Plant Guide to Dawson Saddle Trail

Plant Guide to Dawson Saddle Trail

This is a working list, about which we make no guarantees at all until we officially release it. Use at your own risk!

Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides
Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction

This trail is one of the most beautiful of the high country. It begins at the highest elevation on the Angeles Crest Highway at 7903 foot Dawson Saddle. Note, however, that only the old unsigned trail is exactly at Dawson Saddle, SR2 (7903 feet). Instead, go east on SR2 to the new trailhead, about 0.04 miles beyond (east) of Mile Marker 69.59, signed simply as "Trail".
After about two miles and 1000 feet of elevation gain, the trail ends at the Pacific Crest Trail. From that junction, you can head east to Mt. Burnham and Mt. Baden-Powell, or south to Throop Peak, Mt. Hawkins, South Mt. Hawkins or Mt. Islip.
This guide takes the PCT south to the trail to Throop Peak from the south side of Throop Peak. There is a new (in 2003) shortcut very steep trail that heads directly to Throop Peak from the northeast side, but this guide does not follow that trail on the way up. Adding to the confusion, in 2002 there was a shortcut trail about 0.1 mile earlier on the PCT that went steeply up the mountain until it joined that south trail. This shortcut trail was no longer visible in 2003.
Highlights of This Trail

The trail gives an extensive look at the plants of the high country of the San Gabriels, as well as extensive vistas of the surrounding country. The views are literally from the desert to the sea on a clear day.
The trail has many botanical highlights:

All the plants seen along the entire trail (except possibly for a few plants in a small patch near Throop Peak) are native plants! Thus this is one of the very few patches of California that looks the same now botanically as it probably did hundreds of years ago, before the introduction of non-native plants from Europe and elsewhere.
An interesting combination of mat-like perennial plants, inches high but very old; shrubs several feet high flattened by snow and/or wind; and trees almost a hundred feet high standing tall, defying those two forces.
Four species of pine trees, two of which, lodgepole (Pinus contorta) and limber (Pinus flexilis) pine, are unusual in the southern mountains. One of the species, sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), has the longest pine cone in the world; another, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), has one of the shortest.
Beautiful old tree-like gnarled specimens of mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus) in several places along the trail.
The rare and local yellow-flowered Peirson's lupine (Lupinus peirsonii).

See also Regional Distribution of the Plants on Dawson Saddle Trail.
Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 66 trails in our database when this histogram was made. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon Number Of Taxa
On This Trail % of Taxa
On This Trail
1 5 10%
2 14 27%
3 5 10%
4 2 4%
5 4 8%

1-5 30 59%
6-10 9 18%
11-15 8 16%
16-20 3 6%
21-25 0 0%
26-30 1 2%
Total Taxa 51 100%

We found one additional species not in the above table, which has not been identified yet.
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time

The following table gives the dates the trail was walked and taxa recorded. After each visit, the table gives the total number of taxa on the list and the breakdown of the taxa without positive identification. See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides to understand the symbols below.

Visit Date Visit # # taxa # "?" # "sp" # "~" # "ssp" Comments
6/9/2002 1 36 0 4 0 1 only up to mile 1.06
8/21/2002 2 46 2 3 1 0
8/26/2002 3 46 2 1 2 0
9/17/2003 4 49 1 1 4 1

In addition to the visits above, Jane has made a number of visits to this trail previously without recording all the taxa.
The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (4 pages)

