Journal archives for May 2022

May 12, 2022

May 10, 2022

Hike west between South Fork Campsite and Holcomb Canyon in the Angeles National Forest.

Most of the trail hiked was impacted by the Bobcat Fire in September of 2020. Before the fire the major plant community included Piñon Pines, Canyon Live Oaks, Scrub Oaks (possibly Tucker's Scrub Oak), California Flannel Bush. On the north facing slopes, plants returning were predominantly California Flannel Bush (<1m), as crown sprouts and germinated seeds (<7cm ). Canyon Live oaks mostly crown sprouting nearly chest high. Round-leafed bush mallow filling in the gaps as a fire follower, and other species that seem to have gotten a boost from the fire include P. Longipes, and an unidentified species of Streptanthus that while they had been seen before are in some areas so thick they are overlapping. Whispering bells are also common and overlapping, they were already present and somewhat common although not in such quantities. Another nice site was a patch of Calochortus Kennedyi within som O. Phaeacantha. The clear looser in the fire was the P. Monophylla with only a few remaining trees, along this stretch of trail, some at the beginning close to Big Rock Creek and South Fork, and some on the other side of the Saddle where a patch of unburned vegetation remains.

A species of Eremothera was spotted, I am not sure if it is a Booth's. The flowers seem too small.

Posted on May 12, 2022 03:40 AM by jonathan27 jonathan27 | 124 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 15, 2022

May 15, 2022

Temperature: 81 F
Winds: 4 mph

Temperatures are rising, many plants are now going to seed, such as the Gilia brecciarum, seeds were photographed for the observation on may 14. Although some plants are going to seed there are still examples of the flowers on some of the plants. Phacelia fremontii is still in bloom although some have gone to seed. A Phacelia brachyloba has been seen this year near to the Piñon Pathway trail, the second observation in two years in the park. An increase in native bees over the last few days has been a surprise and I will try to get more photographs of them over time. Large patches of Loeseliastrum matthewsii (Desert Calico) were seen north of the parking lot area.,

Posted on May 15, 2022 10:30 PM by jonathan27 jonathan27 | 23 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

May 19, 2022

May 16, 2022 Hike from the junction of the Devil's Chair trail to the Burkhart Saddle

May 16, 2022
Wind < 5mph
Temperature < 82F
Max. Elevation 6,993 feet
Elevation Gain 3656 feet
Junction of the Devil's Chair trial to Burkhart saddle, total miles 14.39 miles (round trip).

Majority of the area was hit by the Bobcat fire in September of 2020, areas lower in elevation where was more underlying brush were hit the hardest. The first mile of the trail a majority of the Coulter and Jeffrey pines were burned completely with no regrowth on any of the branches. Round-leaf bush mallow and Poodle-dog bush are prevalent, with small seedlings of Ceanothus vestitus, Fremontodendron californium the dominant chaparral. Dozens of seedling pines were seen along the trail. In the canyon areas Canyon Live Oaks were crown sprouting. Linanthus concinnus, San Gabriel Linanthus, a rarely sighted flower was very common with thousands of individual plants on the hillsides, preferring sunny talus rocky hillsides.

Posted on May 19, 2022 08:50 PM by jonathan27 jonathan27 | 424 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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