CSERC Blogger

Love it or hate it, rain and snow can control our life in the Sierra Nevada during the winter.

In the spirit of the season, here are some lightly educational and entertaining links to winter-related topics and activities for our readers to enjoy. Click on the titles of each section to visit sites that provide great info and images on each topic.

Snowflakes. I really enjoy looking under a magnifying glass at snowflakes as their incredible and unique shapes are revealed up close. Snowcrystals.com has some great images as well as breaks down the different patterns that snowflakes make.

Skijoring Taking cross-country skiing to the next level, skijoring is one way to make sure you and your dog get enough exercise in the winter. The link provided has a fun and informative video on this unusual form of recreation.

Maps. For those who love maps, the website Sierra Nevada Photos has some great maps of various geographic features, including Sierra Nevada snowfall patterns that help to show how the “rain shadow” effect works and more.

Snow sculpting. This link takes you to slide shows from the annual Breckenridge International Snow Sculpting Competition. The snow art shown is amazing and makes me definitely want to try building something different than a snowman.

What would you have added to this blog on winter? Let us know!

-Julia Stephens, CSERC assoc.

As we approach the coldest and wettest time of year in the Sierra Nevada, I notice that the shorter daylight hours and sometimes less than sunny weather makes it harder for me to get off of the sofa and into the fresh air after a day at work or school. I still find time to get outside on my days off being passionate about skiing, but overall I am tempted to be much less active in the winter time.

Lately my dog Monster has been especially pitiful when I get home, and doesn’t seem to understand why I won’t take him running in the dark. Feeling guilty, I have begun to make an effort to be active in the cold, wet, darkness of our winter evenings, and have surprised myself with how much I love it! Taking Monster for walks through my neighborhood in the night, I find myself looking up at the sky above and marveling how bright and clear the stars are this time of year.

Image provided by Xavier Ambs.

The cold air is especially refreshing and invigorating as I keep warm through walking. I notice that my without my normal vision I pick up on sounds, smell, and senses that I feel I overlook in the light of day. I hear an owl hooting in the distance. The rain shower from earlier in the day brings a freshness to the air that I miss in our incredibly dry summers. The pine trees blow in the wind, their sound comforting some deep part of me. Even though I am just walking through my regular old neighborhood, its like I have escaped into the wilderness and there is no one around.

My point is, there is potential out there for all of us to not lose our connection with nature despite the perceived difficulties this time of year provides. How do you keep yourself from becoming a couch potato this time of year?

As many people who visit Yosemite in the summertime know, the weather is great, the flowers are radiant… and the crowds are stifling. To be honest, crowds are what keep me from visiting Yosemite as much as I would like, and instead I find myself in the less visited wilderness areas that surround the Park. I have a hard time merging my nature experiences with thousands of people, and would rather take the trail less traveled.

However, a couple of weekends ago I was “forced” to put my feelings aside and took myself on a self-guided Yosemite field class I had enrolled in at my university. I entered via Highway 140 through the Merced River Canyon, studying the geological and geographical history of the land around me the whole way. I will spare you from me sharing all the fascinating things I learned about the region’s natural history, but I did want to share the epiphany that I (and okay, millions of other people) have had: Yosemite is amazing!

I had forgotten that the reason that so may people come to visit this park, and the reason that John Muir fought so hard to preserve this area over a century ago, is because everything about this region is simply breathtaking.

Pictures can’t do justice to the awe-inspiring encounter of the truly grandiose magnificence that is Yosemite. And right now is a great time of year to visit. As I made may way through Yosemite Valley my first day there, it was surprising how uncrowded the park felt. Autumn colors were abundant and the maples and oak trees leaves’ bright oranges and yellows painted a vivid landscape that I couldn’t get enough of.

It was hard to be a student with so much beauty around me to take in!

