2024 INPS ANNUAL MEETING/CAMPOUT by Derek Antonelli, Calypso Chapter President

The Calypso Chapter of Coeur d’Alene is excited to host the 2024 Idaho Native Plant Society Annual Meeting and Campout.  We have selected historic Farragut State Park as the venue for the event.  The gathering will take place from Friday, June 14, through Monday, June 17.  Mark your calendars!
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Registration is Open!  *PUBLIC WELCOME
There are two ways for you to register for the INPS Annual Meeting/Campout. You can either complete the online registration form or print out the mail-in registration form.
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*ATTENTION: Advanced registration for the 2024 INPS Annual Meeting is now closed. If you would like to attend but have not had an opportunity to register, you can still attend. We will just register you when you arrive. We will only be able to accept payment by check at the event. We have plenty of room left in the group campsite, but there may be limitations on the field trips and banquet meals.

Location:  Farragut State Park is located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille (https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/farragut/).   Located in the middle of the Idaho Panhandle, it has a rich and diverse flora, and a long, varied history.  It was the homestead of John and Carrie Leiberg in the late 1880s.  John completed extensive botanical surveys in the area and Carrie was a frontier doctor.  During World War II over 300,000 sailors completed their basic training at Farragut.  In the 1960s Farragut hosted the Girl Scout Senior Roundup and Boy Scout World Jamboree attended by thousands.

Registration Fee:  To help cover the cost of this event there is a $27.50 fee for each person attending.  Children under 15 years of age are free.  There is additional camping ($30/vehicle) and meal ($20/meal) fees should you wish to take advantage of these options.

Idaho State Park Passport:  Because it is a state park, every vehicle is required to have an Idaho State Park Passport.  The Passport can be purchased for $10 online or by mail at the time of vehicle registration renewal, or it can be purchased in person from any county DMV office.  If you come in a vehicle that does not have a Park Pass, the park will charge you $7 for each day you are there—more for non-Idaho residents.

Camping: We have reserved the Thimbleberry Group Campsite at Farragut State Park.  The huge site will provide us with the opportunity to keep the Annual Meeting participants together in one location.  The site amenities include a lighted restroom with flush toilets plus additional pit toilets, numerous picnic tables, ample spots to set up tents in wooded areas, and a large field in which to park RVs.  The site has a source of potable water, but no water or electric hookups for RVs.  If you need to have hookups for your RV, you can make your own reservation at one of Farragut’s many nearby campgrounds

At the Thimbleberry Group Campsite, we can have up to 200 people camping, but we can only have 80 overnight vehicles with each trailer counting as an additional separate vehicle.  To cover costs there is a $30 camping fee for each vehicle for all three nights.  Examples:  If four campers come in a single vehicle there is only a single $30 fee.  Pickup campers, vans and motorhomes count as one vehicle.  Since trailers are counted in our 80-vehicle limit, they will be charged a $30 fee in addition to the $30 fee for the tow vehicle.  Just think of it as free camping but with a parking fee.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, June 14

2:00pm until 8:00pm –Checking in at the Farragut State Park Visitor Center.

2:00pm and beyond –Annual Meeting participants can check-in at the Thimbleberry Group Campsite 

2:00pm to 4:00pm –Open house and tour at Cedar Mountain Perennials in Athol

3:00pm to 4:30pm –INPS Board Meeting at the Thimbleberry Group campsite. Zoom to non-attendees via satellite internet connection. Zoom link will be sent to directors.

6:00pm to 7:00pm – Potluck at the Thimbleberry Group Campsite

7:00pm to 8:00pm – Ice Age Floods talk by Dr. Tony Lewis

 

Saturday, June 15

8:00am to 4:30pm – All day field trips

BLM’s Blue Creek Bay Recreation Site and Trails

Chilco Mountain National Recreation Trail #14

Rathdrum Mountain Park Cedar Forest Trail

8:00am to 11:30am – Morning half-day field trips

Farragut Herbalist Plant Walk

Ice Age Floods Driving Tour led by Tony Lewis

Leiberg Home Site Talk and Walk led by Jack Nisbet

1:00pm to 4:30pm – Afternoon half-day field trips

Farragut Herbalist Plant Walk

Ice Age Floods Driving Tour led by Tony Lewis

Leiberg Home Site Talk and Walk led by Jack Nisbet

6:00pm to 7:00pm – Annual Meeting Banquet at Athol Community Building

Meal described in Activities Description section below

7:00pm to 7:15pm – INPS business meeting at Athol Community Building

7:15pm to 8:15pm – Talk by Jack Nisbet on the legacy of John Leiberg

 

