Loops of pale olive old man’s beard lichen decorated the spiky branches of Sitka spruce and beckoned our walkers to enter the green cave of the temperate coastal rain forest at Ideal Cove this morning. The dense growth of the forest enveloped each group of walkers as we cleared the last downed log and set off along the boardwalk. It’s fall, most definitely…raindrops dangle off ruby red high bush cranberries and red huckleberry; most of the blueberry crop has been consumed by the bears and previous hikers. Shiny fungi caps have popped up here and there—and oh boy!—my personal favorite, sulfur shelf or chicken of the woods was a delightful discovery. The soft outer tips of these young fungi are a wild Southeast Alaskan delicacy. Across the creek the large maple-shaped leaves of Devil’s Club are turning orange and yellow. Signs of the changing season are all around.
In Petersburg, school starts tomorrow and salmon season is winding down. Fishermen are preparing their vessels to go long lining for halibut. How fortunate for our photographers to have so many of the beautiful working boats moored at the dock. Muskeg hikers boated across the channel to Kupreanof Island and enjoyed some sunshine in the Petersburg Creek bog. Muskeg or bog is an unusual habitat that provides a home for specialized plants like the insect-eating sundew and other species that can tolerate the acidic conditions that the decomposing, water-soaked sphagnum moss creates. One of the ongoing discussions in this region is what will the climax ecosystem look like? Forest or muskeg? Perhaps we should make plans to come back and have a look…
