NPSO 2019 Annual Meeting

July 12-14     Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains

Field Trips

Saturday July 13, 2019    8:30 - 4:00                    Field Trip # 25

Difficulty:     Difficult  (6 miles)

Elevation:     5,200' to 6,100' along Miller Lake Trail (900' elevation gain) and 400' elevation gain during the off-trail portion of the trip.

Group Size Limit:     15

Trip Description:     This field trip will hike the Miller Lake Trail loop above Miller Lake, enjoying diverse wildflowers, shrubs and conifers. We will then take an off-trail detour to visit the Baker's cypress population. This will be a difficult hike with steep, uneven terrain during the off-trail portion. Trekking poles are advised.

The Applegate is home to one of Oregon's rarest trees, an enigmatic conifer called Baker's cypress. Found in only 11 widely scattered locations in northern California and southwest Oregon, Baker's cypress has a very restricted range.

Cypress trees generally don't grow in cold or wet climates; however, Baker's cypress is tolerant of cold and snow, growing farther north than any other cypress in North America. Near Miller Lake, Baker's cypress trees grow between 5,000'-6,000' elevation where persistent winter snow is the norm.

Botanist-explorer, Milo Baker, who found the species in northern California in 1898, first described Baker's cypress within the home range of the Modoc Indians. This is the reason why Baker's cypress is also referred to as Modoc cypress. Additionally, it is sometimes called Siskiyou cypress.

The botanical name for Baker's cypress is Hesperocyparis bakeri. The genus, "Hesperocyparis," translates to "western cypress," and the species name, bakeri, honors Milo Baker.

In the Applegate watershed Baker's cypress trees grow in four distinct groves along Steve Peak Ridge, including the northeast slope of Miller Peak at an off-trail location east of Miller Lake.

The Miller Peak grove has the second largest Baker's cypress trees in the world. They are located within the Oliver Matthews Research Natural Area. Oliver Matthews (1892-1979), who described himself as a "botanical tramp," drove around Oregon in his Model A Ford studying the state's rare and large conifers. Although he lived in Salem, Oliver Matthews became enthralled with the Siskiyou Mountains, campaigning hard for the designation of a Forest Service botanical area near Miller Lake within an area he called the "Miller Lake Magic Circle." Within his magic circle Matthews had found at least half of the 35 conifer species native to Oregon, including Baker's cypress.

Floristic Highlights:     Baker's cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri). We will also see many species of wildflowers along the way.

Appropriate Footwear:     Sturdy footwear and trekking poles for hiking off-trail are advised.

Special Considerations:     *High clearance vehicles will be necessary for this trip for those that drive in the carpool. The road to the Miller Lake Trailhead no longer has a bridge over Sturgis Creek, so fording the creek is necessary to get to the Miller Lake Trailhead. The water is not deep but the ford is somewhat steep, so high clearance is necessary.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 25 leaves at 8:30am from Pacifica.

Alternate Meeting:     To accomodate trip members who aren't staying at Pacifica, this trip will also pick up members at its first stop at The Applegate Store at 8:45am, (15095 Hwy 238, Applegate OR).

Driving Directions:     From Pacifica drive north on Water Gap Road and turn right onto Highway 238 toward Applegate. Just before the green bridge in Applegate turn right on Thompson Creek Road. After 11.9 miles the pavement ends at a four-way intersection. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 1020, where you should see a sign for Miller Lake. Drive for 4.5 miles and turn right onto Forest Service Road 1020-400. You will quickly ford Sturgis Creek and then carry on another 3.5 miles to the Miller Lake Trailhead.

Driving miles from Pacifica to trailhead:     30 miles one way from Pacifica. (Drive time about 50 minutes.)

Leaders:       Suzie Savoie & Luke Ruediger

Suzie Savoie is co-owner of Siskiyou Ecological Services and Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds, is the Conservation Chair for the Siskiyou Chapter Native Plant Society of Oregon, co-author of Native Pollinator Plants for Southern Oregon, and editor of The Siskiyou Crest: Hikes, History & Ecology. Suzie's work currently focuses on native seed collection services, online native seed sales through Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds, a native plant nursery, and native plant consultation. For 17 years she has lived off-grid on a homestead in the Upper Applegate Valley at the base of the Red Buttes Wilderness happily surrounded by the diverse flora of the Siskiyou Mountains.

Luke Ruediger grew up in Southwest Oregon and began exploring the region's unique habitat and terrain at an early age. Luke has long worked to preserve, restore, and protect the ecological integrity of the Siskiyou Mountains, through environmental activism and land stewardship. He is the author of the hiking and natural history guide, The Siskiyou Crest: Hikes, History & Ecology. Luke is Program Coordinator for Applegate Neighborhood Network and Director of the Siskiyou Field Office of Klamath Forest Alliance, where he advocates for the forests, wildlands, wild rivers and biodiversity of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. Luke is co-owner of Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds and Siskiyou Ecological Services. Luke lives in a remote, off-grid homestead at the headwaters of the Applegate River and spends his time in the backcountry enjoying the area's beauty, botany, and biodiversity.

Baker's cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri) near Miller Lake, and field trip co-leader Suzie Savoie.

Baker's cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri)

Baker's cypress near Miller Lake with 2017 Creedence Fire in the background.

Upper Miller Lake as seen from the Miller Lake Trail.

Dryland habitat along the Miller Lake Trail with views toward Grayback Mountain.