Pinto, Dean 2006 Journal May 26 Pine Creek, Shannon Canyon and Spike Canyon, county NF, county Gg, CA (cont.) ...my car; on the walk back I saw a [illegible] mistigenii. I drove south to the turnoff for the Sawmill Pass Trail and drove past the trail on the road, stopping when my car couldn't make it further. I walked the rest of the way uphill to Spike Canyon, a site where [illegible] found Hydrantera. He reported them from the "head of the spring" at 6500 ft. I walked up the canyon to the beginning of the riparian vegetation at 6800 ft (36.93315°N, 118.33269°W [WGS84, 6m acc.], 2089 m elev.) and descended along the stream, flipping rocks and logs, until almost the point where the oak forest begins, at about 6400 ft. (36.93375°N, 118.32865°W [WGS84, 10m acc.], 1945m elev.). The canyon had downy willow and aspen with stinging nettle, grasses and other annuals near the stream, which formed a series of cascades with many mossy areas. The habitat looked quite good for salamanders, but I found none in an hour of searching. On the walk back, I saw a Plestiodor skittomius in a rocky area with Ephedra and sagebrush near some oaks. The oak forest here is interesting - big trees and more of them than I have ever seen anywhere in the eastern Sierra; I drove down to the Sawmill Pass trailhead and camped. The high today was near 70°F, but it became cloudy in the afternoon and cooled off after 3PM, eventually becoming extremely windy by evening.