Klamath Mountains

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Klamath Mountains
Pinus balfouriana Trinity Alps.jpg
Mixed conifer forest in the Trinity Alps
Highest point
Peak Mount Eddy
Elevation 9,025 ft (2,751 m)
Listing
Dimensions
Length249 km (155 mi) [1]
Width181 km (112 mi) [1]
Area25,595 km2 (9,882 sq mi) [1]
Geography
Klamath Mountains map.gif
Map of the Klamath Mountains Geologic Province, Pacific Coast Ranges
CountryUnited States
StatesOregon and California
Range coordinates 41°19′12″N122°28′44″W / 41.32°N 122.479°W / 41.32; -122.479
Parent range Pacific Coast Ranges

The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly-populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast Ranges, the Klamath Mountains have a varied geology, with substantial areas of serpentinite and marble, and a climate characterized by moderately cold winters with very heavy snowfall and warm, very dry summers with limited rainfall, especially in the south. [2] [3] As a consequence of the geology and soil types, the mountains harbor several endemic or near-endemic trees, forming one of the largest collections of conifers in the world. The mountains are also home to a diverse array of fish and animal species, including black bears, large cats, owls, eagles, and several species of Pacific salmon. Millions of acres in the mountains are managed by the United States Forest Service. [3] [4] The northernmost and largest sub-range of the Klamath Mountains are the Siskiyou Mountains. [1]

Contents

Geography

Mount Ashland, the highest point of the Siskiyou Mountains Alexlockhart Mt Ashland 06-01-21.jpg
Mount Ashland, the highest point of the Siskiyou Mountains

Physiographically, the Klamath Mountains include the Siskiyou Mountains, the Marble Mountains, the Scott Mountains, the Trinity Mountains, the Trinity Alps, the Salmon Mountains, and the northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains. [5] They are a section of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn is part of the Pacific Mountain System (Pacific Coast Ranges) physiographic division. [6] Klamath Mountains is the name given to one of California's eleven geomorphic provinces. [7]

Ten highest peaks

These are the ten highest points in the Klamath Mountains:

  1. Mount Eddy (Trinity County and Siskiyou County, California; 9,029 feet (2,752 m))
  2. Thompson Peak (Trinity and Siskiyou County, California; 8,994 feet (2,741 m))
  3. Mount Hilton (Trinity and Siskiyou County, California; 8,934 feet (2,723 m))
  4. Caesar Peak (Trinity and Siskiyou County, California; 8,920 feet (2,720 m))
  5. Sawtooth Mountain (Trinity County, California; 8,891 feet (2,710 m))
  6. Wedding Cake Mountain (Trinity County, California; 8,570 feet (2,610 m))
  7. Caribou Mountain (Siskiyou County, California; 8,564 feet (2,610 m))
  8. China Mountain (Siskiyou County, California; 8,551 feet (2,606 m))
  9. Gibson Peak (Trinity County, California; 8,403 feet (2,561 m))
  10. Boulder Peak (Siskiyou County, California; 8,299 feet (2,530 m))

Protected areas

A large portion of the Klamath Mountains is managed by the United States Forest Service. Several national forests lie in the Klamath Mountains region, including the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, and Mendocino National Forest. [8] [9]

The Klamath Mountains contain 11 wilderness areas in both Oregon and California: [10] [11]

Recreation

There are extensive hiking trail systems, recreation areas, and campgrounds both primitive and developed in the Klamaths. A 211-mile (340 km) stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) passes through these mountains as well. This section of the PCT is known locally as "The Big Bend" and is the transition from the California Floristic Province to the Cascades.

The Bigfoot Trail is a 400-mile (640 km) trail through the Klamath Mountains from the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness to Crescent City, California.

Geology

The rocks of the Klamath Mountains originated as island arcs and continental fragments in the Pacific Ocean. The island masses consisted of rifted fragments of pre-existing continents and volcanic island masses created over subduction zones. These island masses contain rocks as old as 500 million years, dating to the early Paleozoic Era. [12] A succession of eight island terranes moved eastward on the ancient Farallon plate and collided with the North American plate between 260 and about 130 million years ago. [13] [14] Each accretion left a terrane of rock of a single age. During the accretion, subduction of the plate metamorphosed the overlying rock and produced magma which intruded the overlying rock as plutons. [13] Serpentinite, produced by the metamorphism of basaltic oceanic rocks, and intrusive rocks of gabbroic to granodiorite composition are common rocks within the Klamath terranes. [14] [15] [16]

Subsequent lava flows from active volcanoes in the Cascade Range and the erosion of the Oregon Coast Range to the north partially covered these rocks with basalt and sediments. [12]

Ecology

Flora

California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) Incensecedar sanjacintomts.JPG
California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)

