2021 APS Meeting Field Trips
We will provide multiple options for field trips on both Saturday and Sunday to meet the needs and capabilities of all attendees. You may also choose to attend the post-meeting, half-day tour of the Monte Cristo area southeast of Logan.
All Saturday, Sunday, and Monday field trips will leave from the parking lot of the Riverwoods Conference Center. We encourage you to carpool to minimize the number of vehicles required for transport.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Pack a lunch and carry it with you on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday field trips. Most field trips involve travel into somewhat isolated areas (high clearance vehicles recommended, but not essential). It is critical that you begin each field trip with enough food and water for an all-day excursion.
Saturday Tours
Tony Grove Lake/Naomi Peak
All meeting attendees will drive up Logan Canyon to Tony Grove Lake. (The required day-use parking pass will be covered as part of your registration fee.) At the parking lot, we will split into three groups. For the adventurous, we will lead a climb to Mount Naomi, the highest peak in the Bear River Range. The hike is 12.4 miles round trip with a 2,000 feet elevation gain. Difficulty is moderate. If you choose this option, please be sure to bring the proper shoes and equipment (plus plenty of water).
A second option at Tony Grove Lake is a short 2-mile hike round trip to a Penstemon compactus site. Afterward, this group will explore the ravines and cliffs on the way back to Tony Grove Lake
A third option at Tony Grove Lake is to walk the nature trail on the lake shore and explore some of the easily accessed areas around the lake.
Timetable: 8 am to 3 pm.
Vehicle Requirements: no restrictions.
Roundtrip Drive: approximately 40 miles.
Tony Grove Lake is positioned at an elevation of about 8,000 feet. Habitat is alpine fir and limber pine forest. A number of penstemon species can be seen on this tour, including P. cyananthus, P. humilis, P. leonardii, P. whippleanus, and P. compactus. Many other unique and/or locally endemic species may also be seen, such as Epilobium canum, Polemonium occidentale, and Balsamhoriza macrophylla.
Sunday Tours
You can choose one of two tours on Sunday. One option is Bloomington Lake to the west of Bear Lake. The other is to Paris Ice Cave, also on the west side of Bear Lake.
Bloomington Lake
This field trip involves an 85 mile drive up Logan Canyon and into the portion of the Bear River Range west of Bear Lake. At Bloomington, Idaho, we will turn west off US-89 and drive to the Bloomington Lake trailhead. This field trip will include a 1.5-mile round trip hike into Bloomington Lake. This hike is rated easy. On the drive to this site, we may include some other stops to sample other habitats. During this trip we may be able to see P. leonardii, P. cyananthus, P. whippleanus, P. humilis, and P. radicosus. Other interesting plants close to the lake include the rare Musineon cusickii and Asplenium viride. This is also one of the few places in Idaho with established populations of Primula parryi.
Timetable: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Vehicle Requirements: trailhead access road is dirt/gravel and somewhat rocky in places; vehicles with moderate clearance, including most sedans should be able to handle this road.
Roundtrip Drive: 170 miles.
Paris Ice Cave
This field trip involves an 81 mile drive up Logan Canyon and into the portion of the Bear River Range west of Bear Lake. At Paris, Idaho, we will turn west off US-89 and drive up Paris Canyon to the Paris Ice Cave. This field trip may include some easy to moderate hiking. On the drive to this site, we may include
stops to sample other habitats. On this trip we may be able to see P. leonardii, P. cyananthus, P. humilis, and P. radicosus.
Timetable: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Vehicle Requirements: the cave access road is gravel and well-maintained; most vehicles should be able to handle this road.
Roundtrip Drive: 162 miles
Monday Post-Meeting Tour
Monte Cristo
Timetable: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Vehicle Requirements: high clearance to see P. compactus.
Roundtrip Drive: approximately 270 miles.
This is a part-day field trip within which we will travel south of Logan through Hyrum, Eden, and Huntington, then east into the Monte Cristo Range. The one-way drive is approximately 70 miles. There we will explore meadows and forests at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. On this trip we should see abundant wildflowers that may include P. compactus, P. cyananthus, P. leonardii, and P. scariosus. We have observed herbarium records suggesting that P. caespitosus and P. cleburnei have been found at lower elevations near Woodruff, Utah. Additional scouting activities prior to the conference may reveal sites for those species.
Field Trip Preparation
Most field trips take us into places with limited access to food, water, or other essential equipment. If you are driving, be sure to start each field trip with a full tank of gas. Make sure you have a good spare tire. All field trip participants, please bring the following:
- Sack lunch
- Water (at least ½ gallon per person)
- Jacket
- Wide-brimmed hat
- Insect repellant
- Good hiking shoes
- And remember your camera!