Conifer Country
Conifer Country
A natural history and hiking guide to 35 conifers of the Klamath Mountain region
Michael Edward Kauffmann
In association with: Redwood Science Project, Humboldt State University California Native Plant Society, North Coast Chapter
Winter in the Siskiyou Mountains
Order this book online: www.backcountrypress.com or [email protected] © Copyright 2012 Michael Edward Kauffmann First Edition Text pages printed on 100% recycled, 100% post consumer waste in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author. All photos, text, maps by author except where noted Book layout by author Front cover design by Allison Poklemba Back cover design by author Published by Backcountry Press | Kneeland, California ISBN 978-0-578-09416-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2011918101
Map background images by Tom Harrison from http://www.shadedrelief.com/physical/ Printing by www.angelprint.com | Oceanside, California
Dedication
To Allison for many honeymoons in the mountains & To my family for allowing me to explore
“There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California.” -- Edward Abbey
Special Thanks: To Dr. John O. Sawyer, who has been a mentor and friend during my personal discovery of this magical landscape. To David Fix, who provided me with invaluable feedback over the eight years of writing and exploring. To Jeffrey White, who provided opportunities at Humboldt State to further my coniferous understandings. This book would not have achieved the climactic crescendo that is has without them—and many others. While the successes of Conifer Country are due to all reviewers listed below, any shortcomings are solely attributable to the author. Inevitably, there will be issues to be addressed in the next edition. Content was thoroughly reviewed as well, but understandings change and new ideas arise. Contributing reviewers, in alphabetical order:
David Charlet (conifers) David Fix (manuscript and copy editing) Erik Jules (manuscript and graduate committee member) Sue Leskiw (copy editing) Michael Mesler (manuscript and graduate committee member) Kristi Mergenthaler (geology) Allison Poklemba (anything and everything) John Sawyer (manuscript numerous times; graduate committee member) Loren Schneider (geology) David Rains Wallace (about this book) Jeffrey White (manuscript and graduate advisor) A few words of caution... Many of the trails mentioned in this book traverse wilderness areas—often so remote that cell phones do not work. In addition to exposed risks of the terrain, weather conditions may also change quickly, the Earth may shake, or Mount Shasta may erupt. Just because a hike is included in this book, or even that I have rated it as easy, does not mean that it will necessarily be safe or easy for you. Prepare yourself with proper physical training, equipment, and wilderness skills before attempting anything outside of your comfort zone. You will then be able to hike with confidence in Conifer Country. I have hiked all of the routes herein at least twice to check the accuracy of the hike descriptions. Nonetheless, logging, construction, storm damage, or earthquake may have altered the trails and/or roads. This is one of the main reasons that the routes descriptions are available for digital download from my website, so they may be updated as I continue to explore and readers supply feedback. Please contact me and share your experiences with this book. Happy Trails (and plant loving), Michael Edward Kauffmann
Table of Contents Section 1: Klamath Knot 8
About this book
11
How to use this book
12
Conifer Country: the region defined
13
About the exceptional regional conifer diversity
14
The success story of regional conifers
16
Regional geology
20
Regional climate
Section 2: Conifers 25
What is a conifer?
29
Comments on the range maps
29
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
33
White fir (Abies concolor)
35
Grand fir (Abies grandis)
39
Shasta fir (Abies x shastensis)
40
Noble fir (Abies procera)
44
Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
45
Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
49
Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana)
53
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
55
Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)
57
Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
61
Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
64
Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)
67
Western white pine (Pinus monticola)
71
Foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana)
74
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)
78
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
81
Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi)
84
Ghost pine (Pinus sabiniana)
87
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana)
89
Beach pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta)
92
Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata)
95
Bishop pine (Pinus muricata)
97
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
102
Incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
104
Port Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
107
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata)
109
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
112
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
113
Alaska yellow-cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis)
115
Baker cypress (Cupressus bakeri)
118
Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
121
Other regional conifers
125
Introduced conifers
Section 3: Hikes 129
North Coast: Region 1
130
Kings Peak - hike 1
132
Russ Park - hike 2
134
Patricks Point - hike 3
136
Prairie Creek Zig-Zag - hike 4
138
Damnation Creek - hike 5
140
Little Bald Hills - hike 6
143
Siskiyou Mountains: Region 2
144
Vulcan Lake - hike 7
146
Bear Peak Botanical Area - hike 8
148
Devil’s Punchbowl - hike 9
150
Bigfoot Scenic Highway - hike 10
152
Seiad Baker Cypress Botanical Area - hike 11
152
Cook and Green Pass - hike 12
154
White Mountain Botanical Area - hike 13
157
Central Klamath Mountains: Region 3
158
Diamond Lake - hike 14
162
Little Duck Lake - hike 15
163
Sugar Creek - hike 16
166
Fen Trail - hike 17
168
Mount Eddy - hike 18
170
Cedar Basin - hike 19
174
Bear Creek - hike 20
176
Canyon Creek - hike 21
179
Gray (Ghost) Pine Botanical Area - hike 22
179
Salmon Mountain - hike 23
181
Southern Klamath Mountains: Region 4
182
South Fork Mountain - hike 24
184
Hell’s Half Acre - hike 25
186
South Fork Trinity National Recreation Trail - hike 26
188
Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness - hike 27
191
Long hike: Pacific Crest Trail
193
Long hike: Bigfoot Trail
Section 4: Tying a bow around it 194
List of tables, figures, and color plates
196
Glossary
199
Bibliography
203
Future
205
About MK
Foxtail pine in the Trinity Alps Wilderness
