| Homewood Lake Tahoe | |
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| West Shore > Homewood > Quail Lake | |
Easy Hike to Quail Lake Reveals Indian Pond LiliesTahoe World Article, July 1984 by Julie Carville |
| Indian Pond Lilies are blooming in Quail Lake, so now is a good time
to enjoy this area. The Lake feeds McKinney Bay and is between Homewood
and Chambers Lodge near Lake Tahoe off Highway 89 South. This plant's large leaves float on the water's surface, covering large areas the pond. In among the leaves you'll find the showy yellow flowers.
Check out the reproductive structure, inside the petals. It is quite unusual looking - the button shaped stigma (female repro part) that produce the yellow pollen. The pond lily (Nuphar polysephalum) is an important food source for water birds. The seeds, which are very nutritious, were roasted and eaten by Native Americans and the roots were used, roasted, in stews or ground into flower. | The one and a half mile hike is very easy. The trailhead starts at the end of Ellis Road by the locked gate. (see Quail Lake Hike for another route.) Take the right trail, which is level and follow the old dirt logging road parallel to the creek. Because the moisture from the creek, there is lots vegetation along the trail as well as shade. There are several groves both young and regal, old Incense Cedars, as well as dense second growth White Firs. Incense Cedars are used for pencils, which seems very irreverent when one stands before these grand old shaggy-barked patriarchs - makes me glad marking pens have become popular! |
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The trail is also dense with Thimbleberry, a large white flower the Rose family.
In the fall it produces a red "pincushion" tiny semisweet fruits that forest animals love. This is one the densest and healthiest groves I've seen in our area. It is a beautiful native for a home garden in the Tahoe-Trukee area and is available at local nurseries.
When the trail splits, take the right fork across the little bridge over the creek, Then in about 75-100 yards (by an old cedar stump, a duck trail marker and pump house), take the left fork and continue uphill to the Lake. THe creek will be in the draw on the left. At this point the rest the trail is uphill but you will pass some lovely wildflowers and as you climb, and will have a beautiful view Lake Tahoe. |
A real treat along this part the trail is the Purple Nightshade (Solanum xanthi). This blue-violet to purple flower is star shaped and droops on a thin graceful stem. In the center, are the repro parts bunched together like a tiny corn cob. This plant is uncommon at Tahoe, so it was a nice surprise to see so many right along the trail.
Little yellow buttercups carpet the edge the Lake, and paintbrush, cinquefoil, gayophytum, and many other flowers color the hillsides above. It's a place to spend the day with a picnic lunch and a good book. |