Finland calling! I plan to visit B.C and Oregon autumn/fall 2007; I'm interested in dendrology so I'd welcome suggestions on what to see and how to find them - big/beautiful/small/rare/ bush or tree.... Planned itinerary: 1. Vancouver-Whistler-Clearwater-Jasper-Yoho-Fraser Valley (2 weeks?) 2. Portland-Columbia Gorge-Hood River-Bend-Klamath Falls-Redwood Parks(N.Calif) and back to Portland via Pacific Coast (2 weeks?) First time registered on any kind of forum, hope this meets the requirements...
Wow, both of your iteneraries sound great! On the southern one, you will certainly see big and beautiful! And the northern loop the scenery will distract you from the trees.
It'd sound even greater if you'd given me some concrete (or even solid woody)tips on things to see - please? donw
I can't help with the northern part of the trip, but have done the southern section. My route went from Portland east over the Santiam Pass to Bend, Oregon, then back west over the McKenzie Pass to Eugene. This gives a good cross-section of Cascades conifers, with mainly Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii on the west side (also some Thuja plicata and Calocedrus decurrens), and Pinus ponderosa subsp. ponderosa and Juniperus occidentalis on the east side; the passes and shortly east of them have Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia, Pinus monticola, Picea engelmannii, Abies procera, Abies amabilis, Abies grandis var. idahoensis, Tsuga mertensiana, and (scarce) Juniperus communis subsp. alpina. In southwest Oregon, take the 'Eight Dollar Mountain Road' west from Selma (between Grants Pass and Cave Junction), to see Pinus lambertiana, Picea breweriana and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and many others in the very species-rich Klamath Mountains. Some good Picea breweriana at about 42° 14'N, 123° 47' 30"W, also on the minor forest roads from Selma to Galice a little further north around 42° 21'N, 123° 40' 25"W. In northern California, go to Seiad Valley (road 96 about 100km west of Yreka), and walk 2-3 km up Seiad Creek from the road end to get to Cupressus bakeri at 41° 54' 36"N, 123° 09' 00"W. From Weed, south of Yreka, take the minor road to 41° 20' 34"N, 122° 32' 12"W, then walk south 4-5km along the Pacific Crest Trail to the Deadfall Lakes on the west slopes of Mount Eddy, surrounded by Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana, also P. monticola, P. jeffreyi, P. albicaulis, etc., at 41° 19'N, 122° 29'35"W. The road up to the parking area also has more Picea breweriana, etc., though not as nice specimens as the Oregon ones. Further south along the coast, the Mendocino pygmy forests are worth seeing, with Cupressus pigmaea, Pinus muricata and Pinus contorta var. bolanderi. And of course, don't forget the Sequoia sempervirens forests! The minor dirt road east from Clear Lake will get you Cupressus macnabiana and Cupressus sargentii (and a few natural hybrids between them!) at the north end of Indian Valley Reservoir, at 39° 10' 00"N, 122° 32' 18"E to 122° 31' 00"E; also a few Torreya californica on the same road closer to Clear Lake.
For people who only have 3 to 5 days in Oregon, I made this page here... http://www.mdvaden.com/oregon_tour.shtml But you have two weeks for Oregon and a bit of territory around it, like the Redwoods. http://www.mdvaden.com/album_Redwoods.shtml An important thing pertaining to suggestions, is whether you enjoy hiking. Do you plan to just drive, or would you like to spend several days hiking? There is a lot to see in Oregon, and no way to see it all in 2 weeks. I have a few ideas on how you can see a lot, in a short period of time. But the ideas hinge on your habits and preferences.
What about a visit to the UBC Garden (the host of this site)? Unfortunately a lot of very beautiful and old trees both in the garden and in Stanley Park were destroyed in the wind storms which hit us recently. Have a lovely trip. Margaret
More please! I'll drive between stopovers, but spend most of my time walking; I know 2 weeks isn't much, which is why I'd like suggestions BEFOREHAND so I can use the time better. Looked at your two links, but not quite my area geographically (N.W coast), not a lot about tree/shrub species. Look forward to further suggestions. donw
Yes, thanks, it's on the list, Vancouver first stop - but out in the "wilds" of Wells Gray, Yoho, etc - what should/could/will I see? donw
Look at web site of American Forests for lists of National Champion Trees. To get specific locations of some of these you may have to contact state coordinators, although others you may be able to find background on doing web searches. Look at Bob Van Pelt's books CHAMPION TREES OF WASHINGTON STATE and FOREST GIANTS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. The Washington book has both wild and cultivated trees, although the data is now about 10 or 11 or years old - some of the trees are gone.
Thanks Ron B - willdo; though Washington (I know, I shouldn't miss it but there are limits to time and money, sadly) is not on my itinerary except on a Greyhound bus Vancouver-Portland. donw
Donw also consider the books Trees of Vancouver and Our Sylvan Heritage, for urban trees in and around Vancouver. UBC is nice, Vandusen is nice, Minter Gardens in Chilliwack is nice, Butchart gardens on vancouver island is also a nice visit. If you want to see big confiers, a ferry trip from north vancouver to nanaimo is in order, on vancouver island there is a place called cathedral grove, wonderful large conifers as close as the parking lot. http://www.cathedralgrove.com/
Thanks, Jimmyq. Everyone seems to think I should extend my itinerary: 'you should see Washington'; 'you must go down to the Sierra Nevada'; 'How can you NOT go to Yosemite' etc; but I have limited time AND money. But thanks for the book names, will check them out. Can you advise on places along my route of Vanc-Whistler-Clearwater-Yoho-Vanc? donw
Washington's Olympic Peninsula and the redwood groves of California would probably be the giant tree highlights of the Pacific Coast. There are also a few whoppers left in BC. If you are interested mostly in forest giants skipping Washington in preference to some other areas might be worth re-considering. Nowadays the surviving huge native trees tend to be scattered individuals or small groups that have to be hiked or driven up back roads to, itineraries may need to be carefully planned out. When Bob Van Pelt hosted an International Dendrological Society tour of this area, focusing primarily on large native trees, it took two weeks.
Hi - thanks for the advice but I'm interested in TREES en masse, including shrubs, not only the exceptional giants. Finland has basically one native spruce species, one pine species, 2 birch species, 1 oak, 1 elm, a few willow and 1 poplar, 2 alder, not a lot else - so not a lot of variety. I'm also a walker, and love mountains - so in combination these point me at where I'm going. 50m upwards are pretty huge to me, and the Sequioas in N.California probably fir that bill? Thanks again donw
You simply cannot miss the Okanagan Valley, at the northeast of which are the Monashee Mountains. Stunning, with moose and grizzly. I don't know if it's still in print, but C.P. Lyons "Trees Shrubs & Flowers to know in British Columbia" is a comprehensive book. At 6" x 8", it fits nicely into a backpack. Half the fun is in the planning! Enjoy.
Thanks for the tip - though I'm not QUITE sure I want to be stunned by moose and/or grizzlies! First stop on arrival is UBC where I'm sure they'll have a good selection of books - including Lyons? Thanks again Donw
Perhaps not, but when the next places on my itinerary are Whistler, Wells Gray, Jasper, Lake Louise, Yoho.....not to mention the Oregon Cascades and N.California Redwoods - I don't think I'll want to leave any of them! donw
