The mountain goat is an endemic mammal of the high mountains of the American west. A sure footed cloven hoofed mammal that is at home on steep rocky terrain that is near impossible for predators and humans to negotiate Not a regular visitor to lower altitudes, but do venture to lower venues in the search for food and to avoid severe weather that is common in the higher terrain of the west.
Although not a true goat, they are more closely related to the European chamois and Himalayan gorals. They can be found in the higher terrain from Alaska to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado up to 13,000 feet.. Native to the states of Washington, Idaho and Montana, they have been successfully transplanted across Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, South Dakota and the Olympic Mountains of Washington state. They probably migrated into the New World from Asia by way of the Bering Strait during a retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet.
A small prehistoric mountain goat (Oreamnos harringtoni) lived in the southern Rocky Mountains during the late Pleistocene era. DNA studies suggest this animal was a sister species rather than being the ancestor of today’s mountain goat. Today’s Rocky Mountain goat is the only living species of the genus Oreamnos.
Both male and female goats have horns (5.9-11 inches) in length. With their near white coats, they can withstand winter temperatures as low as -51 degrees F. and winds that can reach 100 miles per hour.
The diet of these hardy mammals consists of grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens plus leaves and twigs. Life spans in the wild run from 12 to 15 years, but have been recorded to live for 16 to 20 years in captivity.
Kids are born in late May and early June and weigh about six and half pounds at birth and can follow the ewe within hours of birth.
Aggressive by nature, a Mountain goat gored to death a Grizzly Bear in British Columbia in September of 2021.
Editor’s note: I have hunted this species, and most of the others featured in this series, and frankly, they are the only ones I would not hunt again. The terrain where the Mountain goat is found is unforgiving at best and downright hostile at worst. I had never shied from a physical challenge before, but after a week chasing this elusive critter in the Wrangel-St. Elias NWR, I was ready to quit. I finally bagged a smallish billy on the next to last day of the hunt.
Elk (Cervus canadensis)
Elk are among the largest species of the deer family and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native North American range. In North America, there are four species of elk, the wide spread Rocky Mountain elk, the coastal Roosevelt elk, the Tule elk of northern California and the Manitoban elk found in North Dakota and the southern prairie provinces of Canada. These magnificent animals are called Wapiti in the Cree and Shawnee language meaning “white rump”.
Rocky Mountain Elk
Currently native to much of the western United States and Canada, the species likely migrated from Asia during the late Pleistocene era. Highly prized as a game species, the meat of this animal is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken.
Male elk can be very aggressive during the rut and cows are protective of young calves so it behooves humans to give elk a wide berth. Every year there are news stories of people being gored by males and trampled by cow elk. I for one have no concern for people who are stupid enough to molest these LARGE animals.
L-R, Tule elk, Roosevelt elk, Manitoban elk
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is largely responsible for the large elk herds and the viability of the hunting populations available in the western US.
For anyone seeking further information on elk, I would suggest you contact the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, phone (800) 225 – 5355, mailing address 5705 Grant Creek Rd. Missoula, Montana 59808.
Author’s note: This concludes this cursory look at some of the iconic fauna, flora and geologic areas of this, “Our American West.” Walt 2023
You can find the previous parts of this series here, here, here and here.
Although not a true antelope, it is a mammal native to the western US commonly called the Pronghorn Antelope. Its closest living relatives are the giraffe and okapi; animals that are native to Africa. The pronghorn is the fastest of all land mammals in the Western Hemisphere.
The pronghorn was a food animal for the American Indian, it was first described by Spanish explorers. Being an animal of great speed (up to 55 mph) and endurance, the native Indians hunted them on horseback or by driving them into a surround and then dispatching the animals.
The Corps of Discovery were the first to scientifically describe and study the pronghorn. They described the animals as being rather small (4 feet 6 inches from nose to tail; approximately 5 feet in height and weighing on average110 lbs, the female weighing slightly less, about 100 lbs). With large eyes and a 320 degree field of vision they can be very hard to stalk, making them a trophy that the hunter definitely earns.
