NPSO 2019 Annual Meeting

July 12-14     Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains

Field Trips

Saturday July 13, 2019    8:15 - 4:30                    Field Trip # 16

Difficulty:     Moderate  (4 miles) - 4-mile roundtrip hike on a relatively flat trail and cross country on a rocky open slope, gaining 340 feet in elevation, 7000-7340 feet.

Group Size Limit:     15

Trip Description:     Observation Peak, along the eastern Siskiyou Crest, anchors the southern end of the glacially-scoured Silver Fork Basin across from Dutchman Peak to the north. A little bit granitic and a little bit mantle-rock (peridotite, serpentinite), this mountain hosts numerous special plant species. We will walk on the Pacific Crest Trail through rock gardens, meadows, and a subalpine forest, and then head cross country to the summit through a wonderland of cushion plants. If we have time, we'll also drive to Cow Creek Glade, a beautiful wet meadow on the eastern flank of Observation Peak. Located at the boundary between the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Klamath National Forest.

Floristic Highlights:     Dwarf sagebrush (Artemesia arbuscula), golden triteleia (Triteleia crocea), Henderson's horkelia (Horkelia hendersonii), Lemmon's swordfern (Polystichum lemmonii), Siskiyou willowherb (Epilobium siskiyouense), splithair paintbrush (Castilleja schizotricha), and Whitney's locoweed (Astragulus whitneyi v. siskiyouense)

Appropriate Footwear:     Sturdy footwear is advised.

Special Considerations:     Bring trekking poles if you use them.

Plant Lists:     A plant list for Observation Peak can be viewed and downloaded at the link below.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 16 leaves at 8:15 from Pacifica.

Driving Directions:     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, then turn right on Upper Applegate Road. Drive 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. At Jackson Gap do not turn left on Road 20 but head straight (south) onto Siskiyou Crest Road (40S01) to the PCT parking lot. 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:     40 miles one way from Pacifica. (Drive time about 1 hour and 25 minutes.)

Leaders:       Kristi Mergenthaler & Dr. Dennis Odion

Kristi Mergenthaler is the stewardship director with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy and a long-term board member of the Siskyou Chapter NPSO. This is her 2nd time chairing the Annual Meeting planning committee (and her last!). She is the lead coordinator of the Siskiyou Chapter's Facebook page - check it out. Previously, she worked as a rare plant botanist and, for her graduate studies, researched the flora of the Eastern Siskiyou Crest.

Dr. Dennis Odion is a botanist turned fire ecologist. He acquired most of his training and botanical knowledge in Santa Barbara, California. His primary area of expertise is with post-fire regrowth in fire-specialized ecosystems like chaparral.

Acer botanizing on Observation Peak.

Splithair paintbrush-Castilleja schizotricha

Lemmon's sword fern-Polystichum lemmonii

Wildflowers on Observation Peak on the Siskiyou Crest

View towards the Red Buttes Wilderness from the top of Observation Peak.