The next day I drove up to the Wawona area to visit the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, somewhere I had never been before. I took the seven-mile loop trail to the upper grove of trees and when I got there found myself completely alone, a tiny mouse amongst a world of giants.

I had an early start in the morning, and the sun was just starting to peak over the mountains. An isolated shower had covered everything in a few inches of snow the night before. As the sun’s warming rays touched the limbs of the giant sequoia’s way up high, the fine powder of snow that had settled on them fell off and floated down to the ground like fairy dust, as the snowflakes were illuminated by the golden beams of light that peeked through the forest. I stood in that grove for a long time, feeling more than privileged to witness such an elegant display of beauty by nature, in one of the oldest forests in the world.

I hope that you don’t let yourself miss out on Yosemite if you have the chance to go and visit this holiday season. Bundle up in lots of warm layers and enjoy the lesser crowds and changing scenery that this time of year has to offer. And let me know if this blog has helped to inspire to you to go!

Julia Stephens
CSERC associate

It still feels like summer outside, but as I am back at college in the last week it seems more like fall to me, and I find myself reflecting on what a great time I had in the outdoors this past summer. Here are some of the best adventures I enjoyed in our local mountains.

Hiking
There is nothing quite like getting into the outdoors by means of your own feet. The farther you travel into the mountains the more you feel the structure of society falling away from around you, and I am reminded that I was once part of the wildlife I now feel so lucky to enjoy. I really like having a destination as a goal for my hike, and more often than not that destination is a high Sierra lake. Here are some of the lakes I reached during my day hikes.

Chain of Lakes, Emigrant Wilderness Only an hour hike from the trail head, I visited these lakes multiple times this summer and enjoyed the easy to access solitude and scenery.

Wolf Lake, Pacific Crest Trail, Sonora Pass. Three and half miles to get to and a good amount of elevation gain, this hike on the PCT has some great scenery to enjoy the whole length of the trip.

Lost Lake, Carson Iceberg Wilderness A popular hiking trail gets you here, but I have never felt crowded when visiting this area, and the swimming is fantastic!

Meadows
There are so many incredible mountain meadows worthy of becoming a destination, it always surprises me that I never see another soul at the majority of them. Early summer is a great time to get out there as the wildflowers bring the meadows to life.

One of my favorite meadows to see this summer was Fahey, as I made it there at the right time to the see thousands of Western Bistort and other spectacular flowers cover this expansive meadow.

Boggy Meadow is aptly named and has excellent wildflowers late into the season, including more bog orchids in one area than any other place I have ever seen.

I won’t tell you which meadow this is to protect the convergent lady beetle. But they are incredible to behold as they gather in the tens of thousands.

Fishing and Swim Holes
Some may not have an appreciation for the former of these two styles of recreation, and I can empathize with that. However, you be comforted to know that I didn’t catch a single fish this summer, despite my many attempts. For me it is more about spending time by the water in a beautiful spot, usually near a swim hole or two that lends itself to a refreshing way to cool down under our hot summer sun.

My boyfriend and I enjoyed some time on the east side of the Sierra Nevada a couple of weeks ago, fishing and swimming on the Walker River.

South Fork Stanislaus River. This is my easy-to-access spot for both fishing and swimming. Highly recommended!

And everyone who knows about good river swimming knows that the Clavey has the best holes in our region. Unfortunately, some of the best spots are getting overused and trashed lately, so please make sure you and your friends give the respect to this special river that it deserves.

Backpacking
Finally, I had to include backpacking under a different category from hiking. I find that the experience of sleeping under the stars, and navigating myself with all I need to survive on my back through breath taking scenery to be one of the most meditative activities I could participate in. Here are some pictures from a five day backpacking trip my dad and I took in the Emigrant Wilderness last month.

Deer Lake

Lower Wire Lake

Relaxing at our base camp by Jewelry Lake.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed seeing some of the great places I enjoyed over the summer, and are perhaps inspired to go and see some of these great places yourself. Please share with us some of your great adventure spots! If after reading this you would like to know more details about where a certain place I described is, email me for more detail at: julias@cserc.org.

