Goat Mountain Property

The Goat Mountain parcels were acquired in 2011 and constitute a total of 664 acres on the southern flank of Goat Mountain.  The mountain, with its summit of 6121-feet, straddles the line between Lake and Colusa Counties. Tuleyome’s property is on the Lake County side, and is situated situated between the elevations of 2800-feet and 4000-feet.  The parcels that make up Tuleyome’s property were once homesteaded under the names “White Ranch Glades”, “Root Glades”, “Wyman Flat” and “Addington Springs.”

APN: 002-035-030-000,  002-035-020,  002-038-010 and 002-033-020

The Goat Mountain parcels were transferred from John Olmstead’s organization, the California Institute of Man in Nature, who had purchased them as part of his vision for an “Across California Trail” along the 39th parallel, which is approximately the route of Highway 20.  Olmsted described his vision as an ecological corridor with islands of protected lands – “Beads on a Necklace.”

Other properties that Olmsted helped to protect include: the Jug Handle State Reserve on the coast, Sutter Buttes in the Central Valley and the Bridgeport Covered Bridge on the South Yuba River. Olmsted also helped to build the Independence Trail on the South Yuba – one of the first handicap accessible nature trails in the nation.

Tuleyome had to negotiate 4 deeds of trust with over 30 stakeholders before acquiring title to the parcels.  Most of the folks generously donated their interest in the parcels in honor of John Olmsted. He died on March 8, 2011, but not before he saw that his beloved parcels were protected by Tuleyome.

The parcels sit on a large ancient landslide.  The rotational movement of the slide has created a "lumpy” landscape with springs, wetland areas, and riparian habitat.  There are also open prairies, chaparral habitat and timber on the property.

Tuleyome has lead a few hikes, birding excursions and camping trips to the property, but we hope to extend that more in the future.  It’s our hope to be able to train docents to lead nature walks and hikes through the property, and host more camping trips to help teach the public about this special landscape.

One of the stand out features on the property was “Big Bertha”, one of the largest Sugar Pine trees (Pinus lambertiana) in the region. Sadly, Big Bertha struggled with the extensive drought between 2012 and 2016, and may not survive.

The Watershed:

According to the Sacramento Watershed Program website: North Fork Cache Creek originates at Goat Mountain (in the Mendocino National Forest) and runs 16 miles before flowing into Indian Valley Reservoir. The North Fork joins the mainstem below Highway 20. Bear Creek, the other main tributary flows through Bear Valley, renowned for its wildflower displays. It joins Cache Creek, paralleling State Route 16, and then enters the bucolic Capay Valley in Yolo County. The creek winds its way through a predominantly agricultural setting before entering the Cache Creek Settling Basin, designed to capture sediment and enhance groundwater recharge before ultimately releasing water into the Yolo Bypass of the Sacramento River.

Big Bertha, Sugar Cone Pine tree
Big Bertha, Sugar Cone Pine tree
IMG_2696
03 - View SE from Goat Mtn. toward Indian Valley and Walker Ridge
North Fork Cache Creek
North Fork Cache Creek