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SIX OR TWELVE DAY RIVER ADVENTURES

MIDDLE FORK AND MAIN SALMON RIVERS, IDAHO

My Favorite Tree, The Ponderosa

One of the most spectacular trees we encounter in the river corridors of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers is the Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa. Ponderosa is a gymnosperm, meaning “naked seed,” and includes all cone bearing plants. The most familiar members are the fir and pine trees. Gymnospermae is a very ancient clade (grouping) of plants, originating in the Carboniferous, about 295 to 360 million years ago (mya). The Carboniferous is famous for the great explosion of plant life on the Earth which took place, leading to extensive deposits of Carbon (dead plant material and this period’s namesake) and thus the vast beds of coal humidity has been mining for hundreds of years. The evolutionary history of the Gymnospermae, and thus P. ponderosa is long and rich, giving us the great stands we see today in Idaho.

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a familiar sight in the landscape of the American West. Its range stretches from British Columbia all the way to New Mexico. Both Spokane, Washington and the state of Montana claim it as their featured tree. Most of the Mogollon Rim of northern Arizona is covered by vast forests of Ponderosa; it is the largest contiguous forest of them in the world. The Ponderosa has the widest distribution of any pine in North America. An Oregon botanist measured one tree that stood 235 feet tall and boasted a circumference of 27 feet! Their beauty and sheer size make the Ponderosa Pine one of the most recognizable trees in Idaho’s rugged river canyons.

These big trees are particularly well adapted to the sunny, semi arid, fire adapted ecology of central Idaho. Ponderosa pines respond best to fires occurring every 5 to 10 years. At this frequency, forest fuels never have a chance to accumulate, resulting in lower intensity burns that don’t reach the upper canopy of the forest. Ponderosa can easily withstand these lower intensity fires. Its beautiful bark, a mosaic of small jigsaw puzzle shaped pieces, protects the tree in two ways. First of all, it is thick and retardant to flames. Second and most fascinating, these individual puzzle pieces of bark “jump” from the tree when ignited, helping to prevent the spread of flames. Smaller, frequent fires keep underbrush from growing thick thus allowing more sunlight to reach seedings and helping the forest stay healthy.

Beside the obvious use of Ponderosa for firewood and building material, the inner bark, or cambium, was consumed by indigenous people of the Salmon River. During lean times, the thick outer bark would be removed to reveal the calorie rich tissue underneath. These “peel trees” are a common sight on benches above the high water mark. Living peel trees are a direct connection to the Sheep Eater people that inhabited the canyons of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers.

From the cool shade Ponderosa Pines provide on a hot summer day to their fascinating and ancient evolutionary roots, these trees are something to behold. Their immense size and age, as well as their graceful beauty, will captivate any river runner’s imagination. Next time you find yourself around these majestic trees, take a moment to appreciate their incredible story.

Spencer Roth
June 2024

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The written word by Team Canyons. Guides, Guests and Friends alike, share their creative writings with us, to share with you, here on the RIVERBEAT BLOG.

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