IBA of the Month: Saddle Mountain

by Mary Coolidge, Assistant Conservation Director

North of Highway 26 and just east of US 101, a double peaked saddle of pillow basalt rises 3,283 feet out of the surrounding forest to form the highest peak in the north Coast Range and the highest in NW Oregon.  Saddle Mountain was named for its conspicuous geologic formation in 1841 by a US Navy Lieutenant, but had been previously known to Native Americans as Swallalhoost in honor of a slain chief who legendarily became an eagle and conjured both thunder and lightning on this very peak.

Saddle Mountain itself is a registered Oregon National Heritage site and the surrounding state natural area has been designated an Oregon Important Bird Area for both Marbled Murrelet and Sooty Grouse (formerly Blue Grouse).  A rigorous 2.5 mile hike draws visitors through  forests of vine maple, red alder, huckleberry and oregon grape into a  coniferous zone of Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir, and ultimately  through mountain meadows of both rare and endangered plant species. 

The exposed basalt peak was formed by the eruption of a sea-floor volcano 20 million years ago, later providing Ice-Age refuge to a now  rare plant community that persists there today.  This ecologically  isolated rise hosts saddle mountain bittercress, frigid shooting star,  saxifrage, alpine lily, pink fawn-lily, fritallaria, indian paintbrush, and larkspur, making it a favorite destination for botanists and for the enjoyment of spectacular wildflower meadows in May and June.

The elevation gain of 1,650 feet to the viewing area affords sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and on a clear day, the Olympics in the distance to the north.  It is a spectacular nearly 360 degree view, and we were treated to the antics of barrel rolling ravens who broke from their play to mob a soaring red-tailed hawk.  Sitting atop the 35 million year old coast ridgeline, the foreground below is a mosaic of industrial logging clearcuts scattered across the forest below. After the ascent through State Park-owned intact forest, the viewshed provides an unnaturally geometric reminder of our extraction economy land management policies.  Northern Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet, both Endangered Species Act-listed species, rely on this very habitat.

To endure the effects of habitat loss, global climate change and a myriad of other anthropogenic stressors, these species will require responsible management of our remaining forests and conscientious preservation of a global network of significant parcels to support
healthy bird populations.  The IBA program makes a major contribution to retaining landscape and ecological complexity, and but cannot alone ensure the survival of species in peril.  Populations of both the Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet continue to be in precipitous decline, and beyond that, the March 2009 "State of the Birds" Report estimated that roughly 1/3 of forest-breeding bird species are in decline, with nearly 20% of them being either species of conservation concern or ESA-listed species.  Such findings underscore the
importance of conservation measures which the IBA program endeavors to leverage both in our state and around the world, and should entreat land  managers to minimize uses that lead to forest fragmentation.

Species of Ornithological Significance

Saddle Mountain was nominated and accepted as an Important Bird Area based on occupied Marbled Murrelet territories, breeding Sooty Grouse (a Yellow WatchList species), Hammond's Flycatcher, and Hermit Warbler, as well as Northern Spotted Owl.  Calliope Hummingbird is a
suspected breeding species here as well.

If you go

From Portland, take Highway 26 west for 66 miles to the Saddle Mountain State Park sign.  Turn north (right) onto the paved but bumpy Civilian Conservation Corps road for about 7 miles to the parking lot and trailhead.  Bring plenty of water, good shoes, and layers of
clothing.  We found a stockpile of hiking sticks left at the trailhead portending of the climb ahead.  The ascent is varied, at times rather mild in the cover of forest, at times steep and exposed, and though the upper areas of trail have been improved to make the scree scramble less treacherous, care should still be taken, as the footing can be irregular. 
For both safety and habitat preservation, please stay on trail.