The Forests of Mount Rainier National Park Part 2

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14.--Grand fir (_Abies grandis_).]

The Engelmann spruce is easily distinguished from its a.s.sociates by its stiff, bluish-green pointed leaves, which p.r.i.c.k the hand when they are grasped. In the mountain parks it is a handsome tree 50 to 60 feet high.

When it stands apart from other trees the lower branches are thick and long and extend to the ground. The crown is very broad at the base, but narrow and spirelike at the top. The Engelmann spruce reaches its best development at low elevations, where it often grows in dense, pure stands. Under these conditions it reaches a height of 100 feet. The bole is straight and free from limbs and the top is short and compact.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15.--Engelmann spruce (_Picea engelmanni_).]

The young cones are ma.s.sed in upright green and purple cl.u.s.ters at the tips of the upper branches. They are notable for the purity and brilliance of their coloring. As they mature they become pendant and fade to a light brown. The seed is produced in abundance nearly every year, although small and seedling trees are not usually numerous.

The wood is soft, white, compact, and even grained. It is free from pitch and odor. It is valuable for boxing, cooperage, and certain kinds of finish. It is also an excellent material for the tops of violins and other stringed instruments. The Engelmann spruce is, however, of little importance as a timber tree on account of its scarcity and the scattered stands in which it grows. It is a long-lived tree unless attacked by fire, to which it is very vulnerable.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 16.--A group of yellow cypresses (_Chamaecyparis nootkatensis_) on the high slopes of Mount Rainier National Park, alt.i.tude about 6,000 feet.

Photograph by A.H. Barnes.]

YELLOW CYPRESS (CHAMAECYPARIS NOOTKATENSIS).

Yellow cypress (fig. 16) ranges from the seacoast of southern Alaska south to the mountains of Was.h.i.+ngton and Oregon. It occurs in the park up to the elevation of 7,000 feet. It is common on northern exposures, along streams, and in basins at the head of canyons. It also grows on crests and ridges, where the frequent showers and fogs supply the moisture which it demands. In sheltered localities it grows to a height of 75 or 80 feet, but it is commonly a small tree with, a bent and twisted stem, which, with its pendulous branches, presents a somewhat scrubby appearance. The foliage is green, sometimes with a bluish tinge.

It resembles that of the common western red cedar, but the leaves are sharper, more pointed, and rougher to handle. The small, rounded, inconspicuous cones are produced somewhat sparingly. The bark of the young tree is red. On the mature tree it becomes gray and fibrous. The wood is yellow, close grained, and aromatic. Unlike that of the western red cedar, the trunk is usually sound to the center. The wood is used for boat building and cabinetwork. It is very durable.

The yellow cypress grows very slowly, particularly at high elevations.

The number of annual rings on trees 15 to 20 inches in diameter indicate that they are over 200 years old.

LODGEPOLE PINE (PINUS CONTORTA).

Lodgepole pine (fig. 17) is widely distributed from Alaska to Lower California and eastward through the Rockies to Dakota and Colorado. It occurs sparingly in the park up to 5,000 feet above sea level. It adapts itself easily to the different conditions of soil, moisture, and exposure.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 17.--Lodgepole pine (_Pinus contorta_), 60 inches in diameter.]

This tree varies greatly in the different regions where it is found.

About Mount Rainier it does not often exceed 20 to 40 feet in height and is often a much smaller tree. It produces cones at the age of 5 to 7 years. The foliage is a yellowish green. At high elevations the leaves have a peculiar whorled appearance which gives it a different aspect from that of the other pines. The short, heavily limbed trunk bears no resemblance to the tall and slender shaft of the lodgepole pine of the Rocky Mountains. The root system is shallow and the tree is easily fire killed. The wood of the variety which grows in the park is of no commercial value.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 18.--The feathery foliage of mountain hemlock (_Tsuga mertensiana_), Grand Park, Mount Rainier National Park.

Photograph by A.H. Denman.]

MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK (TSUGA MERTENSIANA).

The mountain hemlock (figs. 18, 19, and 20) is found on the Pacific coast from the Sierras of California to the northern part of Alaska where it grows at sea level. On Mount Rainier it occurs at alt.i.tudes of from 3,500 to 7,500 feet. It forms dense forests under 4,500 feet, where it is often a fair-sized tree 50 to 90 feet high. With the ascent of the mountain it diminishes in height and the branches become gnarled and twisted. Near timber line the trunk is dwarfed and bent at the base and the crown becomes a flattened ma.s.s of branches lying close to the ground (fig. 20).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 19.--Two solitary mountain hemlocks (_Tsuga mertensiana_), Spray Park, Mount Rainier National Park.

Photograph by Geo. O. Ceasar.]

