This week, the creek water finally warmed up enough for the trout to activate & folks have been seeing a couple of brookies in the fish house windows. This is at least a month later than usual.
Jon Stead arrived this week & the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout study will be ramping up again over the coming weeks. One of the first orders of business will be to get out the radio tracker & see where the tagged fish are.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Sagehen Experimental Forest Dedication Ceremony.
Wow, what a busy week!
The official Experimental Forest Dedication ceremony went great, with interesting perspectives offered in a number of short presentations by high-ranking Forest Service officials & university representatives. Read about it here, or watch the video.
Since the designation of Sagehen Experimental Forest was part of the larger celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Forest Service, they decided to offer us one of the Forest Service Centennial Markers; we installed it in the Lower Camp.
"The Forest Service partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Geodetic Survey (NGS) to install a 12-inch commemorative disk on the grounds of the USDA in Washington, DC. The disk is now included in the NGS National Spatial Reference System of high-accuracy reference points, providing the foundation for transportation and communication systems and other uses. Smaller replicas were placed on 17 national forests throughout the country, each of which became part of the National Spatial Reference System."
The official Experimental Forest Dedication ceremony went great, with interesting perspectives offered in a number of short presentations by high-ranking Forest Service officials & university representatives. Read about it here, or watch the video.
Since the designation of Sagehen Experimental Forest was part of the larger celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Forest Service, they decided to offer us one of the Forest Service Centennial Markers; we installed it in the Lower Camp.
"The Forest Service partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Geodetic Survey (NGS) to install a 12-inch commemorative disk on the grounds of the USDA in Washington, DC. The disk is now included in the NGS National Spatial Reference System of high-accuracy reference points, providing the foundation for transportation and communication systems and other uses. Smaller replicas were placed on 17 national forests throughout the country, each of which became part of the National Spatial Reference System."
Friday, June 16, 2006
As they plan their visit to Sagehen, people frequently ask us about what the Sagehen kitchens contain. So this week I put up an inventory list that outlines all the appliances, equipment, dishes & supplies we provide, as well as a list of what you will need to bring.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Yesterday, we had a site visit from representatives of the Forest Service research arm & Hawaii state who are working to develop two Experimental Forests on the Big Island. They are gathering information by doing field trips to other Experimental Forests: Sagehen & the H.G. Andrews in Oregon.
Today we learned that the Forest Service is using our Plant List & Al Grigarick's flowering plant photos to train their seasonal botany workers. It's great that these photos are already being used!
I snazzed up the look of our blog this week--let us know how you like it!
Today we learned that the Forest Service is using our Plant List & Al Grigarick's flowering plant photos to train their seasonal botany workers. It's great that these photos are already being used!
I snazzed up the look of our blog this week--let us know how you like it!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Yesterday, I managed to crack a password that had somehow been changed, locking everyone out of one of the library PCs. So this morning, we awoke to a magical situation that has never happened before: every single station computer, including the server, every printer, plotter & scanner, every back-up drive, CD-burner & network hub is completely functional & interconnected!
This is a huge milestone, probably related to our recently re-installed server that had to be wiped clean via a remote optical drive (thanks to Berkeley services!) after the anti-virus software became corrupted & refused to allow any access of any kind.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
This week, Jeff finished tearing out & replacing all the windows & doors in the Botany Lab/Classroom. We got rid of the haphazard old shelving, installed even more rescued UC Davis casework in both rooms & installed a real floor drain to replace the the ankle-breaker pit in the classroom.
Then Dave Westmoreland--eddied out while waiting for his birds to nest--helped us paint the building. Now he's moved on to painting his own quarters: the Meadow Cabin (handy guy to have around!).
The classroom building looks & works great now.
Press release: First descent of Sagehen Creek
greetings friends of sagehen creek and extreme sportspeople,
i have just returned from what appears to be, (until declared otherwise), the successful first descent of the wild and scenic sagehen creek, 12 miles north of truckee california. previously thought unrunnable, this unique river has finally been tamed.
today i found myself, for the thousandth time, eyeballing the creek as it flowed behind my non-ramshackle cabin in the heart of the field station. but today was different, for you see, out of the other eye i noticed that i had my kayak right here in town, atop my crappy car. it seemed destiny was taunting me...it was now or never, or later...i went for it.
i put in at ARC headquarters, leo's lounge, much to the disbelief of at least one local scientist. the first 1/8 mile was treacherous...one fallen log after another, making it in fact impossible to even put in. i walked this section, making sure to memorize the lines for any future high-water descents. finally as i arrived just upstream of upper camp, i was able to set sail, so to speak, and commence the on-water portion of my journey.
a few must-make eddies and log-portages later the first major obstacle of the day came into view, "fish-house falls". a post-modern concrete and steel monster spanning the width of the entire river, i had but three choices. left, middle, or center. surprisingly, there was a small crowd of locals partying atop the structure, and it was only my will to impress that kept me in my boat for this one. i opted for the left channel, and, ducking under the steel latticework, hit the middle of the flume at breakneck speed and made the 18 inch drop into a frothing 4 inch wave which nearly stopped me dead in my tracks. the crowd went bananas.