Mile S # id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all
0.00 Do not take the old unsigned trail exactly at Dawson Saddle, SR2 (7903 feet). Instead, head east on SR2 to the new trailhead, about 0.04 miles beyond (east) of Mile Marker 69.59, signed simply as "Trail".
Plants at trailhead, in order from west (on the right) to east, beginning at the Jeffrey pine 5 steps to the right of the trailhead.
0.00 r 1 Jeffrey pine (young tree) Pinus jeffreyi 99 / 9 15
0.00 r 2 giant blazing star Mentzelia laevicaulis 20 / 1 4
0.00 r 3 rock buckwheat Eriogonum saxatile 50 / 5 5
0.00 r 4 ssp San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus⁺ 10 / 3 11
0.00 r 5 Grinnell's beardtongue Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii 99 / 9 11
0.00 The trailhead
0.00 l 6 California squirreltail Elymus elymoides ssp. californicus 30 / 4 3
0.00 l 7 California brickellbush Brickellia californica 2 / 2 19
0.00 Begin hiking trail
0.00 8 one-seeded pussypaws Calyptridium monospermum 10 / 1 3
0.00 l 9 silky lupine Lupinus elatus 99 / 9 5
0.01 r 10 green-leaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula 99 / 9 6
0.01 r 11 Davidson's lotus Lotus nevadensis var. davidsonii 2 / 2 7
0.01 r 12 groundsmoke Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum 50 / 5 12
0.01 r 13 santolina pincushion Chaenactis santolinoides 10 / 3 6
0.01 14 white catch-fly Silene verecunda ssp. platyota⁺ 2 / 2 7
0.01 l 15 white fir Abies concolor 99 / 9 15
0.02 r Big Jeffrey pine.
0.02 Switchback to right; sign: "Dawson Saddle Trail. Built by boy scouts the summer of 1982 to commemorate the 75th year of world scouting. Total volunteer hours 3540. Elevation 7903 feet. USFS". Sign was listing at about 30° in August 2002.
0.05 r 16 ~ Davidson's phacelia Phacelia davidsonii 6 / 2 5
0.06 l 17 sugar pine Pinus lambertiana⁺ 99 / 9 8
0.08 r 18 mountain whitethorn Ceanothus cordulatus 99 / 9 11
0.09 Switchback to left; jct. old path to right that leads now to a steep dropoff in 6 paces.
0.18 b 19 curl-leaf mountain-mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus 99 / 3 6
0.19 b 20 one-sided bluegrass Poa secunda ssp. secunda 20 / 2 19
0.19 Switchback to right.
0.20 l 21 Parish's needlegrass Achnatherum parishii 20 / 3 2
0.20 l 22 alpine sulfur-flowered buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum var. minus 20 / 3 2
0.25 l 23 ~ wax currant Ribes cereum var. cereum 20 / 4 8
0.28 l 24 pine lousewort Pedicularis semibarbata 99 / 9 9
0.30 r Jct. with old trail from Dawson Saddle. The old trail has poor footing in several spots, including one switchback that now has to be cut steeply due to a fallen tree.
0.31 r 25 lodgepole pine Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana 99 / 9 2
0.32 l 26 beaked penstemon Penstemon rostriflorus 20 / 4 8
0.33 l 27 ? unk Carex or Juncus. Juncus orthophyllus? 1 / 1
0.34 l Check for leafy daisy, Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus.
0.34 28 sp goosefoot chenopodium sp. 1 / 1
0.35 Begin open area.
0.36 29 Burlew's onion Allium burlewii 50 / 3 2
0.36 30 San Bernardino Mountain onion Allium monticola⁺ 20 / 1 2
0.37 l 31 southern alpine buckwheat Eriogonum kennedyi var. alpigenum 99 / 5 2
0.38 Now on ridge for first time. The trail will stay close to the ridgeline for the next 0.4 mile.
0.38 l 32 Sierra mousetail Ivesia santolinoides 20 / 1 1
0.38 33 woolly mountain-parsley Oreonana vestita 99 / 3 1
0.39 r 34 Peirson's lupine Lupinus peirsonii 50 / 2 2
0.39 From right to left, view of the three peaks of Williamson Peak with the South Fork Trail below, Waterman Mountain, Strawberry Peak, Twin Peaks, Throop Peak, and Mt. Burnham.
0.44 35 snow-plant Sarcodes sanguinea 2 / 2 3
0.44 36 ~ broad-seeded rock-cress Arabis platysperma⁺ 5 / 1 1
