baumzaehlen - Primeval Forests & Their Trees

Mokelumne Wilderness, California, USA

Most of this wilderness area (426 km ² ) is located along the crest and western high slopes of the Sierra Nevada, though it does extend slightly east of the crest. The most common forest trees are Pinus monticola (western white pine), P. contorta var. murrayana (Sierra lodgepole pine), Abies magnifica (red fir) and Tsuga mertensiana (mountain hemlock). Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine) is common close to the tree limit at approx. 2500–3000 m. The fourth largest Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) by volume grows near the park’s lower limit at approx. 1600 m ¹ . Tree species diversity is low and most species are easy to identify. Annual precipitation on the western slopes is approx. 1300 mm.

Off-trail hiking is generally easy. Dispersed camping is allowed in more remote areas.

References:

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Official site:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recreation/recarea/?recid=16839