u/SingingSkyPhoto

A Day in the Park

I took my parents on a drive through the Yellowstone yesterday. There were still areas of good Autumn color, although I suspect the current snowstorm will put an end to much of that! My first photo was of a Cottonwood Tree in the Lamar Valley that had lost half its leaves, while the rest were bright yellow/orange. I shot this with a 600mm lens from a ways back to get the perspective from which I first noticed it. If you look closely you can see two leaves making their flight to the ground.

After a quick lunch at Calcite Springs overlook, we headed up towards Tower Falls and Dunraven Pass. There was a herd of Bighorn Ewes and their lambs doing a fair job of rolling rocks down to the road below them. They were using the hooves to scrape away at the soil, looking for valuable minerals. It’s really incredible how comfortable they are on slopes that I could probably not even stand on!

Hayden Valley had a few of what I figured must be Wolf jams, but not being particularly mobile, we needed to find wildlife a bit closer to the road. I did stop for a few Bald Eagles, which are a bird I have trouble driving past without making a few images! After getting skunked on any bears on the northeast corner of the Lake, we turned around and started the 3hr drive back to Bozeman. Thats when we came upon a lot of people pulled over. There was still a lot of space on the end of a parking area, so we pulled over and started looking in the direction all the cameras were pointed. There, through the tall grass, a Grizzly Bear appeared! I was able to get a few images and my parents had a great view of the entire encounter.

As we approached West Yellowstone there was a compelling scene of a cow Elk with its calf crossing the Madison River, so I stopped to memorize that moment. Our Bear sightings were not over though. To the north of West Yellowstone, we came across what appeared to be a very large Grizzly Bear. It was pretty far away in tall grass, but I managed to get an image of it testing the air for new smells. It was a wonderful day with two people who really were the catalyst for my love of wild places and who constantly encouraged my creative side.

Fall and Fungi

It’s been fairly warm here in Montana, and while there has been some frost up in the mountains, I don’t think there’s been a freeze. With this in mind, I thought I’d go see if I could find some mushrooms Sunday morning. I had also thought that I might find some Fall color highlighted by morning sunlight filtering through the trees. With this in mind, I set out from a spot where the Sun peaks through a low V in the east and lets the light in earlier than other spots nearby. My hunch proved correct as I immediately began to spot fungi and yellow leaves! 

I also noticed by well worn trails, matted down areas and piles of droppings that a herd of Elk must have spent some time here last night. There were also a few trees where a bull had scraped his antlers on the trunk, removing the bark in shreds. Other evidence of the presence of wild things, were numerous logs torn to shreds, likely by a Bear looking for insects. An app on my phone told me a Northern Pygmy Owl had called out, but I did not see it.  At one point though, I was startled by three Ruffed Grouse as they went airborne to escape me. It’s amazing how quickly they evaporate into the forest. 

It’s difficult to tell from these photos, but most of these mushrooms are tiny. In one, there are two tiny little Douglas Fir tree seedlings that are less than half an inch tall and the mushroom is smaller than the diameter of a pencil eraser! The small tree on the island of moss is about 2 inches tall! Once you start noticing the little things, they start appearing everywhere! 

Moments From Sunday

Last Sunday was another very special photographic experience for me. It actually started with a stressful moment. I was sitting on some large rocks lining Hyalite Creek, setting up for the first image in this series, when I noticed my tripod had an issue. The clamp which holds my camera to the head had come loose. In trying to put it back together, a tiny spring went flying, bounced off one rock and landed right at my feet without falling deep between the rocks! I was able to grab it before it rolled away and got the tripod repaired. Stress gone, peace returned!

That happy moment was soon eclipsed by the presence of a Great Gray Owl. I believe this to be a juvenile who has recently gone out on its own and seems to be successfully feeding itself. To stand under one of these magnificent creatures while they fly right over your head is really incredible. A few images of Harebells and the red leaves of a Wild Rose completed the beauty of the experience

Later in the day, we went for a hike along another area creek and found yet more Harebells and the large yellow leaves of a Thimbleberry Bush with a starburst of the Sun poking out from under the leaves. It really was a wonderful day, if not a few too many miles on foot than I was prepared to walk!

