2020 NPSO Annual Meeting Cancelled Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the best interests for the health and safety of our members, the Cheahmill Chapter has decided to cancel the Annual Meeting this year. While the number of new cases should decline over the next several weeks and months, subsequent waves of COVID-19 are likely to recur once social distancing is relaxed. We are exploring hosting the meeting next year (2021) at Spirit Mountain Lodge and offering much the same program. If you have already sent in your registration form and payment, your checks will be shredded. Those whose checks were already deposited will receive a refund. We look forward to seeing all of you in 2021, hopefully at Spirit Mountain. Please stay safe and healthy through this difficult time.

NPSO 2020 Annual Meeting

May 29 - 31     Spirit Mountain Lodge, Grand Ronde, Oregon

Field Trips

Saturday May 18, 2024    9 a.m. - 4 p.m.                    Field Trip # 28

Difficulty:     Moderate to strenuous  (4 miles) - Mostly on flat surfaces, but rocky, wet, uneven terrain

Elevation:     300 feet elevation gain

Group Size Limit:     30

Trip Description:     This is one of two field tips to this spectacular site in the Oregon Coast Range. The trip description and floristic highlights apply to both trips. The trips differ in difficulty and hiking distance.

Millions of years ago, during the Miocene epoch, flood basalts originating 200 miles to the east made their way to the Oregon coast and were uplifted to form prominent peaks in the Coast Range, such as Saddle Mountain and Mt. Hebo. The latter is a 2.5-mile-long ridge over 3100 feet in elevation, consisting of marine sedimentary rocks capped by hard volcanic rocks, and offering panoramic views of the ocean and eight Cascade peaks. Soils at the top are shallow, covered with mosses, a wide diversity of plants, and boggy areas with Sphagnum.

On the basalt plateaus, expect to see dwarf small camas (Camassia quamash), littleleaf miner's lettuce (Montia parvifolia), Cardwell's penstemon (Penstemon cardwellii), and rusty saxifrage (Saxifraga ferruginea). In the forests, find the rare Coast Range fawnlily (Erythronium elegans), Columbia lily (Lilium columbianum), and heart-leaved twayblade (Neottia cordata). The uncommon harsh Indian paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Oregon iris (Iris tenax), and hookspur violet (Viola adunca ssp. adunca), host plant of the Oregon Silverspot butterfly, are abundant in the meadows. Two species of blueberry, oval-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium) and red huckleberry (V. parvifolium), are culturally significant food resources and are managed by Forest Service employees and tribal members.

Depending on number of signups, this group may be split into two, with one half starting at the top of the trail and the other half starting at the bottom.

Appropriate Clothing and Footwear:     Warm clothing and boots/shoes that can get wet; hiking poles advisable. Cold, windy, wet and rainy conditions are possible.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 28 leaves at 9 a.m. from parking lot west of Hotel. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time to meet your group and arrange carpools.

Alternate Meeting:     Participants may also meet the trip at 9:30 a.m at Hebo Ranger Station, 31525 Hwy 22, Hebo, Oregon 97122. If you choose this option, be sure to notify your trip leader in advance.

Driving Miles and Time from Spirit Mountain Hotel:     25 miles, 35 minutes to the Hebo Ranger Station. From Ranger Station to peak and back is about five miles on gravel.

Driving Directions:     Trip leaders will provide detailed driving instructions.

Leaders:       OSU Botany Club, Botany and Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association

The OSU Botany and Plant Pathology club is a university organized club in the College of Agricultural Sciences. They are interested in helping undergradute students who are interested in botanical, mycological, and plant pathological sciences.

The Botany and Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association is comprised of all graduate students in the department. In past years, it has been a fairly strong and positive force in developing a close working relationship among students and faculty.

Plant Lists and Other Information:     Clink on the links below for more information about this trip.

Photo: Kareen Sturgeon
Harsh Indian paintbrush

Photo: Kareen Sturgeon
Cardwell's penstemon (Penstemon cardwellii) on Mt. Hebo

Photo: Marna Porath
Trail through coastal rainforest on Mt. Hebo

The hike will include a small portion of this trail.