The mountain hemlock is abundant on high, rocky ridges, but the best stands are on cool, moist soil at the heads of ravines, on flats, and on gentle slopes with a northern exposure.

This tree seeds every year. In good seed years the upper branches are laden with a profusion of beautiful, deep-purple cones, often in such abundance as to bend down the branchlets with their weight. The reproduction is slow. In the high mountains the trees are buried in snow from October to late in June, and the growing season is very short.

WHITE-BARK PINE (PINUS ALBICAULIS).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20.--A gnarled, wind-swept mountain hemlock (_Tsuga mertensiana_), near the upper limits of tree growth, Spray Park, Mount Rainier National Park.

Photograph by A.H. Denman.]

The white-bark pine (fig. 21) grows close to timber line in the mountains of the Pacific coast from British Columbia to southern California. In the Canadian Rockies it extends north to the fifty-third parallel. It is the most alpine of all the pines. Its lower limit on Mount Rainier is about 5,000 feet above sea level. In sheltered places where the soil is deep the trees are sometimes 30 to 40 feet high and 20 inches in diameter. The trunks are free from limbs for 8 or 10 feet. The outer bark, from which the tree derives its name, consists of thin, light-gray scales.

As the white-bark pine advances up the mountain its habit changes rapidly. The stem shortens and becomes gnarled and twisted. The tough, flexible branches reach the ground and spread over it to a great distance from the tree. On rocky summits and the bleak crests of wind-swept ridges the twisted trunk and branches are quite prostrate and the crown is a dense flattened ma.s.s of foliage.

The roots of the tree are deep, long, and tenacious. They spread wide and deep and cling so firmly to the rocks that the tree is rarely overthrown by the violent winds that sweep over the mountain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21.--A white-bark pine (_Pinus albicaulis_) in its characteristic mountain habitat, Mount Rainier National Park.

Photograph by A.H. Denman.]

The thick, purple cones require two years to mature. They ripen early in September and produce chocolate-brown seeds a little larger than a grain of corn. They are much relished by the Klickitat Indians, who go to considerable pains to secure them. The wood is close grained and resinous. It makes excellent fuel for the camp fires of sheep herders and mountain travelers.

WESTERN YEW (TAXUS BREVIFOLIA).[5]

The western yew is found from southern Alaska to northern California. It occurs in the park up to 4,000 feet, growing in rich, gravelly soil on moist flats and benches and in deep ravines. It is a small branching tree, rarely over 20 feet high. The bark is purple or reddish brown. The branches extend almost to the ground. It bears a small, bright, amber-red berry.

The dark-brown or red heartwood is very tough, hard and heavy. It takes a fine polish and is used for fancy cabinetwork. The Indians use it for spear handles, bows, and fishhooks.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22.--Broadleaf maple (_Acer macrophyllum_).]

DECIDUOUS TREES.

The silva of the Western Cascades is rich in evergreens remarkable for their size and beauty. The deciduous trees are few and insignificant.

The forests of the park are almost wholly coniferous. Vine maple and willow are found as undergrowth. On the margins of rivers there are occasional groves of alders and cottonwoods. The lighter hues of the branching trunks and the changing tints of the foliage in these patches of broad-leaved woodland present a pleasing diversity to the evergreen forest.

Broadleaf maple (_Acer macrophyllum_) (fig. 22), the largest of the Pacific coast maples, ranges from Alaska to southern California. Near sea level it often attains a height of 50 or 60 feet. In the park it is a short-stemmed, branching tree, occasionally found on the borders of streams. It grows at elevations under 3,000 feet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23.--Vine maple (_Acer circinatum_).]

Vine maple (_Acer circinatum_) (fig. 23) is abundant from British Columbia to northern California. On rich river bottoms it is sometimes 15 to 20 feet high and 6 inches in diameter. In the park it is usually a bush or low shrub with a bent and curiously crooked stem, growing along streams and as undergrowth in the forest. It is very common up to 3,000 feet. In autumn the leaves are a bright scarlet. The wood is tough and elastic and makes a hot and lasting fire.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 24.--Red alder (_Alnus oregona_).]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 25.--Black cottonwood (_Populus trichocarpa_).]

Red alder (_Alnus oregona_) (fig. 24) occurs from Alaska to southern California. It is common about Mount Rainier, in river bottoms, on the banks of large streams, and in swampy places. It usually grows to a height of 30 or 40 feet. The bark varies from nearly white to light gray. It is the most abundant of all the deciduous trees in the park.

Black cottonwood (_Populus trichocarpa_) (fig. 25) is common from Alaska to southern California. It is occasionally found in the park up to 4,000 feet. It grows along streams and on sandy river bottoms often a.s.sociated with the alder. The leaves are almost always in motion, very gentle winds being sufficient to make them twinkle and turn.