A Taste of the Yana Trail at the Sacramento River Bend Nature Area

Date: April 8, 2018
Place: Sacramento River Bend Nature Area, Red Bluff, California
Coordinates: 40.318370, -122.188816
Length: 3 miles in and out
Level: easy

After our visit of the Shasta Lake Caverns it was then time to go home, but it was still early in the afternoon. Once again Pappa Quail was the motivator. He suggested we'd stop at the Sacramento River Bend Nature Area and hike there a little before continuing to the Bay Area. We expected a lot of bloom there, as we've seen on our last visit of that place.
I jumped on Pappa Quail's suggestion, but selected a different trail from the one we've hiked previously.
We arrived at the trailhead and looked around. The parking area was surrounded by large valley oak trees. Acorn woodpeckers were busy and noisy in these trees.

Acorn Woodpecker

But woodpeckers weren't the only birds on the oak trees. With some patience, Pappa Quail managed to photograph a little bushtit.

Bushtit

The trail I selected is named after the tribe that used to live in that area before the gold rush. The Yana tribe of Native Californians was persecuted and massacred to extinction in the early 1900 by gangs employed by the new settlers and prospectors with the silent approval of the authorities. Today all that remains of the Yana are names to remember their past existence and the chronicles of Ishi, the last of the Yahi (the northern group of the Yana), who lived the last four years of his life in San Francisco, studied by anthropologists.

The Yana Trail follows the Sacramento River for a good distance. We didn't have the time to walk the entire length - all we wanted is to get an impression of the area.

In the field ahead I saw the sought after fields of wildflowers. I was disappointed to find that all of these flowers were invasive weeds - cabbage, mainly.
I was way more impressed by the looming snow-capped Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Mountain in the background.

Although I wasn't impressed by the cabbage bloom, I was happy to see those who were. The butterflies loved them.

Pipevine Swallowtail

The butterflies also loved another aggressive old world invader - the Hairy Vicia.

Pipevine Swallowtail

The trail follows the Sacramento River. We could see the flowing water to our right, guarded by the newly-budded trees. Among the trees I detected a familiar bloom - that of the tamarisk. The tamarisk is a very aggressive invasive species in California. It is more of a desert plant, but apparently it flourishes in wetter regions too.

At times the trail neared the river and we could get a better appreciation of the wide, fast moving flow.

Sacramento River

 There are fish in the Sacramento River. And where ever there are fish - there will be those who fish them. Pappa Quail photographed an Osprey that was passing above.

Osprey

 Other raptors scouted the ground from above, looking for pray that isn't fish.

Red-tailed Hawk

Or looking for dead carcasses.

Turkey Vulture

 There were more butterflies too, and they were very active. Catching one at a moment of rest was a challenge. Pappa Quail managed this better than me.

Mourning Cloak

I settled for photographing a small brown butterfly. Not as fancy as the swallowtails and other butterflies, but it was standing still.

The trail detached from the river and we were walking through an sparse grove of large oak trees. These were deciduous that had budded very recently and wore very bright, light green foliage. Between the trees large brown rocks lay exposed.

I saw little ponds locked between the rocks and approached to take a closer look. I thought I detected a move near the water but my eyes were too slow to catch what it was.

So I sent my elder chika to the pond. In no time she found the local resident - a California Red-legged frog.

California Red-legged Frog

The trail continued away from the river and as we were walking east Pappa Quail wondered how far we should go. The map we had didn't show the physical features, only illustration of the trails. There seemed to be a creek up ahead and we decided to reach it and turn back there.

Paying more attention to the plants underfoot I noticed a few native species in bloom - the bright orange fiddleneck standing out between the cabbage and the vicia.

The fiddleneck attracted yellow butterflies. These were hyperactive - neither me nor Pappa Quail got a good close up of these. But the elder chika has a way with wildlife and she succeeded.

Clouded Sulphur

We reached the creek where we thought of turning around, and sat down to rest and snack. i crossed the creek to look at the other side a little. When I came back I saw that the chikas had found more frogs in the creek.

California Red-legged Frog

The elder chika saw the opportunity of my absence and caught one and held it for Pappa Quail to photograph. She release it promptly after that, and the frog hopped into the weeds.

California Red-legged Frog

As we headed back Pappa Quail turned around and took one of the his few landscape photos - of the magnificent Lassen Peak. In three months I'd be there again, and climb Mount Brokeoff. By then, only tiny patches would have remained of its white cap. 

Lassen Peak (left) and Mount Brokeoff (right)

I was somewhat disappointed when we finished the hike. While it was a very nice hike, nearly all the wildflowers along it were invasive weeds and I was hoping to see more native California species. Pappa Quail looked at his watch and suggested that we go to the trail that we hiked four years earlier and see if the bloom is ferret there. I agreed eagerly.
We crossed the Sacramento river again on our way there and this time we stopped to appreciated the spring-swollen river.

Sacramento River

When we arrived at the place of our hike years ago the chikas announced that they are to stay in the car and would not go on another hike. Pappa Quail said that we didn't have much time at all if we're to get home at a reasonable hour, and so I took of on my own, just to get a quick look around.

I was rewarded immediately. While many of the herbaceous plants around were invasive, there were many California natives too. The California goldfield was most prevalent, and the yellow patches were dotted with little low brodiaea .

