Further changes to hike schedule

With the heavy, wet winter snowpack meltoff running a month or more late, rearranging hiking plans is required! A second problem with the Bull of the Woods tour has appeared - a section of road is gone, and a 30 mile detour over twisting gravel Forest Service roads will add two to three hours travel time to any trip there. This is a doubling of travel time. And on top of that, the detour route as of this writing is still blocked by snow! So Bull of the Woods tour slated for July 13th will be put off until next year.


The outing on June 22nd was moved to a lower elevation tour around Clackamas Lake. Even with lowering the top elevation a thousand feet (300 meters) a late season snowfall had just melted off. The original destination, Right Angle Viewpoint, is now rescheduled for July 13th, replacing Bull of the Woods. It's possible snow will still be present at the highest elevations of the hike and on the road leading to the trailhead. Alternative routes are available if the road is blocked by snow.


The next tour, July 20th to the Headwaters High Elevation Loop, will go ahead as scheduled. Again snow is possible, and interesting alternative routes at lower elevations are available at several points along the approach road. Lakes are frequent throughout the Olallie Highlands area.


So the new schedule is:

July 13th - Right Angle Viewpoint area

July 20th - Olallie Highlands High Elevation Loop

See the original descriptions of these tours below in this blog.

Clackamas Lake Tour

On June 22nd I lead a tour for the Clackamas River Basin Council to the Clackamas Lake area. This was relocated from the original Right Angle Viewpoint area due to the late lying snowpack, which at this time prevents driving anywhere near the trailhead up there. Clackamas Lake is a good 1600 feet (500 meters) lower than the viewpoint and well below the snow zone. A peculiarity of this season is that once you reach the snow its depth increases very rapidly.

The route for this Tour is past Estacada on Highway 224, which becomes Forest Service Road 46. The ‘turnoff’ onto Forest Service Road 57 is actually a ‘straight ahead’, with 46 turning sharply south towards Bagby. 57 is followed to its end at Forest Service Road 42, where you turn right for the short jog to the historic Clackamas Lake Guard Station. This is now a museum which celebrates the long history of this locale.

Bigleaf lupine, Lupinus polyphyllus, along Forest Service Road 46

The first point of interest we stopped for was the large masses of bigleaf lupine. Its located on the recently built section of road before Ripplebrook Ranger Station. After the 1996 floods proved the old section of road unstable, a new shorter and steeper section replaced it. The lupines were planted only along this new part of the road. The photo was taken at about 1300 feet (400 meters) elevation, higher than the native range of this lowland native. It is thriving along the new section of road in huge drifts.



Vanilla leaf or Moose plant, Achlys triphylla

The trailhead closest to the museum is perhaps a hundred feet past it to the left and downhill. The path immediately enters a conifer woodland floored with huckleberry and patches of herbaceous material. The season at this elevation was mid-spring, and the vanilla leaf or moose plant was flowering. Small spikes of white wave over the triple clusters of leaves, which bear some resemblance to the antlers and nose of a moose.


The trail soon reaches Clackamas Lake Campground. A short sidetrail leads to a boardwalk across wetlands to the edge of spring-fed Clackamas Lake. Shrub birches line the wooden trail, and occasional stunted spruce occupy the wetlands along with many more usual residents. From this angle the water appears teal rather than blue.


A little ways past that another spur to the left drops down to the location of many of the springs that keep the lake full. None are more than a few feet above the surface of the lake, and likely more are hidden in its waters.



Clackamas Lake from near the springs.

Large patches of monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus guttatus) cover big areas around the springs and in the short streams that drop into the lake. It was too early to see this in bloom. the mountain bluebell was at its peak. A large plant overhung spring and lake, its roots bathed in cold springwater.



Mountain Bluebell, Mertensia paniculata borealis,
overhanging the springs at Clackamas Lake

Broad grassy meadows surround the lake, and continue downstream - and up the Oak Grove Fork that enters below the lake. No stream directly enters the lake but those fed by nearby springs. Stunted, scrawny spruce and lodgepole pine dot the grasslands, which are mostly wetlands. There is a fringe of low shrubs and then dryer meadows. A heavy forest covers the uplands. The area appears to have burnt in the distant past, with a few larger trees scattered among thickets of their offspring. Lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and silver fir are the main trees.



Clackamas Meadows

Heading downstream across the road the stream wanders through more wet meadowland. The stream moves but slowly. Past the end of Road 57 the Oak Grove Fork picks up speed and enters deep forest.




The meandering outlet stream is
the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas.

A variety of plants bloomed on the forest floor and the patches of meadow. The low shrubby evergreen woodland Oregon grape (Mahonia/Berberis nervosa) was providing a scattering of yellow.