Sunday, June 16

8:00am to 4:30pm – All day field trips

Lost Lake and Mineral Point Trails

Rathdrum Mountain Park Cedar Forest Trail

Chilco Mountain National Recreation Trail #14

8:00am to 11:30am – Morning half-day field trips

Farragut Buttonhook Bay Hike

Farragut Herbalist Plant Walk

1:00pm to 4:30pm – Afternoon half-day field trips

Farragut Buttonhook Bay Hike

Farragut Herbalist Plant Walk

5:00pm to 7:00pm – Informal gathering for BYO dinner and comradery at Thimbleberry Group Campsite

Monday, June 17

8:00am to 1:00pm – Clean up Thimbleberry Group Campsite.  Depart.

 

Activity Descriptions

• Check-In Procedures.You will need to check-in at the Farragut State Park Visitor Center.   Let them know you will be staying at the Thimbleberry Group Campsite if that is the case.  They will issue you a sticker for your windshield. The Visitor Center does not allow campers to check-in until 2:00pm and they close their office at 8:00pm.  After 8:00pm you can come straight to the Thimbleberry Group Campsite then check-in at the Visitor Center in the morning.  If you arrive before 2:00pm on Friday you can take in the sights and activities offered by the park if you have a Park Passport or get a daily permit.  You still must return to the Visitor Center to check-in to the campsite.  Once you have checked in at the Visitor Center, proceed to the Thimbleberry Group Campsite and check-in with us.
• Cedar Mountain Perennials Open House.  This native plant nursery is open Friday afternoon.  It is located at 7875 Hwy 54 about ½ mile east of Athol on the north side of the road.  If you are looking for something to do after setting up camp, Bob and Jill Wilson would be happy to show you their facility anytime until 4:00 pm.
• Potluck.  We will be having our traditional potluck on Friday evening at the Thimbleberry Group Campsite.  We will have hamburgers and sausages on the grill.  Please bring a side dish, salad, bread, or desert to share with the group.  Bring plates and silverware and your appetites.  While the campsite has plenty of picnic tables, it does not have a covered area.  If you have a canopy, please bring it along for rain or sun protection.
• Ice Age Floods:  Friday Evening Talk.  Dr. Tony Lewis, president of the local chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, will be on hand after the potluck to describe the massive floods that occurred when the glacial dam broke at what is now Lake Pend Oreille.  These floods scoured the landscape all the way to the Pacific Ocean creating new plant habitats all along the way.
• Banquet and Annual Meeting.  We will have a meal for the entire membership on Saturday evening at the Athol Community Building at 30355 Third St in Athol.  Guests are well to attend.  The meal will be catered for those who choose the option on the Registration Form.  Olive Garden will cater the meal with a variety of pastas, sauces, and toppings with ample green salad and breadsticks.  The catered meal will cost $20 person.  You are welcome to bring in your own meal.  The Athol Community Building does not allow alcohol.  Following the meal, an INPS business meeting will be held to address the administration needs of the Society.
• Keynote Talk: John Leiberg’s North Idaho.  Following the INPS business meeting, Jack Nisbet, noted Spokane-based author, will give a keynote talk. Jack has published several collections of essays and award-winning biographies of fur trader David Thompson and naturalist David Douglas. Jack’s talk will recount the legacy of John Leiberg.  His book The Dreamer and the Doctor follows the unlikely journey of the Leiberg family through north Idaho and beyond.  In 1885 Swedish immigrant John Leiberg, along with his companion Dr. Carrie Marvin and her infant child, homesteaded on the outer point of what is now Farragut State Park. Over the next two decades, Leiberg combed the surrounding mountains to collect flora and mosses, staked over three dozen mineral claims, surveyed what became North Idaho’s National Forest parcels, and established an ecological baseline for the entire region.  Jack will have copies of his many books available for purchase.
• Leiberg Home Site Walk.  A talk and walk at the Leiberg home site.  Join Jack Nisbet for this tour of Leiberg’s favorite plants and places, which provide a unique context for the Idaho Panhandle we experience today.  This is a half-day activity on Farragut State Park.