L, Current pronghorn distribution, R, Historical range of pronghorn
Pronghorns have glands on each hoof; the glands have antimicrobial properties that give them protection against soil and mammalian pathogens. The hooves have two long pointed toes that help cushion shock when running at high speeds. Male scent glands, which are located on the side of its head and used to scent mark its territory, are highly odiferous and when alarmed secrete an oily substance that is reminiscent of buttered popcorn. Hair on the rump flairs sending a visual signal as well as scent to alert others to danger.
Pronghorns tend to prefer open areas with long vistas at elevations between 3,000 to 6,000 feet. They also prefer to range within 5 miles of a reliable water source. Migration routes may be as long as 160 miles due to range conditions and weather.
Bighorn Sheep ( Ovis Canadensis)
The Bighorn is a species of native North American sheep named for its large horns. They originally migrated to North America from Siberia by way of the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene Era approximately 750,000 years ago. They diverged from the Siberian sheep some 600,000 years ago as they spread through the western US to northern Mexico. The main differences today are the larger mountain bighorn and the smaller desert bighorn; the two subspecies came into being during the Illinoian glaciation (300,000 to 90,000 years ago).
Both males and females have horns with the male having the larger horns and females with shorter horns with less curvature. Coloration ranges from light brown to dark chocolate with a white rump and lining the back side of all four legs. Males may weigh as much as 300 lbs while females usually weigh in at just under 200 lbs. Males typically are about 38 inches at the shoulder and 68 inches from nose to tail. Females measure approximately 33 inches tall and 59 inches long. Internal adaptations in the males serve to cushion the brain against damages during the rut; these clashes may be heard over long distances.
Ewes have a 6 month gestation period, the rut usually occurs in November and the lambs are born in May. Lambs born early are more apt to survive as the ewes move to less accessible areas to avoid predation leaving lambs born later to less milk from the ewe. Lambs usually weigh in at 9 lbs and can walk within hours of being born.
Bighorn sheep lamb
The Corps of Discovery made numerous notations about the Big Horn, naming rivers and other lesser streams for this iconic animal. Not all of these names remained as the country was settled.
Bristlecone Pine (Pinaceae Pinus)
The bristlecone is a long lived species usually found at high altitudes with harsh winters and poor soils. They get their name from the vicious prickly spines that are common among the species known as bristlecone pines. Among the longest-lived life forms on planet earth, they do not do well in areas of heat, high humidity and rich soils.
Even with low reproduction rates, they may be the first pines to occur in new open ground as many species of trees cannot survive the harsh winters and poor soils of higher elevations. These species of pines tend to do quite well in rocky dolomite soils with sparse precipitation but are susceptible to root rot in humid soils, making them a poor choice for gardens and as ornamentals.
The Bristlecone Pines are three distinct species: The Foxtail Pine (Pinus Balfouriana) is found in the Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. The Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus Aristata) is scattered over parts of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus Longaeva) is found in California, Nevada and Utah.
L-R, Great Basin bristlecone, Rocky Mountain bristlecone, Foxtail pine
These hardy pines grow at just below tree line between 5,600 and 11,200 feet in shallow soils, usually dolomite but also limestone, sandstone and quartzite soils. Soils that often are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium and low in phosphorus’ precluding many other plant varieties but allows the bristlecone species to thrive. Cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds and short growing seasons make these hardy plants grow very slowly thus adding to their hardy dispositions and long lives.
Dense, resinous wood makes them resistant to insect infestations, fungi and other pests add to the longevity of this iconic trio of high altitude pines.
The Channeled Scab Lands of Eastern Washington
This geologic feature is a predominately barren, soil free area of coulees, dry flood channels and flat-lying lava flows that remained after numerous cataclysmic floods over the last two million years, covering an area of between 1,500 and 2,000 square miles of eastern Washington state.
