Shasta Environmental Alliance (SEA) held its first field trip of the year on New Year’s Day. Fifteen hikers showed up at 9 AM in 39 ºF weather to take this four-mile round-trip hike up Westside Trail to the “Top of the World” in west Redding. On the way, walk leader David Ledger identified many of the trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants along the trail, all of which are nicely recovering from the Carr Fire.
Only the coyote-brush (Baccharis pilularis), white-leaved manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida), and scattered fragrant cudweed (Pseudognaphalium beneolens) were in bloom, but many plants were identified by their leaves, last year’s seeds, and growth form, such as buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus), Pacific hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum grande), and gold-backed fern (Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis). Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) was prolific on the trail, its bright red berries providing food for robins, bluebirds, and bears.
Photo by José Hernández.
On this cold but clear New Year’s Day, we had amazing views of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, the Trinity Alps, the Yolla Bolly Mountains, the northern Sierras, and about 100 miles down the Sacramento Valley. Lisa Ross brought homemade cookies, Doug Mandel and José Hernández took some great photos, and Yo Sadohara brought wine for a toast to ring in 2022. ~David Ledger
Editor’s note: Hiking the Westside Trail on New Year’s Day had been a Shasta Chapter CNPS tradition for over 10 years until the pandemic hit. Because of Shasta Chapter’s current “no in-person events” policy, it has continued under the name of Shasta Environmental Alliance, led by its president, David Ledger (who also happens to be Shasta Chapter’s Conservation Chair!).