How many times has this happened to you: you’re driving home after a day in the forest, rounding those winding corners with the expertise of a seasoned mountain driver, when suddenly a panicked squirrel has decided that the best way to avoid your oncoming vehicle is to run across the road right in front of you. Perhaps you slam on your brakes, swerve your car, or grip the steering wheel with white knuckles, while cringing in dreadful anticipation of the telltale bump that reveals that critters unfortunate fate. Looking back in your rear-view mirror you see that this time the lucky squirrel has been given a second (or perhaps twentieth) chance, and you sigh in relief while muttering a few choice words concerning the apparent death wish of certain rodents.

Does this sound familiar? There are few who drive in the hills and mountains of the Sierra Nevada who could say that they have not been subjected to a similar scenario many times before, if not daily. This year I decided to take advantage of these up close and personal wildlife experiences to expand my ability to recognize the types of squirrels that are most common within our mountainous area. I was definitely surprised at the diversity in squirrel species I uncovered after just a little research. Below I have put together a brief description of some of the more common and/or interesting types of squirrels that can be found through many areas in the mountains for your enjoyment and learning pleasure- hopefully you too will improve in your drive-by wildlife identification skills!

Western Gray Squirrel

A large and charismatic tree dweller, the Western Gray Squirrel spends its days busily eating and collecting food off of the forest floor. Soft gray hair and a large bushy tail is the key to recognizing this species. In late summer eating becomes especially intense for the Gray Squirrel as they try and fatten up in preparation for the reduced supply of food the wintertime provides, especially since (like most tree squirrels) they do not hibernate. They prefer to nest in a hollow tree but will build a nest in tree branches if no hollow is available.

Douglas (Chickaree) Squirrel

If you have ever been walking through the forest and suddenly found yourself the subject of a thorough and lengthy scolding by a squirrel from a tree branch above, the chances are that you have encountered the Douglas Squirrel- one of the most talkative, territorial, and interesting characters of all the squirrel species. Much smaller than the Western Gray, they can also be distinguished by their summer coat that is gray on top and orange on the belly. Douglas Squirrels are active all year and they are very busy in the daytime climbing pine and fir trees, cutting off cones which they either take to their “midden” (their chosen spot to peel the cones and eat the seeds), or carry off to be stored underground for later use. Many researchers believe that Douglas squirrels depend on a mature or old growth forest for habitat.

Northern Flying Squirrel

Okay, so the chances of you seeing one these guys (let alone hitting it with your car) is pretty darn slim. But they have to be included, after all, they are flying squirrels! One of only two flying squirrel species found in North America, the Northern Flying Squirrel is plentiful in numbers throughout the mid mountain elevations of the Sierra Nevada. We just don’t see them because: a) they are nocturnal (only come out at night), and b) they are arboreal (live strictly in the trees). These little guys are very cool as they have large flaps of skin that stretch between the rear and the front leg that allows them to “fly” (actually glide) from tree to tree with distances averaging from 5 to 25 meters in distance per flight! Their diet is largely composed of lichen and fungi, but they also eat a variety of other food including berries, nuts, tree sap, and eggs. If you’d like to see them fly, check out this cool video from flyingsquirrels.com.

California Ground Squirrel

This common ground squirrel is found up to 10,000 feet in elevation and is one that is frequently witnessed (and dodged) by drivers whizzing down the highway. Similar to a gray squirrel in appearance, its tail is less bushy and prominent. The upper side of the squirrel is gray to brown with mottled spots on its coat, and the underbelly is a lighter brown to yellow in color. The California Ground Squirrel builds an intricate network of tunnels underground which it sometimes shares with others of it’s species, and here they store food and live, rarely straying far from their den. Like most ground squirrels they are dormant in the wintertime and enter a semi or full state of hibernation depending on the intensity of the winter. They have a diverse range of food they enjoy from fresh greens, to seeds and acorn, eggs, and even road kill.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

