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

[Robert]

Ian,

The information you have provided is quite impressive. 240 species of birds! We are losing many of our migratory song birds due to habitat loss. It is extremely saddening. There are many Warblers I never see now, however in addition, it is other species too.

[Robert]

SONORA PASS

Part II

As I moved higher on the mountain another Ribes species appeared, Ribes cereum var. inebrians.



Ribes cereum var. inebrians grew and thrived on the exposed, wind swept slopes. It golden autumn foliage was quite nice as well as its bright red fruits.



The trail climbed as it traversed the mountain until it finally reached the ridge dividing the eastern watershed from the western drainage of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River. From this altitude the views were spectacular.



The canyon created by the upper reaches of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River is very dramatic.



At this altitude a new set of species appeared. Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nivale grew with an assortment of other beautiful species. Epilobium obcordatum, a very attractive and worth while Epilobium, grew in shaded sites below large rocks. Unfortunately their showy flowers had all finished for this season. Rumex salicifolius was another interesting species that I came across.

[Robert]

Another Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nivale. Ivesia gordonii, most likely variety ursinorum also grew among the Eriogonum. This time of year their pinnately compound leaves were turning bright scarlet.



Oxyria digyna, another Polygonaceae, also enjoyed sites shaded by large rocks. Here it can be seen with an Antennaria sp., perhaps A. media. This whole mountainside was such an incredible natural rock garden.



Lupinus argenteus var. meionathus was frequently seen as I hiked the trail. Here it can be seen with Arnica longifolia with its fluffy seed heads. Arnica longifolia grew abundantly on the mountain and they most have created a impressive show when they were in bloom.



Lower on the mountain I could not determine the species of this Lupine until I finally found a few plants with one or two flower spikes still intact. Lupinus argenteus is not the only species with narrow densely hairy foliage in this area, however the ciliate hairs on the upper keel margin confirmed it as L. argenteus. Lacking a calyx spur narrowed it down to ssp. meionathus.



An Antennaria species with attention getting silvery foliage.

[Robert]

Senecio fremontii was still in bloom high on the mountain.



Senecio fremontii is a showy species with very distinctive fleshy foliage.



The trail now followed the ridgeline straight upward toward the un-named peak. I was now approaching the 11,000 foot (3,353 meters) level and once again the mix of species was changing.



Ericameria discoidea was one species that seemed to stay with me as I climbed higher. Most of the plants had set and lost their seed, however here high on the mountain there were a few specimens with a lingering flower or two.



Astragalus whitneyi was one of the new species to appear. I generally find this species near the summit of high ridges and peaks. Their distinctive inflated, purple spotted seed pods makes this an easy species to identify when in fruit.

[Robert]

Here on these exposed ridges the White Bark Pines, Pinus albicaulis, are stunted and twisted into beautiful shapes by the strong winds.



Erigeron compositus grew abundantly at this high elevation and shared space with Packera cana, a beautiful silver foliage species.



A big surprise was this Phlox species. Based on the non-glandular hairy foliage it was most likely Phlox hoodii ssp. canescens. I have plenty of good reasons to return in July when the mountain is likely to be in peak bloom, and this species is one of them. For me, it would be quite the find to determine its range extends to this elevation in this region.



Near the summit of the mountain the trail turned and crossed the ridge into Emigrant Wilderness Area.  From this high point it was easy to walk to the summit of the peak, 11,041 feet (3,365 meters). Of coarse the vistas from the summit were great.



The shaded boulders on the summit sheltered colorful lichens.

[Gabriela]

I have enjoyed once more your beautiful mountain landscapes and plants Robert! What good luck to have so many mountain ranges nearby.

[Robert]

I have enjoyed once more your beautiful mountain landscapes and plants Robert! What good luck to have so many mountain ranges nearby.

Gabriela,

Yes indeed I am extremely fortunate! The Sierra Nevada are indeed as John Muir said "The Mountains of Light". The mountains are awesome, with so many different ecosystems to explore. I have to admit at times I am spell bound in rapture when I take in the divine essence of the Sierras.

Thank you for the encouraging comment! Soon will be the beginning of my 4th year with this botanical diary. I hope to celebrate with a trip to the north - Butte County, California and another outing to the coastal mountains - maybe Mount Diablo. I have to admit that I am nervous about visiting the Mount Diablo region - crowds of people. I will most likely go somewhere else in the coastal mountains - much more remote. I hope all of this pans out and there is much to share!

[Robert]

SONORA PASS

Part III

Here are a few more photographs from the summit of the peak.

This is a view to the northwest down the northern spine of the Sierra Nevada.



And anther view to the east, off into Nevada in the distance.



After some time poking around the summit of the mountain looking at the plants, I wandered down from the summit to the trail off into the Emigrant Wilderness. I hiked on for awhile but did not find anything different in this wide open country, so I decided to return to the truck and check on another place.



After returning to the truck, I travel back down the highway toward the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River. Halfway down into the canyon I stopped to take in the view.



Among the other conifer species there were a few Juniperus grandis I could check on.

[Robert]

The bark of this species is quite attractive and stands-out among the other conifer species.



