Warm Lake:
My work trip started with a free day. So I directed my rental car towards the uplands north of Boise.
I always pity my rental cars because of what I put them through.
This one was a bright red Chevy Cavalier with no extras on it--it didn't even have a CD player.
Unfortunately, 45 minutes into my drive I discovered that the antenna was broken so I had no reception of any
kind. This did not bode well, since I had many miles in front of me, and a radio would have been
good company during long hours on
the road.
Fortunately for my low-slung vehicle, this day was all on paved roads. The road wound ever upwards, gaining elevation
continuously until I reached Warm Lake at 1614 m (5298 feet) elevation. Warm Lake is large and festooned
with power boats, waterskiers,
and lake-front homes. Standing on a boat dock along the north edge of the lake, I surveyed the shoreline with my
binoculars, looking for suitable plant habitat. I also amused myself by eyeing
the antics of four falling-down-drunk sportsmen launching a powerboat.
I really had no idea of where to start looking
for plants. I ruled out vast stretches of shoreline
because of the human development, but finally, partly out of laziness, I decided to simply walk the shoreline where I stood, and head for
a big wet field of emergent sedges (mostly Carex lasiocarpa, I am told by Chris Murphy) that lay
on the other side of a small lake outlet (Warm Lake Creek). It looked inviting and possibly fruitful.
Above is a view across the shallow inlet, and
here is another view from essentially the same vantage point.
