2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Greetings Arturo,

I am very pleased that your seeds arrived safely. I am also more than happy to help you out as, and if, I can into the future.

I think it is important that I make this disclaimer.

I am not in the seed business. I have no desire to be in the seed business. I especially, absolutely, do not want to be associated with the plunder of nature for personal profit, ego, or because of any other sick, dysfunctional behavior.

I do want to promote the advancement of horticulture. Like agricultural crops, species used in ornamental horticulture need healthy and diverse floral ecosystems that maintain species diversity in the wild. Wild species diversity can be used as a gene pool to maintain and more importantly improve cultivated species. Garden conditions are in most cases radically different from growing conditions in the wild. From my perspective, it is much more important to develop species lines that will thrive in our gardens. Wild plants are best used as a gene pool to improve or maintain our garden species. Resistance to disease, insects, or other attributes is best done with our established garden plants. As with agricultural crops, wild species may be the only source of genes that can impart a critical resistance to a disease or other important characteristics necessary in maintaining or improving our beloved ornamentals. This is best done using the least invasive technique as possible (i.e. pollen, asexual micropropagation, etc.).

One important reason I like, or need, to stay invisible is the fact that horticulture is not seen as a science in the U.S.A. Horticulturalist, especially self-educated, are viewed as ignorant, malicious, potential plunderers of nature that do nothing more than cause problems. Hum! Using that criterion, Michael Faraday and Leonardo da Vinci were nothing more than malicious idiots! A botanist can take all the herbarium specimens they want, if a horticulturalist even looks at a wild species in the wrong way, they are condemned, abused in numerous ways, and more. It is disgusting. One time I made the mistake to mention that I write a botanical diary for the SRGC. The response was that I better not bring a throng of foreign plunderers into the forest. Extremely offensive! I am not interested in the psychological problems of a few individuals that are in positions of power (i.e. petty tyrants). I may not need to worry about being burned at the stake by the church, however there are still risks. I stay invisible.

There are so many creative, ethical, and beneficial advancements that can be made in horticulture. I plan on continuing in this direction. Arturo, it is a pleasure to help you out.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, I suppose Einstein was thought of as odd and Galileo downright certifiable. Many critics are mainly interested in profit before people. There is a lot of mis-trust in the world. Academics and the real world should be kept apart.

[Robert]

Ian,

I have very little contact with the academic world. The few that I have met have been reasonable people, except one want-to-be. 99% of my difficulties are with government bureaucrats at all levels of government.    And yes, in many ways they are looking for money too, taxes, fees, fines, etc.    They are best avoided. They can be like the tax collectors of biblical days.

[hamparstum]

Robert,
      horticulture is an applied science related human activity; It has quite a few millenia of existence and has provided pleasure, and unaccountable amount of benefits to mankind all that long way along. As a well established profession it requires also the type of craftmanship that arts call for. Not only scientific knowledge. For the horticulturalist it also requires the development of some degree of spiritual understanding of what he is undertaking, since failures normally grossly outnumber successes, and achievements are usually transgenerational. Possibly this could be applied to a real true scientist as well. Derogatory comments from others normally derive from unworthy people who haven't understood their profession yet...
      Expanding the realm of cultivated plants seems a fascinating part of human endeavor. Bringing into gardening conditions wild plants is also understanding their gene build up. Their degree of adaptation to other conditions than those found strictly in nature. During my lifetime I gradually became aware that the illusory concept of untainted nature could no longer be held. Humans have interfered in nature to such degree by now that every effort should be made to maintain diversity, whether in the natural world or in a garden. I don't see this as an option; they need each other. Recently I read about a species that was reintroduced from cultivated seed sources, that had disappeared in nature in the island of Mallorca. The more wild plants are kept in gardens, better chances we've got to keep the existing gene pool . Also within each gardeners world, with his own resources ( that means less government taxes , less overheads etc.)
     How much horticultural manipulation is advisable is still one other question. Obviously keeping the wild forms is necessary, however searching for some degree of adaptation to garden requirements calls for the art part of horticulture. I personally prefer not too over-bred garden cultivars. But that is only my personal preference; each degree of breeding provides for the spirit differently. Fortunately there's room for every type...
     Being a very inquisitive person by nature, studying certain genera that call my name keeps me busy and enthusiastic, envisioning new forms. It fills my remaining lifetime with more projects that I can conceivably achieve, thus providing me with necessary stimulus to keep myself healthy and strongly motivated until I'm called from above...