Moments From Sunday

Last Sunday was another very special photographic experience for me. It actually started with a stressful moment. I was sitting on some large rocks lining Hyalite Creek, setting up for the first image in this series, when I noticed my tripod had an issue. The clamp which holds my camera to the head had come loose. In trying to put it back together, a tiny spring went flying, bounced off one rock and landed right at my feet without falling deep between the rocks! I was able to grab it before it rolled away and got the tripod repaired. Stress gone, peace returned!

That happy moment was soon eclipsed by the presence of a Great Gray Owl. I believe this to be a juvenile who has recently gone out on its own and seems to be successfully feeding itself. To stand under one of these magnificent creatures while they fly right over your head is really incredible. A few images of Harebells and the red leaves of a Wild Rose completed the beauty of the experience

Later in the day, we went for a hike along another area creek and found yet more Harebells and the large yellow leaves of a Thimbleberry Bush with a starburst of the Sun poking out from under the leaves. It really was a wonderful day, if not a few too many miles on foot than I was prepared to walk!

Thoughts on Nature

I have been listening to an audio book called The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf. It’s a biography of Alexander Von Humboldt. I was aware of a few place names in the US that were named for him, but I had no idea of his international fame when he was alive. He was born in 1769 and died in 1859. He was an unusual blend of scientist, explorer, artist and poet. His ideas were way ahead of his time and are still relative today. His writings inspired the likes of Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir just to name a few. 

I thought a lot about him as I wandered along Portal Creek this morning. I’ve always drawn much strength and peace from the natural world. I see the same sort of behavior in a deer following an ancient path through the woods as I do when I observe my own dog. I see similarities in the structures of a tiny moss and a giant tree. For this reason, I tread lightly as I wander in the woods, and I do not willing end the life of any wild thing. I don’t pick flowers, roll rocks, squish spiders, or intentionally cause harm to anything in nature. 

The is a certain sentience that I feel about everything in nature, even non-living things. Everything in the natural world is connected. Microscopic organisms are just as important as a Douglas Fir Tree. Perhaps this is why I enjoy such a broad range of photography. I love tiny mushrooms as much as I love the entirety of the night sky. Today’s photos showcase images from a few hundred yards along the creek. From calming water, to glowing leaves and from tiny forests of moss to Cottonwood Trees in front of towering Firs. Enjoy these images and please do what you can to protect wild places as you begin to notice the interconnectedness of all things. 

Thoughts on Nature

I have been listening to an audio book called The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf. It’s a biography of Alexander Von Humboldt. I was aware of a few place names in the US that were named for him, but I had no idea of his international fame when he was alive. He was born in 1769 and died in 1859. He was an unusual blend of scientist, explorer, artist and poet. His ideas were way ahead of his time and are still relative today. His writings inspired the likes of Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir just to name a few. 

I thought a lot about him as I wandered along Portal Creek this morning. I’ve always drawn much strength and peace from the natural world. I see the same sort of behavior in a deer following an ancient path through the woods as I do when I observe my own dog. I see similarities in the structures of a tiny moss and a giant tree. For this reason, I tread lightly as I wander in the woods, and I do not willing end the life of any wild thing. I don’t pick flowers, roll rocks, squish spiders, or intentionally cause harm to anything in nature. 

The is a certain sentience that I feel about everything in nature, even non-living things. Everything in the natural world is connected. Microscopic organisms are just as important as a Douglas Fir Tree. Perhaps this is why I enjoy such a broad range of photography. I love tiny mushrooms as much as I love the entirety of the night sky. Today’s photos showcase images from a few hundred yards along the creek. From calming water, to glowing leaves and from tiny forests of moss to Cottonwood Trees in front of towering Firs. Enjoy these images and please do what you can to protect wild places as you begin to notice the interconnectedness of all things. 

