NPSO 2012 Annual Meeting

Field Trip - Tanner Lakes: Champion Trees and Glorious Grasses

Description

Leaders: Frank Callahan (CEO Callahan Seeds) and Cindy Roché (Grass Illustrator for Flora of North America)

Difficulty: Moderate, with about 250 ft. elevation gain in the half mile hike to West Tanner Lake, then another 1.5 miles to East Tanner Lake. The trip also includes a mile of cross-country hiking to visit a Brewers Spruce stand.

Altitude: All above 5000 feet

Description: Frank and Cindy will lead a field trip into Tanner Lakes Basin in the Red Buttes Wilderness, an area of old growth conifers including two Oregon State Champion Trees. Frank will discuss the population and habitat characteristics of the disjunct Abies lasiocarpa population on Tanner Peak, however we will not be climbing to them. To offset neck pain from too much tree gazing, Cindy will identify the grasses underfoot, an often overlooked part of our flora.

Appropriate Footwear Plus: Please wear hiking boots and bring a lunch, plenty of water and snacks. If it is hot, you may want to bring a swimsuit to cool off in the lake.

Group Size Limit: 15

Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Driving Directions and RT Mileage: Ca. 70 miles from DCC over winding, dusty Road 48 with road stops to see Jeffrey pine, knobcone pine and Port Orford cedar on ultramafic substrates, summiting at the pass (just into California) and taking Forest Service Road 14 into Bolan Lake to trailhead to Tanner Lakes. Plan to carpool.

If you have questions that aren't answered here, send email to annualmeeting12@siskiyou.npsoregon.org.