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

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

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

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

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

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.  ;D)

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

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

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.

Skulski wrote:

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.  ;D)

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?

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!  :D :D  
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.

Skulski wrote:

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!  :D :D  
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&SearchT... )

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

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

Skulski wrote:

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).

Hoy wrote:

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).

No, it's not uncommon here either, and can occur at any time during the brief, cool summer... if it's raining here, it may be snowing at high elevations.  I thought it would be interesting to note for those who do not experience northern mountain weather, though.
While we've not seen a damaging frost at city elevation in July (yet  :)), I have seen frost on the grass down by the river in every month through the summer.
Today, it's 5 deg C and drizzling in Calgary... supposed to get to a high of 10.  Where'd our blue skies go?!?

Yes, of course....
Maybe your blue skies have travelled eastwards? The weather forecast the next week is very good here, and today has been very fine but last week we had heavy rain filling a bucket in one night.