As a consequence of the geology, the mountains harbor rich biodiversity, with several distinct plant communities, including temperate rain forests, moist inland forests, oak forests and savannas, high elevation forests, and alpine grasslands. These communities form the Klamath Mountains ecoregion. One of the principal plant communities in the Klamath Mountains is Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest. [17]

The ecoregion includes several endemic or near-endemic species, such as Port Orford cedar or Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana spp. balfouriana), and Brewer's spruce (Picea breweriana), forming one of the largest collections of different conifers in the world. The flowering plant Kalmiopsis leachiana , also endemic to the Klamaths, is limited to the Siskiyou sub-range in Oregon. [4] [18]

Conifers

A large concentration of diverse coniferous species of trees exists in these mountains. [19] Thirty conifer species (or more, depending on where one delineates the region) inhabit the area, including two endemic species, the Brewer's spruce and the Port Orford cedar, making the Klamath Mountains one of the richest coniferous forest regions of the world in terms of concentrated species diversity. The region also has several edaphic plant communities, adapted to specific soil types, notably serpentine outcrops. [20] [21]

Russian Peak and whitebark pine Russian Peak.jpg
Russian Peak and whitebark pine

In 1969, Drs. John O. Sawyer and Dale Thornburgh discovered 17 species of conifers in 1 square mile (2.6 km2) around Little Duck Lake and Sugar Creek in the Russian Wilderness. They called this diverse area the Miracle Mile. [3] [5] [22] In 2013 Richard Moore identified an 18th species, western juniper, in the Sugar Creek canyon. [23] This is now considered the richest assemblage of conifers per unit area in any temperate region on Earth.

Conifer species in the Klamath Mountains include coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. menziesii), Port Orford cedar, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), white fir (Abies concolor var. lowiana), red fir (A. magnifica var. shastensis), Brewer spruce, coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), western red cedar (Thuja Plicata), and Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia). [21] [24] [25] [26] [27]

Trinity Alps flora

Typical species of the Trinity Alps region include Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, red fir, white fir, black oak, canyon live oak, Pacific madrone, bigleaf maple, California Buckeye, incense cedar, and Jeffrey pine. [28] [29] [30] California's northernmost stand of gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) is found here along the South Fork of the Salmon River. [31]

Fauna

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Rod raev (Vulpes vulpes).jpg
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

The vast forested wildlands, coupled with a low rate of human settlement in the rugged remote terrain, makes for excellent habitat for a number of species. [5] Mammal species include mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, lynx, raccoons, martens, fishers, beavers, grey fox, red fox, northern flying squirrel, and plentiful deer. Bird species include golden eagles, bald eagles, pileated woodpecker, band-tailed pigeon, several hawks including goshawks, several large owl species including the spotted owl, plus an extensive variety of additional species both plant and animal. [3]

The area used to be home to grizzly bears and gray wolves. A project to reintroduce Roosevelt elk began in 1985 in the western Marble Mountains, near Elk Creek. Over the next 10 years the number and placement of reintroduced animals was expanded, and now elk can be seen roaming throughout the Marble Mountain Wilderness, in the northern Siskiyou Mountains, and along the South Fork of the Salmon River. [32]

Some of the most remote areas are prone to rumors of Bigfoot/Sasquatch sightings from time to time, and the legendary creature plays a part in the folk tales of the Native American populations. [33]

Rivers and fish

Rafters on the Rogue River in the northern Klamath Mountains in southwestern Oregon Mule Creek Canyon.jpg
Rafters on the Rogue River in the northern Klamath Mountains in southwestern Oregon

Major rivers and lakes in the Klamath Mountains include the Klamath River, Trinity River, Smith River, Salmon River, Rogue River, Scott River, upper Sacramento River and Castle Lake.

The many mountains, streams and rivers form a major spawning ground for several species of trout and salmon; yet recently, in the last 50 years, some of the fish stocks have fallen drastically, particularly salmon stocks. The ecoregion's rivers and streams are home to nine species of native salmonids. The depletions occur mainly because dams and clearcutting on the rugged slopes of the area contribute to large amounts of silt in the stream beds, which in turn interfere with spawning salmon, as they lay their eggs in exposed gravel beds. [34] [35] The notable fish species are king, kokanee, and silver salmon, brown, brook, and rainbow trout (including steelhead), and crappie, bluegill, catfish, and largemouth and smallmouth bass. [36] [37] [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siskiyou Mountains</span> Mountain range in Oregon and California, US

The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately 100 miles (160 km) from east of Crescent City, California, northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into Josephine and Jackson counties in Oregon. The mountain range forms a barrier between the watersheds of the Klamath River to the south and the Rogue River to the north. Accordingly, much of the range is within the Rogue River – Siskiyou and Klamath national forests, and the Pacific Crest Trail follows a portion of the crest of the Siskiyous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Alps</span> Mountain range in Siskiyou and Trinity Counties

