2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[fermi de Sousa]

This mushroom was quite colorful and interesting. Unfortunately, I could not identify this one.

Hi Robert,
I hope you didn't taste it - it looks a bit Like fly agaric, Amanita muscaria - though I don't know if it grows in that area.
Another great report with more "new" plants to enjoy,
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Hi Robert,
I hope you didn't taste it           - it looks a bit Like fly agaric, Amanita muscaria - though I don't know if it grows in that area.
Another great report with more "new" plants to enjoy,
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

I do have a story concerning mushrooms!

When I was about 20 years old I had a friend that claimed to be an expert on wild mushrooms. He picked some wild mushrooms in the forest and had them on a sheet of paper doing a spore print. He said that the mushrooms could be highly poisonous, however after the spore print he declared them completely safe. He cooked them up and asked if I want to try some. I was not sure of the situation, but he was eating them without a delay. Okay, I decided to have a little taste. They were very good tasting. After finishing up the batch, he looked at me completely poker faced and said that he was not so sure about there edibility. Well, we never became sick and are still here to talk about it. He never admitted that he was pulling my leg and I will never eat a wild mushroom.

I have plenty of stories to tell. There is a good story why I will never get on the back of a motorcycle (one of many George stories). There are also many other George stories. Some of these will have to be in a book!    The one about George eating Rhododendron occidentale blossoms way back in the wilderness of the West Branch of the Feather River is a classic. Diverse Flora and adventure all together.

Aaahhh...

There is the story about camping in the Eagle Cap Wilderness (SE Oregon). George got sick in the evening and when we awoke in the morning there were several inches of snow on the ground and it was still snow. Promising to go to a hot spring was the only lever to get him out of the tent and on the trail. It also helped that my brother, Joe, and I carried most of his gear on the hike out. Great plants too!

On another trip to the Eagle Cap Wilderness, George, Don Bittney (an old man), Little Don (a full blooded Lakota boy from Pine Ridge) and I hiked into Ice Lake. Old Don was a great story teller. He told a story to everyone we saw on our hike in. Half way up the grade to Ice Lake Don became quiet, and started walking very slowly. George and Little Don wanted to catch some fish and left me with Don. After a short time Old Don quit walking and just sat down on the uphill side of the trail. He wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon! When I was sure Old Don was stable, I raced (like ran!) up the trail to Ice Lake. Little Don was easy to find, George was nowhere to be seen. Little Don went back to sit with Old Don. I set off to find George. I finally found him fishing at the other end of the lake. I told him about Old Don and all I got out of him was "one more cast". Oh!@#%!!! George loved to fish. I had heard this one a million times! The short end of the story is that Little Don and I got Big Don safely off the mountain and he recovered quickly once we were at the car.

The Eagle Cap Wilderness is world famous for its flora. I've seen some wonderful plants in this region. I wouldn't mind going back some day. This would be very 

Cheers

[fermi de Sousa]

 
I love the stories, Robert!
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

ROCKBOUND PASS

Part II

Erigeron breweri was one of the species sharing space with Angelica breweri. This daisy is fairy common in our area. Not only were they plentiful this year near the Van Vleck trailhead at the northern end of the Crystal Range, but the are frequently seen in the southern portions of El Dorado County along Highway 88.



Now it was time to examine the alpine meadow ahead of me. A thicket of Salix orestera filled the center of this meadow where a small stream flowed. The remaining part of the meadow was full of wildflowers.



Drifts of Erigeron coulteri were in full bloom among the tangle of grasses and sedges.



Mimulus lewisii was also plentiful in this meadow.



Phacelia ramosissima is an unassuming xeric species. The leafy stems sprawl along the ground and often through neighboring shrubs. It is not uncommon to see the clusters of pale lavender flowers rise through the foliage of nearby shrubs.

[Robert]

The meadow was alive and active with insect life. Hymenoptera of many sorts were actively working the flowers. Bees of the Genus Anthophora (pictured), as well as Bumblebees, Bombus sp., and Western Honey Bees, Apis mellifera, worked the open flowers.

In drier portions of the meadow, Grasshoppers were active. Their yellow marked wings and the distinctive clicking sound when they flew gave them away as Cratpedes neglectus. This Grasshopper species is very common in this area.

I am glad I was alert! I came across a Yellowjacket nest in the soft earth next to the stream. Yellowjackets, Vespula pensylvanica, nest in the ground. In the past I have accidentally stepped on one of their nests. Yellowjackets have a painful sting and they tend to pursue anything that disturbs their nest. It is helpful to run fast if you step on one of their nests!



When I reached the crest of the ridge, I easily found the old Red Peak Stock Trail. From the ridge top there were fantastic views of the northern peaks of the Crystal Range. Red Peak (center) consists of igneous rock and rock fragments that are part of the metamorphic roof pendant that runs through part of Desolation Wilderness. The flora subtlety but very distinctively differs on this area of rock.