Dwarf Brodiaea, Brodiaea nana

There were a few other little beauties hiding in the grass, but the one flower I wanted to see, the Downingia I've seen on my first hike there, was nowhere to be seen. (I would see it on my next visit there in May with my Botanist friend.) I also found quickly enough that I couldn't go very far because the trail was flooded. the area near the trail was flooded too, and the mud deep and heavy.

Butter n' Eggs, Triphysaria eriantha 

I managed to walk far enough to see the pond, which was rimmed with the gorgeous yellow California goldfield.

I did not dare, however, to get any closer to the water. I feared of sinking into the mud. So I looked around, appreciated the view deeply, then turned and walked back.

On my way back I took a few steps over to look at the water canal near the trail. There was no special bloom there, it just looked nice.

Back at the parking lot I saw that my elder chika didn't keep her resolve to remain in the car. She was busy looking at bluebirds and got some nice photos of these lovely birds. 

Western Bluebird

It was getting late. Satisfied, I got into the car and we started our long drive back home.
This was the last hike of the last day of our last spring break, in which we were on a very interesting and diverse trip. I am already planning the next one in my mind.


Many thanks to my friend Anenet who identified the wildflowers :-)

Underground Once More: Visiting Lake Shasta Caverns

Date: April 8, 2018
Place: Lake Shasta Caverns, Lake Shasta, California
Coordinates: 40.804725, -122.303927

Of Lake Shasta Caverns I found out on a family travel forum online and immediately added it to my Wanna Visit There list. Last April, at the tail of our family spring break trip I finally got the chance to incorporate this cave into our itinerary. It was the last day of our trip, after exploring the Klamath River area and a bit of Southern Oregon, we have returned the to California through the Lower Klamath NWR and passed the night in the town of Lake Shasta. Packing early and efficiently, we managed to arrive at the caverns visitor center in time to buy tickets for the 10:00 tour.
The cavern tour is guided group tour. It begins with a ferry ride on Lake Shasta to the other side of the cove.

Lake Shasta is the largest man-made water reservoir in California. Besides storing water and driving the dam's hydroelectric power plant this lake is also a fine recreation area.

The ferry ride was short but long enough to enjoy the sight of the lake at surface level. The water surface has already receded, exposing the rust-colored soil between the green forest and the emerald-colored water.
Pappa Quail had left his camera in the car but the elder chika had taken her small one and took photos of occasional birds she saw, including a great blue heron that was standing on a structure in the water.

Great Blue Heron

The ferry deposited us on the other side of the cove where two tour busses were waiting to take us on the narrow uphill road leading to the cave mouth. There's no other road leading to the cave.

The ferry landing area

The cave was found in 1878 by a federal employee who explored the area. A path was made from the lakeshore to the cave mouth and cave explorers and spectators started visiting it on a regular basis. Now we were riding a tour bus following the very same path.
I sat on the right sight of the bus and the view from the windows was spectacular. The bus did not stop but I did take photos through the wide, clear bus windows, as did many others of the group.
To the right side of the photo, just before the lake view disappears behind the tree, allowed cove is visible. That is Bailey Cove, behind which the cave visitor center is located - where we had boarded the ferry. The adjacent peninsula has a beautiful hiking trail called the Bailey Cove Loop, a trail I'd hike twice later that spring.

Lake Shasta

After getting off the bus we had some time to look around. Then our guides gave us an introduction and led us to the cave's modern entrance.

While not of marble, the Lake Shasta Caverns cave is no less pretty than the Oregon Cave we've visited two days earlier.

Fantastic rock formations drooped from the cave's ceiling and walls, and grew from its bottom. 

Some of the formations are more rare than the common stalactites and stalagmites. This straw-like formations are seen in only few caves and are localized in only a few spots. 

The guide led us along the path, stopping here and there to tell the cave's story. She also did the now familiar cave tour routine of turning off all lights to experience total darkness. This sensation never gets old. 

No plants grow in total darkness, but ever since people have been exploring this cave, it is no longer in total darkness. Throughout the day when tours take place, the cave is illuminated with electric lights. The presence of light, together with the moisture and minerals make it possible for algae to grow on the rock formations. 

I tried getting a good close up photo of the algae but my elder chika did a better job of it:

Algae growing inside Lake Shasta Caverns cave

We didn't encounter any other life in the cave - no bats or spiders. Just the beautiful, living rock.

We exited the cave through its natural opening. After adjusting to the light outside we filed along the stairs down to the little exhibit room and bus stop. On the way I took the chance to examine the local vegetation.

Hog Fennel, Lomatium utriculatum 

I also had some time to check out what was blooming near the bus stop. I've already seen some very interesting flowers along the road but I knew that the bus wouldn't stop for me to take a close look at them. I hoped that they'd bloom below by the ferry dock too.

Pipestem, Clematis lasiantha 

The clouds gathered while we were inside the cave but it didn't look like it was about to rain. Not yet, anyway.

By the ferry dock below I had some time to look around before boarding the ferry on the way back. Redbud trees bloomed along the road and a large rock behind the dock was seeping water from springs above it. It was very beautiful.

Pappa Quail directed my attention to red dots on the side of the big boulder - canyon larkspur flowers. A fluttering motion by the flowers grabbed my attention - butterflies were feasting on the elongated red blossoms.

Pipevine Swallowtail

I would have liked to get an even closer look but then I heard Pappa Quail calling me - the ferry was loading our group for the ride back.
I got to see another butterfly on the ground just before going on the dock. Later on that day, at the Sacramento River Bend Nature Area, we would see many more butterflies :-)

Pipevine Swallowtail