The Trinity Alps are a mountain range in Trinity County and Siskiyou County in Northern California. They are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains located to the north of Weaverville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta–Trinity National Forest</span> National forest in California, US

The Shasta–Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, United States. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210,485 acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, elevation 14,179 feet (4,322 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath National Forest</span> National forest in California, US

Klamath National Forest is a 1,737,774-acre national forest, in the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension into southern Jackson County in Oregon. The forest contains continuous stands of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas fir, red fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, Baker Cypress, and incense cedar. Old growth forest is estimated to cover some 168,000 acres (680 km2) of the forest land. Forest headquarters are located in Yreka, California. There are local ranger district offices located in Fort Jones, Happy Camp, and Macdoel, all in California. The Klamath was established on May 6, 1905. This forest includes the Kangaroo Lake and the Sawyers Bar Catholic Church is located within the boundaries of the Forest. The Forest is managed jointly with the Butte Valley National Grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon River (California)</span> River in California, United States

The Salmon River is a 19.6-mile-long (31.5 km) tributary to the Klamath River in western Siskiyou County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Alps Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a 525,627-acre (212,714 ha) designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is jointly administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. About 4,623 acres (1,871 ha) are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The wilderness is located in the Salmon and Scott Mountains, subranges of the Klamath Mountains region. The high, granitic and ultramafic peaks of the eastern half of the wilderness area are known as the Trinity Alps. Granite peaks at the core of the area are known as the White Trinities, reddish ultramafic peaks in the southeast are known as the Red Trinities, and the forested mountains in the western half of the wilderness are known as the Green Trinities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest</span> United States forest in Oregon and California

The Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and California. The formerly separate Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forests were administratively combined in 2004. Now, the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest ranges from the crest of the Cascade Range west into the Siskiyou Mountains, covering almost 1.8 million acres (7,300 km2). Forest headquarters are located in Medford, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Buttes Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California and Oregon, United States

The Red Buttes Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Klamath and Rogue River national forests in the U.S. states of Oregon and California. It comprises 19,940 acres (8,070 ha), approximately 16,190 acres (6,550 ha) of which is located in California, and 3,750 acres (1,520 ha) in Oregon. It was established by the California Wilderness Act of 1984 and the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siskiyou Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Siskiyou Wilderness is a federal wilderness area designated by the passage of the California Wilderness Act of 1984. Originally, the land area was 153,000 acres (620 km2) The Northern California Wild Heritage Act of 2006 added 30,122 acres (121.90 km2) for the current total of 182,802 acres (739.77 km2). All of the wilderness is in Northern California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The wilderness spans three national forests: the Rogue River–Siskiyou, the Klamath, and the Six Rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grassy Knob Wilderness</span> Wilderness area in Oregon

Grassy Knob Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon, within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It was designated wilderness by the United States Congress in 1984 and now comprises a total of 17,200 acres (6,961 ha). Like most wilderness areas in Oregon, Grassy Knob is managed by the Forest Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Range (EPA ecoregion)</span> Coastal ecoregion in the Western United States

The Coast Range ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. It stretches along the Pacific Coast from the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in the north to the San Francisco Bay in the south, including Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington, the entire length of the Oregon Coast, and the Northern California Coast. Named for the Coast Range mountains, it encompasses the lower elevations of the Olympic Mountains, the Oregon Coast Range, the Californian North Coast Ranges, and surrounding lowlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Mountains (ecoregion)</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in northern California and southwestern Oregon

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion of Oregon and California lies inland and north of the Coast Range ecoregion, extending from the Umpqua River in the north to the Sacramento Valley in the south. It encompasses the highly dissected ridges, foothills, and valleys of the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains. It corresponds to the Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and to the Klamath-Siskiyou forests ecoregion designated by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Yolla Bolly Range of the southern Klamath Mountains and the Inner Northern California Coast Ranges, in Northern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Crags Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Castle Crags Wilderness is a 12,232-acre (49.50 km2) wilderness area in the Castle Crags rock formations of the Trinity Mountains, and within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in northwestern California. It is located in Siskiyou County and Shasta County, 40 miles (64 km) north of Redding and south of Mount Shasta City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon Mountains</span> Subrange of the Klamath Mountains, California

The Salmon Mountains are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains in Siskiyou County, northwestern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marble Mountain Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Marble Mountain Wilderness is a 241,744-acre (978.30 km2) wilderness area located 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Yreka, California, in the United States. It is managed by the United States Forest Service and is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County. The land was first set aside in April 1931 as the Marble Mountain Primitive Area, which comprised 234,957 acres (950.84 km2). It was one of four areas to gain primitive status under the Forest Service's L-20 regulations that year. In 1964, it became a federally designated wilderness area when the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Russian Wilderness is a wilderness area of 12,000 acres (49 km2) located approximately 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Eureka in northern California. It is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County and is managed by the US Forest Service. It was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System when the US Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bigfoot Trail</span> Long-distance hiking trail in the United States