This ground squirrel is commonly mistaken to be a chipmunk, but can easily be identified once you know that the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel has stripes that run up the length of its body and stop at the shoulders, but chipmunks’ stripes extend all the way to their ears. This squirrel can be found in forests throughout North America, and enjoys a diverse diet of food including berries, acorns, pine nuts, scavenged meat, flowers, and fungi. They are also similar to chipmunks in that they store large amounts of food in their cheeks (which allows them to be able to run on all four feet at full speed while carrying food), which they take back to their den and store there for later use.

Yellow-bellied Marmot

You may be surprised to learn that the marmot is actually a member of the squirrel family. Since they are one of my favorite animals of the Sierra Nevada, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn a little more about them The Yellow-bellied Marmot is less likely to end up as an obstacle course on the road, but if you are out exploring above 7,000 feet elevation in the summer, it is quite likely that you will hear their high pitched whistle that alerts other marmots and animals to your oncoming presence. These roly poly rodents are about the size of a ground hog, and are often caught basking on a rock in the mid day sun. Their den is usually beneath a rock slide or rock ledges as this makes them more difficult to find by predators looking for a marmot dinner. Simply put, these guys are CUTE! If you want to read a funny news article about a hitchhiking marmot, click here for a laugh.

After I concluded my research for this blog, I saw there were many things that all of these squirrels have in common: their habit of collecting and redistributing food is an important way that trees and other plants get their seeds replanted and spread. Squirrels are also a very important a source of food for larger predators from birds of prey like the Northern Goshawk, or the American Marten, and felines like the bobcat and mountain lion. It emphasized to me how important the roles are that each type of animal plays in the forest ecosystem.

Now when I clutch the steering wheel with my heart jumping into my throat as I witness another foolhardy squirrel risking a potential encounter with the bottom of my tires, instead of venting to my fellow human passengers on how idiotic that squirrel’s survival instincts are, I will instead proudly announce what species of squirrel it was that almost made me drive off the road. I am sure they will be as grateful as I am to know this valuable information and look forward to another incident that will allow them learn another new and interesting species.

Do you have any interesting squirrelly stories or thoughts? Share them here!

(Sources for this article: “Discovering Sierra Mammals” by Russell K. Grater, Yosemite Association, 1978; www.flyingsquirrels.com; www.wikipedia.org; and San Diego 6 News, www.sandiego6.com)

Julia Stephens, CSERC associate

Last Saturday CSERC staff and members, Summerville High School Ecology Club, and Stanislaus Forest employees gathered at Long John’s Meadow just north of Cherry Lake for an incredibly productive day of meadow restoration work. Projects like this are so rewarding for volunteers as they help out in different phases of the project and get to see it through from beginning to “completion”. Here is a little background on this particular restoration project.

Long John’s Meadow has been severely damaged over the years by a combination of environmental effects, from wildfires, to salvage logging, and more. As a result the normal movement of the water table was drastically altered, shifting from moving over the meadow in a wide and shallow flow, to a constricted flow that had formed a deep and narrow gully.

(image by Tracy Weddle, Stanislaus National Forest)
This is the gully in Long John’s Meadow, pre-restoration. Clearly this is a meadow in need of help!

The altered flow of water from its natural path had resulted in the plants normally found here disappearing as the meadow dried. Thus, the Forest Service determined that this meadow needs to be allowed to rest from utilization for a period of time to allow restoration to occur.

Last season, CSERC volunteers stepped in to help after the Forest Service had come in with heavy equipment machinery and re-graded the meadow (to restore the natural shape of the meadow and the water table’s flow).


Volunteers planted hundreds of willow stakes (which naturally occur in meadows) adjacent and in the restored channel, and removed small shrubs and trees that weren’t part of the natural meadow system but had moved in as the meadow dried.

