Emma Wynn with the NV Native Plant Society will be leading a fairly informal outing in the Carson Pass area, and the flowers up there are likely to be peaking right about this time. Note that 1) this will be a fairly botanically intensive outing, so you can expect detailed examination and a slow pace; probably not the best hike for those that want to simply stretch their legs and see some pretty flowers, 2) most of the participants will be carpooling from Reno or Carson City, and 3) this is not an official TINS outing and there will be no representatives from TINS along.
This is one of the best wildflower hikes in all of the Northern Sierra. The trail is roughly 4.5 miles round trip with 500ft of elevation gain. There is a $5 day use fee for each vehicle at the parking lot however if you have your inter-agency or El Dorado NF annual passes this is waived. For those leaving from Reno, we will meet at the Doughboy’s Donuts shop located in the South Town Shopping Center at 57 Damonte Ranch Parkway by 7:50 am. We will depart at 8:00 am and to link up with the Carson area members at the Forest Service offices at 1536 Carson Street by 8:45 am. Our goal is to be at the Carson Pass Visitors Center by 10:00 am. (Car pooling is recommended since parking is at a premium).
We will see E. umbellatum var. nevadense and E. incanum along the trail. At the scree beds on the north shore Frog Lake you will come across nice mats of E. ovalifolium var. nivale. Other plants in the area include Cassiope mertensiana, Kalmia polifolia, Phyllodoce breweri, Lupinus polyphyllus ssp.superbus, Frasera speciosa, Castilleja linariifolia, Castilleja nana, Veratrum californicum, Erythranthe guttatus, Mertensia ciliata, Micranthes bryophora, Dodecatheon alpinum, Caltha leptosepala, Salix arctica, Micranthes aprica, Ranunculus eschscholtzii, Primula suffrutescens, Lupinus breweri, Delphinium depaupertum, Epilobium obcordatumo, Aquilegia formosa, Lewisia nevadensis, Ipomopsis aggregata, Ipomopsis tenuituba and many others not listed.
Recommended items to bring are: water, proper clothing/footwear (long sleeve shirts/pants for sun/mosquito protection), lunch/snacks, camera/phone, sun hat and/or sunscreen, notebook/pen.
If you're interested in Carson Pass, please RSVP to Emma Wynn at emhwynn@gmail.com or 574-370-3640