Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area, Los Angeles County January 5, 2019

Snowy peaks above the Devil's Punchbowl

I've always wanted to visit the Devil's Punchbowl out off State Route 138 west of Wrightwood and I'm so glad that I did. The 1,310-acre natural area is managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and they seem do be doing a great job.  The drive from State Route 138 to the natural area by itself is worth the trip, as the drive meanders up from the mojave scrub at 3,150 feet elevation and transitions through California juniper woodland ending with single-leaf pinyon pine woodland at 4,740 feet elevation. 

Amazing rock formations at Devil's 

Punchbowl Natural Area 

I loved seeing my old friend big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), along with big-berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) and the single-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla). The sedimentary rock formations are truly amazing as well and I think I will need to come back to check out the Devil's Chair. It was nice and cold during my visit, 45 degrees around noon, overcast, and the wind was up. It was not a great day for photos but I had a great time with the two new conifers. There was a lot of single-leaf pinyon pine where I was in the natural area but there was not a lot of California juniper (Juniperus californica) around. I drove down the road and stopped a few hundred yards from the entrance to the natural area and had a good look at the transition zone from juniper woodland to single-leaf pinyon pine woodland. Here I had a good look at both species together.

Quality mixed juniper and
pinyon pine woodland 

I think I have my hands full with road trips this year but this place would be worth another visit in the spring. On the way home I picked up a four pack of Mammoth Brewing Company's 395 India pale ale that is brewed with juniper berries and sage. Seems just about perfect as I write this. 

8. Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla)
I've always had a soft spot in my heart for single-leaf pinyon pine. I first knew the species at the very northern extent of its range while climbing the amazing rock formations at City of Rocks in Southern Idaho and I've seen them here in southern California near the southern extent of its range. I think the single-needle pine is unique and you are usually in a cool spot when around pinyon pines. I also like the light brown color of the fresh cones. I made a few into Christmas tree ornaments a few years ago and really like them. 

The single-leaf pinyon pine at the
visitor's center is impressive

The single-leaf pinyon pine is not a tall tree. The size seems to vary based on landscape position and the tallest trees I saw were approximately 30 to 35 feet in height. The single-leaf pinyon pine has (drum roll.....) one needle. 
The needle is between 1.5 to 2.5 inch in length and has a slight curve to it. The cones are relatively small ranging 3.5 to 4 inches in height. Whatever the cones lack in size they make up for in nuts. The prized pinyon pine-nut is quite large and serves the local wildlife well. The grey and brown bark has cinnamon streaks and is lightly furrowed. From a distance you know your entering pinyon pine woodland by the elevation, landscape position and clumpy nature of the single-leaf pinyon pine woodland.   

Single slightly curved needle

Cones and needles of single-leaf needle pinyon pine, note the two pine nuts remaining in the upper cone 

Grey and brown bark of single-leaf pinyon pine

9. California Juniper (Juniperus californica)
I was excited to see California juniper as I drove up through the juniper woodland on the way to Devil's Punchbowl. The juniper shrubs form a mosaic of clumps on the landscape. The female shrubs were readily identified by the distinct green-grey seed cones (or juniper berries) that the male shrubs lacked.  

The patchy mosaic of juniper woodland

California juniper is dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants), shrubby with multiple trunks, and is approximately 10 to 15 feet in height. The whorled scale-like leaves of California juniper are very small and do not look like normal leaves at all. It took me a while to get over the lack of "real" leaves but I've gained a better appreciation for the genus after revisiting the Cupressaceae Family and reviewing the different genera and species. Each little leaf has a distinct dark gland which helps differentiate it from the similar looking but monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant) Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) which has an obscure leaf gland.

Scale-like leaves and pollen cones
 of a male California juniper

The male shrubs has small 2 to 3 millimeter brown pollen cones. The male shrubs have a darker appearance compared to the female shrubs which have an abundance of fleshy green-grey seed cones or juniper berries. The fleshy seed cones are round-ish with little protrusions and are 7 to 12 millimeters in size. The green-grey color of the seed cones comes from a thin glaucous film that is easily removed at the first touch. The bark of the main trunks and large branches of California juniper is grey and shaggy. 
    

