The proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument (graphic from KS Wild).
Azalea Lake, located in Northern California south of Applegate Lake, lies within the proposed monument area (photo by Kira Rubenthaler).
Youngs Valley, in the Siskiyou Wilderness along the trail to Raspberry Lake, lies within the proposed monument area (photo by Kira Rubenthaler).
The Siskiyou Crest is home to a diversity of plants, like this odd-looking little guy growing along the Middle Fork Applegate River Trail (photo by Kira Rubenthaler).
I wish I worked for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands
Center right now. Imagine
part of your job being to take a week-long backpacking trip!
In order to promote their campaign for the proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument, KS Wild conservationists have teamed up with scientists, a photographer and a filmmaker on a 90-mile expedition through the region. They started yesterday near the Oregon Caves and expect to arrive at the Grouse Gap Shelter near Mt. Ashland next Wednesday.
KS Wild launched the monument campaign this spring to
protect what KS Wild’s outreach director Laurel Sutherlin called a “treasure
trove of rare wildflowers and conifers.” (Read the article I wrote about the
campaign here.)
The Siskiyou
Mountains are unique in that they run
from east to west, providing a high-elevation “land bridge” between the Cascades Mountains
and the Coast Range. A hot spot of biological
diversity, the region is home to a number of endemic species (those found
nowhere else in the world), such as the Siskiyou Mountain salamander, the
Siskiyou mariposa lily and the Brewer’s spruce (also known as weeping spruce —
I saw these trees on a recent backpacking trip to Raspberry Lake, and they are
very cool-looking, the weeping willow of conifers). The Siskiyou crest also
provides habitat for animals such as the Pacific fisher and spotted owl, and
wolverines could even be roaming the high elevations.
Conservationists want to preserve the land to protect it
from logging, road building, invasive species, grazing and off-road vehicle
use, and also allow for forest management and restoration. The proposed region
for the monument extends from Mt. Ashland west to the Oregon Caves, from near
Ruch south through the Applegate and down into California to Happy Camp and the
Klamath River and west toward Highway 199 to include the Siskiyou Wilderness.
(Click on the map at the top on the left.)
KS Wild has set up a website devoted to the Siskiyou Crest National Monument
campaign that includes information about the region as well as updates on the current
expedition. You can also follow them on Twitter.
"The idea of a Siskiyou Crest
National Monument has
been gaining momentum very quickly, and we are excited to use this outdoor
adventure to raise the profile of the campaign and highlight this world class
area right in our backyard," Sutherlin said in a release. “We are a diverse group of people who
love this landscape and want to bring people’s attention to this amazing place
that is absolutely world-class in terms of biodiversity and scenic beauty but
mostly unprotected.”
The Los Angeles Times had a short article
about the proposed monument. Scroll down to read a variety of opinions on the
proposal in the comments section.
I’m sure there’s lots to debate about how to protect and/or
manage land, as well as the pros and cons of monument designation. But as far
as getting to know the Siskiyou Crest — nothing beats getting out there. Hike
the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Ashland, take the scenic ridgetop drive on Forest
Road 20 past the ski area, explore the wild regions south of Applegate Lake
or traverse one of the numerous hiking trails in the region. KS Wild’s
expedition is designed to bring “public
attention to the world-class epicenter of biodiversity contained on the
Siskiyou Crest and the efforts to protect this extraordinary place permanently.”
Why not see for yourself?
Below is a
video from KS Wild’s first leg of the trip, which included passing through the Bigelow Lakes area and camping overlooking the
Red Buttes Wilderness.
Below are links to photo galleries I’ve taken on hikes in
the proposed monument region:
Middle Fork Applegate River Trail
Backpacking to Azalea
Lake
Backpacking
Raspberry Lake