This year, 28 volunteers showed up to erect new fencing around its boundries, and to do hands-on stream restoration work, to help encourage not to become a gully yet again. This project was organized by Jason Jimenez, Groveland District Soil Scientist, who has collaborated with CSERC on many meadow restoration projects. Keep scrolling to get a better idea of all of the work that was accomplished in one day by this motivated group, despite the thunder and lightning that threatened us all afternoon!

We fenced over seven acres in one day!

(images provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
The folks working on the fencing first rammed the fence poles into the ground that were needed for running the wire.

(images provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
After all the poles were in place, they ran thousands of feet of barbed wire along the line now established by the poles.

Lastly, the barbed wire was connected to the poles painstakingly using pliers and metal wire pieces to wrap around both, and tightened with a come-along tool at corner posts to the appropriate tension.

The stream restoration folks had a dirtier task at hand, but no one seemed to mind.

(image provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
The Stanislaus Forest hydrologist, Tracy Weddle, showed the group how in the steeper section of the meadow the stream was beginning to form a gully once again.

The group formed a strategy on how to slow down the speed of the water in this section, as this was the cause of the gullying. They decided to: 1) level out the banks that were becoming steepened by the down-cutting water flow, and to 2) create a series of swales that would pool the water behind them before allowing the water to seep through.


(image provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
Section of grass were cut out from the meadow….

(image provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
…and replanted in built up areas of the creeks along with dirt and large rocks to create structures that would hold in the roots of the grass and slow down the water without being washed away.

(image provided by Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest)
Here you can see how the banks were leveled out using shovels to eradicate the narrow water channel that was forming, which allows water to spread and slow, as does the staggered swale locations along the stream.

Here is what the swales and banks looked like after we were done. You can see how the water pools and slows behind the swale. It will be interesting to see how this plan worked in time, and to monitor the condition of the meadow as it continues to restore itself.

Overall, the volunteers agreed this was a great project: lots of productivity, it was clear our work was going to make a difference for this meadow, and everyone cooperated really well.

One last thing: CSERC volunteer Paul Nelson created an excellent video of the workday and the beauty that surrounds the area. I highly recommend that you check it out by clicking here to see it on YouTube.

Let us know what you though of our work, or what restoration projects YOU have worked on that you found satisfying.

Julia Stephens, CSERC Associate

As a student of Geography at CSU Stanislaus, a large part of my studies focuses on the subject of sustainability and how humans impact the natural balance of life on Earth. Much of what I read describes the damage we have done to the environment and what we should be doing differently, and I find myself starting to feel hopeless and helpless about our situation. When you look at the situation globally it can feel like there is so much that has to happen to make the shift towards a sustainable planet that perhaps it is hopeless. However, if we focus at a local and regional level we can start to make a difference that can spread outwards as we create the shift towards sustainability.

Here is a list of things that I have come up with that we can start doing right now to make a positive difference in our community. Please feel free to add to it or suggest your own version!

1. Grow and/or buy your food locally

I know this is largely budget dependent for many of us, including myself. But mega-farms employ few people, use tons of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, use excessive amounts of water, and have to be transported long distances by fossil-fuel burning trucks. When you grow your own food or buy directly from a local farm, you know much more about how your food was grown and it was likely done in a more sustainable manner.

A great place to buy locally grown food is at your local Farmer’s Market in the summer time, or pay a monthly fee through a Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) farm and have fresh produce delivered to you weekly. Check out this link to learn more about Farmer’s Markets in Tuolumne County.

2. Encourage an appreciation for nature in children.

Rachel Carson said “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” With our rapidly evolving technology and expanding urban areas, there are fewer children than ever who feel that nature is something to explore and treasure. If a person lacks a sense of appreciation for the gifts that nature offers, it is hard to convince that person that nature is something worth conserving.