For the Love of a Rainy Day

This morning was the kind of morning I dream of. The clouds danced on the mountains in a slow waltz, romancing the forest and teasing the peaks. At times, they clung to each other in a long embrace. Then, they would step back, take a few steps away, and come running back to each other. 

I spent several hours observing and listening to their stories. I even found a few bits of color sprinkled about the landscape. Here are a few of the moments I stumbled upon this morning.

A Pleasant Morning

I had such a pleasant morning. My walk in the woods took me along the same route as a week ago, but this time I ended up at a different waterfall! Things definitely started out on the chilly side. With a temperature of 40º it was definitely sweatshirt weather. It didn’t take my long to find my first subject. In an area that get afternoon sun, but fully in the shade of Flanders Mountain this morning, I found a small patch of Harebells hanging out low among the leaves of Strawberries and Geraniums. Shooting through the ground clutter gives the image nice soft look. A few hundred yards up the trail, I applied the same effect to a bright red leaf of a Sticky Geranium plant. 

The terrain here is diverse with patched of rich soil interspersed with rock of volcanic origin. While photographing a curious Dr. Seuss tree all covered in lichen, I heard the tell-tale call of one of my favorite creatures: the Pika. I lowered the camera and was delighted to see it just ahead of my standing guard amidst the rocks that shelter is stash of plants. Pike do not hibernate, but live beneath the snow in the shelter of the rocks, eating their fruit of the summer labor. 

Amongst the rocks at the edge another talus slope, I spent some time admiring the textures of the lichen and mosses that grew between and on the rocks. One such patch of lichen, probably  Rhizocarpon geographicum, commonly called Map Lichen, was nearly perfectly round. Interestingly, I was kneeling on the ground, not 15 ft from a popular trail. I bet 25 people passed by, and just one person noticed me. Now, I am definitely no threat, but if you’re ever out hiking, take the time to look up and around everyone in a while! You might see something cool, or something you may need to avoid! 

The trail got steeper now, but I kept trudging along. Trudging that is, until I spotted a perfect pair of mushrooms deep under a bush and set in a perfect mossy scene. While capturing a set of images to focus stack later, I saw another one just a few feet away. I had to balance my camera on a rock I pulled from the trail, because I couldn’t fit my tripod in the tight space! Next stop, Arch Falls. 

Arch Falls is a unique waterfall in that as soon as the creek drops 15 ft or so, it has carved out a tunnel through the rock. This is the arch for which it is named. It’s a steep scramble down to the base of the falls, and I was pleased to have the space to myself for the entire time I was down there. 

On the way backdown the trail, I was surprised to find some Arnica still blooming that I had missed on my way up. I grabbed a quick shot and then startled a Green Comma butterfly as soon as I got back to the trail. Like I said, it had been a very pleasant morning!

Mushrooms and Waterfalls

My forest walk this morning began and ended with more of a standard landscape image that I have been able to make lately. The smoke is much reduced now and I walked a trail with more open views than the dense forests I have been spending time in. I love this view of Window Rock and its neighbor to the south, Palace Butte. If you look closely, you can see Twin Falls dropping down the cliffs.

A constant stream of clouds flowed over the mountains, changing the scene minute by minute. I quickly grabbed photo before a thicker mass of clouds moved in. Now in a Lodgepole Pine forest, The ground was covered in pine needle duff. There are few scents I enjoy more than this. Right along the trail I noticed a single stem of a young Sticky Geranium plant that may very well have sprung up this year. It was just a few inches tall and made a perfect subject for a minimalist image.

The trail became more rocky now as I passed through a segment of trail closer to the steep slopes of Flanders Mountain. Much of the rock here is volcanic in nature, with the characteristic pockmarked surface. I found an interesting line of puffy little mushrooms here and made a few focus-stacked images.

