Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

Baikal (and later pix).
Pinus sibirica, with a non-linear bark.
Pinus sylvestris, with a linear bark. These two were seen on a striking graft, with the two kinds of
trunk on the same tree, Pinus sibirica grafted over Pinus sylvestris. P. sibirica has 5 needles, P.
sylvestris has two needles, and they are shorter.
Iris sibirica.
Eurasian crow, with a rather un-crow-like call, quite noisy in the trees.
Leaving the Botanic Gardens, we bought fruit at a market, near a large dom.
Then, we drove to Lake Baikal, about 60 km, about 1 1/2 hours, from about 5.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Checked into hotel there, high and overlooking the lake.
Bought from women selling along the lake shore a necklace of charoite (shar o ee it), named for
the Chara River, a purple mineral, rather amethyst like. The formula is (Ca, Na, K, Sn,
Ba) 3 [Si 4 O 12 ](OH, F)H 2 O
The latitude here is 52 o , about that of Edmonton, Alberta.
Supper about 7.00 p.m. After supper, walked down to the lake.
wagtail
some kind of wheatear.
June 21, Saturday.
Walked outside briefly, before breakfast. Scarlet rosefinch, seen well, and finch-like call.
Tour of Lake Baikal Museum, which is run by the Russian Academy of Science.
The scientists on the trip are: (in addition to the two leaders, already named)
Elena I. Kossovich, botany, Irkutsk State University
Alexander Timonin, mammologist, and does international contacts for the museum. Had been to
Berkeley, and wore Berkeley jersey, spoke good English.
Alexander A. Bukharov, professor of geology, a director of the Baikal Museum. Spoke no English.
Victor Kholoden, a photographer, and a volunteer for the Botanical Gardens. He played the
accordion, also was preparing a video about the trip, and showed a video made from a trip last
year.
Vasily Smirnov, ichythologist, with a beard. Spoke no English.
General notes on Lake Baikal
The size is about that of Lake Superior, but Baikal holds nearly the equivalent water of all five of
the Great Lakes, or one-fifth of all the fresh water on Earth.
Baikal rift is by far the deepest land depression on the planet, much deeper than the Grand Canyon.
The present lake is 5,750 feet deep, 1.1 miles, with four miles of sediment below that before
reaching the bedrock. (Tanganyika, in Africa's Rift Valley, is the second deepest, 4,700 ft., and the