Cascades or woodland Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa)

A sunny spot and the shade of a rock provided a shot of the Cascades penstemon (P. serrulatus), happily growing in an apparently dryer habitat.

Penstemon along the trail (P. serrulatus)




Some large lodgepole pines grow around the meadows. Here there is no sign of the bark beetles which have been destroying so many pines nearby. They are quite happy in the meadowside sun.




Lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta latifolia with Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, in the background left.

The widespread blue violet (Viola adunca) grow in the dryer meadows above the narrow shrub belt. These plants are usually assumed to be woodland plants are happy on a sloping southern exposure.

Blue violets, Viola adunca

Past the end of the lake, hidden anyway in the large meadows, some sizeable old growth firs still grow. The picture below shows their scattered nature. Marked with fire and woodpecker scars and surrounded by young thickets of many species, a few of these centuries-old trees survived long ago a major fire, and now stand nearly lost in a much younger pole forest. Such dual-age stands are indicative of past fire history.





One old growth Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Old corrals and barns from the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps still stand in the forest near the big trees. Once upon a time most forest service trail maintenance was done from horseback, and this was a busy place indeed. Lookouts were supplied monthly mostly by mule train, and the mostly college-age lookouts had to be careful to make that food last. The long trails to the lookouts before many roads penetrated the mountains meant that few if any casual hikers would be seen in a summer season.


After a splurge of road building following World War II a decision was made to stop using horses and mules, and the colorful pack trains and mounted crews disappeared. Trails have deteriorated since.




Old corrals at Joe Graham Horsecamp

This spot is known as Joe Graham Horsecamp, and it still sees quite a bit of recreational use. This area was early accessible by road but only from the east, away from the populated Willamette Valley. Pack Trains would start instead at the now disappeared Oak Grove Ranger Station, since replaced by Ripplebrook on the present highway. Oak Grove was a little west of the junction of the present FS Roads 4630 and 4635, then the only and furthest access from the west up the Clackamas. Only abandoned roads, concrete slabs and an opening in the fir forest mark what was once a thriving and crucial camp. At that moment, Bagby Guard Station was 22 miles by trail. Later the road crossed the Clackamas at about Riverford Campground, and from there it was 13 miles to Bagby and 19 to Bull of the Woods Lookout.



Historic barn at Joe Graham Horsecamp

Nowdays its a mile and a half to Bagby Hot Springs, within reach of teenagers carrying large coolers full of beer. Bull of the Woods Lookout, no longer manned, is but 3.2 miles, an easy and worthwhile dayhike.


For a short 2.5 mile (4 km) hike at Clackamas Lake, turn left at the paved road past Joe Graham and continue back to the Museum. Good views of the meadows and streams line the road. For a longer day, continue northwest on the trail to Timothy Lake. One trail is northwest of the Oak Grove Fork and the return trail is southeast. Linking the two is a mile and a quarter (2 km) trail along Timothy Lake. This route totals about 6.2 miles (10 km).

Orchids on Mount Talbert

One of the curious facts about our Pacific Northwest native plants is that high mountain plants are often better known that lowland natives. With most low elevation land in private ownership, access is somewhat restricted in comparison with the bulk of the Cascade Mountain Range, much of which (especially high elevations) are in Federal ownership and fully open to the public.


Thats what gives an area like Mount Talbert such value. Though hardly pristine, this ancient volcano saw most of its human disturbances early on, before the blights of Himalayan blackberries, ivy and broom became so widespread. Logging was done mostly more than 75 years ago. Luckily what has been growing back since then is by and large native and natural.


Among the most delicate native plants are the orchids. Their roots are confined to the forest duff, and they disappear when this superficial layer is disturbed. An event like fire whether natural or set to burn logging slash will destroy it.


The fact that I've located two kinds of orchids on Mount Talbert is likely due to the fact that early loggers were not required to burn slash, and the lesser disturbance helped retain the native ecosystem there much more that would happen nowadays. And the worse scourge of blackberries and Scotch broom did not occur much that far back.


The first orchid I discovered on Mount Talbert is the evergreen rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia). Pale veins on the deep green leaves make this one easy to identify. Only three plants were growing in a small group. The flowers are small and greenish, opening in summertime.


The second is much showier in flower. The fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa) is shaped much like a corsage orchid from the florist. This diminutive plant is a bright pink miniature. Growing erect 4 to 8 inches (20 cm) tall, the plant grows but a single leaf each fall, which winters over, but withers the following summer. This is an example of summer dormancy, of which our climate has many.






