We were very disappointed, having gotten up at the crack of dawn.
The other guy, turns out, was a volunteer with the Forest Service
and volunteers his time to catalog endangered species in the
Siskiyou/Kalmiopsis wilderness areas. He was not familiar with
Palmer Mountain, where our original tour was going, so had decided
to tag along. He offered to show us the Rough and Ready Creek area,
his specialty.
>From the trailhead we hiked about two and a half miles down to Rough
and Ready Creek, then across the creek, along the banks, back across
the creek and back to the road via a trail hacked into the rock cliff.
Saw first of all Epilobium rigidum Hausskin (rigid willow herb), an
endangered species, blooming with a lovely pinkish flower. Also saw
Tofiiieldia glutinosa, a lily which grows in bogs and along streams.
This area of the valley is serpintine and the soil is red, red, red.
We learned that there are a number of species which grow only in this
area and soil. Our guide, Mike Anderson, was so informed and had so
many fascinating things to tell us and show us. We walked into an
area where the flora quite suddenly changed, and was primarily wild
azalea (rhododendren occidentalis) and the soil was quite damp. And
THERE THEY WERE: MY FIRST DARLINGTONIA!!!! It was mind boggling and
I will never forget it. It was a very hot day and, since I have been
having trouble getting them going in my greenhouse, I knelt down and
put my hand into the soil underneath them ... ice cold, coming up from
a spring.
Later we drove into areas along the west fork of the Illinois River where
every so often there would be darlingtonia bogs right alongside the road.
All were in springs of very cold water. And, in one of the bogs, we
finally found another endangered species, Gentiana setigera, which Mike
had been hunting.
This evening I am tired, and all wound up with my mind just racing. I
don't want to forget a minute of this memorable special day! For reasons
I won't detail here, I really needed to know that God's in His Heaven
and all is right with the world.
Thanks for allowing me to share this with you.
Sara in Grants Pass, Oregon