• Ice Age Floods Driving Tour.  Join Dr. Tony Lewis on this tour to see firsthand some of the evidence of these great floods.  The expected round trip drive will be about 40 miles.  Parking is limited at some of the stops so only five vehicles can be used for each session—therefore you should expect to carpool.  This will be a half-day activity.  
• BLM’s Blue Creek Bay Recreation Site and Trails.  Blue Creek Bay of Lake Coeur d’Alene is a few miles south of Coeur d’Alene.  Several trails can be accessed from the trailhead parking area.  The upland forest area consists of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, grand fir, western larch, western white pine, western red cedar, and western hemlock.  Numerous species of native plants are found within these diverse forest types.  A large wetland/riparian and wet meadow area extends along the head of Blue Creek Bay filled with black cottonwood, thin-leaf alder, red-osier dogwood, cattails, grasses, sedges, rushes, and bulrushes.  A portion of the Mullan Road, the first overland wagon route constructed through the northern Rockies, crosses through the uplands.  The hike will be led by BLM botanist LeAnn Abell.  The trails are moderately easy.  The recreation site is approximately 34 miles from Farragut State Park.
• Farragut Trails Buttonhook Bay Hike.  This hike will occur on trails within Farragut State Park that loop past Buttonhook Bay on the most southerly portion of Lake Pend Oreille.  Over 200 plant species have been observed in Farragut State Park.  On this trail the rare purple meadowrue, Thalictrum dasycarpum, is found on the Buttonhook Bay shoreline.  The hike is a half-day activity that covers just over two miles on easy to moderate trails.
• Chilco Mountain National Recreation Trail #14.  This trail passes through beautiful subalpine forests on the way to North Chilco Peak.  Talus fields and open areas at the peak provide a distinctive mountain flora.  The peak and ridges offer outstanding views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Rathdrum Prairie.  The trail is quite steep and is considered challenging.  The elevation gain is nearly 1500 feet in just under two miles.  To be courteous to your fellow hikers, you should not attempt this hike unless you are up for the challenge.  Please note that this trail is currently closed due to fires last season.  We are hoping that the trail will be open prior to the Annual Meeting.  If not, we will find a similar hike as an alternative.   Chilco Mountain NRT #14 is located about 10 miles from Farragut State Park.
• Farragut Herbalist Plant Walks. Join local herbalists as they share with participants how to identify local and native plants.  They will also discuss the plants’ historic and current uses on a walk along the trails within Farragut State Park.  Bring your notebook, take notes and do further research afterwards.  No harvesting is allowed in the state park.  This is a half-day activity.
• Lost Lake and Mineral Point Trails.   This field trip will experience two different trails located near each other.  The Lost Lake Trail #81 is a 1½-mile trail through a variety of forest types that loops past Lost Lake.  A wide variety of native plants are found on the trail.  The unusual rattlesnake fern (Botrypus virginianus) is easily seen along the trail.  Much harder to find are the true moonworts (Botrychium spp.) which occur there as well.  The Mineral Point hike follows a portion of Trail #82 along the slopes overlooking Lake Pend Oreille.  The habitats along the trail vary from exposed rocky outcrops to sheltered western cedar forest basins and everything in between.  Many different kinds of plants can be found.  We will be going out and back on this trail so how far you go depends on your enthusiasm.  The hike will be led by USFS botanist Jennifer Costich-Thompson.  These trails are easy to moderate in difficulty.  The Lost Lake Trailhead is about 32 miles from Farragut State Park
• Rathdrum Mountain Park Cedar Forest Trails.  The City of Rathdrum has established a park with a 10-mile system of trails on the forested base of Rathdrum Mountain.  The trail loop we will be taking proceeds up a small mountain stream within a moist western cedar/western hemlock forest.  The ground is carpeted with many species that are typically found in the moist forests of northern Idaho.  The return leg of the trail loop passes through a drier forest dominated by Douglas-fir.  The drier forest has an entirely different assemblage of native plants.  One of the highlight plants that may found along the trail is the rare phantom orchid.  The complete loop is a relatively easy 2.5 miles.  Rathdrum Mountain Park roughly 21 miles from Farragut State Park.