After that I arrived at a small bowl-shaped talus field where I know Pika reside. I heard a few of their alarm calls, but did not see one. I did find a few interesting scenes to make photos of here, including what I believe may be a few Yarrow leaves protruding from the moss, one of which was turning red.

I was approaching Grotto Falls from the lesser used trail, and was surprised to find just one family there enjoying the scenery. I set up my tripod on a log jam and waited for them to meander out of the scene. I was blessed with 15 minutes by myself here. I kind of liked the sort of tunnel view created by the tall trees lining the South Fork of Hyalite Creek and stood there, balancing on wet logs, until the clouds and Sun lined up just right for a photo.

Mushrooms and Waterfalls

My forest walk this morning began and ended with more of a standard landscape image that I have been able to make lately. The smoke is much reduced now and I walked a trail with more open views than the dense forests I have been spending time in. I love this view of Window Rock and its neighbor to the south, Palace Butte. If you look closely, you can see Twin Falls dropping down the cliffs.

A constant stream of clouds flowed over the mountains, changing the scene minute by minute. I quickly grabbed photo before a thicker mass of clouds moved in. Now in a Lodgepole Pine forest, The ground was covered in pine needle duff. There are few scents I enjoy more than this. Right along the trail I noticed a single stem of a young Sticky Geranium plant that may very well have sprung up this year. It was just a few inches tall and made a perfect subject for a minimalist image.

The trail became more rocky now as I passed through a segment of trail closer to the steep slopes of Flanders Mountain. Much of the rock here is volcanic in nature, with the characteristic pockmarked surface. I found an interesting line of puffy little mushrooms here and made a few focus-stacked images.

After that I arrived at a small bowl-shaped talus field where I know Pika reside. I heard a few of their alarm calls, but did not see one. I did find a few interesting scenes to make photos of here, including what I believe may be a few Yarrow leaves protruding from the moss, one of which was turning red.

I was approaching Grotto Falls from the lesser used trail, and was surprised to find just one family there enjoying the scenery. I set up my tripod on a log jam and waited for them to meander out of the scene. I was blessed with 15 minutes by myself here. I kind of liked the sort of tunnel view created by the tall trees lining the South Fork of Hyalite Creek and stood there, balancing on wet logs, until the clouds and Sun lined up just right for a photo.

Mushrooms and Waterfalls

My forest walk this morning began and ended with more of a standard landscape image that I have been able to make lately. The smoke is much reduced now and I walked a trail with more open views than the dense forests I have been spending time in. I love this view of Window Rock and its neighbor to the south, Palace Butte. If you look closely, you can see Twin Falls dropping down the cliffs.

A constant stream of clouds flowed over the mountains, changing the scene minute by minute. I quickly grabbed photo before a thicker mass of clouds moved in. Now in a Lodgepole Pine forest, The ground was covered in pine needle duff. There are few scents I enjoy more than this. Right along the trail I noticed a single stem of a young Sticky Geranium plant that may very well have sprung up this year. It was just a few inches tall and made a perfect subject for a minimalist image.

The trail became more rocky now as I passed through a segment of trail closer to the steep slopes of Flanders Mountain. Much of the rock here is volcanic in nature, with the characteristic pockmarked surface. I found an interesting line of puffy little mushrooms here and made a few focus-stacked images.

After that I arrived at a small bowl-shaped talus field where I know Pika reside. I heard a few of their alarm calls, but did not see one. I did find a few interesting scenes to make photos of here, including what I believe may be a few Yarrow leaves protruding from the moss, one of which was turning red.

I was approaching Grotto Falls from the lesser used trail, and was surprised to find just one family there enjoying the scenery. I set up my tripod on a log jam and waited for them to meander out of the scene. I was blessed with 15 minutes by myself here. I kind of liked the sort of tunnel view created by the tall trees lining the South Fork of Hyalite Creek and stood there, balancing on wet logs, until the clouds and Sun lined up just right for a photo.

