Two consecutive hikes in the middle of February saw us traipsing about on Hog Lake Plateau, Sacramento River Bend Recreation Area. A great deal of these hikes focused on the Turtle Creek drainage, but we also checked out the higher plateau between Iron Canyon Loop Trail and Turtle Creek, and poked along beneath some of the rim rock above the Sacramento River, near Jedidiah’s Overlook.
Our number one takeaway will be no surprise to anyone: it is way too dry, way too early. We all need to get our rain dances on! Nonetheless, we saw dozens of species in bloom, just not in abundance, and many quite stunted in stature.
Don’s most exciting find was the presence of two nettles, neither of which had been reported in Tehama County. Western stinging nettle, Hesperocnide tenella, is a diminutive plant that likes to live in very dark places, especially deep under rock ledges. The other nettle still needs confirmation (it was barely blooming), but it is expected to key out to be Pennsylvania pellitory, Parietaria pensylvanica, a non-stinging nettle.
Here’s a short slideshow of a few of the blooming beauties that you can expect to see if you visit Hog Lake Plateau anytime soon, and we highly recommend that you do! (For details about Hog Lake Plateau trails, please see appropriate Tehama County listings in our Get Out! index.) All photos by Don Burk. Enjoy!
~Laurie & Don Burk