0.49 Trail leaves ridge, now on east (left) side slightly below the ridge.
0.52 r (Tehachapi ragwort) (Senecio ionophyllus)⁺ 2 / 1 2
0.59 Jct. faint trail that merges from the right that leads to ridge.
0.60 r (bitter root) (Lewisia rediviva)⁺ 20 / 3 2
0.63 Back on ridge.
0.72 Trail leaves ridge and is just below ridge on east side.
0.77 Trail now goes farther below the ridge. An old trail, in disrepair, is on the ridge.
0.85 r 37 bush chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens 99 / 9 5
0.89 l 38 San Bernardino beardtongue Penstemon caesius 50 / 5 2
0.91 Cross small drainage with lots of lodgepole pine
0.95 39 pinedrops Pterospora andromedea 5 / 3 2
0.97 Cross small drainage with lots of lodgepole pine
1.02 Deep bear clawmarks on lodgepole pine, 6.5 feet above ground, in August 2002.
1.05 Cross small drainage.
1.11 Mt. Baden-Powell now visible, beyond Mt. Burnham.
1.17 First small area burned in 2002 Curve fire. Only spot fires occurred along the rest of the trail, beyond the edge of the main fire.
1.20 Saddle with view of Mt. Wilson, San Gabriel Peak, Mt. Islip, Twin Peaks, Strawberry Peak, and Mt. Waterman. Trees have numerous bear claw marks. Trail heads back to east side of ridgeline.
1.20 r 40 limber pine Pinus flexilis 10 / 3 1
1.38 r Note the closed depression, perhaps caused by the knockdown of a large tree.
1.39 The final saddle on the trail. The trail now leaves the ridgeline and traverses the north slope of Throop Peak.
1.44 r 41 ~ mountain gooseberry Ribes montigenum 1 / 1 2
1.45 Cross drainage. Many lodgepole pines here.
1.54 Cross middle of three small drainages that join below the trail.
1.62 Cross drainage.
1.67 Cross drainage that is a limber and lodgepole pinecone graveyard.
1.72 Cross drainage.
1.79 Jct. PCT. Sign: "(left) 2 mi Mt Baden-Powell; (right) Little Jimmy Campground 2.5 mi; (right) Throop Peak. Turn right on PCT, back toward Throop Peak.
1.79 r Sign: "Dawson Saddle 2 mi (pointed back to way you came)".
1.80 l PCT post.
1.81 Y-Jct. A new, direct, steep path to Throop Peak is on right; stay left on PCT.
1.83 Good view of Mt. Burnham and Mt. Baden-Powell; Pine Mt., Dawson Peak and Mt. Baldy; Cucamonga and Ontario Peaks; and Santiago Peak.
1.85 r 42 volcanic gilia Gilia ochroleuca ssp. vivida 50 / 3 3
1.86 l 43 leafy daisy Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus 5 / 1 27
1.87 r 44 little-leaf creambush Holodiscus microphyllus var. microphyllus 1 / 1 4
1.88 r 45 California fuchsia Epilobium canum⁺ 10 / 1 7
1.88 r 46 red-rayed hulsea Hulsea heterochroma 1 / 1 1
1.89 b Forest of chinquapin.
1.89 r 47 coyote tobacco Nicotiana attenuata⁺ 10 / 1 2
1.93 r 48 spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens⁺ 5 / 1 3
2.07 Jct. "new" shortcut trail to Throop Peak, which goes up very steeply. The trail was not visible in 2003, perhaps eliminated in the post-fire repair work. The next species was found only on that trail in another 0.05 miles. Stay on the PCT.
(white hawkweed) (Hieracium albiflorum) 1 / 1 2
2.23 Jct trail back to Throop Peak from the south. Turn right on it.
2.25 r 49 twiggy wreath plant Stephanomeria virgata 2 / 2 11
2.40 Trail becomes indistinct, but goes steeply uphill.
2.44 Jct with the new trail from mile 1.81. Go left, uphill.
2.47 Throop Peak. Marker plaque: "Throop Peak 9138', in honor of Amos G. Throop, founder of Throop University in 1891, now known as the California Institute of Technology; May 13, 1992.
The following species was seen just to the south on the old trail, but does not yet have a positive identification:
? *downy brome Bromus tectorum 99 / 1 19
Return via any of the three possible trails from the peak. No new taxa were found on the new trail heading north, but it does have a lot of one-seeded pussypaws, Calyptridium monospermum, near the top.

