Weekend Wanderings

Yesterday morning, we went early to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. It was quite cool out still so we hoped to avoid the worst of the mosquitoes. 

August is a great time to hunt for mushrooms and odd plants on the Wintergreen Trail, especially after rains and humidity.

I think this is a Russula mushroom of some kind. Most of the ones I found were only about an inch tall. There were quite a few of them!

Here is chicken of the woods with slugs on it.

I have no idea what this is but it was inside a log and I had to use my cellphone flashlight to light it up.

Perhaps this is White Coral Fungi Jelly. It is quite rubbery feeling.

I think this is a type of Coral Fungi too, but it is still slightly different in shape and texture from the typical Coral Fungi I normally find. It seemed to be also growing from the earth which could have wood under the debris on the forest floor.

These below are the normal Coral Fungi that I am familiar with.

I have no idea what this is, but I liked how the texture appeared in the photo.

This in not a mushroom or fungi. It is actually a slime mold called Wolf's Milk.

These are not fungi, they are plants that don't have chlorophyll and go by various names. Indian Ghost Pipes are one. It was the name I learned as a kid. They actually do flower and drop seeds.

Then they turn black and whither away.

I also found Rattlesnake Plantain which has the most beautiful leaves.

It was a fun morning, we were at the Reserve before anyone else showed up and were leaving as the people started to show up around 10am. 

We found so many things to see and enjoy. 

I'll probably go back or to another similar place this week to enjoy looking for the odd things one can find along the bluffs of the Kickapoo.

The rest of the day was spent with boring yard work and getting Sunshine a pedicure. I was so busy visiting with Danny and Kristi that I never took any photos.

Oh well.

All is good. It appears that we are in for an all day rain.

I came, I saw, I Blewit

Starting in late August through October if we are not in a drought, it is prime time for mushrooms and a celebration of strange and colorful fungi.

Someone asked me what got me so interested in mushrooms. My simple answer was that I'd seen them and decided I'd like to photograph them.

I like being curious. When I'd find wildflowers, I'd photograph them and take them home to compare to an ID book. Mushrooms and slime molds became fun to find and fascinating to photo. It is like an alien world.

I took these with my cellphone as it seems to adjust to the light better than the camera. They are small. The one below was just emerging from the mix of dirt and sand below it. 

 

I also found what seems to be a hard plant to find. I've only found 6 in all the years I've been hiking. They are not generally seen right next to a trail. I just love their leaves and design. I've seen one in flower one time.

Rattlesnake Plantain:

I also brought along a couple of minifigs. They like to travel and hike with me of course. I found a perfect spot to place the Monkey King.

Last but not least.

I thought I found a Blewit Mushroom

Such a beautiful blue color! So different! I've found them once before in this general area and am always amazed by their color and beauty.

4 years ago in the same general area I found these. 

They are so startling. Another time I found remnants of them as someone else had walked along and kicked all of them to smithereens. 

I do wish people would just admire these beautiful mushrooms and leave them alone.

I looked into the Blewit mushroom and found that these really didn't quite fit the description. Perhaps they could be a fungi known as Indigo Inky.

So I may have blown the ID years ago, but that doesn't stop me for looking for these each year along this section of trail.

Hoot Owl Trail & Charlie

As usual, Charlie was our trail leader. He actually keeps up a pretty good pace.

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The Hoot Owl Loop we did on Friday had a water crossing. I asked Bill if he was willing to get wet and he said that was fine. So off we set to explore a 'new' trail. I had ridden this trail nearly 30 years ago. It has been re-routed over the years to avoid erosion.

Did I recall it? No, not really. I do remember going through an area that the locals called The Rookery. But little else.

Rock formations at the 

start of the Hoot Owl Trail

I wore the Kurgo backpack in case Charlie got tired. I wanted to place him in it at some point and give him another taste of what it is like to be carried.

Otherwise I just carried snacks and had my little red camera attached to a strap on the front of the pack. On my belt I had my little infrared camera.

We weren't really interested in a photo taking session, but merely wanted to take enough shots to be able to recall what the trail was like. 

I wanted to see if this trail would be good in the winter also. However we discovered it wouldn't be as a whole loop. The map below shows where we parked and followed the trail.

The purple diamonds are wet crossings. The first one wasn't much and only needed a rock hop. The second one was about 10 feet across.

Bill's phone is very old but he took this shot for me.

The funny part was, I started out across and had hold of Charlie's little line. Charlie dug his feet in and when I turned around I realized there was no way he could swim this creek or cross it on his own...and he was letting me know! Talk about a brain fart!

We made the crossing safely and decided to continue on for the next mile of the trail. I'm glad we did. We found some not so common plants on a bluff hillside that was overshadowed with pines.

Rattlesnake Plantain

A White Turtlehead

That was fun!

Finding a plant and then hunting it down to Identify it is always quite interesting. I guess that is part of the reason I had signed up for the Master Naturalist Class.

We stopped along the trail and had snacks. Charlie never tired and was on the GO GO GO! While we had our apples and talked about the trail Charlie entertained himself by digging.

We reached marker 8 which ends the Hoot Owl Trail and begins the Cut Off Trail and headed back to our vehicles where we sat and chatted. 

I couldn't have asked for nicer weather. It was warm in the sun yet comfortable in the shade. 

After Bill headed out I sat with Charlie in the back of the Subaru with the tailgate open. Charlie was content to just lay there and nod off.

We didn't have to use the backpack, but twice I'd put him in it and gave him treats. 

He was okay with that.

I'd like to do Big Valley next, but looking at the map I'd have to start out and go halfway and return. Or prepare to hike the mileage and then walk back on the roads.

I may take Bill on the Cut Off Trail next, I've done that one a few times before. The last time I did that was December of last year with the neighbor and her children.

The difference of hiking in mid summer and in mid winter is startling.

Hope you are having a great weekend.