Kalmiopsis Wilderness

This nearly 180,000-acre Wilderness includes the headwater basin of the Chetco and North Fork Smith Rivers and a portion of the Illinois River canyon. It is a harsh, rugged area of deep, rough canyons, sharp rock ridges and clear rushing mountain streams, with elevations from 500 to 5,098 feet at Pearsoll Peak. The Kalmiopsis is well known for its diversity of plant life. Much of that diversity comes from species adapting to harsh soils derived from peridotite and serpentinite rocks, both rich in heavy metals such as magnesium, iron, chromium and nickel, which in high amounts can be toxic to most plants. The Kalmiopsis leachiana plant was discovered in 1930 by Lilla Leech in the Gold Basin area; a relic of the pre-ice age and the oldest member of the heath family, it is the endemic shrub the Wilderness is named after. The area is also one of the most unusual and complex geological regions in the country, part of the Klamath Mountain province of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. The eastern half belongs to the Josephine "ultramafic" sheet — ultramafic meaning very high in iron and magnesium — while the western half is underlain by the contorted sedimentary rocks of the Dothan formation and the igneous intrusive rocks of the Big Craggies. Most of these rocks were formerly parts of the oceanic crust. The Wild segments of the Illinois, Chetco and North Fork Smith Rivers flow through the Wilderness, providing clear water, fish habitat and water-based recreation in a remote and primitive setting. Lake environments are limited, primarily to Babyfoot Lake on the eastern boundary and Vulcan Lake on the west; because both are readily accessible from nearby trailheads, they receive greater day-use visitation. The nearly 500,000-acre Biscuit Fire of 2002 covered the entire Wilderness. The environment has changed dramatically and offers a rare chance to watch a natural response to fire disturbance, but the lightning-caused fire damaged the nearly 160 miles of trails and the trailhead facilities, and large areas of high severity killed much of the overstory, which will keep damaging the trail system over time. The trails have always been challenging for their steepness and narrow rocky surface; the fire added large numbers of downed trees, missing trail signs, and holes and loose rock on the tread. For now and in the foreseeable future, wilderness users should recognise the need for increased safety awareness when travelling and camping.