Comments On Specific Species

Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus. These plants key out perfectly to ssp. consimilis, since the involucre is glabrous, 7.5-8.5 mm long; the stems are green and leafy; and the leaves are less than 1 mm wide. However, we believe these are ssp. bernardinus for the following reasons:

the habitat is wrong for consimilis;
the appearance of the inflorescence does not match consimilis; and
our previous survey of rabbitbrush in the San Gabriel Mountains has found that ssp. bernardinus also can have the properties observed here.

Arabis platysperma. The specimens at this location unequivocally key out to this species, with no alternative possibilities in either the JM or Munz keys. However, the description of Arabis platysperma has significant discrepancies when compared to our plants.
Here are our observations:
ST: <~0.5 dm, terete. Plant tufted with basal rosettes, which look just like the JM pix on p. 405 of Arabis platysperma.
LVS: entire; basal ~ 10 x 3 mm, oblanceolate; cauline 10 x 3 mm, 12 x 5 mm, oblanceolate, gray/green, sessile, hairy, hairs on the edges of the leaf and on one side branched 2-4 times, hairs on the other side of the leaf mostly unbranched.
FR: erect, glabrous, flat parallel to septum, 20 x 3 mm, with a flat base that tapered gradually to the tip, line down middle, no style or beak, pedicel erect, 4.5 mm, widens toward fruit. Seeds one row per chamber, round, 2.2-3.0 mm in diameter including wing, wing 0.2 to 1.1 mm wide (all on the same seed - the width varies around the seed circumference)
The JM claims this species is not found in Southern California, but Munz has it in the San Gabriel Mountains from 5500 to 11,000 feet, and there are collection records from the San Gabriel Mountains at Calflora.
The discrepancies with the description in JM and Munz are:

basal leaves 20-60 mm. (Ours are only 10 mm)
upper cauline leaves glabrous. (Ours hairy)
fruit length 30 mm. (Ours 20 mm)
fruit tip acuminate. (Ours only acute)

If these discrepancies were only in JM, one could perhaps explain them as being due to differences between plants in Southern California and Northern California. However, Munz is presumably describing plants of Southern California.
Thus we have not categorized this as a definitive identification, placing it in the "~" category, and we have also not attempted a subspecies identification.
Pinus lambertiana. The first occurrence of this species in 2002, at mile 0.01 on the left, was cut down in late 2002 or early 2003.
Silene verecunda ssp. platyota and Allium monticola. The precise locations of these two species have not been recorded yet.
Nicotiana attenuata. These plants only appeared in a burned area in 2003, and were not present in 2002, perhaps due to the drought.
Senecio ionophyllus and Lewisia rediviva. Both species are found off-trail to the right, along the ridge.
Ribes cereum var. cereum. Berries found in 2002 were only 3-5 mm in diameter. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Ribes cereum.
Tetradymia canescens. We found 6-10 heads per stem instead of the gen 3-6 from the floras. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Tetradymia.
These plants were not visible on 9/17/03, and were perhaps burned in the 2002 Curve Fire.
Epilobium canum. We have found that determining a subspecies for specimens of this species is problematic in the San Gabriel Mountains at higher elevations. This is probably because the two ssp. intergrade in Southern California, as reported in the JM, or because the leaf widths reflect moisture conditions. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Epilobium canum ssp. canum.
The plants here have leaves up to 25 mm long x 14 mm wide, the widest leaves that we have yet seen.
This is the highest occurrence we have recorded for this species.

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	5	10%
2	14	27%
3	5	10%
4	2	4%
5	4	8%

1-5	30	59%
6-10	9	18%
11-15	8	16%
16-20	3	6%
21-25	0	0%
26-30	1	2%
Total Taxa	51	100%

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"	Comments
6/9/2002	1	36	0	4	0	1	only up to mile 1.06
8/21/2002	2	46	2	3	1	0
8/26/2002	3	46	2	1	2	0
9/17/2003	4	49	1	1	4	1

