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| California Redwoods and Waterfalls:
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Designation of "unique": refers to any species that was seen in a single location on the reported day.
Designation of
:
In these reports,
("New")
refers to a flower that was not spotted by us in previous years.
Designation of "early": refers to any species that we are seeing this month on this trail for the first time since we started this record. [These flowers have often been reported by others this early. They are, however, early for us.]
| Global warming heads up: A one-degree-centigrade increase in regional temperature could advance the flowering of plants by two weeks, as predicted by a mathematical model developed by Dr Malcolm Clark from Monash's School of Mathematical Sciences and Professor Roy Thompson, a geoscientist from the University of Edinburgh: http://www.monash.edu.au/news/newsline/april04-plants.html |
Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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36 banana slugs.
16 different wildflower species in bloom. Flower of the hike: the dramatic and profuse Western wake robin (Trillium ovatum). 1 amphibian. 1 bold Northern Alligator Lizard ("dark iris rather than yellow" {L.R.]) in the chaparral. Bird of the hike: Winter Wren, making territorial displays and calls in several spots. Still a few rose hips. Met 1 hiker (when almost back to HQ). 2-layer cool at start, warming to 1 layer. Four observers (8:20 a.m. - 3:55 p.m.) Waterfalls in excellent luminous flow; extremely strong spraybow at Berry Creek Falls; Golden Falls the most brilliantly bright we have seen it. Lots of downed trees across the trail, particularly Sky-to-Sea, due to wind and storms last month. Bridge at West Waddell Creek is restored. Thanks to 
our heroes, the Big Basin volunteer trail-clearing crews.
Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) |
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Flowers (alphabetically):
["unique"].
Red alder catkins.
["unique"; at HQ].
Western bittercress (Cardamine oligosperma).
Tiny white flowers; tiny opposite leaves.
Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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39 banana slugs.
17 different wildflower species in bloom. 8 (1 aquatic and 7 terrestrial) newts. We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on this COUNTER-CLOCKWISE hike. 3-layer cold at start, warming to 2 layers. Sunny most of the day, clouding over at the end. 8:50 a.m. - 5:05 p.m. five observers. Met 7 hikers. Thanks to
our heroes, the Big Basin volunteer trail-clearing crews.
Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) |
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At the Ranger Station HQ:
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Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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Thanks to
our heroes, the trail-clearing crews,
for their great clearing of the downed trees reported
January and
February.
We appreciate the huge amount of unseen work that they do to make this part of the park accessible to us.
A few more trees are down, but the main result of recent winds was about a dozen new widow makers (roughly one per mile) along the trail. The old bridge over West Waddell Creek is very weak and rickety; be especially careful here. |
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32 banana slugs.
11 newts (terrestrial). 13 different wildflower species in bloom. We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time. Clear, thin cloud layer with sun breaking through; fairly still. Follows days and nights of fierce wind, hail, and electrical storms. 2-layers plus hat, scarf, and gloves needed at start; soon dropped the scarf and eventually the gloves. One observer: 11:10 a.m. - 5:10 p.m. (6 hours). Met no hikers. Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) |
| Vegetation where the slugs were. | Number of slugs. |
| Redwood duff. | 15 (47%). |
| Moss. | 6 (19%) |
| Tan oak leaves. | 6 (19%) (1 of these was on twigs) |
| Lichen. | 2 (6%) |
| Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), (1 on base of trunk; 1 on fallen twigs). | 2 (6%) |
| Sword fern stems (decaying). | 1 (3%) |
| Mushrooms or Mud. | 0 |
| Maple leaf (decaying). | 0 |
| Redwood violet or sorrel leaf (decaying). | 0 |
Compare with vegetation where the slugs were in January 2006.
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At the Ranger Station HQ:
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Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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Marvelous crisp and clean fresh air.
3-layer cool; heavy rain in last few days (and over an inch last night) filled waterfalls and streams. 3-person team. (8:35 a.m. - 5:35 p.m.) Not only were there ephemeral streams; we had ephemeral water falls. Magic. 116 Banana Slugs. 24 different wildflower species in bloom. Also, 77 newts (all Terrestrial). Slug and flower graphs (in new window). (Access Scott's Flower Photos in his on-line portfolio.) We list the wildflowers below in the order that we encountered them for the first time on the hike. |
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At the Ranger Station HQ:
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Report by Joan Zimmerman.
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34 banana slugs; 14 wildflower species blooming; 20 newts.
See graphs of slug and wildflower counts (in a new window). |
14 wildflowers:
Bush Poppy. Yellow.
California Toothwort. White or pink.
Coltsfoot. White.
Douglas Nightshade (Solanum Douglasii). White with gold center.
Huckleberry. White.
Manzanita (3 in bloom, including Sensitive Manzanita). White.
(Sensitive Manzanita; Brittle Leaved Manzanita; and
Heart Leaved or Santa Cruz Mountains Manzanita (pinkish cast on their white flowers.))
Redwood Sorrel. White or pink;
Scott saw some with "blueish tinge"; we each think the other needs an eye exam.
Redwood Violet. Yellow.
Two-eyed violets. White with purple "eyes".
Western Wake Robin (Trillium Ovatum). White (mature pink).
Wild Strawberry. White.
Woodland star. White.
Lots of trail blockages, including a spectacular 3-for-1 trail coverage
near Golden Falls. Naturalist Scott Peden reports that the blockage
"is a pair of Douglas-firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and a Redwood.
The redwood we were able to walk under and is only about 2 foot thick.
The dougs I think were 3-4 feet thick."
Very slippery trail in many places.
Huge increase in wild pig activity, with overturned dirt beside much of the trail.
Fewer mushrooms.
This month's report is in progress by Scott Peden.
This report is by Scott Peden.
Frost at the Ranger Station, even at 8:30 AM. Clear, crisp day. No wind. (A change from the 2" of rain from the last 2 days of mild, windy storm.)
| Thanks to the Park Service for their trail clearing and building! |
As a special treat, a birder accompanied the author, adding to the bird count.
The Medal Count: 13 Different Birds, 12 Banana Slugs, 11 different Wildflowers in
Bloom, 3 Newts, 2 Deer, and 1 centipede; also a couple of large fuzzy hover
flies, with long proboscis, in the Chaparral area.
(See how to access Scott's Wildflower Photos in his on-line portfolio.)
(Look at slug and wildflower count graph in a new window.)
These were the most common wildflowers seen throughout most of the trail: Western Wake Robin (Trillium), Redwood Violet, Redwood Sorrel, and California Toothwort.
Highlights:
Bush Poppies California Black Berry California Toothwort. Coltsfoot. Manzanita (2 types in bloom) Redwood Sorrel Redwood Violet Two-eyed violets. Western Wake Robin (Trillium) Wild Strawberry Windflowers. |
| Our continued thanks to the Trail crews of the State Park System,
and
the several volunteer trail crews,
some of whom have been at this for 30 years. They do a huge amount of unseen work to make this part of the park accessible to us. Respect the
Berry Creek Falls Trail, a loop in Big Basin State Park in the Santa
Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek.
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Forest and Tree Home,
Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. |
[Thanks for visiting.]
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Copyright
© 2002-2007 by
Joan Zimmerman,
except for material authored by Scott Peden, which is Copyright © 2002-2007 by Scott Peden. |