A natural history and hiking guide to 35 conifers of the Klamath Mountain region
Michael Edward Kauffmann
In association with: Redwood Science Project, Humboldt State University California Native Plant Society, North Coast Chapter
Winter in the Siskiyou Mountains
Order this book online: www.backcountrypress.com or [email protected] © Copyright 2012 Michael Edward Kauffmann First Edition Text pages printed on 100% recycled, 100% post consumer waste in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author. All photos, text, maps by author except where noted Book layout by author Front cover design by Allison Poklemba Back cover design by author Published by Backcountry Press | Kneeland, California ISBN 978-0-578-09416-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2011918101
Map background images by Tom Harrison from http://www.shadedrelief.com/physical/ Printing by www.angelprint.com | Oceanside, California
Dedication
To Allison for many honeymoons in the mountains & To my family for allowing me to explore
“There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California.” -- Edward Abbey
Special Thanks: To Dr. John O. Sawyer, who has been a mentor and friend during my personal discovery of this magical landscape. To David Fix, who provided me with invaluable feedback over the eight years of writing and exploring. To Jeffrey White, who provided opportunities at Humboldt State to further my coniferous understandings. This book would not have achieved the climactic crescendo that is has without them—and many others. While the successes of Conifer Country are due to all reviewers listed below, any shortcomings are solely attributable to the author. Inevitably, there will be issues to be addressed in the next edition. Content was thoroughly reviewed as well, but understandings change and new ideas arise. Contributing reviewers, in alphabetical order:
David Charlet (conifers) David Fix (manuscript and copy editing) Erik Jules (manuscript and graduate committee member) Sue Leskiw (copy editing) Michael Mesler (manuscript and graduate committee member) Kristi Mergenthaler (geology) Allison Poklemba (anything and everything) John Sawyer (manuscript numerous times; graduate committee member) Loren Schneider (geology) David Rains Wallace (about this book) Jeffrey White (manuscript and graduate advisor) A few words of caution... Many of the trails mentioned in this book traverse wilderness areas—often so remote that cell phones do not work. In addition to exposed risks of the terrain, weather conditions may also change quickly, the Earth may shake, or Mount Shasta may erupt. Just because a hike is included in this book, or even that I have rated it as easy, does not mean that it will necessarily be safe or easy for you. Prepare yourself with proper physical training, equipment, and wilderness skills before attempting anything outside of your comfort zone. You will then be able to hike with confidence in Conifer Country. I have hiked all of the routes herein at least twice to check the accuracy of the hike descriptions. Nonetheless, logging, construction, storm damage, or earthquake may have altered the trails and/or roads. This is one of the main reasons that the routes descriptions are available for digital download from my website, so they may be updated as I continue to explore and readers supply feedback. Please contact me and share your experiences with this book. Happy Trails (and plant loving), Michael Edward Kauffmann
Table of Contents Section 1: Klamath Knot 8
About this book
11
How to use this book
12
Conifer Country: the region defined
13
About the exceptional regional conifer diversity
14
The success story of regional conifers
16
Regional geology
20
Regional climate
Section 2: Conifers 25
What is a conifer?
29
Comments on the range maps
29
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
33
White fir (Abies concolor)
35
Grand fir (Abies grandis)
39
Shasta fir (Abies x shastensis)
40
Noble fir (Abies procera)
44
Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
45
Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
49
Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana)
53
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
55
Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)
57
Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
61
Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
64
Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)
67
Western white pine (Pinus monticola)
71
Foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana)
74
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)
78
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
81
Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi)
84
Ghost pine (Pinus sabiniana)
87
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana)
89
Beach pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta)
92
Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata)
95
Bishop pine (Pinus muricata)
97
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
102
Incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
104
Port Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
107
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata)
109
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
112
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
113
Alaska yellow-cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis)
115
Baker cypress (Cupressus bakeri)
118
Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
121
Other regional conifers
125
Introduced conifers
Section 3: Hikes 129
North Coast: Region 1
130
Kings Peak - hike 1
132
Russ Park - hike 2
134
Patricks Point - hike 3
136
Prairie Creek Zig-Zag - hike 4
138
Damnation Creek - hike 5
140
Little Bald Hills - hike 6
143
Siskiyou Mountains: Region 2
144
Vulcan Lake - hike 7
146
Bear Peak Botanical Area - hike 8
148
Devil’s Punchbowl - hike 9
150
Bigfoot Scenic Highway - hike 10
152
Seiad Baker Cypress Botanical Area - hike 11
152
Cook and Green Pass - hike 12
154
White Mountain Botanical Area - hike 13
157
Central Klamath Mountains: Region 3
158
Diamond Lake - hike 14
162
Little Duck Lake - hike 15
163
Sugar Creek - hike 16
166
Fen Trail - hike 17
168
Mount Eddy - hike 18
170
Cedar Basin - hike 19
174
Bear Creek - hike 20
176
Canyon Creek - hike 21
179
Gray (Ghost) Pine Botanical Area - hike 22
179
Salmon Mountain - hike 23
181
Southern Klamath Mountains: Region 4
182
South Fork Mountain - hike 24
184
Hell’s Half Acre - hike 25
186
South Fork Trinity National Recreation Trail - hike 26
188
Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness - hike 27
191
Long hike: Pacific Crest Trail
193
Long hike: Bigfoot Trail
Section 4: Tying a bow around it 194
List of tables, figures, and color plates
196
Glossary
199
Bibliography
203
Future
205
About MK
Foxtail pine in the Trinity Alps Wilderness