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Do not take the old unsigned trail exactly at Dawson Saddle, SR2 (7903 feet). Instead, head east on SR2 to the new trailhead, about 0.04 miles beyond (east) of Mile Marker 69.59, signed simply as "Trail".
				Plants at trailhead, in order from west (on the right) to east, beginning at the Jeffrey pine 5 steps to the right of the trailhead.
0.00	r	1		Jeffrey pine (young tree)	Pinus jeffreyi	99 / 9	15
0.00	r	2		giant blazing star	Mentzelia laevicaulis	20 / 1	4
0.00	r	3		rock buckwheat	Eriogonum saxatile	50 / 5	5
0.00	r	4	ssp	San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus⁺	10 / 3	11
0.00	r	5		Grinnell's beardtongue	Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii	99 / 9	11
0.00				The trailhead
0.00	l	6		California squirreltail	Elymus elymoides ssp. californicus	30 / 4	3
0.00	l	7		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	2 / 2	19
0.00				Begin hiking trail
0.00		8		one-seeded pussypaws	Calyptridium monospermum	10 / 1	3
0.00	l	9		silky lupine	Lupinus elatus	99 / 9	5
0.01	r	10		green-leaf manzanita	Arctostaphylos patula	99 / 9	6
0.01	r	11		Davidson's lotus	Lotus nevadensis var. davidsonii	2 / 2	7
0.01	r	12		groundsmoke	Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum	50 / 5	12
0.01	r	13		santolina pincushion	Chaenactis santolinoides	10 / 3	6
0.01		14		white catch-fly	Silene verecunda ssp. platyota⁺	2 / 2	7
0.01	l	15		white fir	Abies concolor	99 / 9	15
0.02	r			Big Jeffrey pine.
0.02				Switchback to right; sign: "Dawson Saddle Trail. Built by boy scouts the summer of 1982 to commemorate the 75th year of world scouting. Total volunteer hours 3540. Elevation 7903 feet. USFS". Sign was listing at about 30° in August 2002.
0.05	r	16	~	Davidson's phacelia	Phacelia davidsonii	6 / 2	5
0.06	l	17		sugar pine	Pinus lambertiana⁺	99 / 9	8
0.08	r	18		mountain whitethorn	Ceanothus cordulatus	99 / 9	11
0.09				Switchback to left; jct. old path to right that leads now to a steep dropoff in 6 paces.
0.18	b	19		curl-leaf mountain-mahogany	Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus	99 / 3	6
0.19	b	20		one-sided bluegrass	Poa secunda ssp. secunda	20 / 2	19
0.19				Switchback to right.
0.20	l	21		Parish's needlegrass	Achnatherum parishii	20 / 3	2
0.20	l	22		alpine sulfur-flowered buckwheat	Eriogonum umbellatum var. minus	20 / 3	2
0.25	l	23	~	wax currant	Ribes cereum var. cereum	20 / 4	8
0.28	l	24		pine lousewort	Pedicularis semibarbata	99 / 9	9
0.30	r			Jct. with old trail from Dawson Saddle. The old trail has poor footing in several spots, including one switchback that now has to be cut steeply due to a fallen tree.
0.31	r	25		lodgepole pine	Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana	99 / 9	2
0.32	l	26		beaked penstemon	Penstemon rostriflorus	20 / 4	8
0.33	l	27	?	unk Carex or Juncus.	Juncus orthophyllus?	1 / 1
0.34	l			Check for leafy daisy, Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus.
0.34		28	sp	goosefoot	chenopodium sp.	1 / 1
0.35				Begin open area.
0.36		29		Burlew's onion	Allium burlewii	50 / 3	2
0.36		30		San Bernardino Mountain onion	Allium monticola⁺	20 / 1	2
0.37	l	31		southern alpine buckwheat	Eriogonum kennedyi var. alpigenum	99 / 5	2
0.38				Now on ridge for first time. The trail will stay close to the ridgeline for the next 0.4 mile.
0.38	l	32		Sierra mousetail	Ivesia santolinoides	20 / 1	1
0.38		33		woolly mountain-parsley	Oreonana vestita	99 / 3	1
0.39	r	34		Peirson's lupine	Lupinus peirsonii	50 / 2	2
0.39				From right to left, view of the three peaks of Williamson Peak with the South Fork Trail below, Waterman Mountain, Strawberry Peak, Twin Peaks, Throop Peak, and Mt. Burnham.
0.44		35		snow-plant	Sarcodes sanguinea	2 / 2	3
0.44		36	~	broad-seeded rock-cress	Arabis platysperma⁺	5 / 1	1
0.49				Trail leaves ridge, now on east (left) side slightly below the ridge.
0.52	r			(Tehachapi ragwort)	(Senecio ionophyllus)⁺	2 / 1	2
0.59				Jct. faint trail that merges from the right that leads to ridge.
