2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Maggi Young]

My word, Robert - wherever you choose to hike and share with us is great as far as I'm concerned- always something new to see or learn. thank you.

[Robert]

My word, Robert - wherever you choose to hike and share with us is great as far as I'm concerned- always something new to see or learn. thank you.

You are welcome! 

Hetch Hetchy Valley is an amazing place. I hope to visit many more times in the future!

[Robert]

HETCH HETCHY

Part I

Thursday, 4 May 2017

Sacramento Weather

Weather: Partly Cloudy
Temperature, High: 89 F, 31.5 C
                      Low: 66 F, 19 C




Hetch Hetchy Valley is located north of Yosemite Valley and in many ways mirrors, the better known, Yosemite Valley. Like Yosemite Valley a number of waterfalls plummet a thousand feet or more over sheer granite cliffs. Hetch Hetchy Dome is spectacular and is very similar to El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. On the south side of the valley, the massive and towering Kolana Rock dominates the valley. The “bathtub ring” created by Hetch Hetchy Reservoir does detract somewhat from the majestic beauty of the valley, however there are fewer visitors to this part of Yosemite National Park which for me is a real plus. Most locations in the valley can only be reached by hiking. One can encounter numerous hikers on the trail to Wapama Falls, however few hike beyond Wapama Falls or hike the less popular trails.

My goal this day was to hike to Wapama Falls, a distance of about 2.5 miles (4 km). From my previous trip to Hetch Hetchy four years ago, I knew that there were many wildflowers to see along this route to the falls. I started my trek at O’Shaughnessy Dam (3,828 feet, 1,167 meters), and entered the tunnel at the north end of the dam. Upon exiting the tunnel the trails traverses the hot south facing canyon face to Wapama Falls.



Lupinus albifrons is at its upper elevation limit in the valley, however there were some beautiful clumps along the trail as I left the tunnel.



On shaded cliff faces, Sedum spathulifolium clung to the near vertical rock faces. Many of the plants were still in full bloom.



Castilleja applegatei ssp. pinetorum was the only perennial Castilleja species that I logged on this outing. They appeared in scattered patches on the first portion of the trail. They shared the somewhat open, rocky habitat with the mounding Keckiella breviflora and larger specimens of Philadelphus lewisii.



Cirsium occidentale grew in one location on the first leg of the trail. They were most likely variety californicum, with tightly appressed phyllaries with only the spines spreading. I have to admit I was not pay close attention at the time as another species had my attention.

Throughout my journey I encountered Boechera pinetorum. The small purplish flowers of this Brassicaceae are not that showy, however the stems of reflexed seedpods are quite striking. Sorry, photographs did not turn out well.

[Robert]

Pellaea mucronata (pictured) and Pentagramma triangularis were the two most frequently seen ferns in this area. Often growing with or near the ferns were Blue Dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum. The flowers on the plants in this area were very pale in comparison to specimens I see on my outings in Northern California.



Under the shade of Canyon Live Oak, Quercus chyrsolepis, sheets of the annual Nemophila heterophylla were in bloom. Also pictured is Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum (upper left). It grew everywhere, so attention and caution were required as I hiked and examined plants.



Deer Bush, Ceanothus integerrimus var. macrothyrsus was in bloom along the route. It was one of two Ceanothus species I logged this day. Ceanothus cuneatus was the other species. They had finished blooming earlier in the season.



Only one species of Manzanita grew along this route, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa. The photograph is of a nice rounded specimen, however most of the plants I saw had twisted, artistic trunks and a wind swept look to them.



The plants in this area had dense glandular hairs on their stems and highly glandular fruit. This is very typical of this subspecies. If one looks closely in the photograph one might see these characteristics. Most of the plants I encounter of this subspecies in the northern Sierra Nevada are not quite as glandular-hairy. I often see them in mixed stands with subspecies viscida (stems and fruit glabrous) with many gradations between the two subspecies.

[Robert]

There were numerous invasive grasses growing in this area. Bromus tectorum, the most frequently seen, is growing through a patch of the native Acmispon wrangelianus in full bloom in this photograph. Avena barbata, Bromus diandrus, B. madritensis ssp. rubens, B. hordeaceus and Hordeum murinum were some of the other invasive grass species seen on this outing.