Mushrooms and Waterfalls

My forest walk this morning began and ended with more of a standard landscape image that I have been able to make lately. The smoke is much reduced now and I walked a trail with more open views than the dense forests I have been spending time in. I love this view of Window Rock and its neighbor to the south, Palace Butte. If you look closely, you can see Twin Falls dropping down the cliffs.

A constant stream of clouds flowed over the mountains, changing the scene minute by minute. I quickly grabbed photo before a thicker mass of clouds moved in. Now in a Lodgepole Pine forest, The ground was covered in pine needle duff. There are few scents I enjoy more than this. Right along the trail I noticed a single stem of a young Sticky Geranium plant that may very well have sprung up this year. It was just a few inches tall and made a perfect subject for a minimalist image.

The trail became more rocky now as I passed through a segment of trail closer to the steep slopes of Flanders Mountain. Much of the rock here is volcanic in nature, with the characteristic pockmarked surface. I found an interesting line of puffy little mushrooms here and made a few focus-stacked images.

After that I arrived at a small bowl-shaped talus field where I know Pika reside. I heard a few of their alarm calls, but did not see one. I did find a few interesting scenes to make photos of here, including what I believe may be a few Yarrow leaves protruding from the moss, one of which was turning red.

I was approaching Grotto Falls from the lesser used trail, and was surprised to find just one family there enjoying the scenery. I set up my tripod on a log jam and waited for them to meander out of the scene. I was blessed with 15 minutes by myself here. I kind of liked the sort of tunnel view created by the tall trees lining the South Fork of Hyalite Creek and stood there, balancing on wet logs, until the clouds and Sun lined up just right for a photo.

Fall is Beginning to Fall

I spent some time both in and along Hyalite Creek near Bozeman, Montana yesterday morning. I love experimenting with long exposures of flowing water, so there is one of the green, mossy shore and one of a pair of stones protruding from some rapids. 

As I wandered away from the creek, I walked through a patch of Thimbleberry plants. Last fall I started a project where I look for fallen leaves caught by the forest before they reach the ground. I found a nifty example where a yellow Alder leaf had been caught by a much larger Thimbleberry leaf! 

While we are still in calendar Summer, we are in meteorological Autumn, which begins September 1st and the forest is starting to show it! I found a number of Sticky Geranium leaves doing their best to make up for the lack of flowers this time of year. 

Fall is Beginning to Fall

I spent some time both in and along Hyalite Creek, near Bozeman, Montana, yesterday morning. I love experimenting with long exposures of flowing water, so there is one of the green, mossy shore and one of a pair of stones protruding from some rapids. 

As I wandered away from the creek, I walked through a patch of Thimbleberry plants. Last fall I started a project where I look for fallen leaves caught by the forest before they reach the ground. I found a nifty example where a yellow Alder leaf had been caught by a much larger Thimbleberry leaf! 

While we are still in calendar Summer, we are in meteorological Autumn, which begins September 1st and the forest is starting to show it! I found a number of Sticky Geranium leaves doing their best to make up for the lack of flowers this time of year. 

Fall is Beginning to Fall

I spent some time both in and along Hyalite Creek yesterday morning. I love experimenting with long exposures of flowing water, so there is one of the green, mossy shore and one of a pair of stones protruding from some rapids. 

As I wandered away from the creek, I walked through a patch of Thimbleberry plants. Last fall I started a project where I look for fallen leaves caught by the forest before they reach the ground. I found a nifty example where a yellow Alder leaf had been caught by a much larger Thimbleberry leaf! 

While we are still in calendar Summer, we are in meteorological Autumn, which begins September 1st and the forest is starting to show it! I found a number of Sticky Geranium leaves doing their best to make up for the lack of flowers this time of year. 

Fall is Beginning to Fall

I spent some time both in and along Hyalite Creek yesterday morning. I love experimenting with long exposures of flowing water, so there is one of the green, mossy shore and one of a pair of stones protruding from some rapids. 