Silver Peak is the next peak along the crest of the Crystal Range, north of Red Peak. The granite of Silver Peak is part of the Sierra Nevada granite batholith. In this photograph you can see the contrast of the silvery-gray granodiorite and the reddish granite nearby it (right). In addition, there are fragments of greenstone, quartzite, and partly metamorphosed marine sandstone in the area.



Much of the ridge that the Red Peak Stock Trail follows consists of igneous rock. The flora was extremely interesting. I decided to change my plans. Rather than descend the ridge northward to Top Lake, I would continue up the Stock Trail toward the crest of the Crystal Range.



The vistas of Mount Price to the south were awe-inspiring.

[Robert]

At this point I started to carefully examine the flora in this meadow. Lupinus Lepidus var. sellulus grew abundantly on the drier margins of the meadow.



Snow must have covered this meadow fairly recently. I found patches of Ranunculus alismifolius var. hartwegii in bloom. This species blooms very early in the spring, immediately after the snow melts.



Where there was running water, Mimulus tilingii grew and was blooming profusely.



Much of the south facing exposure of the ridge was very dry. Astragalus bolanderi grew in abundance in these xeric habitats. In some places they had finished blooming and had fat pods of ripening seeds. In other area they were just starting into bloom.



Occassionally I spotted a Mountain Dandelion in bloom. Nothocharis alpestris is a native species and only superficially resembles the common, non-native, invasive species, Taraxacum officinale . Although both species have ligulate flowers, the phyllaries of each species are quite different. Taraxacum officinale has recurved outer phyllaries, while Nothocharis has straight phyllaries that have many small purple spots.

[Robert]

I was not surprised when I spotted the first snowfield. In some places spring was just arriving.



I continued to work my way toward the summit of the ridge. The terrain became lush with wildflowers blooming everywhere. This scene of Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei with Senecio triangularis was quite typical. These common wildflowers were mixed with many other species that were extremely interesting.



Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei grew abundantly the mesic habitats on the north facing slopes of the Stock Trail ridge.

A fascinating find in this area was Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii. This taxon grew in a distinct elevation band above the range of Lupinus lepidus var. stellulus on this ridge. There was no indication that the taxon mixed with each other. This is the only site where I have observed Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii on the west slope of the Crystal Range. There are a number of questions I have concerning the distribution of this subspecies in this region. This will be a fascinating project.



Senecio triangularis grew in the moist mesic habitats high on the ridge. On drier sites Senecio scozonella was encountered frequently.



Now I was nearing 9,000 feet (2,743 meters). Here spring had just arrived and Calochortus minimus was at the peak of its bloom cycle.

[Robert]

ROCKBOUND PASS

Part III

At the highest elevations, the Crystal Range consists of rocky summits, ridges, arętes, and talus slopes. This is a very inhospitable environment for most plant life. This site, as well as the bench on the southwestern slope of Mount Price, is among the few semi-level sites with some degree of soil near the high peaks and summit ridges of the Crystal Range. These sites have both mesic and xeric high alpine meadow habitats. Some very unique species can be found at these sites, so I was eager to see what I might find on this outing.

At this elevation Polygonum shastense was still in bloom. This species is usually found growing out of crevices or creeping over rocks.



The tight creeping slivery foliage of Antennaria is very striking. All of the colonies I encountered had finished blooming and I made no attempt to identify then to the species level.



I will have to check my field notes to be sure, but I believe this is the only site were I have noted Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. integrifolia in the Crystal Range. It is not a rare species in our area, however it is generally seen closer to the Lake Tahoe Basin and at high elevation sites to the south.

I also found a few plants of Lewisia nevadensis. They had finished blooming, but I knew to keep my eyes alert for Lewisia longipetala and Lewisia pygmaea. The two latter species are found only at a few sites along the highest portions of the Crystal Range. This was a perfect habitat in which to find them.



The silvery foliage of Raillardella argentea is also eye catching.

 

This Asteraceae species forms dense colonies of rosettes that spread closely to the ground. The discoid flower heads are not especially showy, but I still find them interesting.

[Robert]

A fair number of the species found at this elevation are also found in the arctic and northern regions of Europe and Asia. Juniperus communis var. saxatilis is one of them.



Sedum lanceolatum was another good find. I see this species frequently in the Carson Pass region of Alpine County, California. To date, a location near the summit of Red Peak is the only other site where I have encountered this species in the Crystal Range.



This season, I have repeatedly encountered some splendid stands of Penstemon heterodoxus var. cephaloporus. The inflorescence of this variety is very glandular and two or more whorls of flowers are generally stacked on each stem. It is a real gem.



Dasiphora fruticosa, aka Potentilla frutocosa, is another circumboreal species. It is widely cultivated in the intermountain western United States as an ornamental shrub. There are many cultivars, however I like the wild plants in their natural habitat.



This was the last meadow before the final climb to the summit of the ridge. As this snowfield continued to melt, new plants were just emerging from the edge of the snow and were starting into growth. They certainly had a late start this year. This year many of the snowfields will never melt and there will be no growing season for the plants under the linger snow.

[Robert]

Carex nevina was at peak bloom and very showy.