Melica californica was one of the few native grass species that I logged.



Water was cascading down the cliff faces everywhere. Most of the waterfalls were ephemeral and would stop flowing as the summer dry season approached.



Often there were dense groves of trees growing along the coarse of the seasonal streams. Under their shade canopy grew a completely different set of plant species. I found one nice stand of Fritillaria micrantha with some flowers that had not completely faded. Nearby I found a patch of Allophyllum divericatum in bloom. This lavender flowered Polemoniaceae is quite pretty. It is a shame the photographs did not turn out.



The majestic Kolana Rock dominated the view across Hetch Hetchy Reservoir as I hiked the trail toward Wapama Falls.

[Robert]

Eriodictyon californicum was another native shrub that grew prolifically throughout the area. They were in peak bloom. I was very fortunate to catch this butterfly as it sipped nectar from the open flowers.



About midway to Wapama Falls the trail meanders through an area of flat exposed sheets of granite bisected by trickling streams of water. Where there was enough soil, dazzling displays of wildflowers were in full bloom. The annual Lupinus stiversii put on a great display.



Lupinus stiversii was often found growing in mixed stands with the annual Lupinus nanus.



Lupinus nanus was often growing in huge sheets. The musky scent of their flowers filled the warm springtime air.



Another beautiful combination was Lupinus nanus and Trifolium willdenovii. This section of the trail was a miniature wildflower paradise.

[fermi de Sousa]

Great stuff, Robert!
I love that wildflower meadow of lupins and clover!
Keep up the good work, mate,
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

HETCH HETCHY

Part II

At times Trifolium willdenovii was seen blooming in dense stands. The flowers were deep and intense in color. Generally, when I encounter this species the flowers can be somewhat pale. I have a small stand of this species blooming in our Sacramento garden and hope that I can one day select a strain with deep colored flowers.



Some of the sites within the slab granite were very wet and almost swampy. Limnanthes alba ssp. alba thrives with very moist conditions. They were in bloom in great sheets where water accumulated.



Red Maids, Calandrinia ciliata, prefers moist sites too, however they are generally found where the soil is thin.



Scattered plants of Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum grew in this moist swampy area. Many Toxicoscordion species are found growing in much drier locations. Toxocoscordion venenosum prefers moist sites.



I encountered a few Carex species on this outing. Stick Sedge, Carex multicaulis, grew in somewhat dry forested areas along the trail. The dwarf sedge, Carex filifolia var. filifolia, grew in open areas on granite slabs where seasonal water flowed. Carex whitneyii aff (pictured) grew in moist sites both shaded and open to the sun. Unfortunately, I missed some key features in my field notes and I am a bit uncertain as to its true identity.

[Robert]

As I continued through the moist meadow-like area, I frequently encountered Mimulus floribundus growing in small drifts.



Another clover species that truly delights me is Trifolium monathum ssp. monathum. This species forms tight mats near small streams or seeps. I have encountered forms that are extremely tight, low and mat forming. I have never tried this species in our garden, but it is high on my priority list.



In rockier areas that dry more during the summer Drymocallis glandulosa could be found blooming. The whole Potentilla complex is a generally useful, beautiful, and easy-to-grow group of plants (at least our California native species). Many preform extremely well in our Sacramento garden and will bloom repeatedly throughout the season.



Wyethia angustifolia was one of a number of Asteraceae I saw blooming on this outing. The large yellow daisies are quite beautiful, however the smaller flowers on Jensia yosemitana also intrigued me.



Cheilanthes gracillima was a small rock fern that found its home in dry shaded cervices.

[Robert]

Sedella pumilla grew on extremely thin slices of soil directly on top of granite slabs in full sun. Where they grew in quantity this annual Crassulaceae put on quite a show with their small yellow flowers.



Occasionally, in drying rock crevices I found Phecelia vallicola in bloom. This Boraginaceae is another attractive California native annual.



I only spotted on specimen of this Mimulus species. It is very reminiscent of the Mimulus layneae that I see at Traverse Creek in El Dorado County. A few of its characteristic were not quite right, so I have some uncertainty about this specimen too. I looked for other plants, but did not find any. It was growing directly out of a rock crevice. This may have had something to do with its appearance.



