2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Maianthemum racemosum bloomed in the shade of the tall Red Fir, Abies magnifica var. magnifeca.



Hackelia nervosa was blooming in the same vicinity. The bright lavender-blue flowers are very striking.



Claytonia laneolata is an ephemeral snowmelt species. They bloom immediately after the snow melts, set seed, and then quickly go dormant for the remaining summer season.



Viola bakeri grows in the organic duff under coniferous trees, where it is shady and dry.



On the granite ledges above Lake No. 3 there are beautiful vistas of Silver Peak 8,930 feet (2,722 meters) off to the north.

[Robert]

This is my favorite path on the southeastern side of Lake No. 3 as seen in October of 2003. The Phyllodoce breweri (deep green), Vaccinium cespitosum (red), and other plant species create a beautiful combination of color and texture throughout the season. It is a peaceful evening stroll that I always enjoy when camping at Lake No. 3.



This is the same path on 20 July 2017. This snowdrift was at least 1 meter deep.



Well before I would like, the time to leave Lake No. 3 arrived. I wanted to check on the trail conditions from Lake No. 3 to the junction to Lake No. 5 and Lawrence Lake (another favorite destination), so I set off to the south down the trail. Much of the trail was swampy with snow runoff or still covered with a thick layer of snow. In many places the snow was still 3 feet deep (1 meter) and in a few places 6 feet deep (2 meters).

After negotiating the snow, I quickly set off down the trail into the thick smoke and toward Upper Bassi Fork.



At the higher elevations Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi was still flowering.



Some beautiful stems of Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum were still in their prime.

[Robert]

Castilleja nana is small and quite subtle when in bloom. I always miss plants on my hiking in, so I like to play around and see how many new species I can find on my way out. It is also a wonderful way to procrastinate in the mountains a bit longer.



I pasted through the upper meadows on my way back to the Outback. For me, this whole region has so many good memories and feelings. It is difficult to leave.

This outing certainly did not go as planned, however it was still highly productive and pure pleasure. The low elevation meadows were spectacular and give me good reason to return next week. The Tells Peak Trail shares the first portion of the Red Peak Trail before it forks off to the north. There are many meadows along this route and there will most likely be many wildflowers to see. This will be my next destination.


Until next time….

[Robert]

Arturo,

You are spot on concerning human disruption of natural ecosystems. The original California Native Americans certainly had their interactions and effects on the natural ecosystem after the last Ice Age ended, however the scale of disruption and destruction has been incredible in the last 150 years. Our California bunchgrass ecosystem, low elevation oak woodlands, and high elevation aquatic habitats are just some of the natural ecosystems that are unlikely to recover from human interference. Mix jurisdiction and management (Federal, State, Local, and Private) exasperate the challenges of managing and maintaining what remains of our natural heritage. The pressures of population and development require an entirely different approach to our coexistence with our natural environment (our survival as a species too). A new and more harmonious approach is completely possible, but seems unlikely with the continuing and pre-existing dysfunctional human social systems on the planet.

We are fortunate, to my knowledge there are no feral hogs in our part of the Sierra Nevada. There are a few remaining fragments of old growth forest, mostly in National Parks and other protected locations. One old growth tree is an ecosystem in itself! Lilium parvum is very abundant, however much of the diversity within this species that I observed 30-35 years ago has been lost. Other than myself, I am unsure if anyone is aware of the loss. The same is true for many more species and natural systems in California. Our natural world is disappearing right from under our noses without many noticing. We need people out in the field day after day to truly understand what is going on and how to truly coexist on our planet. A laboratory may provide insights in certain circumstances, however it is a virtual, fragmented and disconnected world compared to direct observation and integration with nature. Hopefully human societies can get their priorities straight before all is lost.

[Robert]

Thanks Robert, I always enjoy reading about your adventures and seeing the great pictures of  landscape and detail.

Ian,

Thank you for the encouraging comment. Maybe I should be thanking you for all your years of effort with the bulb log!       As my wife just said, the bulb log inspires us and helped get me started with the SRGC forum.

This Thursday, I will be returning to the Red Peak area to get many of the details that I missed last week. Actually I will be hiking toward Tells Peak, however the Tells Peak trail shares the Red Peak trail for a short distance. The meadows have plenty of moisture this year so I am hoping that the wildflower display will be just as nice this Thursday.

Now I have to get caught up reading the bulb log!    I am still behind, but there has been so much to do lately.

[hamparstum]

Robert, there's nothing that can replace good field observation. A good field notebook, with just a pencil, perhaps some binoculars and a camera. Poor science sometimes takes the lead because there's no time available to just let mind wander and enjoy staying out in the quietness of the natural world. Laboratories however useful can not replace the full immersion situation that provides extended contact in/of the wilderness. My urge in you taking the lead in your context is that there aren't that many surviving field naturalists these days. It is a tradition in itself absolutely critical for the management/restoration of natural areas. It was my central policy while I was developing and training the future park wardens while I worked for the National Parks here. Your diary however is a fine way of registering the wonders of following the same path for over decades. I pray that others follow your example...

[Ian Y]

It is the purpose of the SRGC forum and our other online presence that we can connect, share and inspire each other and I think Robert we can agree that we both share as well as getting pleasure and inspiration from each other.
It is a beautiful area I especially love that Kalmia - your posts are cheering up me sitting in a very grey wet 'summer' day in Aberdeen as I finish off and prepare to upload today's Bulb Log.

