Boulder Pass, Ptarmigan Lake, Banff N. P. - August 14, 2010

[Lori S.]

Here are a few shots from a hike into the start of the very popular Skoki Loop route, in Banff National Park... we went across Boulder Pass, the first point of interest, and wandered around Ptarmigan Lake, and called it a day.  
Rather than belabour a lot of plant species I've shown in other threads, I'll just show some of the different and interesting ones here.
1) Leaving the forest and looking west from meadow, at Mount Temple and the Seven Sisters, in the distance
2, 3) Platanthera dilatata, in wet meadow
4, 5) Scenery, and approaching Boulder Pass, on the flank of Redoubt Mt.
6) Lots of butterflies... pardon the subject matter, but they are frequently interested in horse dung, as shown here.
7, 8 ) I've only seen this plant in one other place - Pedicularis contorta - lots of them around Boulder Pass
9) Boulder Pass

[Todd Boland]

More dramatic scenery!  I would have thought it too late in the season for much blooms now.

[McDonough]

I wonder why they call it Boulder Pass   The Pedicularis contorta is an odd thing isn't it, as some Pedics can be.  Plantanthera dilatata is very handsome.

[Lori S.]

The bloom was surprisingly advanced up here, as compared to the previous hikes in Kananaskis... though more in line with mid-August, in a normal year... I'm baffled.  

I'm fond of Pedicularis... would like to try growing them but I think conditions would be far too dry here, without special measures... although having said that, this particular species seemed to grow in somewhat drier conditions...

A few more:
1, 2) Erigeron compositus and Epilobium latifolium at Boulder Pass.  (We haven't been here in summer in 20+ years (Stuart skiis this area though), and it actually did not seem to be so much the "natural rock garden" that I had remembered fondly from way back when.  Oh well, just my faulty memory, no doubt!)
3) Ptarmigan Lake, with Fossil Mountain on the left
4, 5) Tundra-like conditions around the lake
6) A late Caltha leptosepala in a mossy seep from a spring that runs into the lake
7) Anemone occidentalis  
8 ) Senecio triangularis, in bloom here on the wet lake shore
9) Haplopappus lyallii in a rockier area
10) Tilted Mountain, a very distinctive peak, in the distance

[Lori S.]

1) scenery
2) Cotton grass, Eriophorum sp., on the wet shore
3) Last look at Boulder Pass/Redoubt as we head back
4) Beautiful Juncus sp. in the boggy areas
5) Back towards tree line, a band of Larix lyallii... not a bad area for an easy fall larch hike
6) Many extremely white Castilleja in the montane meadows in this area
7) Moneses uniflora, back in the forest
8, 9) A new one for me, Senecio pauciflorus, alpine groundsel (with Valeriana sitchensis in the background)
10) Wonderful little scenes along the forest trail... beautiful fresh mushrooms in a bed of sphagnum

[Lori S.]

And continuing on the theme of simple plants, etc., for a bit...
1, 2) A gorgeous rotted log splendidly clothed in false pixie-cup (Cladonia chlorophaea), a club lichen
3) Fascinating fungi... I haven't figured out what this is yet; hints?  Edit:  It's Clavaria purpurea.
4, 5) I've finally figured out (I think) what this interesting stuff is that covers rotting wood in the boreal forest... a crust lichen, Icmadophila ericetorum; common names, "spraypaint" and "fairy puke"... !  (I'm rather taken by the latter - "fairy puke" - and vow to use it from now on.  )

[Booker]

Superb images, Lori ... let's hope that more people are attracted to this topic.

[Lori S.]

Hey, if fairy puke doesn't bring 'em in by the droves, what will?!?   

[RickR]

Great pics as usual, Lori.  Isn't int interesting how the name "Seven Sisters" is so often used.  Our Seven Sisters in Minnesota is a an area of prairie encompassing seven very large hills.  (We have no mountains, although I think the highest point in the state is called "Mt. Jasper."  It has nice striated formations of iron and jasper.

[Hoy]

And continuing on the theme of simple plants, etc., for a bit...
1, 2) A gorgeous rotted log splendidly clothed in false pixie-cup (Cladonia chlorophaea), a club lichen
3) Fascinating fungi... I haven't figured out what this is yet; hints?
4, 5) I've finally figured out (I think) what this interesting stuff is that covers rotting wood in the boreal forest... a crust lichen, Icmadophila ericetorum; common names, spraypaint and fairy puke... !  (I'm rather taken by the latter - "fairy puke" - and vow to use it from now on.  )

I never get tired of looking at your pictures, Lori, it being plants, "simple plants" (you know, fungi are more related to animals than to plants!) or scenery.
Your fascinating fungus, can it be a kind of Telephora?

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Rick and Trond!
Yes, I knew I was on "thin ice" with my intended segue into the lichen photos... I was hoping the "simple plants" reference would cover off the moss, lichen, while "etc." would refer to the fungi... not quite so smooth a transition as I had hoped!    
Re. Telephora - I'm sure if you suggest it, it is very likely.  I'll have to look it up, and will report back.  I know very little about fungi, lichens, etc., but it will be fascinating to learn.

[Hoy]

Thanks, Trond!
Yes, I knew I was on "thin ice" with my intended segue into the lichen photos... I was hoping the "simple plants" reference would cover off the lichen, while "etc." would refer to the fungi... not quite so smooth a transition as I had hoped!    
Re. Telephora - I'm sure if you suggest it, it is very likely.  I'll have to look it up, and will report back.  I know very little about fungi, lichens, etc., but it will be fascinating to learn.

Well, lichens are kind of plants in a way being composed of mutualistic algae and fungi in one "organism".
I am by no means an expert of fungi, I just asked a similar question last year on another forum!
( http://www.biologforeningen.org/enbiolog/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8521&SearchTerms=p%E5 )

[Lori S.]

Ah ha, I think I found out the strange purple-brown fungi.  It seems to be a coral fungi called Clavaria purpurea:
http://www.bowvalleynaturalists.org/html/mushroom_primer.html

[Lori S.]

Just a note... It snowed in this area last night... Lake Louise webcam shows it all white this morning (Aug. 27)!

[Hoy]

Ah ha, I think I found out the strange purple-brown fungi.  It seems to be a coral fungi called Clavaria purpurea:
http://www.bowvalleynaturalists.org/html/mushroom_primer.html

I think you are right!

Snow in mountains in August? That's not uncommon, at least not in Norway. In July, at our mountain cabin, we had freezing temperatures so low that many plants were damaged. Even well adapted mountain plants suffered.
But here at the coast that never happens (I cross my fingers).