I was now approaching Tueeulala Falls. In moist shaded areas large groups of Thalictrum fendleri were in full bloom. This species is generally dioecious. I find the pollen bearing male plants (pictured) with their hanging yellow anthers the most attractive.



A thin ribbon of water descends the sheer granite face to create Tueeulala Falls. A considerable volume of water descends the cliff face creating waves of turbulence through the air. It is quite awesome to approach closely to the falls.

[Robert]

Between Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls I caught a view of the upper portions of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, the beginning of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River and the high snow capped mountains beyond.



The same vantage point had a good view back toward O’Shaughnessy Dam.



It is a very short distance between Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls. This is as close to the falls as I could get and still take a photograph. Closer to the falls was like entering a rainstorm. Huge amounts of spray were coming off the falls, as an incredible volume of water thundered off the mountain. I was able to approach within a few meters of the falls before having to retreat. It would be very foolish to attempt crossing the cascade. One would be swept away instantly.



Now it was time to return to the trailhead. I took my time to see what species I might have missed on the way in. Minuartia douglasii has small white flowers and thread-like foliage. Individual plants can be easy to miss, especially when there are larger showier plants demanding attention. Minuartia douglasii enjoys dry sites in full sun. I encounter this species frequently on many of my outings.

My return hike to the Outback was uneventful as I scanned the terrain for plants that I might have missed. On this outing, I logged 113 species within a fairly small area with few habitat changes. The park rangers seemed impressed and I was pleased with the outcome. I was also pleased to get a peek into the high country. The snow is melting quickly and I will be able to visit the high mountains within a few weeks. The scenery was, of coarse, breath taking. This is certainly a place I plan to return to as much as possible. I have only scratched the surface!


Until next time…….

[Robert]

Great stuff, Robert!
I love that wildflower meadow of lupins and clover!
Keep up the good work, mate,
cheers
fermi

Thank you Fermi! 

The plan is to visit the Northern Coast Range this coming Thursday. There are several Calochortus species that I hope to locate. We will see how it goes.

[hamparstum]

Hi Robert! your last hike just led me to fond memories. I visited Toulumne meadows in 1975, as part of a two day visit to Yosemite. This much higher elevation part of the National Park had a large expanse on rather wet montane meadows quite level with an amazing amount wildplants. At that tome we were visiting the site of a colleague from UC Berkeley, Dep of zoology who was studying the social colonies of ground squirrels. I don't remember seeing the valley dam then, so I'm wondering how we got up there.
Thank you so much for your pics!
Arturo

[Robert]

Arturo,

There are two ways to get to Tuolumne Meadows. The first route is from the west. On the Big Oak Flat Road one turns on the Tioga Road before reaching Yosemite Valley. The other route is from the east starting at the town of Lee Vining. One just takes the Tioga Road up over Tioga Pass to Toulumne Meadows.

Believe-it-or-not when I was very young my father would put us kids in the truck Friday evening after work and we would all go to Yosemite to camp for the weekend. Now one needs to make a reservation months in advance to camp in the park. How times change!

Hetch Hetchy is in a remote part of Yosemite Park. Still there are a fair number of visitors, however there is nothing for tourist to do except hike. Not much can be seen except by hiking, so this cuts down on the number of people. This is perfect for me as I do not enjoy crowds of people.

Also, Hetch Hetchy is at a relatively low elevation. If I had more time I could have hiked to the top of the canyon rim and seen many more plant species. The only way to get to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River is by hiking. It is extremely remote and there are very few visitors. The perfect place for me to visit, but this will have to wait for another time.

Tomorrow, Thursday I will be returning to the Northern Coastal Mountains south of Snow Mountain. I am hoping this will be a productive outing.

[hamparstum]

Robert, I'm looking forward to your coastal mountain trip. My understanding of that part is very sketchy. I hear that it relies upon fog belts that deposit dew on the vegetation. Specially now in spring with great temperature range from inland to sea and day/night time temps. I'm again impressed with the amount of garden worthy annuals. I'll try to get seeds and see how they fare this far south. They could easily cover the early spring color demand beyond the traditional spring bulbs, specially for quickly drying sites. Thank you for posting your adventures; its a never ending stimulus for my horticultural adventures too!