When: June 30; July 1, 2, and 3.
Where: We’ll center ourselves at the Sunny Gulch Campground Pavilion, 4 miles south of Stanley on Highway 75 near the Redfish Lake turnoff. Stanley is located 60 miles north of Ketchum, 133 miles east of Boise and 256 miles south of Missoula.

Registration: Includes field trips and speakers – $30 per person; students $15; no charge for children under 15. Registration postmark deadline is May 26, 2023. Additional details on registration form.

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Schedule: (subject to change; times MDT)
Friday, June 30
2:00-6:00 PM: Check in at the Sunny Gulch Pavilion; receive packet and campsite assignment (if applicable) and updates; finalize field trip schedules.
3:00-4:00 PM: Quarterly meeting of the INPS state board at Stanley Community Library, 240 Niece Ave, Stanley.
Arrival-6:00 PM: Campground Wanderlust – How many species you can find?
6:00 PM: Potluck dinner at Pavilion. Bring dish to share, beverage and reusable plates, cups and utensils.
7:00 PM: Welcome by INPS State President; meeting logistics by Wood River Planning Committee.
7:15 PM: Kickoff presentation at Pavilion – “Dark is the New Black” with Tim Frazier, astronomer, telescope maker and photographer.
10:00 PM: Dark sky observing with Tim’s very cool telescopes; assisted by naturalist Kristin Fletcher (weather permitting).

Saturday, July 1–Field trips (choose one)
A. Remarkable Fens of Central Idaho &amp; Trap Creek Meadow (limit 15 participants; 2/3 day)
B. Historic Pole Creek Ranger Station and RNA (30; 2/3 day)
C. Bear Valley Wet Hillside &amp; Camas Meadows (20; full day)
D. Fourth of July Lake Alpine Plants (15; full day)
E. Impacts of Wildfire! (25; full day)
F. Redfish Lake Inlet &amp; Lily Lake (12; full day)

3:00-5:00 PM: Drop off auction items at Stanley Community Building, 510 Eva Falls  Ave/Highway 21.
5:00-7:00 PM: Happy Hour &amp; Silent Auction at Stanley Community Building; auction benefits the Education Research Inventory Grant (ERIG) program.
7:00 PM: Catered dinner at Stanley Community Building; indicate meal preference on registration form.
8:00 PM: INPS annual business meeting and election of officers.
8:15 PM: Keynote presentation – “The Geology of Central Idaho as Related to Soil Fertility and Plant Habitat” with Dr. Paul Link, Emeritus, Idaho State University Department of Geosciences; co-author of new Roadside Geology of Idaho; book signing to follow.
9:15 PM: Clean up ~ volunteers appreciated!

Sunday, July 2
Field trips (choose one)
A. Remarkable Fens of Central Idaho (limit 15 participants; 1/2 day)
B.Botanical Field Sketching (15; 2/3 day)
C.Rocks, Plants and Fungi, Oh My! (25; 2/3 day)
D.Stanley Lake Earthquake and Endemics (20; 2/3 day)
E. Geology and Plants of the Sawtooth Basin and Malm Gulch (30; full day)

7:00 PM: Bring-your-own dinner &amp; get together at Pavilion.
8:00 PM: Closing presentation – “Designing Custom Identification Keys for the Sawtooth NRA Flora with Steve Botti, author of An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park and Mayor of Stanley.

Monday, July 2
Field trips (choose one)
A. The Imperiled Whitebark Pine (limit 30 participants; 1/2 day)
B. On-your-own field trip (1/2 day; see information below)

11:00 AM: Campground check out.
INPS Annual Meeting &amp; Campout ends.

Field Trip Descriptions
General information: Meet at Sunny Gulch Pavilion, elevation 6,200’. Be prepared for changeable Idaho weather, dress in layers and prepare for temperature extremes and rain. Bring sufficient water, sunscreen, bug juice, a snack/lunch and hiking poles, if you use them. Wear a hat and sturdy walking shoes. Toilet access available on all trips. Note: leashed dogs allowed on most field trips.