A great find in this granite crevice was this exceptional specimen of Ericameria cuneata var. cuneata. This is definitely a species I would like to grow in our garden - small, showy and xeric.



Nearby in the granite crevices Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum was in bloom. This species grows and blooms well in our Sacramento garden, however they tend to bloom on awkwardly long flowering stems. I am now growing and have bloomed what appears to be a much better form from the Carson Pass region of California. Hopefully they will still be in bloom when I get back home to show on the forum.



I want very much to return to a site on the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River, so I was back in the truck driving until I arrived.



Autumn was arriving here too as the Populus trichocarpa were just starting to turn color.

[Robert]

And here I was at Kennedy Meadows. The last time I was here was in 1973 - I was 17 years old! How things had changed!    Back in '73 Kennedy Meadow was a sleepy "resort" with an old lodge and a few old cabins. Now the place has been "modernized" and has become a "destination" i.e. crowded and over run with people. Feeling very uncomfortable I went off to find the trailhead into the wilderness.



The canyon in this area is quite rugged and beautiful.



I quickly found the trialhead and started off up the trail into the wilderness. Fortunately the nice folks at the resort were not interested in wilderness and I quickly found myself alone, surrounded by nature. Relief!    I also remembered features of the trail even after 44 years!

I was also very surprised by the mixture of species I found. The trailhead is at 6,431 feet (1,960 meters), a relatively high elevation back in my home territory to the north. High elevation species such as Pinus jeffreyi and Abies magnifica were growing with what I consider low elevation species back home. Penstemon heterophyllus and Heuchera micrantha were here growing at their high elevation limit. I did not have much time to hike farther up the trail, however now a return outing is a high priority for further exploration.

44 years ago I had hiked up to and around Relief Reservoir. From there I had hiked up Upper Relief Valley and then up the south ridge to Iceland Lake at the base of Granite Dome, 10,328 feet (3,148 meters). Iceland Lake is a good place to camp as there is no trail to the lake. There is also easy access to Granite Dome. This would be an ideal outing for me in the future.

So this ends an outstanding outing for me. It also gets me dreaming about even more adventures farther to the south. Maybe I can return to Evolution Valley and Evolution Basin back in the upper drainage of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. Mount Darwin at the head of the Evolution Basin is 13,831 feet (4,216 meters). It has been 40 + year since I was last in this region. What might I find now?

Until next time.....

[Hoy]

Another excellent and exciting outing, Robert!
Both landscape and plants are unfamiliar but alluring The only plant I recognize as native is Oxyria digyna which is very common in the mountains here.
Since snow still linger up there I supposethe nights are cold even in summer!

[Robert]

Another excellent and exciting outing, Robert!
Both landscape and plants are unfamiliar but alluring The only plant I recognize as native is Oxyria digyna which is very common in the mountains here.
Since snow still linger up there I supposethe nights are cold even in summer!

Trond,

I think the timing of this outing was perfect. Many species were dormant or dried beyond identification. It might have been a bit overwhelming to arrive in July when most of the species would have been out and in bloom. Now that I have an overview of the region, a July outing will be much more productive. I do the best I can to examine and identify all the species on an outing, however many need careful examination with a hand lens to properly identify. This takes time and slows my progress, especially when there is large area to cover. An example is Rumex. It was possible that both R. californicus and/or R. salicifolius might have been found at Sonora Pass. With my eye sight, an hand lens is necessary to check the perianth for tubercles or if it is toothed. I am having to do this with many species these days. Repeated trips to the same site are necessary, and even then new things always seem to turn up. It is all fine with me. 

Yes, freezing temperatures are a possibility during any month in the highest parts of the Sierra Nevada.

[Hoy]

Robert,

I can see your point but I wouldprefere to see them in full bloom

[Robert]

I was home for a few hours today and found time to take some photographs of Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum. I grew this form from seed gathered in the Carson Pass area of California. The plants are much smaller than other forms of E. wrightii var subscaposum that I have grown. The inflorescence is about 1/4 the length of the other forms too. We have had some very strong north winds the last two days. Maybe this is why the inflorescence are horizontal now. 

[Robert]

A few days ago I had the opportunity to walk part of the El Dorado Trail. The trail exists on the old railroad right-of-way from the lumber mill in Camino, California and the main Union Pacific Rail lines in Sacramento, California. When the mill closed El Dorado County acquired part of the right-of-way and created a walking and bicycle path. Part of it is paved, other parts still have the rails and pleasure train trips are available for tourist.



The trail bisects waste areas, sites of light industry, residential areas, as well as farmland. Generally 40% or more of the plant species are invasive species. Despite this and the generally degraded habitat there are always surprises.



Yellow Star Thistle, Centaurea solstitialis, is a very common invader. Some are still blooming despite the heat and drought of the summer.



Cichorium intybus, Chicory, is one of the more attractive invaders.



Verbena litoralis, another invasive species, blooms on top of tall 2 meter + stems. I grow the similar Verbena bonariensis in our garden at the farm. It too can be weedy, however the flowers are attractive and it useful in the back of a border mixed with other tall growers. I like the long blooming sequence of V. bonariensis, its heat and drought tolerance, as well as its ability to attract beneficial insects to the garden.