of the early blooming species were nearing the peak of their season. Large drifts of Ranunculus alismifolius carpeted the ground with their bright yellow flowers.



As well as large swathes of the annual Nemophila maculata.



Nemophils maculata, Five Spots, is quite common in our area, growing over a considerable elevation range. In addition, they bloom over a considerable length of time creating a cheerful sight as they bloom among the other wild flowers.



Viola bakeri was in bloom by the hundreds, if not the thousands. I see this species frequently in our part of the Sierra Nevada, however I was quite pleased to see them in such numbers this day.

[Robert]

Viola bakeri is one of five Viola species that grow in this area.

I progressed slowly among the plants carefully identifying the large diversity of species. A number of Carex species were in bloom at this time, some of which require considerable attention to properly identify. Carex integra was seen frequently. It is not at all a showy species, however, at least for me, it requires very careful examination with a hand lens to make a certain identification.



Within the meadows that are xeric during the late summer and autumn Eriogonium marifolium can be found.



At this elevation, Eriogonum marifolium can be seen with the Frosted Buckwheat, Eriogonum incanum. The attractive adaxially silvery tomentose leaves are very indicative of this species.

For me, there are clear indications that the two species hybridize with each other where their ranges over lap. Some time in the future I would like to investigate this phenomena in more detail.



Something else to investigate thoroughly is the Calocortus nudus / C. minimus complex in this area. The two species certainly hybridize with each other in this area and grow in considerable variety.

This day they were just coming into bloom. When at their peak they can be seen in the thousands, with considerable variety among all the blooming plants.



Another species of the seasonally xeric meadows is the annual Collinsia torreyi var. torreyi.

[Robert]

Collisia torreyi var. torreyi is distinctly glandular-hairy making it easy to identify.



The trail is very pleasant to hike. Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta ssp murrayana, is the predominant species as the trail moves between the different meadows.



In the rocky moraine areas Amelanchier utahensis can be found scattered among the granite boulders where there is adequate moisture throughout the growing season. Abaxially the leaves are quite tomentose both early as well as later in the growing season. Some plant also have fruit that is quite tasty when ripe, providing one can get there before the wild creatures find them.



Also where there is adequate moisture one can find Thalictrum fendleri.



Most often this species is found in somewhat shaded areas, however I have also seen it growing in full sun where there is running water very close by. The species is dioecious. Both plants pictured are males which are very attractive with their hanging anthers.

[Robert]

When there is average to above average precipitation, Delphimium nuttallianum can grow and bloom profusely in this area. This day I only found a few plants in bloom, their peak blooming season yet to arrive.



Lonicera conjugialis is one of the dominant deciduous shrubby - understory species in this area. The flowers are deep magenta but somewhat small and hidden among the leaves.



Later in the season they have many attractive and showy bright red fruits.



Senecio intergerrimus is a common Asteraceae of this region. The species is biennial or a short lived perennial. I have tried to cultivate some of the other high elevation Senecio species with mixed success. They have all done well in a scree like setting. With more meadow-like conditions they seem to get eaten by insects and slugs. They are easily started from seed and produce good viable seed in a garden setting, especially if several plants are grown together.



Lyon's Creek was full of snow melt water. This is great sight to see after years of drought conditions.

To be continued........

[Hoy]

Another nice outing Robert!
Thanks for sharing.

Lewisia nevadensis seems to grow in a grassy field?

[Robert]

Another nice outing Robert!
Thanks for sharing.

Lewisia nevadensis seems to grow in a grassy field?

Trond,

Lewisia nevadensis grows both in seasonally moist "grassy" areas as well as in sand flats that are seasonally very hydric but then become very xeric during the late summer and autumn.

Most of the "grassy" looking plants are actually Carex species. In this case most likely Carex integra.

I will be off today to the Tells peak area at the northern end of the Crystal Range. I will be reporting on this after I finish the report on the Lyon's Creek outing.