All-day trips (***) start at 8:00 AM, back about 4:00 PM.
2/3-day trips (**) start at 9:00 AM, back about 3:00 PM.
1/2-day trips (*) start at 9:00 AM, back about 1:00 PM.

Hike Difficulty Rating – Please know and respect your limitations!
  Easy: Mostly level walking on paved roads or improved paths/roads; short distances.
  Easy/Medium: Some elevation changes; paths are not paved but well defined.
  Medium Difficult: Expect hills and uneven footing. Bring hiking poles if you use them.
  Difficult: Cross country hiking, significant elevation changes or high elevations.
  RT means round trip driving distance from Pavilion, unless otherwise specified.

Saturday
** Remarkable Fens of Central Idaho &amp; Trap Creek Meadow: Visit Mays Creek Fen Research Natural Area to see rare carnivorous species, orchids and other species at this remarkable, sensitive site. Then, visit Trap Creek Meadow north of Stanley. Short walks on wet, uneven terrain. Bring footwear for wading in water and mud, and maybe poles. Drive 28 miles RT on paved &amp; and 2 miles on dirt roads; short walks. From Pavilion drive 32 RT miles on paved road to Trap Creek. Led by Dr. Lynn Kinter/Idaho Department of Fish and Game Lead Botanist. No Dogs. Medium Difficult to Difficult for terrain.

** Historic Pole Creek Ranger Station and RNA: Visit the historic Pole Creek Ranger Station, built in 1909 and used until the 1950s. Located in the center of a wide valley bottom, the station is adjacent to the Pole Creek Exclosure Research Natural Area established in the mid-1990s. Compare vegetation inside and outside of the exclosure and impact and recovery from heavy sheep grazing in the intervening years. Led by Paul Ries/forester and former Sawtooth NRA Area Ranger and Steve Botti/author of An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park and Mayor of Stanley. Drive 22 miles RT on paved and 6 miles on dirt roads. Medium Difficult

*** Bear Valley Wet Hillside &amp; Camas Meadows: Visit a remarkable wet hillside with large diversity of species, adjacent drier ground, and  riparian area. Short walks from road on very steep, wet, uneven terrain. Continue to Bear Valley to explore huge, spectacular camas meadows and drier meadows. Led by Jay Dorr/retired Sawtooth NRA trails manager and John Shelly/retired USFS range manager. No dogs. Drive 50 miles on paved and 35 miles on dirt roads RT. Medium Difficult to Difficult for terrain.

*** Fourth of July Lake Alpine Ecology: On the way to the Fourth of July Lake trailhead, we’ll briefly stop to observe post wildfire regeneration of the 2005 Valley Road Fire, and then continue to trailhead. The 3 mile RT hike follows a mountain stream to lovely lake to observe alpine species (8,800’ trailhead to 9,400’ lake). Paul Allen/plant enthusiast & Master Naturalist and Beth Corbin/retired BLM botanist (Owyhee Field Office) and current Southern Idaho Rare Plant Working Group Coordinator. Drive 42 miles RT on paved and 20 miles RT on dirt roads. Medium Difficult to Difficult for altitude.

*** Impacts of Wildfire!: Visit the 2005, 41,000 acre Valley Road Fire along Fourth of July Creek Road, and then drive to areas burned in September 2022 during the 38,000 acre Ross Fork Fire. Learn about fire behavior, fire ecology and how nature heals and regenerates herself in different habitats. Drive 22 miles RT on paved &amp; 11 miles RT on dirt roads. Led by Nick Yturri/Sawtooth NRA fire management officer, Eva Strand/University of Idaho Associate Professor of Rangeland Ecology and Management and Kristin Fletcher/naturalist and former nationally certified Firewise educator. Medium Difficult.

*** Redfish Lake Inlet & Lily Lake: Take a gorgeous, 4.5 mile boat ride to far end of Redfish Lake (extra fee of $22/person RT due at check in at Pavilion). Wilderness hike to lovely Lily Lake and waterfalls, and then backtrack to explore lakeside, springs, huckleberry patches and a spruce forest ecosystem. Drive 8 miles RT on paved road; boat trip; 2 mile
RT hike. Led by Dr. Steve Bunting/Professor Emeritus, University of Idaho Department of Forest and Fire Ecology and Mary McClanahan/retired BLM plant ecologist. Medium Difficult.

