Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
A Mental Health Day and a Long Hike
Yesterday I decided to take a respite from politics and other woes of the world. I went on a hike with my brother on the Lower Salmon River Trail on the slopes of Mount Hood. The River was high in the aftermath of a big Pacific storm that had just swept through dumping about three inches of rain.
The hike is known for its huge trees. This Western Red Cedar is easily 500 years, and maybe as much as 800 years, old.
The exposed roots of a tree downed many years ago.
Large trees which fall in the forest eventually begin to rot, and other plants begin to grow on them. Such trees are called “nurse logs”. Western Hemlock has a particular affinity for growing in nurse logs and old stumps. The nearest of these three hemlocks is probably about 100 years old.
This Pacific Yew is also growing out of a nurse log. Some may remember that about 20 years ago this species of yew was discovered to have anti-cancer properties. It was harvested to make medicine until a synthetic could be manufactured.
Shelf fungus are common on dead trees. A number of different species grow here, some getting as big as half a dinner plate.
Prime mushroom season is October and November, but this beauty was alongside the trail.
This gnarly old cedar is standing sentinel alongside the river.
I hope you enjoyed the hike as much as I did.
Published in Environment
Beautiful country out west, I hope to visit it sometime.
Beautiful!
My cousin is an orthopedic surgeon in your neck of the woods, John Durkan.
Wonderful post. Thanks.
I loved it! Thank you for taking us with you, so to speak. I’m sure you found it soul-filling and restorative. Just beautiful.
@alfrench – thanks for the reminder that not everything about this corner of the planet sucks. Actually, the only thing that does suck is the majority of the people.
Great images! Thanks for the visual refreshment.
Thanks for the come-with, @alfrench! I’m bookmarking this, so I can enjoy it more than once. :-) Such a blessing!
Beautiful pictures and what a great place to hike!! I found these weird mushrooms in a pot of mine yesterday where I have a fig planted – I found they are called Earthstar mushrooms – very sci fi! Apparently they determine the weather – the points turn up when its dry and turn down when wet. They re-nourish poor soil – nature is amazing and has a sense of humor.
Well, the pictures certainly helped my mental health
Great post man. I love days like that, really appreciate you sharing the pictures!
Great pics. Makes me want to truss up my aching joints and head out to similar territories just a few degrees of latitude north. My sons and I have hiked and camped in the Mt Baker Wilderness and throughout the Olympic Nat’l Forest and Park.
This looks like home.
Ms. Cat, I’m jealous. Living in Oregon, I’m something of a connoisseur of mushrooms, but I’ve never seen any like yours. I’ve posted my photos of mushrooms before on Facebook, but none were quite as good as yours.
Speaking of connoisseurs, I told my husband about you sneaking into the freezer after hours to snag a few holiday cookies – seriously, this is hardly the time to go on a cookie diet Ken….but my husband’s response was “I can totally relate, being a cookie connoisseur myself”…..
I feel a cookie post coming on, or mushroom……let me think about it….
Reformed cookie connoisseur here. Please ask your husband – for oatmeal cookies, raisins or chocolate chips? If he answers incorrectly he’ll lose his certification.
Definitely WRONG!!! Ruins the best cookie on earth.
Either one, but leave out the cinnamon, or you’ll hurt the Panda…
Anyone who thinks that chocolate chip is not the best cookie in the world is probably attending Communist cell meetings, where the comrades all eat sugar cookies.
Perhaps you didn’t know that chocolate chip cookies were invented by Martha Washington, which may be why her husband lost all his teeth.
I don’t think you’re catching what I’m saying – Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies. Takes the regular choc chip cookie to a whole new level.
You should. There is lots of variety. An hour to the mountains, two hours to the beach and two to the high desert. But “come to visit, not to stay”, which was our unofficial state motto years ago.
Thanks, RA. The country is so beautiful it is easy to take nice pictures. These are with an old iPhone.
Hood River. I’ve done a lot of hiking around there.
Ha! In Texas, we say to Californians that “We have scorpions! And rattlesnakes and fire ants too! You do not want to live here”
Thanks. I mostly hike around home, but have done a little in the Hoh River area. Very similar. The flora are nearly identical.
Kent:
I know nothing about mushrooms. Do you know the one I pictured? Should I have taken it home and eaten it?
And speaking of eating, you should worry less about raiding the freezer for cookies and get Marie and Bob* back to the woods. This was no more difficult than a walk in Washington Park.
*Especially Bob. Dogs just love it out in the woods.
Making up for some of your wonderful posts.
Thanks, Susan. It is very peaceful. Concentrating on the beauty, I can forget about the worlds problems for a while.
Most of them imports from California and the cities back east.
@brianwatt, @nandapanjandrum, @frontseatcat, @willowspring and @concretevol thanks for the kind comments. Lots of beauty out there.