Seriously?

Day 8: I don't think any of us were quite ready for the sudden transition from summer to winter, but after all, we should have expected it. Autumn in the Pacific Northwest lasts a matter of days, as does Spring. In the space of a week, leaves change colour and are stripped from the trees by wind and rain  to stand bare and shivering. If you're a resident of the higher elevations like Sooty here, you'd best know where to find shelter and food. During the winter when snow prevents access to any other food source, Sooty Grouse subsist on a diet comprised almost exclusively of evergreen needles. Yep, that's what I said, evergreen needles. The occasional bug out for a winter stroll may wind up as a protein snack for a grouse lucky enough to spot it. Sooty Grouse populations are on a slow decline, although you certainly wouldn't have thought so if you'd been hiking near Paradise this year. They are listed as a species of concern which, without careful conservation, may be upgraded to threatened or endangered.

Valeriana Sitchensis, Sitka Valerian

Day 314: Sitka Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) is common sight in subalpine meadows. It also bears the distinction of having been described in one of the funniest entries in any field guide I've ever read. Aside from the fact that it is highly scented and not altogether pleasantly so, a tea made from the leaves is reputed to have medicinal value if one can get past the flavour which, according to the reference and not validated by personal experience, "tastes like boiled sweat-socks." The scent is less pungent, but still carries a note which may cause your nose to wrinkle until you have accustomed yourself to it as one of the most recognizable odors of the backcountry. You might even find yourself saying, "Ah, the Valerian is in bloom!" before you've observed a single umbel.

Pink Elephants

Day 310: I thought I was going to have to buy a gallon of cheap wine in order to see pink elephants this year, but thanks to my botany partners Joe and Sharon, I found where they were hiding. Yes, this is the Elephant-head Pedicularis I mentioned a few days ago. It tends to bloom earlier than most of the other Pedicularis species. Take a close look at the individual flowers on the spike. The elephants' trunks are obvious, but do you see the floppy ears as well?

Interestingly enough, these plants are uniquely adapted to pollination by bumblebees, but not in the manner you might expect. The reproductive structures of this Pedicularis are hidden too deeply for a fat bumblebee to reach. In lieu of picking up pollen grains by contact, the bees hover near the flower and the vibrations of their wings causes the pollen to dislodge. Presumably, it is deposited by a similar mechanism as the bees progress from flower to flower.

Roving Out Of Paradise

Click to enlarge

Day 288: I don't do a lot of meadow-roving, and by that I mean working per the position description of "Meadow Rover," a title which refers to those diligent, patient souls who stay within a mile or so of major parking areas, walking the same trails regularly, repeatedly asking visitors to stay on trail and off the wildflowers. Only a few times each year and generally in conjunction with another event, I manage to get in a little time as an official Rover. Today was one of those days.

The Park was hosting a naturalization ceremony at Paradise, so I went up early with the intention of roving the Moraine Trail, going up to Panorama Point, and returning via Alta Vista. It wasn't long before I realized I was going to have to abbreviate my plan based on the number of visitor contacts I'd had in the first half mile, so instead of turning off to the Moraine Trail, I kept heading up. I made it to the base of Pan Point just at turn-around time, something just over a mile from Paradise parking lot. Still, it was a pleasant hike and a gorgeous morning, mosquitoes notwithstanding. The marmots were out by the dozen even though the wildflowers weren't putting on much of a show.

Once I was back at Paradise, it was my pleasure to observe and take photos as 14 new citizens were welcomed to the United States. What better place could there possibly be to celebrate such an occasion than in a National Park?