As I wandered away from the creek, I walked through a patch of Thimbleberry plants. Last fall I started a project where I look for fallen leaves caught by the forest before they reach the ground. I found a nifty example where a yellow Alder leaf had been caught by a much larger Thimbleberry leaf! 

While we are still in calendar Summer, we are in meteorological Autumn, which begins September 1st and the forest is starting to show it! I found a number of Sticky Geranium leaves doing their best to make up for the lack of flowers this time of year. 

A Morning of Discoveries

I went for a long walk in the woods Saturday morning. As usual, I just wandered around the forest, sometimes on old game trails, other times stepping over fallen trees while ducking overhead branches. The Sun was up, but concealed behind mountains. Light sprinkles of rain remained from the overnight storms, but I saw bit of blue to the southwest. Diffuse warm light from breaks in the clouds filtered down through the canopy of trees and provided some magic light. 

The first thing that caught my eye were young Douglas Fir trees surrounded by slender Lodgepole Pines. I found one isolated enough from the others to create a compelling scene. From here I wandered into a meadow, covered in Western Coneflower. These fascinating flowers lack the traditional colorful petals of their relatives, but are no less attractive to pollinators. Many of these flowers had rain-soaked bees hiding under them, waiting patiently for the Sun to come out. This particular one had a caterpillar and a Crab spider of some sort existing in some sort of weather induced ceasefire! 

As I stepped carefully back into the forest, I discovered a decaying log covered in tiny orange mushrooms. As is often the case, I first capture the larger scene, then work my way in to the finer details. In the final image, that single mushroom is just 1/2” tall and less than a 1/4” in diameter, but if you look closely, the entire forest around it is reflected in its rain-soaked cap. 

From here I walked across a stream, and was immediately transported to a much more ancient feeling forest. It got darker, the trees more dense, and the forest floor was covered in the remains of fallen giants of yesteryear. I am pretty certain that the path of this photographer closely matched the flight of a bumblebee as I wander this way and that, from scene to scene. 

I cut back towards where I figured the road would be, found a fallen tree bridge to cross back over the creek, and came out right at a talus slope where I knew there to be Pika. Sure enough, I was able to capture a fleeting glance of one such critter, and then in a spring that pops up below the rocks, I got my last shot of the day. A bold frog stayed visible despite its friends all ducking for cover as I walked up. 

A Morning of Discoveries

I went for a long walk in the woods Saturday morning. As usual, I just wandered around the forest, sometimes on old game trails, other times stepping over fallen trees while ducking overhead branches. The Sun was up, but concealed behind mountains. Light sprinkles of rain remained from the overnight storms, but I saw bit of blue to the southwest. Diffuse warm light from breaks in the clouds filtered down through the canopy of trees and provided some magic light. 

The first thing that caught my eye were young Douglas Fir trees surrounded by slender Lodgepole Pines. I found one isolated enough from the others to create a compelling scene. From here I wandered into a meadow, covered in Western Coneflower. These fascinating flowers lack the traditional colorful petals of their relatives, but are no less attractive to pollinators. Many of these flowers had rain-soaked bees hiding under them, waiting patiently for the Sun to come out. This particular one had a caterpillar and a Crab spider of some sort existing in some sort of weather induced ceasefire! 

As I stepped carefully back into the forest, I discovered a decaying log covered in tiny orange mushrooms. As is often the case, I first capture the larger scene, then work my way in to the finer details. In the final image, that single mushroom is just 1/2” tall and less than a 1/4” in diameter, but if you look closely, the entire forest around it is reflected in its rain-soaked cap. 

From here I walked across a stream, and was immediately transported to a much more ancient feeling forest. It got darker, the trees more dense, and the forest floor was covered in the remains of fallen giants of yesteryear. I am pretty certain that the path of this photographer closely matched the flight of a bumblebee as I wander this way and that, from scene to scene. 

