Hawkeye Point and Old Snowy Mountain

August 25th we set out for the Goat Rocks on our last trip of the season. It was an exciting way to end the project, adding collections from the southern cascades which have been a challenge to access in past years due to weather conditions. Additionally, the geography provides relatively less alpine areas to survey compared to the central and north cascades. We thought about how geology potentially influences species makeup of a peak while we explored both quaternary and quaternary-tertiary volcanic rock. 

Volcanic geology of the Goat Rocks

The first day we surveyed Hawkeye Point. Some interesting finds included Ranunculus grayi, Potentilla villosa (found only on two other peaks from the project), as well as tons of Arnica and Lupinus in flower. Senecio triangularis was a first for the project. After having to hike down the mountain early due to thunder, we camped at Goat Lake and even spotted a few goats above camp.

Potentilla villosa, Senecio triangularis, and Ranunculus grayi

Next we climbed up Old Snowy Mountain, crossing the PCT and finding ourselves in the largest continuous alpine area we've seen all summer! We spent four and a half hours botanizing the slopes and found Hulsea nana, a project first. Draba aureola was abundant in fruit along the talus and scree fields, a second find of this species for the project. The first time was on Mount Ruth which is also made up of quaternary volcanic rock. Perhaps this is an example of species presence correlating with geology. Some other interesting finds included Gentiana calycosa, Oreostemma alpigenum, and Abies amabilis. The next day we stopped back at Hawkeye Point to finish our surveying and headed back to the car as it started to rain.

Draba aureola, Hulsea nana, and Gentiana calycosa

Just like that, the last 50 Peaks field season has come to a close! This summer we made 384 collections across 10 new peaks and 1 revisited peak. We hiked approximately 118 miles and climbed 35,355 feet of elevation. It has been a joy to spend so much time studying the flora of these remote and extreme ecosystems and as interns we have gained countless skills both in the field and back on campus. Stay tuned for more of the finalized results from the project now that we have full plant lists from 55 alpine peaks throughout the cascades. Thank you for following along!

Hayden, Yssy, Maggie, and David on Old Snowy Mountain, the last peak.