At this elevation Eriogonum incanum formed especially tight low buns. The flowers were held on very short stems very close to the ground.



After bypassing the snowfield, I hiked the final stretch to the crest of the ridge.



Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium was among the species I found as I neared the summit.



The view from the summit was spectacular. The ridgeline northward to Red Peak beckoned. I have yet to explore this section of the Crystal Range crest. The flora near the summit of Red Peak northward to Tells Peak is extremely fascinating with a few species that I have yet to locate in other parts of the range. This section of the ridge consists of at least 2 differing plutons of igneous rock (diorite-grabbro and a pink granite) There are also fragments of metamorphic rock, quartzite, and other fragments. This area may contain unique floral species well adapted to these conditions. Unfortunately, this exploration will have to wait until another day.

[Robert]

The Dicks Peak (left, 9,974 feet – 3,040 meters) and Jacks Peak (right, 9,956 feet – 3,035 meters) massif form the northern hub of the range that forms the eastern boundary of Rockbound Valley and the headwaters of the Rubicon River.



Mount Price dominated the southern skyline. The billowing cloud behind Mount Price was smoke from a large wildfire near Yosemite National Park.



To the southeast in a cleft between ridges, a small portion of Lake Aloha can be seen (left center).

This was a great location to rest and eat a bit. I also had time to contemplate my next move. I was not able to locate any specimens of Lewisia longipetala or Lewisia pygmaea. I still had a reasonable amount of time to work with, however I did not want to spend this time looking for the two Lewisias. Considering the circumstances, it seemed sensible to hike south and descend the southern face of the ridge to the summit of Rockbound Pass and then explore the area between Rockbound Pass and Maud Lake.



So after getting my fill of this beautiful location, I set off to the south to descend to Rockbound Pass. At the top of the ridge before descending, I paused to observe the jointing on this mountain face. In addition, the division between the silvery-gray granodiorite, the pink granite, and very dark diorite-gabbro was very clearly evident.



This was my last view before the ridge dropped steeply toward Rockbound Pass. Wrights Lake can be seen in the distance through the haze.

[Robert]

ROCKBOUND PASS

Part IV

The initial descent to Rockbound Pass was slow but fairly easy. The easiest route was very long and led away from Rockbound Pass. To get to the summit of Rockbound Pass I needed to traverse some very steep, difficult to travel terrain.



The terrain became extremely steep. As I lowered myself down the huge boulders, I was able to closely observe the lichens that were often directly in my face. I occasionally saw small patches of Candelariella vitellina (yellow lichen).



The brilliantly colored Pleopsidium flavum always catches my attention.



At one point I needed to descend a small cliff face. I roped my pack and started lowering it down the cliff face. Somehow the metal flange where the rope was attached broke and I watched as the pack crashed to the base of the cliff and then continued to tumble down the steep slope. Fortunately, the pack became snagged on some brush and its descent down the slope ended.

Now it was time to lower myself down the cliff face. There were many good handholds as well as a good vertical crevice I could use as I climbed down the face.

Half way down the cliff face I encountered Heuchera rubescens growing directly out of one of the crevices. While wedged in the vertical crevices, I was able to take this photograph. This species is not rare, however this was my first sighting of this species in this area. Needless to say I was delighted.



After lowering myself down off the cliff, I went down to find my pack. It was completely undamaged! This route down to Rockbound Pass was not easy, but at least there was only the one cliff face to deal with. On the last approach to the pass, colonies of Eriogonum lobbii started to appear in the rock rubble.

[Robert]

I also spotted buns of Erigeron compositus in full bloom. I was very pleased to find this species. Red Peak is the only other site where I have observed this species in the Crystal Range. Elsewhere, in the central and southern Sierra Nevada, the species can be quite common at high elevations.



The route down to Rockbound Pass took much longer than I expected. Once on the pass, I paused to look northeastward down into Rockbound Valley. Lake Doris was within easy hiking distance; however the delays I encountered descending to Rockbound Pass cost me much valuable time. I now turned west and hiked down the trail toward Maud Lake.



From Wrights Lake, there is an excellent trail to the summit of Rockbound Pass, however from the pass to Maud Lake, the terrain is still difficult to negotiate quickly.



Once again a considerable amount of time was require hiking down to the valley below the pass. Now it was getting late and it would be getting dark soon. I was still a long distance from Wrights Lake.



Maud Lake is very beautiful. Unfortunately, I could not loiter long. After taking a quick look around, I continued down the valley toward Wright Lake.

[Robert]

The scenery in this area is very pleasant.



This was my last view toward Wrights Lake, before I descended into the haze and continued my trek back to Wrights Lake.

This outing was extremely productive and quite an adventure. 158 species were logged on this outing, a fairly high total for this time of year. It was unfortunate that I needed to rush back to Wrights Lake once I arrived at Rockbound Pass, but then there is always next time.

So,

Until next time…..

[ashley]

Magnificent hiking country, wonderful plants and certainly an adventure Robert.  Photography while hanging wedged in a crevice is quite a feat  
'Envy' sounds negative but I'm envious
Thanks for taking us along.