0.60	r			(bitter root)	(Lewisia rediviva)⁺	20 / 3	2
0.63				Back on ridge.
0.72				Trail leaves ridge and is just below ridge on east side.
0.77				Trail now goes farther below the ridge. An old trail, in disrepair, is on the ridge.
0.85	r	37		bush chinquapin	Chrysolepis sempervirens	99 / 9	5
0.89	l	38		San Bernardino beardtongue	Penstemon caesius	50 / 5	2
0.91				Cross small drainage with lots of lodgepole pine
0.95		39		pinedrops	Pterospora andromedea	5 / 3	2
0.97				Cross small drainage with lots of lodgepole pine
1.02				Deep bear clawmarks on lodgepole pine, 6.5 feet above ground, in August 2002.
1.05				Cross small drainage.
1.11				Mt. Baden-Powell now visible, beyond Mt. Burnham.
1.17				First small area burned in 2002 Curve fire. Only spot fires occurred along the rest of the trail, beyond the edge of the main fire.
1.20				Saddle with view of Mt. Wilson, San Gabriel Peak, Mt. Islip, Twin Peaks, Strawberry Peak, and Mt. Waterman. Trees have numerous bear claw marks. Trail heads back to east side of ridgeline.
1.20	r	40		limber pine	Pinus flexilis	10 / 3	1
1.38	r			Note the closed depression, perhaps caused by the knockdown of a large tree.
1.39				The final saddle on the trail. The trail now leaves the ridgeline and traverses the north slope of Throop Peak.
1.44	r	41	~	mountain gooseberry	Ribes montigenum	1 / 1	2
1.45				Cross drainage. Many lodgepole pines here.
1.54				Cross middle of three small drainages that join below the trail.
1.62				Cross drainage.
1.67				Cross drainage that is a limber and lodgepole pinecone graveyard.
1.72				Cross drainage.
1.79				Jct. PCT. Sign: "(left) 2 mi Mt Baden-Powell; (right) Little Jimmy Campground 2.5 mi; (right) Throop Peak. Turn right on PCT, back toward Throop Peak.
1.79	r			Sign: "Dawson Saddle 2 mi (pointed back to way you came)".
1.80	l			PCT post.
1.81				Y-Jct. A new, direct, steep path to Throop Peak is on right; stay left on PCT.
1.83				Good view of Mt. Burnham and Mt. Baden-Powell; Pine Mt., Dawson Peak and Mt. Baldy; Cucamonga and Ontario Peaks; and Santiago Peak.
1.85	r	42		volcanic gilia	Gilia ochroleuca ssp. vivida	50 / 3	3
1.86	l	43		leafy daisy	Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus	5 / 1	27
1.87	r	44		little-leaf creambush	Holodiscus microphyllus var. microphyllus	1 / 1	4
1.88	r	45		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum⁺	10 / 1	7
1.88	r	46		red-rayed hulsea	Hulsea heterochroma	1 / 1	1
1.89	b			Forest of chinquapin.
1.89	r	47		coyote tobacco	Nicotiana attenuata⁺	10 / 1	2
1.93	r	48		spineless horsebrush	Tetradymia canescens⁺	5 / 1	3
2.07				Jct. "new" shortcut trail to Throop Peak, which goes up very steeply. The trail was not visible in 2003, perhaps eliminated in the post-fire repair work. The next species was found only on that trail in another 0.05 miles. Stay on the PCT.
				(white hawkweed)	(Hieracium albiflorum)	1 / 1	2
2.23				Jct trail back to Throop Peak from the south. Turn right on it.
2.25	r	49		twiggy wreath plant	Stephanomeria virgata	2 / 2	11
2.40				Trail becomes indistinct, but goes steeply uphill.
2.44				Jct with the new trail from mile 1.81. Go left, uphill.
2.47				Throop Peak. Marker plaque: "Throop Peak 9138', in honor of Amos G. Throop, founder of Throop University in 1891, now known as the California Institute of Technology; May 13, 1992.
				The following species was seen just to the south on the old trail, but does not yet have a positive identification:
			?	*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	99 / 1	19
				Return via any of the three possible trails from the peak. No new taxa were found on the new trail heading north, but it does have a lot of one-seeded pussypaws, Calyptridium monospermum, near the top.

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Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2002-2003 by Tom Chester and Jane Strong.
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Updated 20 September 2003.