NPSO 2019 Annual Meeting

1 Pacifica and Forestfarm Tour             Ray Prag, Peg Prag, & Jen Tietjen

   12:00 - 1:00      Easy  (.25 mile)

Tour the grounds and facilities at Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous in the Williams Valley, including self-guided trails at the Nature Center and Forestfarm Nursery, with an opportunity to purchase plants after the nursery tour.

2 Plein Air Painting on the Siskiyou Crest            Dr. Darlene Southworth

   11:15 - 4:30      Easy  (0 miles)

Paint the Siskiyous from Jackson Gap, a scenic saddle on the Siskiyou Crest. The site includes rare and unusual wildflowers, views, meadows, forests and rocky scablands. Bring painting materials, chair and easel if desired.

3 Red Lily Riparian Restoration Tour and Wine Tasting      Katelyn Detweiler

   11:45 - 1:45      Easy  (1 mile)    TRIP IS FULL

Tour a five-year-old riparian restoration project on the grounds of Red Lily Vineyard. Hear about the Freshwater Trust's long-term efforts to restore and monitor riparian vegetation along the Applegate River. After the tour, relax with a glass of local wine by the river.

4 Cedar Log Flat Research Natural Area        Dominic DiPaolo & Chelsea Reha

   11:45 - 4:30      Moderate  (2-3 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Hike off trail on easy to moderate slopes and uneven terrain to view Darlingtonia californica wetlands, serpentine influenced Jeffrey pine savanna, and mature mixed conifer forest in the Cedar Log Flat Research Natural Area in the Lower Applegate.

5 Grasses of the Enchanted Forest                     Dr. Cindy Roché

   11:45 - 4:30      Moderate  (3.6 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Join botanist Cindy Roché for an enchanting look at grasses along the Enchanted Forest Trail in the Middle Applegate, using her new Field Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and Washington.

6 Whisky Creek                              Dr. Dennis Odion & Luke Ruediger

   11:15 - 4:30      Moderate  (5 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Hike through old-growth mixed conifer forest in the Whisky Creek canyon in the Upper Applegate and discuss botany and fire ecology effects from the 2017 Abney Fire. This trip will discuss common and uncommon species in the Applegate Siskiyous and the vegetative response to the fire.

11 Chrome Ridge                                                 Dr. Tom Atzet

   8:15 - 4:30      Easy  (1-2 miles)

Chrome Ridge is an ancient sea floor serpentine ridge with spectacular views and interesting botany. The trip will explore serpentine barrens, Jeffrey pine savanna and the 2018 Klondike-Taylor Fire. Participants will see rare and endemic serpentine wildflowers in the Illinois River Watershed.

12 Dutchman Peak Botanical Area                                Barbara Mumblo

    8:30 - 4:00      Easy  (< 1 mile)    TRIP IS FULL

Spend the day botanizing in the Dutchman Peak Botanical Area on the Siskiyou Crest with stops along the road or short walks to see plants such as Castilleja schizotricha, Horkelia hendersonii, Artemisia arbuscula, Cercocarpus ledifolius, Sedum lanceolatum, Ipomopsis aggregata, Tsuga mertensiana, and Lupinus leucophyllus.

13 Siskiyou Crest Road 20                                Ben Ey & Jeanine Moy

    8:30 - 4:00      Easy  (There will be no hiking miles unless the group decides to walk out the PCT for a short ways.)

Drive scenic Forest Service Road 20 along the botanically diverse Siskiyou Crest, stopping to admire rare plants, wildflower-filled meadows, and panoramic vistas of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains along the way.

14 Big Red Mountain PCT                     Rachel Werling & Dr. Jad D'Allura

    8:30 - 4:00      Moderate  (Approximately 7-8 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Unique botany and geology will be highlighted along the PCT on Big Red Mountain on the Siskiyou Crest where ultramafic soils host many rare and unusual species such as Epilobium siskiyouense, Polystichum lemmonii, and Castilleja schizotricha.

15 Bigelow Lakes Basin             Dr. Linda Vorobik & Dr. Cindy Roché

    8:30 - 4:00      Moderate  (2.4 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Botanize the Bigelow Lakes Botanical Area in the expanded Oregon Caves National Monument to explore the dazzling diversity of sedges and grasses, as well as rare, endemic, and common wildflowers of the Siskiyou Mountains.

16 Observation Peak                    Kristi Mergenthaler & Dr. Dennis Odion

   8:15 - 4:30      Moderate  (4 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Explore the Observation Peak Botanical Area on the Siskiyou Crest. We will walk on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) through rock gardens, meadows, and a subalpine forest, and then head cross-country to the summit through a wonderland of rare and unusual cushion plants. We will also focus on bumble bee pollination ecology and identify a few bumbles.

