kate_calif's Journal

I believe Long Ridge is a hotspot for lichen diversity. In order to begin documenting this diversity, I've obtained a permit from Midpen to collect specimens for submission to the lichen herbarium at UC Berkeley.
The species collected and submitted to date (01/12/24) are:
Chrysothrix sp.
Evernia prunastri
Hypogymnia imshaugii
Hypogymnia inactiva
Hypogymnia tubulosa
Letharia vulpina
Lobaria anomala
Lobaria anthraspis
Lobaria pulmonaria
Parmelia sulcata
Parmotrema perlatum
Peltigera collina
Peltigera membranacea
Physcia alnophila
Platismatia stenophylla
Ramalina farinacea
Ramalina menziesii
Scytinium palmatum
Sphaerophorus venerabilis
Sticta gretae
Tuckermanopsis orbata
Umbillicaria phaea
Usnea ceratina
Usnea cavernosa
Usnea fragilescens
Usnea intermedia
Usnea scabrata
Usnea subfloridana

Glacier Bay's unspoiled natural beauty and abundant mega-fauna certainly make it a place not to be missed. It was surprisingly easy to get to. Just fly to Juneau and then take Alaska Seaplanes to Gustavus (pronounced Gus Tavus like it's a person's name). I recommend staying at Glacier Bay Lodge which is comfortable, rustic and nestled in the forest at the edge of the bay. The lodge runs a day boat, as they call it, which takes you out for the day and goes all the way up the bay to the Grand Pacific Glacier. There's a National Park Ranger onboard to provide interpretation and answer questions. Along the way, we saw Humpback Whales; a Brown (Grizzly) Bear with 3 cubs; Mountain Goats with babies jumping along steep, rocky mountainsides; Harbor Seals; Sea Otters; Stellar Sea Lions; both Tufted and Horned Puffins; various pelagic birds; and a Black Bear. Plus the breathtaking views of the landscape and glaciers are non-stop. I didn't take pictures, I just enjoyed it all. There are also hiking trails around the Lodge where Red Squirrels, and Porcupines are fairly common. We also saw a Sooty Grouse in the underbrush near the lodge. A hike of a little over 2-miles from the lodge to the mouth of the Bartlett River (Bartlett River Trail) brings you to a wonderful meadow full of flowers in the late spring and summer. That's where I saw the Butterwort and Dark-throated Shooting Stars. The lodge also offers half and full day guided kayaking. The only time I saw harbor porpoises was kayaking. For me, my 3-day stay was perfect and I'll definitely go back.

It was a beautiful day at the summit of Mt. Umunhum today! It was my first time up there since it was opened to the public. The parking lot had plenty of spaces and the improvements all looked fresh and new. The views, of course, were fabulous. I sounded a bit like a broken record saying, "Wow!"
We hiked from the summit down to the Bald Mountain parking lot which was less than 4 miles. It was surprising to see Hound's Tongues still in bloom and so many Mission Bells. It was only my second time seeing Ground Roses and was pleased to see so many.
I'm hoping somebody can confirm or correct my observation of what I think is Clatonia exigua and perhaps figure out the species of the Plectritis I observed. I hope I captured enough distinguishing features for id. It's all an enjoyable learning process for me.
TTFN