Sunday, April 4, 2010

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010
Overcast mid 70's
Early Spring


The lower elevation trees are showing some green.



Another busy Saturday.

A new sign mounted in anticipation of closing the Upper Lot.
Lots of Bloodroot was blossoming

Spicebush was blooming.
I need help identifying this? I believe it is some type of stonecrop but I am not sure? Thaks to one of my friends, Emily from ORMS I learned that this is Epigaea repens or Trailing Arbutus. There was quite a bit of it blooming in the gravelly/sandy banks along one of the Ridge Trails switchbacks.
Overcast view from the rock scramble.

Looking towards Etlan and Woodville.


Ravens playing around the summit just before sunset.

Just after sunset.

Twilight approaches.
If you are seeing this than you should have headlamps. Headlamps leave your hands free and you are not at risk of dropping it out of reach or having it break. I like to use my light as little as possible. On some nights the moonlight is bright enough to walk out without a light. That said, once the venemous snakes are out, make sure you can see well enough so as to not accidentally step near or on one.

3 comments:

  1. The flower you asked for help identifying is Epigaea repens or Trailing Arbutus.

    Emily

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  2. The picture is terrible. I need to get a point and shoot that is better at close ups. The clusters were very tight and only about a third to a half inch across (not long wavy and thin). Also the color was brighter than the picture represents almost flourescent not a pastel. The bushes were just before Bartender's Spring on the downhill side of the trail. Based on pictures I saw online versus my memory I am pretty sure they were Spice Bush. Does Witchhazel bloom twice and if so do the Spring blooms look different than Fall? I must have passed these bushes a hundred times and I honestly do not remember if they had the classic red spice bush berries on them or not. I would have thought I would have remembered something like that from last year but I can not. As I learn to actually see more and more it amazes me the things I was oblivious about before. Good news is it seems there is an inexhaustable supply of new wonders for me to learn about.

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