Yamadori hunt, 2020: Larch-a-Palooza

[Atom#28]

I just wrapped up my third solo Yamadori camp/hike/hunt in the mountains of north Idaho. Free tree transplant permits are available through the local ranger station. Weeks and weeks of studying the terrain with Google earth paid off, as I found a remote patch of forest on a plateau at about 5,000 ft where the trees have been living through heavy snow loads for many years. The access road was visible on google, but completely overgrown at the entrance (I was counting on that!) Not a single trace of human activity, except for the disappearing road, but lots of well-worn trails wind through a field of highly ramified and very-nibbled bushes, meaning bears, moose, and deer are frequent visitors. The place was absolutely magical!

Temps were 33f at night, 47f daytime. Coyotes surrounded my camp on night #1 and howled back and forth at each other for almost 2 hours. I didn’t like that.
I brought home 4 trees. I was specifically hunting for larch, and my location scouting was spot-on. This area has dozens of small, old, snow-damaged larch.
Ok, enough talk. Here are some pics in no particular order

 

[Atom#28]

More pics:

 

[Atom#28]

Here’s the gang:

 

[Atom#28]

 

[Jorgens86]

Impressive adventure!!!
Look forward to your trees in spring!!
This year im collecting pines. But have some yamadory larches also in my collection

 

[Shogun610]

What did you plant them in right after depot? Is that pumice?

 

[BrianBay9]

Looks like a great trip. I'm guessing it was still pretty moist there, unlike much of the west coast. You were comfortable with open fires anyway. I'd always heard that fall larch collecting was done when the needles turned yellow. Are the western larch different than eastern larch in that regard?

 

[Atom#28]

What did you plant them in right after depot? Is that pumice?

Yes, pure sifted pumice.

 

[August44]

I don't understand the fires this time of year with all the forest fires going on and I don't understand collecting Lark in a non-dormant condition and expecting them to live. Maybe you could explain??

 

[Atom#28]

I'd always heard that fall larch collecting was done when the needles turned yellow. Are the western larch different than eastern larch in that regard?

unfortunately, I am limited to collecting only during this two week period due to the permit requirements. I had a real nice tree collected this time last year, but I killed it by doing too much too soon, I think. I’ll take it slow with these guys. For now they are resting in the shade.... Wish me luck!

 

[Atom#28]

I don't understand the fires this time of year with all the forest fires going on and I don't understand collecting Lark in a non-dormant condition and expecting them to live. Maybe you could explain??

it has been raining for three weeks straight on that mountain. Everything was sopping wet, green, and no wind. My activities in that area reduced the risk of wildfire; I cleared dead wood and underbrush, removed several standing dead trees.
As for the timing of collecting, see my previous answer. Sucks, but I am limited to this period of time...

 

[August44]

Not trying to hammer you Atom but Larch are tough to collect when the time is right in the spring, let alone when not dormant and with root and foliage hacking at the same time. As for your fires, I am still shaking my head. I imagine there was a ban on open fires, rain or no rain in the forests you were in.

 

[Atom#28]

As for your fires, I am still shaking my head. I imagine there was a ban on open fires, rain or no rain in the forests you were in.

Shake your head all you want, and “imagine” whatever you wish, just know that you are uninformed and, frankly, a bit condescending....
There was no burn ban in place. AQI was 15, so air quality was also not an issue. I spoke with the ranger by phone two weeks ahead, and again ON MY WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN and verified dispersed camping with campfires are allowed, no permit required. Thanks for your concern, but I assure you I am a responsible conservationist.

 

[August44]

Well all is good with the fires then! As you know the West Coast has been on fire lately so I was concerned. We sure don't need any more. The Larches, well that's another story.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Nick Lenz, in his book Bonsai From the Wild, recommends collecting bog larch in the early fall. His research applies to Eastern Larch/ larix laricina. Worth mentioning as I had always taken the advice of spring collecting until purchasing his book this year.

I know these are western larch (Larix occidentalis), but worth noting.

Loved seeing these massive trees while in Sandpoint last year. Truly beautiful species and much larger than our american/eastern larch.

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

I collect larch here in Canada ideally in mid august and at most early september. In full leaf, primarily to give them at least 6-8 weeks to start recovering before the risk of frost is too high. Further south I would not worry to collect later on. So far I've had 100% success rate with trees collected from bog edges. In the spring the interesting places where they grow are still frozen and inaccessible but I guess in spring it would also work fine. This year I collected two larch from a bog, following the suggestions in Lenz' book. We'll see next summer.

 

[August44]

I wonder how "bog" larches are different than other larches? Are bog larches just the local larch that grows in a boggy area? If that is true, I would guess they have a lot of fine roots, so easier to collect successfully. Lucky you who have them!

 

[Shogun610]

I wonder how "bog" larches are different than other larches? Are bog larches just the local larch that grows in a boggy area? If that is true, I would guess they have a lot of fine roots, so easier to collect successfully. Lucky you who have them!

bog larches grow in naturally occurring sphagnum moss, so the roots are radial and more shallow. Awaiting my permit to collect in the Leatherleaf Cranberry Bog in Tannserville PA

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

I wonder how "bog" larches are different than other larches? Are bog larches just the local larch that grows in a boggy area? If that is true, I would guess they have a lot of fine roots, so easier to collect successfully. Lucky you who have them!

Bog larches are the same species, Larix laricina, but they grow in a bog. In my experience this makes them harder to collect because you may have very long roots far away from the trunk trying to compensate for the fact that there is a deep water column very near the surface under the sphagnum moss layer that may be less than 10" deep, all entangled with other roots. The ones that can be have enough root near the trunk in the sphagnum layer that you can work with and then you chop the trunk under these.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Agreed. Bog larch are tough sledding to get out. Black Death bog soils and protecting that top sphagnum layer of fine roots. Avoiding getting stuck in the bog is it’s own challenge. And heavy since they are waterlogged.