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2006 FIELD TRIPS : Kern CNPS
General Info: Please join us this season in learning about and enjoying our California native plants! We have planned another full calendar of trips this spring, led by some knowledgeable enthusiasts, as well as some trips where we will all take our field guides and (enthusiastically) work to identify the plants we find. (Ellen Cypher’s workshop on March 11 will be a great boon to newcomers to plant ID.)
Always bring water, snacks, a hat, sun screen, and layers of clothing for variable weather. Although our insurance does not allow us to assign rides, we encourage car pooling. We ask that you let us know if you plan to attend, so we know whom to expect.
April 1st, Saturday Pixley Vernal Pools And Kaweah Oaks Preserve
Travel with us to Tulare County where we hope we will see the increasingly rare plant community of vernal pools, with their concentric circles of plants which appear as the pools evaporate. PVP was purchased in the 1970’s by the Nature Conservancy. We will continue on to the Kaweah Oaks Preserve to see one of the best preserved oak riparian habitats in the San Joaquin Valley. Also purchased in the 1970’s by the Nature Conservancy, it is now protected by the Sequoia Riverlands Trust. There is a donation of $10.00 per person, which helps keeps a caretaker on site. Both locations are on the valley floor, and level. Meet at 8:00 A.M. in the Denny’s parking lot on Buck Owens Blvd. to car pool. Bring a lunch to eat at KOP. Google “Pixley Vernal Pools” for background information.
To attend, contact: Lucy Clark
April 8, Saturday Maturango Museum Wildflower Show and Desert Walk with Steve Hampson in Ridgecrest
Visit the Museum’s display of collected desert wildflowers, then join Steve for a walk in either Short or Poison Canyons, depending on the bloom. (Neither is strenuous canyon walking.) We will eat our lunches somewhere on the hike, surrounded by flowers. Meet at Taco Bell at the SE corner of Hwys 58 and 184 (Weedpatch Hwy) at 9:00 A.M. for carpooling. Otherwise meet us at the Maturango Museum at 100 E. Flores Ave., just off China Lake Blvd. (Across the street from a looming Home Depot)
To attend, contact: Steve Hampson
April 22nd, Saturday Intermountain Nursery in Prather
Intermountain Nursery is one of the plant suppliers for our annual sale. The nursery is located in Prather, about 2 1/2 hours north & east of here. We will be given a tour of the nursery’s gardens, growing grounds and hot house. We will be taught some of the peculiarities and specifics of growing native plants. Plants in the nursery will be in bloom and ready to be bought! Meet at 7:30 A.M. at the Montgomery World Plaza parking lot, south side, near the recycling bins. Bring your lunch, we will picnic by the creek. Estimated time of return is 5:00pm. This is a great opportunity to learn from experienced and knowledgeable growers and purchase plants that are usually not available for our sale because they were sold out. Be prompt, we will leave at 7:30 AM.
To attend, contact: Debby Kroeger
April 29th, Saturday Cal Poly SLO Leaning Pine Arboretum
We will visit the gardens on the campus of Cal Poly SLO. Time and weather permitting we will also visit the SLO Botanical Garden at El Chorro Regional Park. The garden features plants from the world’s five Mediterranean climate zones. Meet in Wasco at the Save Mart parking lot along Hwy 46 at 7 A.M.
To attend, contact: Harriet Morris
May 6th, Saturday Wishon Road with Linda Cooley
Wishon Road has many interesting and beautiful species along its gradual rise. Bring your cameras and wildflower books, and explore with us this Tulare County "garden."
Meet at 8 A.M. at the Denny's parking lot at Hwy 65 and 7th Standard Rd. to car pool to beyond Springville to Wishon Rd. off Hwy 190. This will be a drive, walk, look-around trip at around 3300'.
Please contact: Steve Hampson
May 13th, Saturday Breckenridge Road with Steve Hampson
We will motor up to the oaks and stop for looks-around by the roadside. We will top out at 6600' in the yellow pine forest for lunch. For those who need to return to town early, you can return the way we came. We will continue on to Bodfish and down the Kern Canyon, or perhaps loop back through Caliente. Since it is too early for flowers at the higher elevations, we will spend most of our time down in the oak woodland.
Meet at the Taco Bell parking lot at the southeast corner of Hwys 58 and 184 (Weedpatch Hwy) at 8:30 A.M. sharp.
Please contact: Steve Hampson
June 4th, Sunday McNalley Burn Area with Janet Westbrook
This is the field trip offered to CNPS Chapter Delegates attending the quarterly meeting which will be held in Ridgecrest on June 2, 3, and 4. Kern members are invited also, as we are hosts. Reports are that native plants are springing back to life vigorously! This is an opportunity to see how nature responds to fire. We will be making LOTS of stops at several burn sites. Janet is the burn expert from the Bristlecone Chapter-Creosote Ring Group!
Meet at the Taco Bell parking lot at the SE corner of Hwys 58 and 184 (Weedpatch Hwy) at 6:30 A.M. sharp.
For folks in the eastside area, go north on Hwy 14/395 to the Kern/Inyo line (which is the Shell Station), and keep going north past Pearsonville about 3 miles, to the Kennedy Meadows signs. Meet in the big open space there, at the bottom of 9 Mile Canyon Road about 9 A.M.. We will carpool from there also. It is doubtful that westsiders will be able to return home over Sherman Pass because of lots of snow!
Please contact: Steve Hampson
June 24th, Saturday Jordan Peak with the Alta Peak Chapter
We have been invited to join with our Tulare County friends on their annual trek to view the rare and exquisite lily Erythronium pusaterii. This is an easy, but mostly uphill 2+mile climb to the peak at 9100' elevation. Fortunately, there are many sub-alpine species to investigate on the way to the Lookout at the top, when we can catch our breath! We will meet the Alta Peakers at 10 A.M. where North Road meet Hwy 190 near Quaking Aspen Meadow.
Meet at the Denny's at 7th Standard Road and Hwy 65 at 7:45 A.M. to carpool up 65 to Hwy 190 to Springville. From Giffords in Springville, it is 24 miles up to North Road.
Please let Lucy know if you plan to attend!
July 8th, Saturday Bald Mountain Botanical Area with Alison Sheehey
We will drive, stop, wander about at an elevation of about 9,400 feet, to look for the special plants for which this area has been reserved; and various conifers; and interesting geology; and for signs of plant succession after fire. For great information on the Bald Mountain Botanical Area, go to www.natureali.org/SQF/bald_mountain.html. Who knew this was in our backyard?!
(Alison posts a wonderful web site, www.natureali.org which is recommended for info on the natural history of Central California.)
Alison anticipates camping there over night, and leaves that as an option for anyone else inclined to join her on Sunday for a trip along the West side on Cherry Hill Road, down to Big Meadow. She reports that it gets down to freezing up there in July, so bring very warm clothing and camping gear! And mosquito repellent! Plan to be self-sufficient in food and water.
For West siders, meet in the Tuesday Morning parking lot, corner of Fairfax and Auburn to form carpools. We can do this by campers and non-campers. We will leave at 8 am to arrive in Kernville by 9:30. We will join with East siders and our leader, Alison, at the Gateway Market (James Store) in Kernville at 9:30am. Plan to top off gas tanks in Kernville, as there is no gas farther along the trip!
Please contact: Steve Hampson
Other possibilities
If you are interested in a dog days of summer August camping and flowering event somewhere on cool, cool Sherman Pass, e-mail either Lucy or Steve for details yet to be decided. Details such as the date……