Life on the Outer Coast

Went to Blue Lake around noon to spend the night to be in position for a breeding bird survey on the 19th of June. After dropping the overnight gear at the gravel bar near the lichen rich alder/nettle avalanche track, we proceeded up the creek with the intention of at least getting around the barrier falls. We went a bit further.

Did stop to check on the lone poppy in the gravel bar and to "measure" the exceptionally large cedar along the trail. My reach is roughly 5ft 3", it seems like the tree must have a diameter of slightly less than 5ft.

The valley beyond was narrow U-shaped one with an interesting mixture (or maybe tangle) of different vegetation; alder thickets, youngish mature forest, boulder piles with subalpine like shrubs and a lovely patch of nettles. Seems like the driving force in succession in this valley is probably avalanches and mass wasting. Wind may have some role, but it seems secondary.

There was one slide not too far past the falls that seemed like it happened this last winter or spring, found some bones and a nice bit of hide of a mountain goat in the snow. Some of the hair is now in my freezer, hopefully, I'll get this spun this winter.

We made our way up the valley using the rather large remaining patches of snow allowed for easier going. Things were pretty springlike (plant wise) beyond the falls. Ranunculus coolyeae was blooming and many of the plants that would have made the walk more challenging were short or buried in snow. Did find an interesting Agrocybe in the alders.

Finally reached a point in the evening that it was time to turn back; it would be well worth a return. The valley felt like we were at the core of Baranof; steep valley walls, rugged topography and a raw kind of feeling. We could see muskegs much further up the valley and Mountain goats not really all that far above us.

Before we headed back I collected a bag or two of young nettles and fiddleheads. Many of the young nettles were purple.