Fairies slipper orchid










The showy, large Lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium montanum) is our most conspicuous orchid at up to 2 feet. Unfortunately it is mostly confined to east of the Cascades. Yet it has been spotted to the west ("rarely w Cas" states the authoritative Flora of the Pacific Northwest). Our other 11 genera of orchids are all mountain species, but an eye should be kept out for the possibility that a few survive in preserves like Mount Talbert.

Changes to My Hiking Tours

Due to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites display a weeks worth of data, we know that only 18 inches melted off in that period.


After reviewing several options, I've settled on a 2.5 mile (4 km) loop trail at Clackamas Lake. Though this will be early in the season flower-wise, this hike offers open water, wetlands, springs, old growth fir and some historic Forest Service structures. Elevation change is perhaps 70 feet (21 m).


As an optional longer tour, those wishing more time on the trails will continue on to Timothy Lake, following the northeast side of the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River, returning along the other bank. This is a 6.2 mile (10 km) loop with only 100 feet (30 m) elevation change. Included is a mile and a quarter (2 km) along the lakeshore of Timothy, skirting two campgrounds.

Meeting time and place remain the same, 9 AM at the Estacada Ranger Station.





Clackamas Lake






And what about the following two tours? If too much snow still lies on the ground, I will push the earlier hikes to the next date. So the Right Angle tour will replace Bull of the Woods, which will replace Olallie Highlands. No matter how this falls out, any missed tour will be on the list for next year.

Snowmelt

With very high snowfall this year - record levels at some locations - the threat of snowmelt flooding has been a concern. There is still 9 feet (2.75 meters) of snow at 5,000 feet (1524 meters) on Mount Hood. At 6,000 feet (1829 meters) near Timberline Lodge there is nearly 14 feet (4.25 meters). This is more on the ground that falls many years.


In April 2002 we had heavy rains combined with melting snowpack to produce a moderate flood, perhaps 37 or 38 feet (11 meters) above sea level, or about 15 feet (4.6 meters) above the rivers summer levels. The peak lasted less than a day.


This year, despite continual cool wet weather, no large rain events have come along. A 5-day heat wave starting May 15th gave local highs from 84 to 95 (29 to 35 Celsius) and began rapid snowmelt. Since then the river has kept at 28 to 31 feet (9 meters) above sea level with the continuing meltoff at high elevations. No dramatic flooding is happening, but the sustained high levels are unique in our 20 years living on the banks of the Clackamas.

White River Run

I've been a busy boy lately and haven't been prompt about posting events I've done, so this one is about two months behind. On March 2nd two of us skied up White River Canyon on Mount Hood. Our route was only about 2.5 miles (4 km) each way but seemed longer with the constantly changing scenery and elevation. The sno-park elevation is just under 4300 feet (1310 meters); we topped out at about 5470 feet (1670 meters). Others that day were much higher on the mountain.


Both the low outwash plain route and the upper bench route up the White River start out from the parking area along the same track. Excess outwash is used to make what in summer is a road, and in winter a broad ski and snowshoe route. Before long the two split and the upper route climbs somewhat steeply to the upper bench while the lower drops onto the windy valley floor.




Near the start before the two routes split





Our route followed the upper bench rather than the outwash plain. Though higher, the partial tree cover and the adjacent White River / Salmon River high divide makes for less wind and exposure. The views are much better with the higher position.


Years back snowshoeing was almost unheard of. Nowadays it has become common, and it appeared that the majority of people at White River today were using them. Compared to cross country skiing its a slow sport but wonderfully stable, low impact and mostly risk-free.


Following snowshoe tracks up to the Upper Bench was simple. This picture is from where the top is reached. The Outwash Plain route is a hundred or so feet below (30 meters). In the upper left of the picture below is an early sign of fog rolling in, spoiling the clear weather we began with.









Partway up from the lip of the Upper Bench, with the other route below.





The snowshoer's track kept close to the steep dropoff, much closer than skiers would habitually go. These routefinders seem unfazed by the potential for unstable cornices. We made plans not to follow this path on the way down.










Closeup of the edge of the Upper Bench



The upper bench has long been home to a tall forest of lodgepole pines. Unfortunately this woodland has been struck by pine bark beetles. The now dead trees still stand, many oozing pitch from the wounds caused by this insect. Judging by the brown but still-on-the-tree needles, these fatalities occurred just last summer. For more details about this situation, see these earlier posts:


Beetles, Fire and Changed Environments

Olallie Scenic Area Highlands









Formerly lively forest of lodgepole pine





Snow conditions were fine for this trip, very deep, easy to grip and climb, and of moderate speed for the downhill runs. Once the bench proper is reached, the slope is easy, with occasional steeper sections into the dry creeks. The open forest is easily negotiated even at higher rates of speed.