17 TJ Howell Botanical Drive and Babyfoot Lake                       Lee Webb

   8:00 - 4:00      Moderate  (2.5 miles)

Drive TJ Howell Botanical Drive in the Illinois River drainage, stopping along the way to explore rare and unusual plants influenced by serpentine geology. Then hike into the edge of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness to beautiful Babyfoot Lake in the Chetco River drainage, viewing more rare plants along the way, and witnessing some of the changes brought by the 2002 Biscuit and 2018 Klondike Fires.

21 Big Red Mountain (summit)                                    John Villella

    8:30 - 4:00      Difficult  (Approximately 1 mile round trip)

Get off the beaten path and explore unique botany, rare plants and geology on the ultramafic soils of Big Red Mountain with an off-trail trip to the summit where participants will take in amazing views of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. Special attention to pollinator-plant interactions will also be highlighted along the way.

22 Cook and Green Pass and Elk Meadow                             Dave Bowden

    8:30 - 4:00      Difficult  (2.5-4 miles depending on optional trip variations)

Hike into a hotspot for botanical diversity by following an abandoned trail through the 2017 Abney Fire footprint into Elk Meadows, a rarely visited cirque wetland on the upper north slope of the Siskiyou Crest and just east of the Red Buttes Wilderness. We will see endemic, rare and uncommon species, including serpentine associated species, while enjoying views of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains and the effects of the 2017 Abney Fire.

23 Frog Pond                              Julie Spelletich & Richard Callagan

    8:15 - 4:30      Difficult  (5.8 miles)

Explore the flora of the Red Buttes Wilderness along the Frog Pond Trail in the Upper Applegate. Experience lush wet meadows filled with Wiggins Lily (Lilium pardalinum ssp. wigginsii), old-growth forests, and see one of the southernmost stands of Alaska yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis).

24 Grayback Mountain and Big Sugarloaf Peak                       Wayne Rolle

    8:15 - 4:30      Difficult  (5 miles round trip)

This field trip will include both on trail and off-trail hiking to Grayback Mountain and Big Sugarloaf Peak, exploring the "Boundary Range" dividing the Applegate and Illinois River watersheds. We will follow both the O'Brien Creek Trail and Boundary Trail to wet meadows, rock outcrops and dry open slopes with special status, rare, and uncommon species.

25 Miller Lake Baker's cypress                   Suzie Savoie & Luke Ruediger

    8:30 - 4:00      Difficult  (6 miles)

Hike the Miller Lake Trail loop in the Upper Applegate, enjoying rock outcrops, spectacular views and stunning wildflower displays. Then detour off-trail to a beautiful grove of the rare Baker's cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri).

31 Free and Easy Creek                           Gretchen Vos & Richard Brock

    9:00 - 3:00      Easy  (<1 mile)    TRIP IS FULL

Explore the serpentine flora of Free and Easy Creek with botanists Richard (aka Juniper) Brock and Gretchen Vos. Using Forest Service roads as access, we will drive, stop, wander/meander, and repeat. Short walks from the road to botanize.

32 Lichens and Bryophytes                                         Scot Loring

    9:00 - 3:00      Moderate  (1-3 miles round trip depending on time available and final destinations on the Siskiyou Crest)    TRIP IS FULL

Dive into the cryptic world of lichens and bryophytes in the Siskiyous with expert Scot Loring. Visit uncommon calcareous tufa deposits with unique bryophyte flora at lower elevations; take a look at lichens in old-growth forests higher in elevation, and then end the trip high on the Siskiyou Crest with an exploration of a sphagnum-dominated wetland with complex geology and a diversity of lichens and bryophytes. Beautiful wildflowers and other interesting vascular plants will also be encountered, and a short tutorial on finding truffles will be provided.

33 Silver Fork Basin                  Barbara Mumblo & Dr. Cindy Roché

    9:00 - 3:00      Moderate  (Approximately 1 mile)    TRIP IS FULL

A moderate off-trail hike through Silver Fork Basin below the Siskiyou Crest. The extensive meadows between Dutchman Peak and Observation Peak contain showy displays of wet, moist and dry meadow species. Abundant bees and butterflies will round out the show.

34 Whisky Peak                                    Jason Clark & Jay D. Scelza

    9:00 - 3:00      Moderate  (2 miles)    TRIP IS FULL

Hike a half-mile steep ascent to view grand vistas atop Whisky Peak, the site of an old fire lookout near the Red Buttes Wilderness in the Upper Applegate. Whisky Peak is known for spectacular rock outcrops with displays of uncommon and unusual flowering species.

35 Cook and Green Pass                                      Dr. Linda Vorobik

    9:00 - 3:00      Moderate  (5 miles)

Hike the PCT through the Cook and Green Pass Botanical Area at the boundary between the Applegate and Klamath River watersheds, a hotspot for botanical diversity. See endemic, rare and uncommon species while enjoying views of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains and the effects of the 2017 Abney Fire.