These floods were the result of periodic breaks in the glacial ice dam that backed up a huge lake (prehistoric Lake Missoula) into what is now western Montana. Numerous times this tableau was repeated with the last of these floods occurring between 18,200 and 14,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene epoch.
The Cordilleran Ice Sheet was responsible for the huge lake that formed behind the Purcell Trench Lobe, a finger of mountainous terrain that allowed the ice sheet to confine the waters that became Lake Missoula. It was the breaking of this dam that allowed the flood waters to charge across the relatively flat terrain of eastern Washington and create these scab lands.
The scientific furor these floods raised raged over a 40 year period as J. Harlen Bretz formulated his theory to explain these scab lands. In 1925 J. T. Pardee suggested to Bretz that the draining of what was known as Lake Missoula on numerous occasions may have been what caused the floods necessary to create these soil deficient areas of buttes and basins.
It wasn’t until 1970 that much of these two men’s research was finally accepted and not until 1979 the Bretz was posthumously awarded the Penrose Medal to recognize that his theories were totally accepted as scientific fact.
You can find the first three parts of this series here, here, and here
There are predominately two species of Jack Rabbits in the western US, the black tailed (Lepus californicus) and the white tailed (Lepus texianus). Contrary to common belief, jack rabbits are not a true rabbit at all; they are truly a member of the hare family of mammals.
Black tailed Jackrabbit, L, White tailed Jackrabbit
There are a total of 6 subspecies but the most prevalent varieties are the black tailed and white tailed with the white tailed being the dominant species on the plains while the black tailed dominates west of the Rocky Mountains. Both species cover a large area ranging from western Missouri to the west coast with populations occurring from sea level to about 10,000 feet. The diets of both species are predominately grasses and shrubs but may contain alfalfa and young wheat and other grains when available.
Females are larger than the males but there are no other significant differences. The black tailed is the more widely distributed of the two. The white tails’ lesser and declining population may be due to more land being used for agriculture on the plains than the more mountainous terrain west of the Rocky Mountains.
Editor’s note: Yep, Bugs is a Jackrabbit. Don’t believe me? Readthis.
The two species do cross breed but not to any great degree. This may change as the black tailed species is increasing its range into the Great Plains to the detriment of the white tailed variety.
Long ears and powerful rear legs give the jack rabbit its common appearance. Known for its ability to run at speeds of 40 mph for short distances with leaps that may reach 10 feet gives it the ability to evade and/or out run many of its predators.
The elusive Jackalope
Author’s note: Phantom Byte reminds me that I would be remiss if I did not mention the very elusive Jackalope. We know such a creature must exist due to its large numbers by collectors of oddities and its prevalence in taxidermy and curio shops. Its range is not confined to any one area, but it is highly prevalent on the Llano, a land of fables and tall tales, prickly pear, rattlesnakes and cow pies, both the desiccated and fresh varieties in addition to being the haunt of the ghosts of Charles Goodnight, John Chisum, Pat Garret and William Bonney.
The Blue Spruce
This species of spruce (Picea pungens) is a naturally occurring conifer in the mountains of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. It grows at elevations from 5,000 feet in its northern range to 12,000 feet in its southern range. It can attain a mature height of 75 feet with its lower branches spreading out to about 16 feet.
It is a naturally occurring columnar conifer that is also highly regarded as an ornamental for urban gardens and parks far beyond its native range. Its sharply pointed leaves, more commonly called needles curve upwards and are arranged radially on its dense horizontal branches.
Mites, spruce beetle and spruce budworm larvae are among its enemies that can and do cause die offs across its natural range. Despite its shallow roots, this variety of spruce is seldom a victim of winter blow down and is resistant to mild drought and sub-zero temperatures.
Diseased Blue Spruce
The Navajo tribe considers the tree a medicinal plant, a ceremonial item and a good fortune item when given as a gift. An infusion of the needles is used internally for the treatment of colds and as a sedative for stomach ills and externally for rheumatism by the older population.