The Upper Bench ends abruptly at 5100 feet (1550 meters), after about a mile and three-quarters (2.8 kilometers) travel. Straight ahead and to the left very steep terrain ("as steep as ground can lie") leads up to the high divide between White River and Salmon River, and a little farther via a narrow neck of ridge to Timberline Lodge at 5900 feet (1800 meters). One snowshoe party took off up to the left; later they could be seen at lunch in a clump of trees at the edge of the dropoff. Off to the other side the route drops into the moraine area of White River. This route had already been used, showing the snowbridge over the stream was solid. Making a fun run down and across, we soon were to the small group of trees shown in the picture below. Then it was up the moraine ridge to the left.




I


Skiers at the base of the moraines of White River




The picture above shows the shadow from the continually thickening fogbank. As we quickly gained elevation climbing the small moraine, snow conditions deteriorated. Areas of ski-slowing wind crust alternated with faster soft snow. Dodging the bad patches hardly slowed us at all.


Below is a fog-shrouded shot from our high point. A shallow depression gave us minimal protection from wind; the sun strove to warm us through the fog while we took lunch. The view is to the south along the Cascade Mountains. Without the fog many peaks and ridges would have been visible, as far as Mount Jefferson 48 miles distant.







From about 5470 feet (1670 meters), our high point

Looking to the east and northeast, we spied ski tracks and skiers tackling some really steep slopes with telemark equipment. In the picture below, both the large Triangular Moraine on the left and the smaller one just right of it were tracked from top to bottom.





White River Tracks



We watched a few skiers chew the slopes of Triangular Moraine before they departed down the valley floor. Earlier one had linked turns down the moraine on the right, perhaps coming from Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area. Approaches to the top of either moraine are long, steep and not for the weary; but a spendy lift ticket at Meadows would shorten that route. None of these skiers opted for a second climb and run.


Our own route down involved regaining the Upper Bench where even the steepest sections did not overcome the slow snow. We dropped down the steep upper bowl to the outwash plain to finish.

Tours with the Clackamas River Basin Council

Changes to My Hiking Tours


Due to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites display a weeks worth of data, we know that only 18 inches melted off in that period.


After reviewing several options, I've settled on a 2.5 mile (4 km) loop trail at Clackamas Lake. Though this will be early in the season flower-wise, this hike offers open water, wetlands, springs, old growth fir and some historic Forest Service structures. Elevation change is perhaps 70 feet (21 m).


As an optional longer tour, those wishing more time on the trails will continue on to Timothy Lake, following the northeast side of the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River, returning along the other bank. This is a 6.2 mile (10 km) loop with only 100 feet (30 m) elevation change. Included is a mile and a quarter (2 km) along the lakeshore of Timothy, skirting two campgrounds.

Meeting time and place remain the same, 9 AM at the Estacada Ranger Station.





Clackamas Lake






And what about the following two tours? If too much snow still lies on the ground, I will push the earlier hikes to the next date. So the Right Angle tour will replace Bull of the Woods, which will replace Olallie Highlands. No matter how this falls out, any missed tour will be on the list for next year.

The Original Post:

More than just a hike!

Leader Bryon Boyce will provide a running commentary on wildflowers, geology, and other natural history points of interest.

The Natural City Tour will meet at 9 AM at the offices of the Clackamas River Basin Council.

The later three tours will meet at the Estacada Ranger Station to accommodate those living farther out. 9 AM for all.

April 27th - The Natural City Tour

Our urban area is blessed with a variety of natural areas which feature remnants of the diverse "valley floor" habitats. Many of these areas are little visited even by those active in preservation work. This tour visits three outstanding examples in two locations. In the morning see the newly linked Camassia Natural Area (The Nature Conservancy's first purchase in Oregon) and West Linn Wilderness Park, home of the largest and oldest firs in the urban area. The dwarf oak savannas of Camassia are unique, and the quaking aspen pond is unusual locally.

Camas and Corn Salad at Camassia Natural Area






This tour is timed to catch what is probably the best flower display in the Portland urban area. The effects of the Missoula Floods are especially obvious here. Hopefully the osprey nest will be occupied.

In early afternoon we will visit Mount Talbert, the first Metro acquisition to be developed and opened to the public. The 750 foot extinct volcano has high quality natural vegetation little affected by invasives. The remnant wet oak savannas are receiving preferential management, including fir, cottonwood and brush removal. This woodland type was once common in the urban area. Some uncommon plants are present. The area is large enough to host deer, coyote, owls and in winter pileated woodpeckers.