[Robert]

For whatever it is worth, these are my observations and subjective opinions when out in the field over the past 4 to 5 decades. To my knowledge, I have only met one academic (professor) out in the field in the past 40 to 50 years. Other experiences lead me to believe that many academics are wrapped up in their own world and have little or no interest in what others do outside their world. I have met many biologists conducting some sort of fieldwork when out. All (100%) have been extremely nice people, very pleasurable and interesting to talked with. In 50 years I have never knowingly met a botanist out in the field. The general public, when out in the field, never or rarely bothers me.

As stated before, for me, government bureaucrats need to be avoided at all cost. The new recruits seem harmless enough, however it appears that the longer they are in government the more problematic my encounters become. It appears that they do profiling and clearly I look odd or out of place in their mind. As much as I try to ignore them, many times I am approached, engaged, and questioned (i.e. interrogated). I have tried all sorts of things to get these bureaucrats to leave me alone; truth, lies, being vague, not talking much, babbling nonsense, nothing works. The interrogation generally ends with some sort of threat or warning that I better not break some rule, real or imagined and/or an additional condescending-degrading statement of some sort. Over the years I have learned that when I see a uniform or a government vehicle it is best that I become a submarine and quietly sink out of sight and disappear. My experiences give me a small taste of what it is like to be a minority in the U.S.A.; how innocent, harmless humans can be treated terribly for no reason other than they are somehow different, whatever that is?

[Robert]

Yesterday was my last opportunity to visit the high country of the Sierra Nevada, at least until later this coming week. This scene is of the autumn color as viewed from Peavine Ridge. The South Fork of the American River and Highway 50 can be seen in the canyon below.



I like to visit Wrights Lake.



The scenery is very beautiful.



The plants are quite dormant at the Lyons Creek trailhead.

[Maggi Young]

The scenery is very beautiful.

 It is indeed!

[Robert]

Yes Maggi,

The scenery is fantastic!

It looks like the rain and snow is going to hold off until Thursday night. Deer hunting season is over. The outing I planned for the Rubicon River canyon looks like it is on!     

[Robert]

It was an overcast day, yesterday 2 November, in El Dorado County, California. I had an interesting day. There was a major logging operation going on at my preferred outing site on the southern ridge over the Rubicon River. I need to change my plans. Gerle Creek is nearby and I spent the day exploring parts of Gerle Creek and Rocky Basin. For me, this was like going out in the backyard. I have spent my whole lifetime in this area (mostly at my father's cabin). The rain, more like drizzle, held off until the end of the day. I will have a full report soon, but first I need to get some work done.

[Robert]

GERLE CREEK

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Sacramento Weather

Weather: Overcast
Temperature, High: 65 F, 18.3 C
                       Low: 50 F, 10 C
Barometer: 30.02, 1017 mb, Rising
Precipitation: .00”, 0 mm, To date: .16” (4.06 mm)

Placerville Weather
Weather: Overcast
Temperature, High: 62 F,
                       Low: 44 F
Barometer: 30.02,1017 mb, Rising
Wind: South, Calm G 1
Precipitation: .00” 0 mm, To date: .35” (8.89 mm)



For several months now, I have been planning a trip to the southern ridge above the Rubicon River in the vicinity of Hell Hole Reservoir, El Dorado County, California. The canyon is quite steep in this area, the terrain is difficult to traverse, and there are no trails, thus the area is sparsely traveled and there has been little or no botanical exploration. This area is not far from my father’s cabin at Gerle Creek and I have visited and hiked in this area off and on since the 1960’s. There are a number of factors that indicate that the area may be botanically rich in species and may also include some surprises. So, I was quite eager to explore this specific site in detail and this was my day.

The King Fire burned through this region in the autumn of 2014. Much of the standing timber on the northern ridge of the canyon was completely destroyed by the King Fire. The King Fire did burn on the southern ridge, however most of the forest was not destroyed. In fact in this case, the King Fire may have been beneficial as it burned much of the undergrowth and small trees in this area. This type of situation often stimulates the regeneration of many native annual and herbaceous perennial species.

Sadly on this day, a full-scale salvage logging operation was in progress. I continued down the dirt road hoping to move past the logging. This was a bit of a challenge as the skidders were actively dragging logs straight up the steep slope, through the remaining undergrowth, and onto the public road (in this case the same dirt road). I was taking a risky chance proceeding down the road. The operators of the skidders had limited visibility as the front end of the skidder rose over the crest of the road. When the center of balance shifted forward the front end of the skidder came crashing down on the center of the road. I did manage to avoid the skidders. When I felt I was a safe distance from the active logging and near the end of the road, I parked (5,783 feet, 1,763 meters) and prepared for a nice outing in the canyon.



