Cool, 50-degree weather greeted Shasta Environmental Alliance and Shasta Chapter CNPS members on this joint conifer walk on May 28. We found a bounty of late-blooming snowplants (Sarcodes sanquinea) on the short, winding Lily Pond Trail.
We also identified 10 different conifer species: ponderosa, Jeffrey, western white, lodgepole, and sugar pines, as well as incense-cedar, Douglas-fir, mountain hemlock, white fir, and red fir. Nothing else was blooming except for a willow tree, and yellow pond lily (Nuphar polysepala) was fully leafed out.
Photo by David Ledger.
Next we drove to the Nobles Emigrant Trail starting near the Lost Creek Campground to see old-growth conifers. This trail follows the old Nobles Trail wagon train road that settlers used to reach northern California in the mid 1800s.
Not only are there huge Jeffrey pines and other conifers along this trail, but we also identified white-veined wintergreen (Pyrola picta), little prince’s pine (Chimaphila menziesii), western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), bush chinquapin (Chrysolepis sempervirens), and many penstemons not yet in bloom.
One of the rewards of walking in an old-growth forest is that the many snags left standing attract many birds. The snags provide a source of food for birds seeking wood-eating insects, as well as shelter for cavity-dwelling and -nesting birds.
Photo by David Ledger.
This forest does have an incursion of many white fir due to a lack of fire for many decades. These firs can dominate at lower elevations and are very susceptible to fire. Many white firs had been marked with blue paint for apparent later removal to prevent domination of the forest by this species. ~David Ledger
Here are a few more photos taken on this field trip. Enjoy!