Meet at the Clackamas River Basin Council offices (street address and on web link to map) at 9 AM. Bring lunch, water and hiking shoes or boots. Dress considering the weather. Expect generally good trails with a little rock hopping. There will be two to three hours on the trails, depending on discussion and picture taking.

June 22th - Right Angle Viewpoint

This outing into the lushly forested Western Cascades includes open wildflower areas and a sampling of features that illustrate the ancient volcanic history of the region.

After driving up the Molalla River past the interesting Molalla Eye, the hiking trail weaves between the Molalla and Clackamas drainages, and between Forest Service and BLM land. The unsigned route was long abandoned but has been reopened during the past few years.




Old Whitespot aka Baty Butte from near Right Angle Viewpoint









At Right Angle Viewpoint on the Clackamas side, drought-prone unstable soil on an ancient pyroclastic flow prevents tree growth, and provides the 180 degree viewpoint. Spires formed by volcanic action in the volcanic flow still stand. To the north is Old Whitespot (on the maps as Baty Butte) and Mount Hood, to the east Thunder and Fish Creek Mountains, and southeast Olallie Butte and south Mount Jefferson. The white spot of Old Whitespot is an ancient creekbed filled with white pumice, and now dissected, leaving a U-shaped display in a large little-vegetated area. We will also visit an overlook above a glacial valley and onto the lower slopes just below the white spot.

Easy to moderate 3-4 miles hike with a cumulative elevation gain of 5-600 ft. Trailhead is about 4500 ft and the highpoint is 4900 at Right Angle Viewpoint. Milage and gain are approximate as the route is not on maps that show trail milage or elevations.

July 13th - Bull of the Woods

Expect wildflowers and views on this 6.4 mile long round trip. Natural rockgardens and meadows are seen as we pass over to the shoulders of Dickey and South Dickey Peak to Bull of the Woods Lookout at 5523 ft. This is the westernmost ridge which features plants more common to the east.

Cardwell's Penstemon enroute to Bull of the Woods







The lookout was built in 1942 and is the only surviving one from the WWII era in the Mount Hood National Forest. It was formerly available for rent from the Forest Service, but is currently undergoing restoration. Mules have been put to use for this project, one of the first uses of either horses or mules in decades in the area.

An 825 ft. elevation gain along this ridge just east of Pansy Basin. A easy to moderate hike at 250 ft. gain per mile.

July 20th - Headwaters High Elevation Loop

Visit the under-appreciated highlands of Olallie Scenic Area. Most of the area underwent sheet glaciation rather than valley glaciation, resulting in flatter terrain and so many lakes and ponds that many have never been named. This 5 mile partial loop hike will pass well over a dozen water bodies. Other features include wide-ranging views with the glaciers of Mount Jefferson only 9 miles distant, glacial striations in bedrock, wildflowers, and a mixed woodland vegetation with subalpine variations.

Mount Jefferson from Olallie Highlands







This is a easy to moderate hike with a 900 ft. elevation gain, most of which will be on the way up Double Peak to the high point of 5900 ft. The route meanders between the Clackamas, Santiam and Deschutes watersheds.

Map to the start of the April tour:

View Larger Map

Map to the start of the Summer tours:

View Larger Map

Return of the Osprey

We first heard and then saw osprey March 27th, two days earlier than last year. Their distinctive and frequent high-pitched calls make them impossible to miss.

This species is recovering from low populations earlier in the 1970s and 80s. We did not observe them until 1991. In the subsequent year there were three - the parents and their single offspring who sometimes followed them and sometimes not.

These birds mate for life, and the father does all the hunting while nesting is underway.






Trees are the favored perches for osprey. They will wait for a likely meal to surface and then dive feet-first into the water very rapidly. Sometimes they hover like a kestrel waiting for the fish to surface. Once a fish is caught, they carry it in the most aerodynamic way possible - face first. Rarely if hungry they will catch small animals but well over 99% of their diet is fish.

Trees are also needed for nesting sites - and only large trees will do. They have been known to use cliffs and various man-made structures for nesting sites. As suitable sites can be rare with the lack of old forests, nesting platforms can be made that they find very useful! Some studies have found that these purpose-built designs actually increase the number of hatchlings, as they are more stable and require less nest building by the birds.

Spring Signs at Mount Talbert

Earlier today I hiked around Mount Talbert Nature Preserve. We've had only a couple of warmer days in the 50's (10-12 C). Many herbacious 'winter' annuals and perennials already know its spring. Candyflower seedlings are very common there between the big sword ferns. Bittercress, one of our few native weeds, is showing new green. Tiny seedling of other types are showing wherever they may. But the champion for earliness is the snow queen, which was the only plant actually in bloom.