Fostering an environmental ethic in the younger generations not only helps keep the spirit of sustainability alive, but I know for myself personally spending time outdoors with kids helps bring out my own sense of wonder.

3. Volunteer in your community for a cause you believe in!

Volunteering is so great on many levels. Not only are you making a difference for your community, but it feels good to do so, and you can connect with other like-minded folks with a similar ethic!

When we all collaborate as a community together, more gets done and ideas on how to make a difference in other places may be kindled. Did you know that CSERC has many projects lined up this summer which we are looking for volunteers for? Check out our Volunteer Workday schedule for 2009 on our website, and see if there is anything you want to join up with.

4. Consider how you can reduce your usage of natural resources.

Many of us these days recycle, which is very important. Something I have tried to be aware of along with my efforts to recycle these days is reducing the amount of packaging I am buying to get my product. Things such as buying in bulk, using reusable shopping bags instead of the plastic disposable ones, buying a water filter instead of bottled water are some ways to reduce what I will have to dispose of in one way or another. Additionally, carpooling not only cuts expenses, but reduces the amount of vehicles on the road that are contributing towards global warming.
Composting is another way to divert waste from filling up a landfill, while providing an amazing fertilizer for your plants and garden!

Many people worry that it will create a funky smell and attract unwanted critters, but a well-managed compost pile has very little odor, creates next to no pest problems, and truly is a great way to recycle in your own backyard. Check out this link for a decent how-to on creating your own compost pile.
Finally, I think may be time for a revival of repairing and updating our current tools and appliances instead of throwing them away and buying a new version.

Not only does the repair business keep our landfills from filling up too fast, but it creates jobs that help the local economy.

This list is obviously very limited and could be expanded into books of information, but I hope that it may have planted a few seeds for some of you. I would love to hear what any of you are doing to practice sustainability in your own life. Please add a comment to this blog and share!

It’s that time of year where I have to put my skis away for another long summer (sigh). Fortunately, spring is kind to me and sends comfort in the blankets of wildflowers that now cover our foothills, and are beginning their seasonal creep up the sides of our mountains. Stalking wildflowers and reveling in their beauty comes high up on my list of obsessions.

Yesterday, my classmate Mae and I paused outside of Knight’s Ferry on Highway 108 to do some field observations for our Geomorphology class, but were quickly distracted by the rainbows of lupine, poppies, vetch, and popcorn flower to name a few of the flowers that are in full bloom in that location.

Nature’s rock garden is so inviting!

Here’s a few more of my favorites that we have photographed in our Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains.

Brodiaea or Blue Dicks- found all over, blooms early in areas that quickly dry as summer heat kicks in.

Corn lily- found in moist, open montane meadows.

Loco weed- a high country dweller. I took this picture up by Leavitt Lake, just past Sonora Pass.

The Scarlet monkey flower- I encounter this flower around creeks and rivers in the mountains. So dramatic!

Shooting stars- Always a favorite, these ladies prefer a moist habitat to live in, and can be found at many elevations depending on the time of year.

Striped coralroot- found throughout mature coniferous forests in this region. This is one of a many different species of flowers (including several orchids) found in our region that unlike the overwhelming majority of plants, actually do NOT get their energy from the sun! Instead they have a parasitic relationship with a type fungi that live in the soil, from which they get their nutrients. If you see plants in the forest without any green pigmentation, the chances are they are “myco-heterotrophs” too.

Western columbine- A common yet lovely showy flower that is found along creeks, rivers, and in moist areas like meadows.

This is of me smelling one of my all-time favorite flowers- the Washington Lily. If you are ever lucky enough to encounter one of these beauties before they have been munched on by deer, stop and smell the flowers! Their fragrance is intoxicating. They can be found sporadically throughout mature forests, in sunny spots between the trees.

Well, I hope these pictures inspire some of you to get out there and find some wildflowers for your own viewing pleasure. Right now the foothills are still just exploding with a diverse assortment of flowers, and the Knight’s Ferry, Table Mountain, or Red Hills areas are great spots to get easy access to some excellent viewing.