I cut back towards where I figured the road would be, found a fallen tree bridge to cross back over the creek, and came out right at a talus slope where I knew there to be Pika. Sure enough, I was able to capture a fleeting glance of one such critter, and then in a spring that pops up below the rocks, I got my last shot of the day. A bold frog stayed visible despite its friends all ducking for cover as I walked up. 

A Morning of Discoveries

I went for a long walk in the woods Saturday morning. As usual, I just wandered around the forest, sometimes on old game trails, other times stepping over fallen trees while ducking overhead branches. The Sun was up, but concealed behind mountains. Light sprinkles of rain remained from the overnight storms, but I saw bit of blue to the southwest. Diffuse warm light from breaks in the clouds filtered down through the canopy of trees and provided some magic light. 

The first thing that caught my eye were young Douglas Fir trees surrounded by slender Lodgepole Pines. I found one isolated enough from the others to create a compelling scene. From here I wandered into a meadow, covered in Western Coneflower. These fascinating flowers lack the traditional colorful petals of their relatives, but are no less attractive to pollinators. Many of these flowers had rain-soaked bees hiding under them, waiting patiently for the Sun to come out. This particular one had a caterpillar and a Crab spider of some sort existing in some sort of weather induced ceasefire! 

As I stepped carefully back into the forest, I discovered a decaying log covered in tiny orange mushrooms. As is often the case, I first capture the larger scene, then work my way in to the finer details. In the final image, that single mushroom is just 1/2” tall and less than a 1/4” in diameter, but if you look closely, the entire forest around it is reflected in its rain-soaked cap. 

From here I walked across a stream, and was immediately transported to a much more ancient feeling forest. It got darker, the trees more dense, and the forest floor was covered in the remains of fallen giants of yesteryear. I am pretty certain that the path of this photographer closely matched the flight of a bumblebee as I wander this way and that, from scene to scene. 

I cut back towards where I figured the road would be, found a fallen tree bridge to cross back over the creek, and came out right at a talus slope where I knew there to be Pika. Sure enough, I was able to capture a fleeting glance of one such critter, and then in a spring that pops up below the rocks, I got my last shot of the day. A bold frog stayed visible despite its friends all ducking for cover as I walked up. 

A Morning of Discoveries

I went for a long walk in the woods Saturday morning. As usual, I just wandered around the forest, sometimes on old game trails, other times stepping over fallen trees while ducking overhead branches. The Sun was up, but concealed behind mountains. Light sprinkles of rain remained from the overnight storms, but I saw bit of blue to the southwest. Diffuse warm light from breaks in the clouds filtered down through the canopy of trees and provided some magic light. 

The first thing that caught my eye were young Douglas Fir trees surrounded by slender Lodgepole Pines. I found one isolated enough from the others to create a compelling scene. From here I wandered into a meadow, covered in Western Coneflower. These fascinating flowers lack the traditional colorful petals of their relatives, but are no less attractive to pollinators. Many of these flowers had rain-soaked bees hiding under them, waiting patiently for the Sun to come out. This particular one had a caterpillar and a Crab spider of some sort existing in some sort of weather induced ceasefire! 

As I stepped carefully back into the forest, I discovered a decaying log covered in tiny orange mushrooms. As is often the case, I first capture the larger scene, then work my way in to the finer details. In the final image, that single mushroom is just 1/2” tall and less than a 1/4” in diameter, but if you look closely, the entire forest around it is reflected in its rain-soaked cap. 

From here I walked across a stream, and was immediately transported to a much more ancient feeling forest. It got darker, the trees more dense, and the forest floor was covered in the remains of fallen giants of yesteryear. I am pretty certain that the path of this photographer closely matched the flight of a bumblebee as I wander this way and that, from scene to scene. 

I cut back towards where I figured the road would be, found a fallen tree bridge to cross back over the creek, and came out right at a talus slope where I knew there to be Pika. Sure enough, I was able to capture a fleeting glance of one such critter, and then in a spring that pops up below the rocks, I got my last shot of the day. A bold frog stayed visible despite its friends all ducking for cover as I walked up.