Actually I should say the only plant in bloom was a snow queen - I saw only one. The rest at most showed a new leaf or two. I've seem them blooming elsewhere blooming early in January, as there always seems to be one blooming well ahead of the others. The main flush of blooms comes in mid-March. Like spring bulbs this has a quick heavy flush of bloom early, with nothing most of the year. Unlike the bulbs, this is evergreen, with the deep green leaves often tinged purple over the winter.

Snow Queen near the Mather Road Parking on Mount Talbert


This plant likes dry rocky ground made humusy by fir needles. They also like more light than firs usually allow. So they are most common on the edge between oak and fir woodland. This ecotone or edge habitat is common at Mount Talbert. The blue blossoms are showy for their brief season in March, and they are gone - but still handsomely green.

The botanic name is Synthyris reniformis, and it is in the penstemon or snapdragon family. Now thru the end of March is the time to visit Mount Talbert to see this plant in flower.

About six weeks ago I watched three deer at dusk in the park. The doe and her two near-yearlings were not panicked by my presence, but sauntered between bites away at an angle from me. I had walked to perhaps 120 feet from them before noticing. I watched them for perhaps 5 minutes before proceeding on my intended path.

It would be interesting to know how many deer this acreage supports. There is over 200 acres (80+ hectares) of woodlands in the park area, not all preserved, and more on the very steep slopes across Mather Road. Only a few years back mixed farm and forest extended east to the Cascade Mountains, but now this area is isolated from other lands suitable for deer. How big an area is needed to support a viable population of blacktails? This might be a good area for a study on the subject. Experts tell us that in good lowland habitat a home range can be as small as 100 acres. The oak openings provide good grazing and the deer may be keeping the park more open by browsing the shrubbery. Deer don't like to eat sword fern so they actually encourage it, and indeed it covers much of the forest floor.

Mammoth Snowfall in the Cascades

The past few weeks have seen truly enormous amounts of snowfall up and down the left coast mountains - the Sierras in California and the Cascades from British Columbia south into North California. Locally in the Mount Hood area more snow - 7 feet (2.14 m) - fell in a week than falls in some entire winters. Santiam Pass south of here is closed due to avalanches and general conditions at the section with mountain-high steep slopes on both sides. Authorities asked people stay off the mountain roads of Mount Hood last weekend, but few listened with the prospect of all that powder and the potential for good skiing and snowboarding. In California both railroads and freeways have been shut down, trapping many in the mountains. The main east-west highway I-90 in the Cascades east of Seattle has closed repeatedly due to avalanche danger and deep snow. It is closed now but may reopen late today. In the mountain town of Leavenworth on the east side of the Cascades, a large home was flattened by an avalanche a few days ago, right in town! The Stevens Pass road to the town is closed due to avalanche danger. White Pass is also closed due to multiple avalanches burying the road and whiteout high wind conditions.

The snow is so deep and soft that snowmobiles have been lost and their owners stuck far into the backcountry needing rescue.

Reports give a current snow depth of 240 inches at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. Thats 20 feet (6.1 meters)! At Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park the depth is 210 inches (5.3 meters). Mount Hood east of Portland has 200 inches (over 5 meters) at high-elevation Timberline Lodge, dropping to 160 (still over 4 meters) at Ski Bowl 2000 feet (610 meters) lower. On Mount Hood these are very deep figures, especially at the lower elevations.

The Mount Saint Helens VolcanoCam is currently melting out of a snowdrift which completely buried it in recent days. This large-image webcam provides a view of the only actively erupting volcano in the 48 states. It's been steadily growing the now large lava dome since 2004.

After a less-precipitation today forecasts call for alternating rain and snow until just snow mid-week. This is sure to produce natural avalanches and makes likely traveler-triggered slides, making backcountry travel dangerous.

The network TV weathermen like scare stories to boost ratings, so several are available making it sound like a huge flood is in the offing due to all that snow. There are a few problems with the theory despite the deep snowpack. Required for a big flood is a several day 'pineapple express' rain event with very warm tropical downpours that melt snow to the tops of the mountains. That is not in the picture for the moment. And its getting late for a hard freeze down to the lowest elevations, required to give the frozen soils needed to shed the rains if they arrive.

If we get the necessary combination of factors - a hard freeze to the valley floor, heavy snowfall with some at low elevations, and a rapid warming with tropically warmed rain, then our rare huge floods will occur. They average about a 25 years spread, varying from 17 to 32, with the last one in February 1996. They are invariably labeled '100 years floods'. At our place on the river, these big ones are about 25 feet (8 meters) above summer levels.