Let me know what your favorite wildflower is, share a great picture, or tell us about a wildflower adventure that you have had! Happy Spring!

Julia Stephens
CSERC Associate

I find it interesting that Tuolumne County offers so much in scenic beauty and natural value, and yet remains a relatively unknown region of the Sierra Nevada. Whenever I try to describe where I live to someone from out of town, it seems like 7 out of 10 times the person has never heard of Tuolumne County, and even more so if the person is from out of state. I must admit, I am relatively new to this region, having moved here just over three years ago, but now that I live here I find it hard to imagine living anywhere else. SO… as a patriot to my beautiful region, I thought that I would present a short list that can be used the next time someone is trying to tell a friend what is so great about being from Tuolumne County… from the perspective of a lover of the outdoors!

1. A significant portion of Yosemite National Park, one of the crown jewels of the Sierra Nevada (including the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River above Hetch Hechy reservoir) is located within our county.

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River

2. The Sierra Nevada and especially Yosemite were the source of inspiration for the famous preservationist/naturalist John Muir, who wrote: “…in the face of Yosemite scenery cautious remonstrance is vain; under its spell one’s body seems to go where it likes with a will over which we seem to have scarce any control.” as written in his book My First Summer in the Sierra.

John Muir

3. Traveler of the western frontier and author Mark Twain spent the winter in a cabin outside of the Tuolumne County town of Columbia in 1864, after being inspired to do so by his mentor, Brett Harte. Twain spent his time in his region writing and mining for gold, and this is where he wrote his first short story to bring him to notoriety, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”.

4. Giant Sequoias! The south grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park lies within the Tuolumne County border. This grove features truly gigantic and spectacular trees, a rushing river, and excellent hiking.

5. Historic Sonora Pass: It is now a beautiful winding highway connecting the west side of the Sierra Nevada to the east side of the Sierra Nevada, but was originally a challenging route taken by west-bound wagon trains in the mid 1800’s to access the prospering gold mining towns of Sonora and Columbia. In the summertime this highway serves as easy access to the granitic high country of the Sierra Nevada with waterfalls and amazing scenery. As the season turns to fall, cottonwood and aspen trees along upper sections of this route turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Tuolumne County high country in the fall.

6. Our rich heritage: Either a Me-wok or Yokuti tribe called “Tawalimni” that once resided along the Stanislaus and Tuolumne River in this region is thought to be what the origin of our namesake “Tuolumne”. Evidence of their time here can be found by hikers in the woods, where ancient “grinding holes” remain engraved in granite along stream and river banks as well as lakes.

Grinding holes were used by many tribes in this region to make flour from acorns.

7. Bennett Juniper: The world’s largest and oldest Western Juniper tree, approximately 4,000 years old and over 40 feet in diameter, located in the high country of our Stanislaus National Forest.

The Bennett Juniper tree can be accessed off of the high country Eagle Meadow road, a 30 minnute drive off the main highway.

7. Emigrant Wilderness and Carson Iceberg Wilderness: Located in our amazing alpine region of the Sierra Nevada. Granite domes, scenic lakes, and relatively low numbers of visitors make these wilderness regions ideal for backcountry hikers, kayakers, fishing folks, climbers, skiers/snowboarders, and nature lovers alike.

Backpacking in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness last summer with my co-worker Heather.

8. And of course, wildflowers. It’s a little early to think about them, but anyone who has spent a spring or summer in this region knows that you can follow the diverse fields of wildflowers up from the foothills to the high country as the season progresses.

Owl Clover and company in the Sierra foothills. Photo by James Kelly.

Remember that this is my short list. What would you change or add? Let us know by commenting on this blog!

Julia Stephens
CSERC Environmental Associate

Finally, it’s winter in the Sierra Nevada again! This is my favorite time of year.

