Plant Guide to Backbone Trail, Stunt Road to Saddle Peak

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
				Begin obscurely-signed Backbone Trail near mile marker 2.8 on Stunt Road; elevation 1925 feet (585 m)
0.00	b	1		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	99 / 9	16
0.00	l	2		scrub oak	Quercus berberidifolia	99 / 9	8
0.00	b	3	ssp	branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia	20 / 9	25
0.00	l	4		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	20 / 9	19
0.00	l	5		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	10 / 9	14
0.00	b	6		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum	99 / 9	28
0.00	b	7		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	50 / 9	18
0.00	l	8		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	99 / 9	39
0.00	l	9		deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. scoparius	50 / 9	19
0.00	l	10		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	20 / 9	31
0.00	b	11		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	38
0.00	l	12		climbing bedstraw	Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii	7 / 5	19
0.00	r	13		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	50 / 9	42
0.00	l	14		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata+	50 / 9	30
0.00	r	15		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	99 / 9	38
0.01	r	16		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	30 / 9	35
0.01	l	17		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	20 / 9	31
0.01	r	18		Eastwood manzanita	Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa	99 / 9	1
0.01	r	19		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	99 / 9	32
0.01	l	20		saw-toothed goldenbush	Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides	50 / 9	27
0.01	r	21	sp	1-2 foot tall suncup	Camissonia sp.	20 / 3
0.01	b	22		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	20 / 9	35
0.01	l	23		hairy ceanothus	Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus	99 / 9	3
0.01	l	24		canyon sunflower	Venegasia carpesioides	20 / 9	2
0.02	r	25		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	20 / 3	30
0.02	l			(white-flowering currant, Ribes indecorum)
0.02	l	26		chaparral bush mallow	Malacothamnus fasciculatus	99 / 9	10
0.02	l			Jct. path
0.03	r	27		purple nightshade	Solanum xanti+	30 / 9	11
0.05	b	28		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	10 / 9	22
0.05	r	29		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	1 / 1	32
0.05	r	30		San Diego wreathplant	Stephanomeria diegensis	20 / 3	14
0.06	r			(greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus)
0.06	l	31		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	3 / 3	35
0.07	l	32	?	unk dead annual like tarragon or a chenopod	?	10 / 3
0.07	l	33		*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	3 / 1	20
0.07	r	34		black sage	Salvia mellifera	5 / 1	31
0.07	r	35		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	10 / 9	26
0.07	l			First telephone pole
0.08	l	36		white-flowering currant	Ribes indecorum+	30 / 9	13
0.08		37		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	50 / 2	26
0.08	l	38	~	goldenstar	Bloomeria crocea	30 / 5	9
0.08	l	39		buck brush	Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus	99 / 9	1
0.09	r			Second telephone pole
0.10	l	40		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum	50 / 9	2
0.10	l	41		eucrypta	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia	10 / 3	17
0.10	r	42	~	short-leaved cliff-aster	Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia	20 / 5	9
0.11	r	43		sugar bush	Rhus ovata+	50 / 9	20
0.12	r	44		birch-leaf mountain-mahogany	Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides	20 / 9	16
0.12	l	45	~	rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	5 / 2	16
0.13	l	46		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	5 / 1	18
0.13	b	47	~	soap plant	Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum+	20 / 5	13
0.14	r	48		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	/	30
0.15	l			(laurel sumac, Malosma laurina)
0.16	r	49	~	common fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	5 / 1	9
0.20	r	50		long-leaf bush lupine	Lupinus longifolius	5 / 3	2
0.20	r	51	sp	clarkia	Clarkia sp.	10 / 1
0.20	r	52		purple sage	Salvia leucophylla	4 / 1	1
0.22	b	53		greenbark ceanothus	Ceanothus spinosus	99 / 9	2
0.22	b	54		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	50 / 9	30
0.23				T-Jct.; go left to Saddle Peak. A sign faces the other way on the right. Elevation 1990 feet (605 m).
0.24	l	55		bush poppy	Dendromecon rigida	30 / 9	4
0.25	r	56		chaparral currant	Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium+	20 / 9	3
0.27				Cross drainage.
0.27	r	57	~	white star-lily	Zigadenus fremontii	30 / 9	3
0.27	r	58	?	unk annual Apiaceae.	?	30 / 3
0.27	r	59	~	sharp-toothed sanicle	Sanicula arguta	20 / 4	8
0.28	b	60		woolly bluecurls	Trichostema lanatum	20 / 5	2
0.33				Switchback right at ridge
0.34	l	61	sp	dodder	Cuscuta sp.	2 / 2
0.35				Trail turns right 90°
0.36	l	62	sp	baby popcorn flower	Cryptantha sp.	10 / 3
0.37				Trail turns left 90°
0.37				Cross drainage.
0.40	r	63		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	1 / 1	31
0.42				Cross drainage.
0.43				Trail turns right 90°
0.45	r			A 2.4 m (8 foot) tall long-leaf bush lupine, Lupinus longifolius!