The blue spruce is common in riparian areas with well-watered soils and lower northern slopes. It grows well in cool, humid soils among other riparian trees and shrubs.
The Blue Spruce is the state tree of Colorado.
Mule Deer
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is found across a large part of the American west: from the western Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the greater southwest and the west coast of North America. It is the species’ large ears that give the mule deer, muleys as they are commonly called, its name.
Mule deer, L, Columbia blacktail deer
Mule deer are divided into two main groups, the mule deer (sensu stricto) and black tailed deer. The coastal mule deer do not achieve the large size that is common among the rest of the mule deer species. Their range is extensive as they are found from coastal Alaska, the northern Yukon south into northern and central Mexico.
White tail deer are also spread across much of the west but muleys can be identified by ear size, its black tail color and antler configuration. Muley antlers are bifurcated rather than branching from a main beam as is the case with White Tails. Muley bucks shed their antlers during the winter months and regrow them in the spring. Changes in the length of the seasons, notably the lengthening days trigger the regrowth of the antlers.
The diet of Muleys are intermediate feeders rather than grazers or browsers, as they may eat tree and shrub fruits plus sagebrush where available. Being ruminates, they are opportunistic, and they will consume alfalfa and young grain if available and a wide variety of fall mushrooms that provide them with necessary vitamins and minerals.
Mule deer are migratory, especially in areas that have harsh winter conditions as they migrate to lower elevations as food sources are often covered with snow. They may migrate as far as 150 miles from summer ranges to lower elevations. Studies suggest that mule deer migrations are a result of cognitive memory and may use the same routes year after year. Urban development, fences and highways may act as barriers to migration resulting in a declining mule deer population overall.
L, 205″ Pope & Young mule deer, R 146-2/8″ Columbia Blacktail taken by Shelby Dunlap age 16
Mule deer are smart and may elude hunters by laying down in brushy areas waiting for the hunter to pass, often within 15 yards then scampering to their feet, often to disappear over a ridge or into an arroyo to avoid the hunter; as this old mule deer hunter has learned the hard way.
Volcanoes of the Cascade Range
Volcanoes dominate the Cascade Range from southwestern British Columbia to Northern California in a 700+ mile arc known as the Cascade Volcanic Arc. Plate tectonics create what is known as the Cascadia subduction zone, a 600 mile long zone where the Explorer, Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates slide beneath the much larger North American Plate. This zone is capable of producing 9.0+ magnitude earthquakes and tsunamis that may reach a height of 100 feet. The Cascade volcanoes are the result of this subduction zone.
Excluding the volcanoes of British Columbia the US west coast is dominated by these peaks that on average are over 10,000 feet in elevation. Beginning in northern Washington State with an active 10,781 foot Mount Baker; the second most thermally active volcano in the Cascade Range and ranks second in glaciers and snowfield cover exceeded only by Mount Rainier. Mount Baker’s glaciers and snowfields are greater than all the other Cascades volcanoes (with the exception of Mount Rainier) combined. It also holds the world record for snowfall in one winter season with a total of 1,140 inches of snow, or 95 feet.
Next is 10,525+ Glacier Peak which lies but 70 miles northeast of downtown Seattle. Glacier Peak is one of the most active of the Cascade volcanoes and in its history has produced some of the largest and most explosive eruptions in the state. As the last of the continental ice sheets retreated Glacier Peak began erupting regularly, erupting explosively 5 times in the past 3,000 years.
Mt. Ranier
Next is 14,411 foot Mount Rainier, tallest of the Cascade volcanoes lying less than 60 miles from Seattle. It is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world plus its large glaciers and snowfields are capable of producing lahars that could engulf most of the heavily populated Puyallup River Valley.
