A Pleasant Morning

I had such a pleasant morning. My walk in the woods took me along the same route as a week ago, but this time I ended up at a different waterfall! Things definitely started out on the chilly side. With a temperature of 40º it was certainly sweatshirt weather. It didn’t take me long to find my first subject. In an area that gets afternoon sun, but fully in the shade of Flanders Mountain this morning, I found a small patch of Harebells hanging out low among the leaves of Strawberries and Geraniums. Shooting through the ground clutter gives the image nice soft look. A few hundred yards up the trail, I applied the same effect to a bright red leaf of a Sticky Geranium plant. 

The terrain here is diverse with patches of rich soil interspersed with rock of volcanic origin. While photographing a curious Dr. Seuss tree all covered in lichen, I heard the tell-tale call of one of my favorite creatures: the Pika. I lowered the camera and was delighted to see it just ahead of me, standing guard amidst the rocks that shelter its stash of plants. Pika do not hibernate, but live beneath the snow in the shelter of the rocks, eating their fruit of the summer labor. 

Amongst the rocks at the edge of another talus slope, I spent some time admiring the textures of the lichen and mosses that grew between and on the rocks. One such patch of lichen, probably  Rhizocarpon geographicum, commonly called Map Lichen, was nearly perfectly round. Interestingly, I was kneeling on the ground, not 15 ft from a popular trail. I bet 25 people passed by, and just one person noticed me. Now, I am definitely no threat, but if you’re ever out hiking, take the time to look up and around everyonce in a while! You might see something cool, or something you may need to avoid! 

The trail got steeper now, but I kept trudging along. Trudging that is, until I spotted a perfect pair of mushrooms deep under a bush and set in a perfect mossy scene. While capturing a set of images to focus stack later, I saw another one just a few feet away. I had to balance my camera on a rock I pulled from the trail, because I couldn’t fit my tripod in the tight space! Next stop, Arch Falls. 

Arch Falls is a unique waterfall in that as soon as the creek drops 15 ft or so, it has carved out a tunnel through the rock. This is the arch for which it is named. It’s a steep scramble down to the base of the falls, and I was pleased to have the space to myself for the entire time I was down there. 

On the way backdown the trail, I was surprised to find some Arnica still blooming that I had missed on my way up. I grabbed a quick shot and then startled a Green Comma butterfly as soon as I got back to the trail. Like I said, it had been a very pleasant morning!