0.45	r	64		*tree tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	1 / 1	16
0.45	r	65	~	*bull thistle	Cirsium vulgare	3 / 1	11
0.47	l	66		*blue gum	Eucalyptus globulus	1 / 1	4
0.47				Cross drainage; Trail turns left 90°
0.48				saw-toothed goldenbush, Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides, is the very-unusual understory in this shady area.
0.49	r	67		red shanks	Adenostoma sparsifolium	5 / 2	2
0.51				Trail turns right 90°
0.54				Cross small drainage.
0.58				Switchback right.
0.59	r	68		chaparral whitethorn	Ceanothus leucodermis+	20 / 9	11
0.62				Switchback left.
0.62				Four species of Ceanothus are found in the next 0.03 mile (0.62 b C. oliganthus; 0.62 l C. spinosus; 0.63 r C. cuneatus; 0.65 C. leucodermis)
0.64				Cross small drainage.
0.65				Switchback right.
0.67	l			A chaparral whitethorn, Ceanothus leucodermis, with 1/4 of the bush with gray-glaucous twigs and the rest green twigs.
0.69	r			A greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus, with dull, but not glaucous, lower leaf surfaces on older leaves in January 2004.
0.69				Switchback left.
0.72				Cross small drainage.
0.73				Switchback right.
0.74	l	69		rockrose	Helianthemum scoparium	20 / 9	9
0.76				Switchback left.
0.77				Switchback right.
0.78	r	70		bigberry manzanita	Arctostaphylos glauca	5 / 4	8
0.80				Switchback left.
0.81	r	71		canyon silktassel	Garrya veatchii	5 / 3	4
0.81	r	72		southern tauschia	Tauschia arguta	30 / 9	5
0.83				Switchback right.
0.88				Cross drainage.
0.90	r	73		phlox-leaved bedstraw	Galium andrewsii ssp. andrewsii	1 / 1	3
0.90				Switchback left.
0.96				Switchback right.
1.07				Long switchback left.
1.12				Switchback left.
1.12	r	74		chaparral pea	Pickeringia montana var. montana	10 / 2	1
1.13				Long switchback right.
1.17	r	75	~	showy penstemon	Penstemon spectabilis var. subviscosus	1 / 1	1
1.18				Trail turns right 90° at small drainage.
1.20				Switchback left.
1.25				Switchback right.
1.26	l			First sticky-leaved Ribes malvaceum.
1.27				Trail turns left 90°
1.30				Trail turns right 90°
1.31	l	76		chaparral lotus	Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus	6 / 5	2
1.32	l	77		fuchsia-flowered gooseberry	Ribes speciosum	2 / 2	5
1.32	l	78	?	unk per. with alt entire ~oblong 4-ranked lvs.	?	1 / 1
1.32	l	79	?	unk baby annual grass with very fine lvs.
1.32	l	80	~	small-flowered melica	Melica imperfecta	2 / 2	29
1.36	r	81	?	scroph?	?	10 / 2
1.36				Switchback left.
1.38	l	82	?	baby California chicory?	Rafinesquia californica?	/
1.39	r	83		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. canum	5 / 1	11
1.39	r	84	?	southern hawkweed	Hieracium argutum	1 / 1	1
1.40	r			Pile of big boulders frame a picture window.
1.40	r	85		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	5 / 4	29
1.40	l			Check to see if this what-looks-like-a-gray-leaved cliff-aster turns into something else.