The geology in this area is extremely interesting. Some of the terrain consists of metamorphic rock. There are also plutons of granodiorite. Topping these geologic features in some areas are ancient andesite lahars, part of the Mehrten formation. The slope pictured (an andesite lahar) was extremely interesting. Species from both low and high elevation plant communities were co-mingling together. This was an excellent sign.

Unfortunately the sound of a chain saw at the end of the road was not a good sign; nor was the skidder activity that was moving closer from the other direction.
I decided it was not worth hanging around with the logging going on, so I started back to the Outback. I met one of the loggers on the way back. As usual he was extremely friendly and helpful (I am sure that there are unfriendly loggers, however every logger I have ever met has been hard working, very friendly and helpful. On several occasions loggers have helped me when my auto broke down in the woods!). Yes, the logger confirmed that the logging was moving in my direction, and yes, it might not be safe to stay in the area. Now I needed to come up with a spontaneous alternative plan for the day.



I decided to drive back down the road to Gerle Creek and explore the area between the new and paved (i.e. 1970’s) Wentworth Springs Road and Rocky Basin near Francis Cow Camp. Since childhood, I have spent every summer along this section of Gerle Creek. This was very familiar territory, but then I have never done a detailed botanical survey of this area, so maybe something interesting might present itself and I would give this a try.



From my starting point, 5,384 feet (1,641 meters), I set off up the old (i.e. mid 1860’s), dirt Wentworth Springs Road. The mixed coniferous forest consisted of Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi, Sugar Pine, Pinus lambertiana, and a few Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana. The deciduous California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii, were scattered among the conifers.

Greenleaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula (pictured), was one of the dominant understory species along the first section of this route. This time of year I enjoy the nascent inflorescence of Manzanita and I generally spend time examining them closely.



Many plants were well into dormancy. Fortunately, there were many other things to see. There were many lichens; many species growing on rocks, others growing on tree bark, small twigs and branches, as well as on the soil. On this rock there were colonies of Honey-colored Rim Lichen, Lecanora mellea (large, honey colored) and Blistered Rock Tripe, Umbilicaria hyperborea (smaller dark brown).

[Robert]

Bracken Ferns, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens were seen in scattered stands along this route. Often this species is indicative of some sort of subterranean moisture, as least in the earlier part of the growing season.



There were a number of large rock outcroppings along this route. Lace Lip Fern, Myriopteris gracillima, was one of a number of ferns that enjoy growing out of the rock cervices.



Indian Dream, Aspidotis densa, is a fairly common fern in this area. They can be seen not only in rock cervices, but also growing in dry sites among rocks and boulders.



Where there is seasonal moisture there is a shift in the vegetation. In the spring this site is quite moist. Spiraea splendens (pictured) grows fairly densely on the forest floor. In the foreground where the pile of rock can be seen, the water seeps out from the rock base. Much earlier in the season columbine, Aquilegia formosa, can be seen growing next to the running trickle of water. I did not see any on this outing, but I have seen them in this location consistently since the 1960’s.



Shortly the road moved to higher and drier terrain. Scattered stands of Sierra Juniper, Juniperus grandis, grew among the other conifers. This is the low elevation limit for this species in this area. At Loon Lake, at the upper end of Rocky Basin, this species is quite abundant and also very picturesque in the wind swept environment.

[Robert]

This time of year the juniper trees are loaded with beautiful glaucus blue fruit.



At this point in my journey, I decided to leave the dirt road and climb a nearby ridge. At the base of the ridge, Bark Rim Lichen, Lecanora chlorotera, was colonizing the bark of a young California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii.



As I worked my way up the rocky slope of the ridge, I saw numerous colonies of Bridges’ Cliff Brake, Pellaea bridgesii, growing with Lace Lip Fern, Myriopteris gracillima, and other plant species.



Higher on the ridge, I found large colonies of Heuchera rubescens growing in dry rock cervices. This was quite interesting, as I have never seen this species growing as densely and abundantly. I can’t wait to see them in full bloom!



The rocky ridge was also the perfect habitat for Pinemat Manzanita, Arctostaphylos nevadensis. Not only were the plants seen scrambling over rocks, but they were also seen forming beautiful thick mats.

[Robert]

The ridge was a haven for Buckwheat species, Eriogonum. I recorded four species. This mat forming variety of Eriogonum umbellatum was very nice. It is most likely the mat forming variety torreyanum. Not much was left of the inflorescence, so I’ll have to return in the spring to get a positive identification to the variety level.



Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum was another Buckwheat species that grew on this ridge.



The top of the ridge was flat with scattered stands of Sierra Juniper, Juniperus grandis, and Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi. Under one of the juniper trees I found a lone specimen of Phlox diffusa with a few flowers. Most likely the wild swings in the weather over the past month trigged it into bloom. One week it was snowing, the next week it was near record-breaking heat. Today it was overcast and cool with more snow in the forecast.