i continued on around the bend, negotiating the 3 foot wide riverbed using a variety of techniques, including grass-pulling, log-limbo, and sheer determination. soon i came upon a horizon line, with a fine mist of foam arising from beyond. this was "the fesus freefall". just upstream of the fesus freefall was the gauging station, where i read the level to be an astonishing 2.60, a flow that had always been considered both too high and too low to be runnable. making a mental note of the level, i took a few furious strokes to get up some speed and launched myself over the 22 inch cataract. i made it, and let out a holler of joy to wake the sleeping scientists just a few hundred yards away.
thinking i had conquered the worst of the rapids i might face on this day, i floated along happily for the next 200 feet, until i came around a snag-lined bend to a shocking sight. the water slammed into a grass lined wall, folding in on itself and banking left into a 3 inch high v-wave which led directly into a 2 foot wide rock that would have been a guaranteed wrap, had i been in a 3 foot long raft. luckily i wasn't, so i kept going, and scraping both bank and rock, i barely made it through and into the calm 1 foot deep pool below. this rapid i would christen "gurecki's nightmare".
knowing that i had limited daylight, i continued to forge ahead, stopping only several dozen times to portage logs, hoist myself over grassy dead-ends, and wash the spiders from my hair. for several quarter miles i fought my way through upper, middle, and lower "insane beaver rapids". thankfully, i eventually made it to "comstock corner" where to my delight i recognized the perfectly level hand cut stumps that had no doubt been left behind by some gold rush era boaters. it was good to see the signs of an older generation's wisdom...a wisdom which properly cleared the river of these kayak-halting fallen trees.
the picnic didn't last too long however. nearing the final 1/2 mile i was once again pummeled by 2 foot wide twisting turning rapids, including "the moab mosh-pit", "toe bone", "rock me amadeus", "black rabbit disaster", and "derelicte". and the worst was still to come. but first i would have to squeeze through the 12 foot wide, 6 foot high "tunnel of love", a psychedelic spiraling steel cylinder laid directly in the river's path. after emerging unscathed i was faced with still more portages, all while the sun continued to disappear behind carpenter ridge, and i grew more nervous that my adventure might not reach it's conclusion before darkness fell. this creek never let up!
soon i heard the occaisional hum of vehicles on highway 89 and i knew i'd make it. just one more heart-stopping man-made bone-crusher between me and freedom..."the double barrell b.b. gun". when i saw it, i was speechless. two 4 foot by 4 foot squares of concrete disappearing under a highway where 20 ton 18 wheelers rolled overhead every 15 minutes or so...with just enough current to ensure that, if lucky, i might make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. using my best gondolier style i pole vaulted myself over the dual fallen logs which guarded the entrance to the b.b. gun, and smoothly slid into the right barrell, like a bullet into the chamber. just as i was about to congratulate myself for making it to the end, my reverie was interrupted by the nowhere near deafening flutter of 8-12 rabies-crazed cliff swallows swarming around my head. i thanked my lucky stars that i was wearing my helmet, and seconds later i emerged victorious on the east side of highway 89 where my battery depleted car awaited me.
after hailing the 4th or 5th passerby to give my chariot the jump-start it so desperately desired, i dipped into the creek for a final joyous rinsing off of spiders, mosquitos, mud and branches, and headed home where i was greeted by a mob of celebrants so elated they had already commenced their sleeping in my honor. it was truly a voyage to remember and i would heartily recommend it to anyone who loves to portage.
RUN AT A GLANCE
Run: Upper Middle Sagehen Creek
Put In: Leo's Lounge
Take Out: Highway 89
Length: 2.5 miles
Avg. Gradient: 38 inches/mile
Difficulty: Class III (with class V on-river bushwacking)
Number of Rapids: 45
Number of Portages: 117
-Colin Carpenter, Sagehen Creek Field Station ARC Program Instructor
i have just returned from what appears to be, (until declared otherwise), the successful first descent of the wild and scenic sagehen creek, 12 miles north of truckee california. previously thought unrunnable, this unique river has finally been tamed.
today i found myself, for the thousandth time, eyeballing the creek as it flowed behind my non-ramshackle cabin in the heart of the field station. but today was different, for you see, out of the other eye i noticed that i had my kayak right here in town, atop my crappy car. it seemed destiny was taunting me...it was now or never, or later...i went for it.
i put in at ARC headquarters, leo's lounge, much to the disbelief of at least one local scientist. the first 1/8 mile was treacherous...one fallen log after another, making it in fact impossible to even put in. i walked this section, making sure to memorize the lines for any future high-water descents. finally as i arrived just upstream of upper camp, i was able to set sail, so to speak, and commence the on-water portion of my journey.