1.40				Trail turns left 90°
1.40	r	86		California wood fern	Dryopteris arguta	3 / 2	10
1.41	l	87		California bay	Umbellularia californica	1 / 1	9
1.41	b	88		hollyleaf cherry	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia	2 / 1	9
1.42				Switchback right.
1.42	r	89	~	oceanspray	Holodiscus discolor	1 / 1	2
1.42	b	90		prickly phlox	Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum	5 / 3	1
1.44	r			Jct. huge sandstone rectangular outcrop at ridgeline; jct. overlook path; switchback left; elevation 2650 feet (810 m)
1.49	l			Nice view to north
1.56				Trail flattens out; grove of chaparral pea, Pickeringia montana var. montana.
1.56	r	91		*Spanish broom	Spartium junceum	99 / 5	7
1.57				T-jct with road; elevation 2720 feet (830 m); go right on that road, leaving the Backbone Trail. Unlike the trail so far, the road is dominated by non-native weeds.
1.57	b	92		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	50 / 9	38
1.62				Road makes a small curve left.
1.63	l	93	~	slender sunflower	Helianthus gracilentus	1 / 1	11
1.65	r	94		*fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	2 / 1	12
1.70				T-jct with gravel road at ridgeline; go left on it.
1.73				Road turns left 90°
1.75	l	95		long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	3 / 1	17
1.76				Switchback right.
1.77	l	96		*Mediterranean schismus	Schismus barbatus	10 / 1	14
1.79				East peak of Saddle Peak; elevation 2825 feet (860 m). The following species are found a few steps south.
1.79		97		*sourclover	Melilotus indicus	5 / 1	12
1.79		98		California suncup	Camissonia californica	2 / 2	16
1.79				Retrace your steps to the jct with the Backbone Trail.
1.86	r			Jct. road to Backbone Trail; go right
1.98				Jct. Backbone Trail; go right (same location as mile 1.57)
2.00				Trail makes a small curve right.
2.04	l	99		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	10 / 1	15
2.06	r	100	?	unk per with lvs with basal lobes.	?	1 / 1
2.11	r	101		wild sweetpea	Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus	5 / 2	7
2.22	r	102	?	unk baby tree.	?	1 / 1
2.25	r			Jct. short path to ridge.
2.29	b	103		*wild oats	Avena fatua	50 / 5	14
2.30	b	104		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	50 / 5	36
2.31	r	105		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	10 / 1	21
2.31	r	106		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	40 / 2	26
2.32	r	107		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	10 / 2	17
2.32	l			Four dark green tanks.
2.34	r	108		big-pod ceanothus	Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus	2 / 1	1
2.36	l	109		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	3 / 1	22
2.36	l	110		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	3 / 1	24
2.36				Water Tank; elevation 2475 feet (755 m)
2.36	l	111		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	3 / 1	6
2.36	r			Possibly the world's oldest coyote bush, , with an incredibly-thick trunk.
2.37	r	112		small-flowered evening-primrose	Camissonia micrantha+	5 / 1	4
2.38	r	113	~	*cheeseweed	Malva parviflora	40 / 2	12
2.38				Cross through gate.
2.43				Cross Mildas Drive.
2.44	l	114		*fountain grass	Pennisetum setaceum	20 / 2	8
2.44	b	115		*gazania	Gazania X (mounding hybrid)	20 / 2	4
2.45	b	116		*winter vetch	Vicia villosa ssp. varia	30 / 1	10
2.45	b	117		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum+	99 / 3	5
2.56	l	118		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	5 / 2	40
2.56	l	119	sp	Mariposa lily	Calochortus sp.	5 / 2
2.56	l	120		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	3 / 2	23
2.59	l			prickly cryptantha	Cryptantha muricata+	10 / 1	14
2.60	l	121	?	dead tall suncup?	Camissonia sp.?	5 / 1
2.62	l	122		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	3 / 1	23
2.62	l	123	sp	annual phacelia	Phacelia sp.	5 / 1
2.62	l	124		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	5 / 1	11
2.62	l			(chaparral yucca, Yucca whipplei)
2.66	r	125		southern California silver-lotus	Lotus argophyllus var. argophyllus	1 / 1	1
2.66	r	126		lanceleaf dudleya	Dudleya lanceolata	1 / 1	17
2.66	r	127		one-sided bluegrass	Poa secunda ssp. secunda	5 / 1	20
2.67				Y-jct; go left
2.75				Jct. Stunt Road; elevation 2350 feet (715 m); end detailed guide; go left to return to cars.
3.36	r	128		arroyo lupine	Lupinus succulentus	3 / 1	4
3.86				Trailhead.

http://tchester.org/smm/plants/guides/saddle_peak.html
Updated 26 March 2004.