Continuing south next is very active 8,363 foot Mount St. Helens, a volcano that lies 52 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon and 98 miles south of Seattle. The 1980 eruption of St. Helens reduced the mountain’s elevation from 9,677 feet to its current height, leaving a mile wide crater. 57 people lost their lives on May 18 1980; over 200 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railway and 185 miles of highway were destroyed. The resulting ash plume closed highways as far east as Montana and turned day into night across Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Northeastern Montana. When considered on a global scale, most volcanologists consider the Mount St. Helens eruption to be a minor eruption, but not by the people directly affected by the eruption.
Mt. St. Helens before, L, and after the 1980 eruption
Next is 12,281 foot high Mount Adams, a large mountain some 34 miles east of Mount. St. Helens. Although it has not erupted in the last 1,000 years, it is not considered to be extinct as it has numerous steam vents near its glaciated summit.
This concludes the list of volcanoes located within the confines of the state of Washington.
Crossing the Columbia River we encounter the first of Oregon’s volcanoes beginning with 11,249 foot Mount Hood located approximately 50 miles east-southeast of Portland, Oregon. As a skiing resort, it offers the only year-round lift accessible ski area in the lower 48 contiguous states.
Home to 112 named glaciers and snowfields and the highest mountain in the state, Mount Hood is considered the most likely to erupt of Oregon’s volcanoes; but based on its geologic history an explosive eruption is considered unlikely.
Mt. Hood
The Corps of Discovery first spotted Mount Hood October 18, 1805 from atop a tall promontory near the confluence of the Snake, Walla Walla and Columbia Rivers in current day Washington State.
Next is 10,502 foot high Mount Jefferson located in a wilderness area of the same name. It is in a remote area with no roads and rough terrain making journeys to the remote mountain both long and difficult. Surrounded by numerous volcanic features, it is not considered a major threat of eruption but it is considered a major threat due to mudflows around the area.
Continuing south along the crest of the Cascades we encounter “The Three Sisters”, a series of volcanic peaks that due to their close proximity to one another are listed as one mountain. Although they are close, they are three different mountains with each having different geologic and eruptive histories.
The Three Sisters
They are all over 10,000 feet with the North Sister’s elevation listed at 10,090 feet; the Middle Sister at 10,052 and the South Sister with an elevation of 10,363 feet. The North and Middle Sisters are no longer considered likely to erupt again; but the South Sister could erupt in the future after Satellite imagery detected some up lift in 2000 causing the US Geologic Survey to improve monitoring around its perimeter.
7,989 foot Newberry Volcano is a large active shield volcano approximately 20 miles south of Bend, Oregon. Its caldera measures 4 x 5 miles, making it the second largest volume caldera of the Cascade volcanoes. Its location makes it among the most accessible volcanoes in the Cascadia Volcanic Arc. Measuring in at 620 square miles it is the largest of all the Cascade active volcanoes; when its lava flows are part of this measurement, from north to south it runs for 75 miles and east to west of 27 miles covering an area of 1,200 square miles. As it is considered an active volcano, it has the potential of erupting producing lava flows, pyroclastic flows, lahars, ashfall, earthquakes, avalanches and floods. The US Geological Survey monitors this volcano closely due to its active status.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is the caldera of what was once 12,000 foot Mount Mazama that erupted some 7,700 years ago. As the magma chamber emptied the top of Mount Mazama collapsed into itself and Crater Lake formed as a result. Mount Mazama is considered dormant, but the geologic features that surround the lake could result in small eruptions that would affect areas in close proximity to the existing crater.
9,493 foot Mount McLoughlin is a volcano in southern Oregon that is considered to be dormant as its last eruptive stage was between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago. As a result, it is no longer monitored for deformation or other geologic actions. The northeastern flank of the volcano has eroded, consequently transforming the flank into a hollow amphitheater; while the rest of the peak retains its symmetrical appearance.
This concludes the list of volcanoes within the confines of the state of Oregon.