Glaucous seed cones of a female California juniper

Glaucous film on the seed cones easily rubs off

Shaggy persistent bark of California juniper

Cuyamaca Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, San Diego County. 
December 15, 2018

I've been trying to plan a few trips to see more conifers and decided to visit some low-hanging "cones" and head down to San Diego. I thought that a trip to Cuyamaca Peak might be cool as at 6,512 feet in elevation it is supposed to harbor the southern extent of the range of sugar pine and there is also a handful of other conifers. I also know that the super rare Cuyamaca cypress is on the southwest flanks of the peak and thought that maybe, just maybe I could bump into one. I did not  haphazardly bump into Cuyamaca cypress on the way up the peak but I did manage to park under Jeffery pine, have a good hike with Rebecca and a few friends, saw sugar pine, and ended up seeing more conifers than I thought I would.   

Friends and I next
to a fire ravaged sugar pine. 

It seems almost the entire area burned during the 2003 fire. The hike was paved, short and steep rising 1,600 feet in about 2.5 miles. After sweating through the chaparral filled lower portion of the trail we neared the top, the grade became easier, and soon we were enjoying the cool shade of the conifer canopy. At the top of the peak we found a good mix of conifers including white fir, Coulter pine, incense cedar, and sugar pine. Some of the trees had been burned badly but were surviving, while some seemed less affected by the fire. The hike was fun and recommended and I'll be back to the area to see Cuyamaca Cypress later this winter.  

7. Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) 
The draped canopy of sugar pine made it stand out from Coulter pine and I guess I had never seen it before (a lifer!). I know I will see this species again later and cant wait to compare these southern burned sugar pines to some northern ones. Sugar pine is known for having the longest cones of all the pines (normally 12 to 18 inch) but the ones I found were about 10 inches in length. The cone is distinctly cylindrical and has a persistent stalk. The five relatively short, 2 to 4 inch needles of sugar pine were also distinctive to me.  The bark on the trees was slightly furrowed and had a mixture of gray, brown and beautiful pink tones.   

The best example of sugar pine at the top of Cuyamaca Peak. 

The cones and 5 needles of sugar pine. These needles
were approximately 2.5 inches in length and the cones
were approximately 10 inches in length. 

Me next to a trail side sugar pine.
I love the burned trees in the background. 

Close up of sugar pine bark. The bark is
beautiful with grays, browns, and pink tones. 

Falcon Group Campground, Cleveland National Forest. November 10, 2018

Back on the conifer quest again after a few weekends off. Rebecca and I decided to head up to Falcon Group Campground located nearby in the Cleveland National Forest. Reluctantly, I admit that after 13 years of living in Orange County I had never been to Falcon Group Campground before. I have been close to the area several times to mountain bike the famous San Juan Trail so I knew there were some pines in the area, and I was curious to see what was up there.

Entrance to Falcon Group 

Campground.

After a quick curvy drive up Ortega Highway (State Route 74) we arrived at Main Divide Road and turned left. After a very nice 10 minute drive up Main Divide Road, past Blue Jay Campground, then past the San Juan Trail trail-head, we arrived at Falcon Group Campsite. This area has a good cover of coast live oak, sage scrub, and  grassland and a few stands of Coulter pine. Turns out there are some knobcone pine in the area as well. After spending some time with the two pines I ran into local botanist Ron Vanderhoff who told me that the knobcones at Falcon Group Campground were planted some time ago. 

Rebecca in front 

of a knobcone pine. 

Ron reminded me that the only native stands of knobcone pine in the Santa Ana Mountains were associated with serpentine soils on Pleasant's Peak. He then went on to say he thought the Coulter pines had been planted too but was not too sure. After a few days of pondering I decided that I would count the Coulter pine for now with the thought that I will see it again later during the year but sadly the knobcone would have to wait for another trip.



6. Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) 
The distinctive needles of Coulter pine are 9-12 inches long, stiff, pointy and in bundles of three. The large, heavy "widow-maker" cones are amazing and are easily my favorite aspect of the tree. The huge sappy cones are about the same length as the needles and have hooked scale tips that give it a sticky, dangerous look. The bark is slightly furrowed and more brown than gray. I did not really have any thoughts on what the tree looks like from a distance, obviously the large cones are distinctive as well as the long needles.  

9 to 10-inch needles and large cones of Coulter pine. 
I really liked the unopened cone at  the top.

  

Me with two Coulter pine cones in front of a Coulter pine.
Note large widow-maker pine cones at the top of the tree. 

A small stand of Coulter pine near
 the campground. 

Me with cone and bark of mature Coulter pine. 

Conifers of California
List of 55 Target Species October 21, 2018

This list will be updated with dates throughout the year.  

Pine Family (Pinaceae) - 33 Species
   Pines (Pinus) -19 Species
      Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata)
    Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) 11-10-2018
    Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana)
      Gray Pine (Pinus sabinana)
    Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva)
    Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) 10-6-2018
    Knobcone Pine (Pinus attenuata)
    Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis)
    Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) 10-6-2018
    Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) 10-8-2018
    Parry Pinyon Pine (Pinus X quadrifolia)
    Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)
    Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)
    Sierra Juarez Pinyon Pine (Pinus juarezensis)
    Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) 1-5-2019
    Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) 12-15-2018
    Washoe Pine (Pinus washoensis)
    Western White Pine (Pinus monticola)
    Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis)
   
   Firs (Abies) - 7 Species
      Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
    Noble Fir (Abies procera)
    Pacific Silver Fir (Abies amabilis)
    Red Fir (Abies magnifica)
    Santa Lucia Fir (Abies bracteata)
    Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
    White Fir (Abies concolor) 10-6-2018
   
   Spruces (Picea) - 3 Species
      Brewer Spruce (Picea breweriana)
    Engelmann Spruce (Picea enelmannii)
    Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
   
   Hemlocks (Tsuga) - 2 Species
      Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
    Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
   
   Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga) - 2 Species
      Bigcone Spruce (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa)
    Douglas Fir (Pseudostuga menziesii)

Cypress Family
(Cupressaceae) - 18 Species
   Cypresses (Cupressus) - 10 Species
      Baker Cypress (Cupressus bakeri)
    Cuyamaca Cypress (Cupressus stephensonii)
    Gowen Cypress (Cupressus goveniana)
    McNab Cypress (Cupressus macnabiana)
    Mendocino Cypress (Cupressus pigmaea)
    Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)
    Piute Cypress (Cupressus nevadensis)
    Santa Cruz Cypress (Cupressus abramsiana)
    Sargent Cypress (Cupressus sargentii)
    Tecate Cypress (Cupressus forbesii)
   
   False Cypresses (Chamaecyparis) - 2 Species
      Alaska Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)
    Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
   
   Incense Cedar (Calocedrus) - 1 Species
      Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) 10-6-2018

   Arborvitaes (Thuja) - 1 Species
      Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

   Junipers (Juniperus) - 4 Species
      California Juniper (Juniperus californica) 1-5-2019
    Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
    Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
    Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)

Bald Cypress Family
(Taxodiaceae) - 2 Species
   Redwood (Sequoia) - 1 Species
      Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

   Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron) - 1 Species
      Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Yew Family (Taxaceae) - 2 Species
   Yews (Taxus) - 1 Species
      Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)

   Nutmeg (Torreya) - 1 Species
      California Nutmeg (Torreya californica)

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve 
Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California
October 9, 2018