[David Nicholson]

As usual Robert highly interesting stuff. Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis looks to have the makings of an excellent garden plant for UK conditions. Lovely to see Phlox diffusa in its 'home' conditions too. Lewisia triphylla always interests me as it grows from a spherical tuber. According to  Roy Davidson's book 'Lewisias' (Timber Press 2000 ) L. triphylla was the very first species of Lewisia collected from the wild by the Lewis and Clark expedition it being discovered on 27 June 1806, four days before Lewis collected L. rediviva. According to Davidson in addition to the normal white there is a pale pink variety of the plant too.

[Robert]

I had an outstanding outing yesterday.          The wildflowers were spectacular, the best I have seen in decades. So far, I have not had a chance to process the photographs and there is a lot to look at. I logged over 150 vascular plant species. In addition, I logged numerous Bryophytes, Lichens, Lepidoptera Order insects (Mostly butterflies), and more, so yes, there is much to process. I am hoping that the photographs have turned out well.

I will answer some of the questions soon, maybe in a day or two.

       

[Robert]

I went through the photographs of my last outing to the Tells Peak Region on Thursday. Most of the photographs turned out well.



One batch of several "Blues" I observed. It is difficult to identify the Blues when their wings are open, but these are most likely Boisduuval's Blues, Plebejus icarioides. I saw plenty with their wings closed!



A Coronis Fritillary, Speyeria coronis. The Greater Fritillaries, Genus Speyeria, can be a bit difficult to sort, however I am fairly sure this is a Coronis Fritillary. The butterflies are so elusive, but I did get a good look at this one.

[Robert]

As usual Robert highly interesting stuff. Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis looks to have the makings of an excellent garden plant for UK conditions. Lovely to see Phlox diffusa in its 'home' conditions too. Lewisia triphylla always interests me as it grows from a spherical tuber. According to  Roy Davidson's book 'Lewisias' (Timber Press 2000 ) L. triphylla was the very first species of Lewisia collected from the wild by the Lewis and Clark expedition it being discovered on 27 June 1806, four days before Lewis collected L. rediviva. According to Davidson in addition to the normal white there is a pale pink variety of the plant too.

Hi David,

Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis is a first rate, easy-to-grow, species in cultivation. They grow in seasonally moist meadows. This year many of the meadows are extremely moist, at times swampy, however during the drought years some of the same meadows became extremely dry. Penstemon rydbergii may not have thrived during the drought years, but they did survive. The previous week on the Red Peak Trail I saw them in huge sheets covering large portions of meadow land. They were in full bloom and quite the sight!

I almost always see Lewisia triphylla in its white flowering form. Many species show considerable variation in their natural habitat. If one is observant, one can see all sorts of interesting variations and features. There is much untapped potential for anyone interested in pursuing such things.

[Robert]

It is the purpose of the SRGC forum and our other online presence that we can connect, share and inspire each other and I think Robert we can agree that we both share as well as getting pleasure and inspiration from each other.
It is a beautiful area I especially love that Kalmia .....

Ian,

Kalmia polifolia also looks nice with Vaccinium cespitosum in the autumn. The two species often are found growing next to each other. In the autumn, the Vaccinium turns brilliant scarlet red to red-orange and looks fantastic next to the deep green foliage of Kalmia polifolia. In addition, Phyllodoce breweri can often be seen with Vaccinium cespitosum with an equally good effect. I have tried the Phyllodoce / Vaccinium combination in our garden, however the Vaccinium gave up quickly after planting.    I will have to try again. Vaccinium caspitosum roots very easily from cuttings. Finding seed is difficult as the native fauna generally find the berries first... and the berries are very good! 

[Hoy]

Robert,

Nice to see the smaller butterflies in your area! They are very similar to the butterflies here although other species. Different species of blues are very common around here (at our mountain cabin). Also some small brown/orange similar to the Coronis Fritilary are common here.

It is also interesting that Wolf lichen is the same as here! Il the past it was used in baits to poison wolfes.

The plethoria of flowers are amazing as usual. Although the scenery can be as colourful here as there the diversity of plants are much lower. The same species occur in several diverse habitats.

[Robert]

Hi Trond,

What sort of "Blues" (subfamily Polyommatinae) do you have in your area? Euphilotes Blues are common in the mountains, as well as Plebejus and others. The only Lesser Fritillary I see here is Boloria epithore, the Pacific Fritiilary. I always see them in the mountains. They may have been more widespread at one time, but not now.

What Letharia species grow in Norway?

The plethora of flowers was amazing! I logged over 150 species of vascular plants between 6,505 feet (1,983 meters) and 7,100 feet (2,164 meters). I am sure that I missed a number of species. There were a number of species that I saw on the Red Peak Trail in the same altitude range the previous week at I missed on the Tells Peak Trail. If I had time, I am sure that I could have logged over 200 species if I could have hiked all the way to the top of Tells Peak. I was very impressed with the diversity.

The flowering displays were impressive too. When we get some good rainfall / snowfall it is quite amazing. Each micro-habitat has its own unique mix of wildflowers and the mix, of coarse, changes from week to week.

I look forward to posting this outing.

[Hoy]

Robert,

Plebeius is common here also with several species. Others are Aricia, Polyommatus and Cupido.
Several species of Boloria occur here also but I do not recognize the species.

Letheria vulpina is the only Letheria species here. It is connected to old pine forests in the eastern parts of the country. Many places it is rare due to logging.

150 species is quite a number! I had to tally all kind of species, not only flowering plants, to achieve that!