It Is Over

Without a doubt, it is over.

Everything was wet and soggy. I got a late start and still , dew covers everything. There is a chill this mid-morning. The Mountain Ash prepared for happy Robins to dine.

Flowers from earlier have disappeared. In their place, fruit and seed pods

even orchids produce some seeds.

Bog Orchis

Western Coralroot

The dogwood related Bunchberry shows you why it has that name.

Mushrooms are around, but I am not seeing the sought after King Bolete or Chanterelles.

Just little fairy umbrellas

and interesting purple ones

purple just "don't seem natural"

It was a lovely day

But it just feels over.

Small flocks of pee-d-pee-ding kinglets and chickadees. They are friends again and will spend the winter in feeding guilds. These flocks bring safety. More eyes against the predators.

Alas it is over. No Blueberries nor Huckleberries to gather. I came up here just to get them, but they probably never really were here. Last year my spot yielded a bounty. This year the spot has a few sad berries that taste of sour water. No sweetness.

Leave them for the wildlife and wish them well

Summer, it does not feel like it was really here, this year.

Now it is over.

Kendall Katwalk, the last alpine hike of the year

Glorious weather means it is the last chance to get out and get up in elevation. Kendall Katwalk is a wonderful hike north from the Snoqualmie Pass ski area along the Pacific Crest trail. I got up there early since the 11 mile round trip carries 2700 feet of gain going in to the 5400 foot level.

There was a long gradual climb of switchbacks through the forest. Plenty of mushrooms all over. Even though I was on the trail by 845, there were already some folks coming down. One couple had a sack of mushrooms. I know I will have to brush up on safe picking for next season. This little fellow caught my eye. Yes he is purple!

Sometimes it is nice hiking a popular trail. I had some nice chats with folks and received scouting reports about blueberries! There were many fruiting plants all over. Mountain Ash was particularly abundant and a large flock of Robins gave away that they had been eating on the berries. They were plenty drunk on the fermented fruit and swooped and bickered in a very uncharacteristic fashion. A sure sign of Fall.

The Katwalk is well known for its wildflower fields. They are past now but I can see how they will be glorious after next years snow melt. I found a mystery flower that I will ask the gang on Flickr Washington Wildflower group. Yes it was a blue sky day.

I did find some Pearly Everlasting, which is always a fun photography subject

There are some pretty exciting parts on the trail with a drop off that is hard to appreciate on film

At the top of the ridge, on the north face of the nose I found this. I was thankful for my long sleeve jacket. It will not be melting off anytime soon as I heard snow level reports for 4000 feet in the next few days.

I had lunch on a chilly outcrop with a spectacular view. Unfortunately in the full sun, the photos are not the best and just don't do justice to the slope down into the basin.

The colors are slowly changing and the Vine Maple make and elegant picture here.

The most vibrant and welcome bit of color are the blueberry bushes. The leaves blaze red in the full sun. There are several different species here, each with their own distinctive flavor size and color. I sampled some that tasted like they had fermented and others were just right. Some are a bit tart and give nice contrast. There were little ones and big juicy ones. I found a wonderful spot thanks to some folks who got off on a wrong trail. I saved room in my water bottle to collect at their discovered spot and I was not sorry. Look at these wonderful colors and notice how plump these beauties are.

Need I say more???

Welcome Fall

I came across this article in the Seattle Times this morning and thought I would pass it on. I visited Lincoln county during my Labor Day Rock and Road trip. Who knows, perhaps one of the wheat farms I passed through is part of this article.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009909525_localflour21.html

I think it is a wonderful concept and certainly it brings the farmers a bit more profit.

But simply posting an interesting article seems a bit dull. One of my "fans" noted the absence of a "meandering post" this weekend. I was on call and running about with weekend chores. I just could not get myself away into the woods.

But ahhh tonight.. how better to salute the beginning of Fall than with a quick walk in the woods. Balmy weather is so typical for Puget Sound in late September. Our first day of Fall will prove to be a blazing hot time with forecast daytime in the middle 80's. It seems to easily cool off over night. Simply does not get better.

I stopped by Redmond Watershed Park on my way to the barn and was greeted by what is a subtle sign of the progression of the seasons. Just a few months ago it stayed light until nearly 10 PM now, not so much.

The woods already felt cool and dark. I could find many subtle signs that the Fall is here. Everywhere mushrooms are showing up. Douglas Squirrels will soon be harvesting and hanging them in trees. I know there can be some great finds for human consumption but I have never been brave enough to learn anything but the most obvious of the safe mushrooms.

Bushes set berries and they are usually gobbled up by birds. In the Fall it is not unusual to find flocks of drunk Robins hanging about in (and from) trees from overeating fermented fruit. Ash and Madrone are particularly popular. I was thrilled to find these berries. I have never seen our native Orange Honeysuckle , Lonicera ciliosa in fruit. Usually the plants are growing up in trees, so challenging to spot. The flowers are eagerly eaten by birds and small mammals. They will pull off the tube flower and eat the base where the sweet nectar is collected. This honeysuckle plant was right at eye level.



There were Nootka Rose, Rosa nutkana still blooming in a few places. Such a wonderful deep scent. They have large hips (which is perhaps why I like them) and these will serve up tasty eating for many birds and mammals through the winter.



Trees deep in the woods are not changing their colors yet. You can see some yellowing and browning up on some of the larger trees like Big-leaf Maple and Black Cottonwood, but the lovely Vine Maples are still bright green. I am seeing random small trees along roadsides starting to change. Those trees are exposed to harsher conditions. In the deeper woods the change is slow. During those wonderful blue days of late October and early November coming across a graceful Vine Maple surrounded by conifer trees can make you forget about the Sugar Maples of New England.

The fat round leaves of the Vine Maple are easy to remember. Their samaras have wings that are almost straight across.

Yes samara is the technical term, but most people look at me blankly when I use the term. Whirley Birds ... better?

I was driving home from the barn and it was not yet 730. The sun was already below the horizon so I am not sure when the sign at the park will be changed. The thinnest sliver of moon was setting right behind the sun. I could not resist trying to capture the last rays of summer.

Soon enough sunsets of any hue will be a rare treat. Gray with variations.