Medicine Lake
7,921 foot Medicine Lake volcano is California’s most northerly volcano; a large shield volcano that is surrounded by numerous lava flows with a large (4.3 by 7.5 mile) caldera as its main feature making it the largest volcano by volume in the Cascade Range. This volcano has been active for 500,000 years with gentle eruptions from numerous small magma chambers in contrast to violent eruptions from one crater of Washington State’s Mount St. Helens. Glass Mountain is part of the Medicine Lake volcano and erupted about 1,000 years ago. Its main feature is the large area of obsidian flows that ran down the steep eastern flanks of the main volcano.
14,179 foot Mount Shasta is considered to be an active volcano with 4 volcanic cones that dominate the surrounding area and can be seen from a distance of 140 miles on a clear day. Mount Shasta has 4 glaciers radiating down to about the 10,000 foot elevation mark on the north and east slopes of the main mountain. Shasta’s last proven eruption occurred around 1250 AD; a disputed eruption was reported in 1786. John Muir and John Wesley Powell, while doing scientific study of the mountain, may have reached Shasta’s summit in 1877 but some historians say the party was not successful in attaining the summit. Muir reportedly survived a blizzard on the mountain by laying in a hot sulfur spring during one his many trips to Mount Shasta. In February 1959 a ski resort on the mountain set a record for the most snowfall in one storm in the US with a total of 15.75 feet.
Mt. Shasta
10,457 foot Lassen Peak is the southernmost of the Cascade volcanoes. An active volcano, although considered dormant, not extinct, was active with eruptions from 1914 to 1921 generated an explosive eruption May 22, 1915 that devastated nearby areas, spreading ash for 280 miles to the east of the peak. Lassen has an active magma chamber that is still capable of producing eruptions that pose a threat with lava flows, pyroclastic flows, lahars, landslides and debris flows and is continually monitored.
This chain of 15 volcanoes, many of which are still considered to be active make up some of the most beautiful and photographic areas in the western United States.
You can find parts one and two of this series here and here.
Author’s Note: This series is dedicated to the diverse fauna, flora and geologic areas that this author has personally encountered and or visited. I have eliminated the more well known icons of the west, namely the National Parks.
The Prairie Dog
A misnamed rodent of the genus Cynomys that includes squirrels and chipmunks inhabit the grasslands of North America from the Canadian prairies to Northern Mexico.
A keystone species, they build mounds that encourage the growth of the prairie grass and renewal of the topsoil, bringing nutrients and minerals to the surface further enhancing the health of the prairies. As part of the basic food chain, they are the prey of foxes, coyotes and numerous birds of prey. The American Bison (commonly called Buffalo), Pronghorn Antelope and Mule Deer prefer to graze among the mounds for the rich grasses that are the result of the prodigious renewal of the soil by these industrious little rodents.
The Corps of Discovery would spend an entire day in September 1804 trying to capture one of the little animals; finally resorting to flooding a burrow to capture one of the elusive little rodents. Meriwether Lewis would describe the prairie dog further in 1806, calling them “the barking squirrels”. Lt. Zebulon Pike would also make note of the small rodents during his exploration of the Arkansas River in 1806.
Historic records have described some of the prairie dog towns covering as much as two hundred acres. A particular type of plague (Sylvanic Plague) can reduce the population of towns by as much as ninety percent. Repeated efforts to remove the prairie dog from the land has caused a degradation of both livestock range and soil quality. But the biggest decimation of the animal has been urban development.
Editors note: Apparently keeping prairie dogs as pets is a thing. I went to find a short video of prairie dogs and all kinds of videos came up of pet prairie dogs yahoo-ing. Here’s one of them, enjoy.
The Road Runner
A desert dwelling cuckoo with a long tail and tall crest is a member of the genus Geococcyx. The road runner can fly, but in order to escape predators may elect to run away. These birds have been clocked at more than 20 miles per hour, often preferring to sprint rather than to fly.
A Greater Roadrunner about to enjoy its lunch.