I've been working near the central coast town of Cambria in San Luis Obispo County lately and had some unexpected free time so I decided to go look for Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). I knew that the southernmost native stands of Monterey pine where located in Cambria but wasn't quite sure where to best see them. After a quick internet search I found the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, a 437-acre open space preserve which encompasses a variety of habitats including riparian, tidal, coastal prairie, freshwater marsh, coastal scrub, and Monterey pine forest. I chose to hike the 1.2-mile Forest Loop trail because my time was limited and it sounded like the most likely place to see Monterey pine. Based on the trail map I picked up at the trailhead off of Tipton Street, it looks like there are about 70 acres of Monterey pine forest in the preserve. As soon as I entered the preserve I was surrounded by Monterey pine. It was birdy too with California towhees, Steller's jay, and Nuttall's woodpecker present as well as a large flock of colorful Townsend's warblers chattering as they hop-scotched from tree to tree.  

The Forest Loop trail
was a pleasure to hike. 

The hike was quick and fun. The Friends of Fiscalini Ranch Preserve have done a great job maintaining the trails and doing Monterey pine forest restoration. It was early, foggy, and drizzly, which might be the best way to experience Monterey pine but resulted in bad lighting in photos. I didn't quite get the picture I wanted, I'll have to add some better photos when I get a chance.

Pine forest restoration work on the preserve.  

5. Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata)
Monterey pine has bright green needles in bundles of three. Needles are relatively long, up to 6 inches long. Cones are medium sized, up to 10 inches in length, and not prickly. The cones are persistent on the tree, which is distinctive. The bark is grey-brown and somewhat furrowed. Monterey pines that grow in open canopy stands tend to have thicker trunks and a rounded full crown. Within closed canopy stands they have a short crown atop a long unbranched trunk. From a distance, the closed canopy stand trees have a wise and distinctive gangly look. 

Monterey pine has bright green needles in bundles
of three and persistent cones that are not prickly.

The gray-brown furrowed bark of mature 
closed canopy stand Monterey pine. 

Noticeably green needles and persistent cones are
distinctive of Monterey pine.

Silhouette of unbranched trees with short crowns
within a closed canopy Monterey pine stand. 

     

Silhouette of branched full canopy of
open canopy Monterey pine. 

Siberia Creek Trail, San Bernardino National Forest. October 6, 2018

Today I started the big year with a trip to Siberia Creek Trail near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest. My girlfriend Rebecca and I came up for the day and planned to find a sunny spot to take the day in. She meditated and napped on sun-warmed granite while I walked around and took the area in. At 7,600-feet in elevation, I know Siberia Creek and the adjacent Bluff Lake Preserve as a reliable place to see montane birds such as golden-crowned kinglet, Townsend's solitaire, and Williamson's sapsucker. The meadows in the area are some of Southern California's nicest, and the area is home to several rare plant species. Turns out there is also an abundance of lodgepole pine, white fir, and Jeffrey pine, and we even ran into a small stand of giant sequoia planted near Bluff Lake. Then on the way back to Big Bear Lake we ran into incense cedar along Forest Road 2N10. 

Beautiful Bluff Lake Preserve is managed by The Wildlands Conservancy.

The Siberia Creek Trail area is also home to California's champion lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), which I have visited during each of my previous visits. According to the sign in front of the champ, the tree is 440 years old, 110 feet in height, and 75 inches diameter at breast height. The massive trunk of the tree is amazing to stand next to. The overall bell-shape of the crown is what I remember most.

A sapling lodgepole standing in front of the bell-shaped champ.

1. Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Mature bark of lodgepole pine. 

I really like the needles on this tree. Needles are in bundles of two. The needles are short and up to 2 inches in length. The cones are small; prickly to the touch due to small, sharp seed cone scale tips; up to 2 inches in height; and have a twisted base. The bark is gray-brown, thin, and somewhat scaly. At a distance mature trees have a distinct look with branches arranged in layers throughout the crown giving it what I am referring to as an overall bell shape. 

Needles and cones of lodgepole pine. 

Lodgepole pine has short needles in bundles of two.

Mature lodgepole pine from a distance.