Mount Baldy and Nelson Ridge NE

Iris, Payton, and Winston at the summit of Mount Baldy

Last week, the crew took on their first backpacking trip of the season to sample three new peaks: Mount Baldy, Nelson Ridge South, and Nelson Ridge North. 

The first day began with a 4.5 mile climb up 3,500 feet of elevation gain in the scorching sun. We were rewarded with a beautiful and private area to camp (only shared with MILLIONS of mosquitoes). We then preceded to climb another 1,000 feet up the nearby Mount Baldy for some preliminary sampling. On the second day, we climbed up and wandered along the ridge line to sample Nelson Ridge NE North and South peaks. We discovered plentiful diversity with 40 species from Nelson Ridge South and 39 species from Nelson Ridge North. We then returned to Mount Baldy to finish sampling with a total of 49 species observed. 

One interesting discovery was both Sedum lanceolatum and Sedum rupicola growing on Mount Baldy. In addition, we observed Monardella odoratissima, which has previously never been seen on the 50 Peaks Project. Another notable observation, was the discovery of no ferns on any of the three peaks sampled.

Overall, this was a fantastic and productive trip with the edition of three new peaks to an area not previously sampled as part of the 50 Peaks Project. 

Collomia debilis

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Heuchera cylindrica

Penstemon procerus

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Penstemon rupicola