From the top of the ridge I had a good view of Rocky Basin and the surrounding countryside. In this photograph, Johnny’s Hill, 6,559 feet (1,999 meters), can be seen to the north (mountain left). The lower portion of Rocky Basin is in the foreground.



To the northeast is Red Mountain, 6,872 feet (2,095 meters). A good portion (most likely all) of Red Mountain consists of metamorphic rocks. To the south of Rocky Basin the rock is granodiorite. There is a noticeable shift in the flora from Red Mountain to the granodiorite ridges to the south.

[Robert]

At the far upper end of Rocky Basin the western earthen dam on Loon Lake can be seen. This dam was created when Loon Lake was converted from a natural lake into a reservoir. Gerle Creek flows from the large dam on the north side of Loon Lake.



This was one of the beautiful mats of Pinemat Manzanita, Acrtostaphylos nevadensis, which grew on the level portion of the ridge top. This time of year, the Jeffrey Pine needles and pinecones are a familiar scene in this type of situation in the Sierra Nevada. It is simple scenes like this that I like to imitate in our home garden.



Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi also grew abundantly on the rocky ridge. I did not see anything that looked special, however they will be worth a good look when they bloom next year.



I am always looking for signs of glaciation when hiking in the Sierra Nevada. From the top of the ridge I could not see any obvious signs of moraines in Rocky Basin, however glaciers clearly moved through this region. I found this piece of metamorphic rock near the top of the granodiorite ridge. Clearly it had been transported by glacial ice to this side of the ridge. I see this frequently, however I am sometimes puzzled how the rocks were exactly transported. Sometime given the topography it does not make complete sense.



Now that I had a good look at Rocky Basin, I could choose an interesting route off the ridge into the basin. The day was getting late and I choose and easy course that would lead me back to the old Wentworth Springs Road.

[Robert]

I slowly worked my way down through the dense chaparral that grew on the northern slope of the ridge. Huckleberry Oak, Quercus vacciniifolia, is somewhat easy to hike through, however the thickets of Mountain Whitethorn, Ceanothus cordulatus, are best avoided. This species has long wicked spines that can be very painful if they spear into ones skin.

The flora at the bottom of the ridge where Rocky Basin Creek flows is radically different from the dry sunny ridges. In a few a few locations there are thickets of Aspen, Populus tremuloides. This time of year the white bark of this species is quite striking.



From the 1860’s into the early 1900’s there were many meadows in this area. Francis Cow Camp, at Rocky Basin Creek near Gerle Creek, was a working summer range for cattle, as well as goats, sheep, and even hogs. Once the pastures were abandoned Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta ssp.murrayana, started to colonize the meadows. Today, a few small meadows still remain. In one meadow I found many Penstemon rydbergii var. oerocharis. One plant was trying to bloom.

The meadow could be a beautiful sight in the summer when the Penstemon are in bloom, however the off-road vehicle crowd likes to plough through the meadows in the spring while they are still wet and make a lot of mud – and destroy to existing vegetation. This is highly illegal and the U.S. Forest Service does the best they can to enforce the regulations, however they cannot stop everyone. One thoughtless person in an off-road vehicle can destroy much fragile habitat in a very short time. I keep hoping for something better.



One pleasant surprise near Rocky Basin Creek was the abundance of Grape Fern, Sceptridium multifidum. This species is not at all rare, but I had never seen them grow abundantly at one site. There must have been 30 plants in one area, with 100 or more total at this site. In addition, they were more or less protected from the off-road vehicles by the encroaching Lodgepole Pines that had grown to 4 (1.2 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall in the meadow (soon to be a forest).



Not only was it getting late in the day, but the clouds were continuing to thicken. It looked like rain could arrive soon. I quickly worked my way back to Gerle Creek and started my way back to the Outback. I stopped at one of the very old campsites along the creek. I am sure it has been in use for over 100 years. Gerle Creek was running clear and cold. The Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia that lined the bank were completely dormant and the brown, dry foliage of Darmara peltata was visible below the Alders and out into the creek, where they are quite happy to grow.

Sometimes I am appalled at what I find at campsites. The last occupants left this campsite trashed with human feces (one on top of a boulder with toilet paper!), used toilet paper everywhere, empty gun casings, empty beer cans, and other filth. It is terrible how a few thoughtless people can create such a mess. The U.S. Forest Service does the best they can to stop situations like this, however there is only so much they can do.



Along the creek bank the semi-dry remains of the Common Three-square Bulrush, Schoenoplectus pungens var. longispicatus could still be recognized. The three angled stems were still intact.