NPSO 2019 Annual Meeting

July 12-14     Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains

Field Trips

Saturday July 13, 2019    8:30 - 4:00                    Field Trip # 12

Difficulty:     Easy  (< 1 mile) - This will be a fairly easy trip with roadside botany and short walks from the road.

Elevation:     Dutchman Peak is at 7364 ft. The elevation gain during the field trip will depend on the desire of field trip participants.

Group Size Limit:     15

Trip Description:     The Dutchman Peak Botanical Area is located on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Botanist Barbara Mumblo will lead an all-day botanizing trip in the Dutchman Peak Botanical Area on the Siskiyou Crest. The trip will mostly consist of stops along the road and short walks from the road.

We'll end with a visit to the Dutchman Peak Lookout, a National Historic Lookout built in 1927 that is surrounded by wonderful botany, with rare, sensitive, and endemic plants in the area. (If the gate is locked, we can walk the short spur road to the Lookout.)

The road is a bit rough but can be driven by a passenger car. An outhouse is at the Lookout. Easy trip.

Floristic Highlights:     Castilleja schizotricha, Horkelia hendersonii, Artemisia arbuscula, Cercocarpus ledifolius, Sedum lanceolatum, Ipomopsis aggregata, Tsuga mertensiana, and Lupinus leucophyllus

Appropriate Footwear:     Sturdy footwear is advised.

Special Considerations:     We will be on a high elevation ridge with sun and wind exposure. Prepare and stock your backpack appropriately. Bring sun protection, extra water and snacks; binoculars and cameras are welcome. Bring trekking poles if you use them.

Plant Lists:     You can view the Dutchman Peak plant list at the link below.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 12 leaves at 8:30am from Pacifica.

Driving Directions:     Directions to Jackson Gap near Dutchman Peak:

From Pacifica, head right (southerly) across the Applegate River and through the town of Applegate on HWY 238 about 18 miles, turn right on Hamilton and go past Cantrall-Buckley County Park. Turn right on Upper Applegate Road 7.5 miles to Beaver Creek Road (Road 20) and turn left. Eventually Road 20 turns to gravel. Turn left at the Silver Fork Gap intersection, still on Road 20, towards Dutchman Peak. Take the small spur road to Dutchman Peak. Note: Road 20 contains washboard sections and is a bit rough and narrow near Dutchman Peak; it is still passable in regular cars, although best in AWD or 4WD.

Driving miles from Pacifica to trailhead:     36 miles one way (Drive time is about one hour and ten minutes from Pacifica.)

Leader:       Barbara Mumblo

Barbara Mumblo has lived in the eastern part of the Applegate Valley for 42 years. Dr. Frank Lang piqued her interest in botany during a field trip to Mt. Ashland in 1976 which led to her graduating from Southern Oregon State College (now Southern Oregon Univ.) in 1980 with a BS in Biology (mostly botany classes). She worked as a botanist at Star Ranger Station from 1987 to 2015 when she retired. Barbara was selected as a NPSO Fellow in 2018 for her efforts in plant conservation and noxious weed education. Her contributions to the Siskiyou Chapter have been significant including volunteering on the 2019 Annual Meeting planning committee.

Splithair paintbrush (Castilleja schizotricha) and lanceleaf sedum (Sedum lanceolatum)

Henderson's horkelia - Horkelia hendersonii

Dusty maiden (Chaenactis douglasii)

Velvet lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus)

From Dutchman Peak down to Silver Fork Basin with Cercocarpus ledifolius and Arctostaphylos patula.