Those of us who live here tend to love it or leave it. Winters in the mountains can be cold, harsh, and dangerous, and many retired ‘snowbirds’ migrate to warmer homes further south, to return after the weather warms. But those who choose to stay are treated to some of the most spectacular scenery of the year. The mountains take on a majestic and awesome presence, with each fold and angle highlighted in white. The shapes of the different kinds of trees become distinctly accented with snow frosting each branch.

And of course, wintertime recreation brings out a completely different way to enjoy exploring our natural environment. Whether by ski, snowboard, snowshoe, sled, or snow mobile, moving on the snow is exhilarating! In Tuolumne County, many people from the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay area are drawn to recreate in the snowy mountains off of the Highway 108 corridor. There are many easy to access locations that both local and out of town people use to recreate. People pay to play at private businesses that cater to winter-enthusiasts, or public land on the Stanislaus National Forest for free or a small fee.

Backcountry trips with friends are a great way to spend time together.

Local skier Damien Johnson catching some air last season.

Over this past Christmas week, we received an incredible present in the form of a massive snowstorm depositing lots of the cold white fluffy stuff for us to play in. Winter seemed to come a bit late this year, so this first storm was waited on by many of us as we anticipated the fun that would come along with it. This was especially clear on Friday as I drove down the busy highway after spending an afternoon at crowded Dodge Ridge, our local ski resort. However, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated on that ride back from Dodge as I saw the throngs of people gathered at a well known sledding hill called Little Sweden immediately adjacent to the highway. Don’t get me wrong, as a person who wants to see a strong appreciation of nature installed in everyone, I am encouraged when people step away from their televisions, cars, etc. to get outside and play. To me, this creates a well-rounded individual while hopefully motivating their desire to see beautiful locations preserved instead of developed, so that they can continueto be enjoyed.

But as I drove by Little Sweden, I entered a chaotic world. Hundreds of people covered the hillside, walked and parked down both sides of the highway, barbecued lunch on their tailgates, and crossed the highway as though it was a neighborhood street. I had one dad and his daughter dash out in front of my truck just a hundred or so feet ahead of me, and the highway was icy!

A family visiting Little Sweden strolls down the middle of Highway 108 last weekend, a common occurence to navigate for those who regularly drive this route.

Cars line both sides of the highway by Little Sweden, despite the hazards and the clearly posted “No Parking” signs.

Since I have lived through many seasons of this phenomenon, I know that the story doesn’t end here. After everyone packs up and goes home, a lot is still left behind. The hills are covered in thousands of pieces of broken plastic sleds that are abandoned. Dirty diapers, broken bottles, cans, and every other kind of trash you can imagine are strewn about the hill. The trash left behind not only pollutes the land and water, but it is dangerous, and it disrupts the natural habitat. Little Sweden is just one of many free locations that people use to play at in the winter, and the story is repeated in each of these locations to some degree or another. Every year after the snow melts, volunteers or Forest Service employees come and clean up the mess that others leave behind in order to help keep the environment from becoming too degraded.

How does a community encourage a higher environmental ethic that promotes caretaking of a natural area versus the attitude that nature is here for us to use however we want? I would love to hear what any readers think in regards to that question.

As far as recreating in such a dangerous area (right off the main highway!) I hope more people start to consider locations such as Leland Meadows, where for a small fee you can sled down their groomed hills, and ride the newly installed rope tows back up.

View of Leland Meadows from above, before the rope-tow installation.

There are locations designated by Stanislaus National Forest that are actually for winter recreation that provide off-road parking, some services, and access to excellent snowy backcountry, such as Pinecrest or the Snow Park at the Highway 108 winter closure point.

All negativity aside, winter in the Sierra Nevada is amazing. It has a way of drawing people to the outdoors. Share with us a story of one of your favorite wintertime adventures, and we’ll share ours!

Julia Stephens
Environmental Associate