The Bigfoot Trail is an unofficial U.S. long-distance hiking trail in northern California. The Bigfoot Trail was originally proposed by Michael Kauffmann in 2009 as a suggested route to navigate the Klamath Mountains from south to north as well as a long-trail to introduce nature lovers to the biodiversity of the Klamath Mountains region. The trail begins in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and ends in Redwood National Park at the Pacific Ocean near Crescent City, California. A major focus along the trail is conifer diversity, passing 32 species in 360 miles (580 km). The route crosses six wilderness areas, one National Park, and one State Park. Northwest California's Klamath Mountains foster one of the most diverse temperate coniferous forests on Earth, and this route is intended to be a celebration of that biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Peak</span> Mountain in the state of California

Russian Peak is part of a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains called the Salmon Mountains—a horseshoe-shaped range encompassing the headwaters of the Salmon River. The mountain itself is part of the granitic Russian Peak batholith. This beautiful peak is also the highest peak in the Russian Wilderness—12,700 acres (51 km2) of subalpine lakes and botanical wonders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Peak</span> Mountain in the state of California

Preston Peak, is a dominant feature of the Siskiyou Wilderness in the Klamath National Forest in northern California, U.S. Many peaks in the wilderness rise to over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) but none come to within 500 feet (150 m) of approaching the height of Preston Peak. From the summit on a clear day, the Pacific Ocean is visible along with peaks in the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Klamath Mountains". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ Sugihara, et al., pp. 170–194
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Klamath National Forest". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Sawyer (2004), pp. 128–135
  5. 1 2 3 Sawyer (2006), p. 104
  6. ↑ Benke, et al., p. 543
  7. ↑ "California Geological Survey: Note 36 (California Geomorphic Provinces)" (PDF). California Department of Conservation. December 1, 2002. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Pacific Northwest Forest Areas". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Map of the National Forests and Other Public Lands of California". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Wilderness". Oregon Wild. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Wilderness Areas in California". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on March 31, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Bishop, pp. 29–31
  13. 1 2 Irwin, William P.; Wooden, Joseph L. "Plutons and Accretionary Episodes of the Klamath Mountains, California and Oregon". U.S. Geological Survey. Open-File Report 99-374.
  14. 1 2 "Klamath Mountains". Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Serpentine and Serpentinite". U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  16. ↑ Hirt, William. "Geologic Overview of the Eastern Klamath Mountains" (PDF). Weed, CA: College of the Siskiyous Department of Natural Sciences. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 18, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  17. ↑ Hogan, C. Michael (August 29, 2008). "California Black Oak: Quercus kelloggii". GlobalTwitcher. N. Stromberg. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  18. ↑ Kauffmann, Michael (2012). Conifer Country. Kneeland, CA: Backcountry Press. ISBN   9780578094168. OCLC   798852130.
  19. ↑ "A Center of Diversity, Endemism, and Rarity". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  20. ↑ Briles, et al., p. 590
  21. 1 2 Axelrod, p. 51
  22. ↑ Kauffmann, Michael (October 2012). "Kin to the Earth - Remembering John Sawyer". Northcoast Environmental Center. Archived from the original on March 18, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  23. ↑ Kauffmann, Michael. "Field Notes From Plant Explorations". Conifer Country. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  24. ↑ Strothmann and Roy, p. 1
  25. ↑ "Port-Orford-cedar Gate Closures In Effect". U.S. Forest Service. October 22, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  26. ↑ Sawyer (2006), pp. 69, 71, 78, 80, 101, 117, 184
  27. ↑ "The Klamath/North Coast Bioregion: An Overview". California Natural Resources Agency. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  28. ↑ White, pp. 54, 243, 261, 318, 322
  29. ↑ Lewon, p. 20
  30. ↑ Wuerthner, p. 121
  31. ↑ "Botanical Areas". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Elk Habitat Management Strategy: Klamath National Forest" (PDF). County of Siskiyou. May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2012.
  33. ↑ Urness, Zach (September 17, 2011). "Happy Camp, Calif., in Klamath River Country, is an Epicenter of Outdoors Recreation". The Oregonian. Portland, OR.
  34. ↑ Moyle, Peter B.; Israel, Joshua A.; Purdy, Sabra E. (2008). "Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout in California: Status of an Emblematic Fauna" (PDF). University of California, Davis. pp. 20, 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Klamath-Siskiyou". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Trinity River". Kiene's Fly Shop. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013.
  37. ↑ Sawyer (2006), pp. 162–164, 166
  38. ↑ "Klamath Mountains Ecoregion" (PDF). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. January 2006. p. 195. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.

Works cited

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