An opportunistic omnivore, it will eat insects, reptiles, (including rattlesnakes), small rodents and mammals, bird eggs and nestlings, plus seeds and fruit from prickly pear cactus and sumac.
Often living alone, they are monogamous and mate for life when living as a breeding pair. A nest will generally be constructed 3 to 10 feet above ground level; constructed of sticks, leaves, feathers, snakeskins and even dung. The male will incubate the nest at night and both sexes will forage and feed the nestlings. The young generally leave the nest at two to three weeks old, foraging with the parents for a few days after leaving the nest.
Considered to be medicinal birds that could ward off evil spirits by the Hopi and other Pueblo tribes in that the x-shaped track could confuse the evil ones as the track would confuse any who tried to follow the bird. Cradle boards decorated with Roadrunner feathers were used to protect the child. Petroglyphs depicting the bird’s unusual track are often found in rock art of the Anasazi and Mogollon cultures.
The state bird of New Mexico, it would become one of the main characters in a popular Warner Bros. cartoon in 1949, pitting the long legged bird against the character “Wile E. Coyote”.
The Ponderosa Pine
The Ponderosa Pine (genus Pinus) is the most widely distributed pine in the western US and part of Canada, occurring in 16 states and British Columbia to southern and central Arizona and New Mexico.
Ponderosa Pines
Modern forestry recognizes seven subspecies and varieties of this abundant and versatile tree. It is spread over numerous climate zones, ranging from the wet climates that occur west of the Cascades to the higher terrain of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada range; including some of the drier and colder regions of these mountain ranges.
Some of the varieties are very drought resistant with some subspecies occurring in some of the higher elevation deserts; also these dry climate varieties are often fire resistant as well. Another characteristic of this remarkable tree is its intolerance of shade making it a stand-alone species as it generally is not often found widely mixed with other species of evergreens.
Egg shaped cones with scales that contain the seeds are protected by sharp pointed ends to protect the seeds against predation. The larvae of the Gelechiid Moth plus Mountain pine beetles and Western pine beetles make up the bulk of this magnificent tree’s most worrisome infestations. Squirrels, chipmunks, quail, grouse and Clark’s Nuthatch all eat the seeds of the tree plus Mule deer browse the young seedlings.
Gelichiid moth
Having lived in old growth Ponderosa forests, I can attest to the generous heights (over 200 feet) and large butts (25 feet in circumference) these trees often attain.
The Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge begins as a deep canyon in the high desert country of Oregon and Washington forming the border between the two states. The river wends its way west over eighty miles as it carves its scenic gorge through the Cascade Range.
Interstate 84 and old US 30 run on the south side of the river while Washington State Route 14 runs on the north side. The Union Pacific track runs on the Oregon side of the river while BNSF track occupies the north side of the river.
The gorge cuts a path through the Cascade Range with highlands that reach 4,000 feet above sea level while the west end of the gorge is a tidal river. Rainfall measurements on the west end of the gorge range as high as 100 inches of moisture per annum while the east side may be as scant as 10 inches of annual precipitation. This contributes to a varied ecological transition that is not only stark, but also marks a change in meteorological difference as well.
A wind tunnel effect in the gorge contributes to ice and snow storms that can close the gorge to vehicle traffic. It also makes a veritable playground for windsurfers as the winds can reach over 35 mph in gusts during the warmer months of the year.
620 foot high Multnomah Falls dominates the 90 some falls found on the Oregon side of the gorge. Numerous state parks operated by both Oregon and Washington make the gorge a vacation destination for visitors and residents alike.
Multnomah falls
At the end of the last ice age, the Missoula Floods cut the dramatic channels in the hard volcanic bedrock that allowed the Indian tribes to fish the river for salmon and steelhead. That fishery still dominates the culture of the tribes that inhabit the gorge, particularly the Celilo Falls area near the present day town of “The Dalles, Oregon”.
The Boss Lady and I experienced an ice storm in the gorge that makes us wary of winter travel in the gorge.