a few must-make eddies and log-portages later the first major obstacle of the day came into view, "fish-house falls". a post-modern concrete and steel monster spanning the width of the entire river, i had but three choices. left, middle, or center. surprisingly, there was a small crowd of locals partying atop the structure, and it was only my will to impress that kept me in my boat for this one. i opted for the left channel, and, ducking under the steel latticework, hit the middle of the flume at breakneck speed and made the 18 inch drop into a frothing 4 inch wave which nearly stopped me dead in my tracks. the crowd went bananas.
i continued on around the bend, negotiating the 3 foot wide riverbed using a variety of techniques, including grass-pulling, log-limbo, and sheer determination. soon i came upon a horizon line, with a fine mist of foam arising from beyond. this was "the fesus freefall". just upstream of the fesus freefall was the gauging station, where i read the level to be an astonishing 2.60, a flow that had always been considered both too high and too low to be runnable. making a mental note of the level, i took a few furious strokes to get up some speed and launched myself over the 22 inch cataract. i made it, and let out a holler of joy to wake the sleeping scientists just a few hundred yards away.
thinking i had conquered the worst of the rapids i might face on this day, i floated along happily for the next 200 feet, until i came around a snag-lined bend to a shocking sight. the water slammed into a grass lined wall, folding in on itself and banking left into a 3 inch high v-wave which led directly into a 2 foot wide rock that would have been a guaranteed wrap, had i been in a 3 foot long raft. luckily i wasn't, so i kept going, and scraping both bank and rock, i barely made it through and into the calm 1 foot deep pool below. this rapid i would christen "gurecki's nightmare".
knowing that i had limited daylight, i continued to forge ahead, stopping only several dozen times to portage logs, hoist myself over grassy dead-ends, and wash the spiders from my hair. for several quarter miles i fought my way through upper, middle, and lower "insane beaver rapids". thankfully, i eventually made it to "comstock corner" where to my delight i recognized the perfectly level hand cut stumps that had no doubt been left behind by some gold rush era boaters. it was good to see the signs of an older generation's wisdom...a wisdom which properly cleared the river of these kayak-halting fallen trees.
the picnic didn't last too long however. nearing the final 1/2 mile i was once again pummeled by 2 foot wide twisting turning rapids, including "the moab mosh-pit", "toe bone", "rock me amadeus", "black rabbit disaster", and "derelicte". and the worst was still to come. but first i would have to squeeze through the 12 foot wide, 6 foot high "tunnel of love", a psychedelic spiraling steel cylinder laid directly in the river's path. after emerging unscathed i was faced with still more portages, all while the sun continued to disappear behind carpenter ridge, and i grew more nervous that my adventure might not reach it's conclusion before darkness fell. this creek never let up!
soon i heard the occaisional hum of vehicles on highway 89 and i knew i'd make it. just one more heart-stopping man-made bone-crusher between me and freedom..."the double barrell b.b. gun". when i saw it, i was speechless. two 4 foot by 4 foot squares of concrete disappearing under a highway where 20 ton 18 wheelers rolled overhead every 15 minutes or so...with just enough current to ensure that, if lucky, i might make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. using my best gondolier style i pole vaulted myself over the dual fallen logs which guarded the entrance to the b.b. gun, and smoothly slid into the right barrell, like a bullet into the chamber. just as i was about to congratulate myself for making it to the end, my reverie was interrupted by the nowhere near deafening flutter of 8-12 rabies-crazed cliff swallows swarming around my head. i thanked my lucky stars that i was wearing my helmet, and seconds later i emerged victorious on the east side of highway 89 where my battery depleted car awaited me.
after hailing the 4th or 5th passerby to give my chariot the jump-start it so desperately desired, i dipped into the creek for a final joyous rinsing off of spiders, mosquitos, mud and branches, and headed home where i was greeted by a mob of celebrants so elated they had already commenced their sleeping in my honor. it was truly a voyage to remember and i would heartily recommend it to anyone who loves to portage.
RUN AT A GLANCE
Run: Upper Middle Sagehen Creek
Put In: Leo's Lounge
Take Out: Highway 89
Length: 2.5 miles
Avg. Gradient: 38 inches/mile
Difficulty: Class III (with class V on-river bushwacking)
Number of Rapids: 45
Number of Portages: 117
-Colin Carpenter, Sagehen Creek Field Station ARC Program Instructor
The earlier rains really set back the spring here at Sagehen. The stream is still too high & cold for the fish to be active & mushrooms are still sprouting. The wildflowers are starting to take off today. While the buttercups, camas lilies & dandelions are almost past, I just saw phlox, service berry, mountain violets, tansy-leaf suncups, sand corn & this oddball specimen (lily?).
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Al Grigarick bought a digital camera & decided to photograph wildflowers to teach himself to use it. He worked with local botanists to ID the plants & he's generously allowed us use of the results, which include 200 of the species on our plant list.
The images make a great teaching aid for identifying these flowers, since they are organized by color. Al also included an info document & a spreadsheet with his taxonomic identifications & the ID key in case you have trouble figuring out the name from the photo title.
Take a look at this great collection on our "Photos" page.
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