My guess is a moderate snowmelt flood come mid-April, such as happened in our last high snowfall year, 2002. During that flood this mallard couple rather tamely allowed this photo taken on our lower lawn, despite the attentions of our cat lurking nearby. Another post on an earlier flood has a photo of cat and bird as close as they ever came.

Problem Bears in Florence

A 'problem bear' has been killed in the Oregon coastal town of Florence this past Dec 11th, after being fed by humans and becoming habituated to them. The male black bear repeatedly broke into homes and walked up to a homeowner in his garage. An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division trooper allowed the bear to approach to three feet from him before dispatching the animal with a shotgun. Two younger bears were traveling with this bear. One headed towards an elementary school playground, which had to be evacuated. Earlier a bear den had been found near the school. Fish and Wildlife hopes to be able to trap these two before they need to be killed.

Bear problems result from bears learning to get food from people. Occasionally this happens just by bears finding food stores or garbage, but almost always ots because people feed them deliberately. Not only the bears begin to look to people for food, but they also lose their usual fear of humans. They begin to show up in town. Since more food is available, they don't go into hibernation as readily. They are strong enough to break in when they smell food - houses, even cars, are fair game.

Black bears are far from a scarce animal. Extremely common in Oregon's Coast Range, hundreds live in the forests near this town. Its unfortunate that humans think feeding them is OK - but it leads to unfortunate incidences like this one.

Studies show that hunting does little to stop problem bear situations. Individual problem bears may be killed, but others replace them if feeding intentional or otherwise by humans continues. It has been found that education programs aims at the human population results in a big drop in problem bear populations. A good report on this is available at Reduction in nuisance black bear complaints.

A rather entertaining event involved a black bear with a problem that shows up in humans too. In 2004 at Baker Lake Resort in north central Washington State, a bear was spotted on the lawn passed out from too much beer! Breaking into coolers it had tried a single can of Busch Beer and did not find it to his liking. The groggy bruin was feeling the effects of three dozen cans of the local Rainier Beer when found. An attempt at chasing him off resulted in the bear sleeping it off up a tree. The next day a live trap was baited with donuts, honey and two cans of Rainier. This gave the Fish and Game folks the desired results and the bear was relocated far, far away.

Mount Talbert and Landslides

Built by volcanic outpourings, carved by ice age floods, Mount Talbert has some very steep slopes. Naturally enough some landslide potential exists. This mountain seems to consist mostly of grey andesitic flows which are quite resistant to erosion. The rock bones of the mountain are mostly near the surface. Only where deep soils have accumulated is land slippage likely.

The mechanics of most landslides are fairly simple. The section of ground destined to slide cracks loose from the remaining slope along a nearly vertical but curved surface and gravity tugs until the slide block rotates downward. The falling mass moves most quickly along the curved surface next to the remaining slope, so the top angles back towards the slip surface. The rotating block begins to break up from the bottom. This process often continues until the block disintegrates, but an equilibrium can be reached, stopping the process - part of the block stops in place, freeze-framing the process at any point. I recently located such a slide on the west side, above some apartments.

Just below the Loop Trail is the sudden drop characteristic of a slip surface. The drop is some thirty feet. A game trail tracked by deer passes over a seepage area onto the hummocky top of the frozen-in-place slide. Many hummocks are made as the slide block breaks up. Some firs rode the slide and survived, slanting strongly towards the mountain. Adjacent trees on different hummocks slant at different angles while those on a single block angle the same. The trees in the decades since this land movement grew upright, bending the trunk.

Park Improvements in West Linn

West Linn Wilderness Park has just been linked to the adjacent Camassia Natural Area with a new trail. The city park and what is The Nature Conservancy's first purchase in Oregon have always been contiguous, but old tracks connecting the two have slowly closed in with poison oak and other shrubbery. The new route starts at the low point of the trail in the section of city park west of Clark Street. Slanting down a steep slope it passes a view of a boggy pond before joining the main trail system on the southeast corner of the scabland portion of Camassia. TNC has provided signage.

Joining these two makes a more useable open space for those wishing a bit of exercise. Both have their unique botanic qualities which complement one another. This rapidly developing area is blessed by these prime examples of nature in the city.

The Wilderness Park features a fir forest with much larger trees than usual. This area is just uphill from the first sawmill west of the Mississippi, and the woodland has been growing back from very early logging of probably 160 years ago. The biggest Douglas firs take three people to link arms around - nearly 5 feet wide and 15 feet around. The largest grand fir are nearly as big.