Sunday
* Remarkable Fens of Central Idaho: Visit Mays Creek Fen Research Natural Area to see rare carnivorous species, orchids and other species at this remarkable, sensitive site. Short walks on uneven, wet terrain. Bring footwear for wading in water and mud, and maybe poles. Drive 28 miles RT on paved &amp; 2 miles on dirt roads; short walks. Led by Dr. Lynn Kinter/IDFG Lead Botanist. No Dogs. Medium Difficult to Difficult for terrain.

** Botanical Field Sketching: Beginners can learn the arts of field sketching and field notes; those who already draw or paint plants will sharpen their skills. After discussing basic anatomy, participants will have about 2½ hours of supervised sketching time near the campground. Choose watercolor or color pencils. Led by Poo Wright Pulliam/award winning local plant and wildlife artist and assisted by Lisa Horton/artist and naturalist. Supply list will be posted in advance at here. Easy. 

** Stanley Lake Earthquake & Endemics: A short walk to the Stanley Lake inlet reveals where the beach and surrounding forest suddenly sank into the lake during the March 2020, 6.5-magnitude earthquake. Then explore a flat, 1 mile RT trail leading through a variety of dry and wet forest, open ground and ending in large wet meadow. Finally, drive to a special spot, home to several species narrowly endemic to the Stanley area. Drive 18 miles RT on paved and 7 miles RT on dirt roads. Led by Dr. Don Mansfield/College of Idaho Professor of Biology and Curator of the Harold M. Tucker Herbarium and Jay Dorr/retired Sawtooth NRA trails manager. Easy/Medium.

** Rocks, Plants and Fungi, Oh My!: Dive into the many intricate relationships between geology, plants, their habitats and the Kingdom Fungi … and why it matters. Then, scour nearby environs for mushrooms and learn how to identify them. Led by Genny Steiner/ past president of Southeast Idaho Mycological Association. Easy/Medium to Medium.

*** Geology and Plants of the Sawtooth Basin & Malm Gulch: Learn about the amazing geological history of the spectacular Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains and nearby Challis Volcanics, with its petrified sequoia and endemic species, formed when calderas exploded about 50 million years ago. After a geological overview of the Sawtooth area, drive to Malm Gulch for high desert species and endemics, and then hike to a petrified sequoia forest to learn about the volcanism that preserved the trees. Drive 100 miles RT on highway; 7 miles RT on dirt roads; hike 2½-3 miles RT on trail and in dry creek bottom. Led by Dr. Paul Link/Emeritus, Idaho State University Department of Geosciences and John Shelly/retired USFS range manager. Medium Difficult.

Monday
* The Imperiled Whitebark Pine: An intimate look at whitebark pine, why it is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act and what Sawtooth NRA biologists and botanists are doing to reverse its decline. Visit high altitude stands near Galena Summit (8,700’) and learn about their remarkable ecology, current threats and restoration efforts such as planting resistant seedlings and removing competing species. Drive 80 miles RT; carpool for short, steep 4WD road; hike &lt; 1 mile RT. Led by Robin Garwood/Sawtooth NRA wildlife biologist, Dr. Steve Bunting/Emeritus, University of Idaho Department of Forest and Fire Ecology and Dr. Penny Morgan/University of Idaho Professor of Fire Eecology and Forest Ecology and Certified Senior Fire Ecologist. Medium Difficult to Difficult for altitude.

On-Your-Own Adventures: Stanley and the Sawtooth Valley offer myriad opportunities for on-your-own discovery and adventure. Find a list of recommendations here.

Auction: The ERIG auction this year will have a few fresh takes. For example, each chapter will be asked to provide a gift basket filled with items representing their region of Idaho. Also, Silver Creek Preserve has donated an overnight stay in a classic cabins rarely accessible to the public. Individuals will also be asked to bring an item to donate as in the past. We accept check or cash only; no credit or debit cards. ATM’s available in Stanley.

Accommodations: We plan to reserve as many campsites at Glacier View Campground (Redfish Lake) as we can, plus some in Sunny Gulch Campground. However, if you need RV hookups or a hotel room during this busy summer season, please act quickly. Find a list of all accommodations and campsites at here.