By Jim Morris
Many areas have that “go to” location. First-timers to San Francisco often seek out the Golden Gate Bridge. When in Anaheim, one must don mouse ears. Neophytes to Los Angeles crane their necks on the 101 looking for the Hollywood sign. Perhaps the most iconic natural feature of our Sacramento Valley is something commonly seen but rarely experienced- the Sutter Buttes.
This smallest mountain range in the world was the result of a volcanic uprising more than one million years ago. This circular, castle-shaped mountain range in Sutter County is 10 miles across from any point and can be seen throughout much of the central Sacramento Valley.
After spending my entire life in the valley and taking tons of photos of the Buttes, it was time to get up close and personal with this icon. If you want to do the same it takes some planning.
Noted Outdoor Columnist Tom Steinstra with the San Francisco Chronicle said it well that the Buttes are “one of California’s last off-limits lands of secrets and mysteries.” The vast majority of this unique landscape is privately owned. State Parks acquired almost 1,800 acres deep within the Buttes, behind private rangelands and orchards. The park grounds are not yet open to the public. Your way to view the Buttes up close is through more than 30 hikes and other projects facilitated by the
Middle Mountain Foundation, a non-profit group aimed at education and preserving this marvel of nature. The cost is $35-45 per person, depending on the event. There’s a sign up period and reservations fill up fast. Be sure to wear your hiking boots and bring plenty of water and lunch as this a genuine outdoor adventure.
Wife Leslie, son RJ and myself started our wildflower hike experience by meeting fellow hikers at Waffle Shop in Live Oak (note to self, return to Waffle Shop for a future breakfast). Our group caravanned to Shaeffer Ranch. Our guide for the day was Ty Shaeffer, whose family settled on the land in 1860. They farm almonds, lease land for cattle grazing and derive some of their livelihood from guided hikes.
The region’s volcanic past was unmistakable as we set out, as a wide array of rocks dominated the landscape.
Ty has named many of the more prominent rocks, including this he calls the Sentinel, which looks like a Roman Guard.
The recent rainfall helped perk up the wildflower populations and there were some marvelous sights along the trail.
Ty says there are likely 100 or more different types of flora and fauna in the region. Flowers include Monkey Flower, Manroot, Douglas’s Violet, Lobb’s Poppy and Bird’s Eye Gilia to name a few.
Animals include a healthy lizard population, kept on their toes by RJ’s unfulfilled mission to capture one. There are also raptors, woodpeckers and an estimated 2 to 3,000 feral pigs that are rototilling the natural environment. We didn’t see any of those brutes, except for this unfortunate swine that ran into something higher on the food chain.
One of the interesting anecdotes of the day was the Cold War remnant of the region. In 1963, a missile silo complex was built at the base of the Buttes that housed three Titan I ICBM missiles. The site was decommissioned and dismantled in 1965.
Just like with the food production and wildlife habitat derived from area rice fields, it was nice to see there were multiple, harmonious uses for the land – farming interwoven with tourism and environmental protection.
As we wrapped up our five-mile hike, tired yet satisfied, we finished with a deeper appreciation for the Buttes and the passionate people working to protect them for future generations.
Jim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathon
More about Tom: Tom Butler farms rice with his father, Steve, in Sutter and Yolo Counties. Tom is the fourth generation of his family to farm.
Dennis Lindberg has grown rice in Butte County for more than 70 consecutive years. He’s a well-known author and metal artist, taking scrap metal and creating beautiful animal sculptures. His civic work and love of community is evidenced by his being honored as “Outstanding Citizen of the 20th Century” by Lundberg Family Farms. He and his wife Charlotte have two children – Gary and Sherry. Gary farms with his father in the historic community of Richvale, which recently celebrated its centennial.
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Lauren LaGrande is the latest in a family farming tradition that began nearly 100 years ago. She is a student at Maxwell High School and is active in FFA, Future Business Leaders of America, volleyball, basketball and softball. When she’s on the farm, you’ll often see her with her trusted companion, Hank, the family dog. Lauren’s great-grandfather grew his first rice crop in the Sacramento Valley in 1916 and the family has continued this tradition ever since.
Brian Barrett is a third generation rice farmer from Maxwell. Upon graduation from California State University Chico with a degree in Agricultural Business, Brian worked briefly for Farmer's Rice Cooperative before going on to work as a Grain Merchandiser for ADM Rice. While working for ADM rice Brian took night classes and earned his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Phoenix, graduating with honors.
Punch Haskell grows rice in Colusa County and is part of a family farming operation that began approximately 60 years ago.