A hearty attempt to eradicate English Ivy began last summer but less than half the area is done. There are still remnant populations of many native woodland plants so hopefully they can spread once the ivy is gone.

Camassia Natural Area is positioned lower on the slope and has large areas with only a little soil over basaltic bedrock. Massive displays of deep blue camas peak in April, and other flowers, some very rare, add to the spring show. Dwarfed oaks are scattered about, but much of the thin soil area is treeless. Wildflowers in Western Oregon are usually limited by the dense dark forests, but here they grow lustily and provide a solid display in the sunshine.





Licorice fern, Oregon grape and mid-sized oaks at Camassia Natural Area

Google Map of the two natural areas

Beetles, Fire and Changed Environments

Unlike most of the posts this Blog Action Day, this one won't be about human-caused pollution or overpopulation or resource depletement. Rather I'll tell the tale of the environmental losses caused by a tiny beetle

I first met with this insect while working for Kurisu International, a high-end Japanese landscape design / build firm, some twenty years ago. We would find the telltale heavy pitch flow caused by the female beetle tunneling under the bark to lay her clutch of eggs. Sometime sawdust would be present. The only cure was to dig out the bug, or death to the pine would be sure. We called it the pitch beetle, due to the obvious pitch usually near the base of the tree, but sometimes up the trunk near branches. Unfortunately, most homeowners did not recognize the risk revealed by this pitch. Once hatched, the many larvae each consumed its own tunnel, with a fan shape quickly forming. If the pine did not die that year, it certainly did the second, as many more beetles were present then. Many a handsome landscape pine died. No tree-sized species seemed to escape. and no chemical spray was effective against it, as it was protected under the bark.

The same process is occurring in the Cascade Mountain forests. All types of pine can succumb to this problem. One year some or many pines will die, and the second sees the loss of most or all of the mature trees old enough to have thick bark. Young thin-barked saplings are not affected. One season after dying, the bark falls in lodgepole pines, with the heavy bark of white and ponderosas lasting several years. In two or three years, the lodgepoles begin to fall to the ground, and in ten to twenty most are gone. Again, with the massive white and ponderosa pines the big boles last much longer, with isolated snags still present after the lodgepoles are part of the forest duff.

What are the environmental effects of this loss?

Alteration of forest makeup
In the Olallie Scenic Area, the adjacent Warm Springs Indian Reservation and many other locations, all the mature pines died over a period of a few years. Some forests were pines almost exclusively for miles, all dead above a certain size.

Will the pines return over time? Will fir replace them? Or will meadows and shrubfields take over? Most likely all these will occur, depending on local conditions. Its clear that we just don't know, but certain is that these forests will never be the same. And of course they never have been before. Forests were more open two hundred years and more back, and only the high level of fire supression has allowed the thick woodlands of recent decades. And the beetle has opened the woods back up. The following has the potential to open them up much more.


In the foreground are pine dead for a year or more (no needles), those which died this year (red-brown needles still on the tree), and on the distant slopes the large grey areas are dead pine forest, with the deep green areas predominately fir forest. Looking east, with Olallie Lake on the left. This is environmental change on a large scale!

Fire Danger
All that dead wood becomes ready to burn each dry summer. Its both kindling and fuel for potentially massive burns. We lucked out with this summer, wet and cool as it was. Next year if hot and dry will likely see some big burns in the beetle kill areas.

Fire encourages lodgepole pine, most of whose cones release their seeds in response to the heat of a fire. The firs, now green and lush, will be the victims here.

The current scenic and recreational values will be greatly diminished. Two previous posts overview Olallie area outings and have more info - Olallie Scenic Area Highlands and Clackamas Headwaters Tour.

And forest fires are huge polluters of the air, especially by particulates. In the days before effective fire control, smoky summers were accepted as the norm for the Northwest. Nowadays they are an occasional nuisance, with Portland, Seattle and other Northwest cities getting rare health warnings about excess smoke and particulates.

Death to the beetle
The bark beetle has eliminated its food over large areas. They will die off virtually to nothing from their current spike in population. Without mature pine, they starve. So the pines, now seemingly on the ropes, will get their chance to come back in time. Fire will speed that process for lodgepoles and to a lesser extent ponderosas.

A small beetle has altered many miles of Western woodlands. A more open forest, with more flowers in newfound bright light, may be the result. Or perhaps in areas fire will come and return large areas to domination by pines. Time will tell us the results. With the large areas involved every possibilty may play out somewhere.

Blog Action day is Monday, October 15th, and the subject is the environment. Look for our special post on that day.

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