#NatureWritingChallenge - A memorable plant on public lands

A memorable or favorite plant, large or small, found on public lands.

Join us on Twitter with the hashtag #NatureWritingChallenge to discuss and share the topic Thursday at 8:30 CST. This post was created in one hour specifically for this challenge.

At first thought, I wanted to write about the huge trees along the west coast that I love so much. But, after a little more digging, I decided to focus on something that surprised me and really made me smile on one of my trips to (YES, You guessed it) the Olympic Peninsula. Western Skunk Cabbage, Lysichiton americanus, is a yellow flowering plant often found in the swamps of the moist northwestern forests. These yellow delights were a surprise for me, as I didn’t really plan ahead by reading about the plants of the Olympic Peninsula.

By the time I laid eyes on one of these plants, I had already been hiking around for an entire day. I had seen some pretty pink flowers, a variety of trees and mosses, and several types of ferns. Expectations were met, and exceeded, with plant life. Little did I know what was coming - in the form of skunk cabbage. I started my trek out to the coast on the Ozette Triangle (Loop) trail and crossed the bridge. If you read last week, this is probably my favorite trail I’ve experienced on public lands. I wasn’t far along the trail, which was mostly a boardwalk, and I noticed these yellow “lily-looking” flowers in the swampy areas.

I saw a few skunk cabbage plants and moved along, feeling pleased to see something new. Every little patch of swamp, I saw more and more. They were everywhere! The yellow flower was the perfect compliment to the varying hues of green in the forest and a stark contrast to the black mud and tannin rich water. I walked on, made it to the coast, and then saw more of them on my way back to the parking lot. I made a Twitter post once back at my motel for the night and I’m pretty sure @Publiclandlvr was the one to clarify what it was for me.

I had one more day on the peninsula, and it was suggest that I visit the Quinault region. I went on the south side, through the little tourist area and then made my way to east end around the lake. I saw beautiful trees and moss, some new trees, and a few more flowers. I decided to take a walk on the Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail. I’m so glad I did, because the water flowing through the swamp and the moss covered broadleaf (leafless) maples was stunning on that misty, foggy day. I did the small loop, already elated at the first sound only to be energized even more seeing the beautiful dots of skunk cabbage among the most brilliant green plants I’ve EVER seen in person. The pictures from that day DO do it justice, because you can see the gorgeous yellow dots and the brilliancy that is the green. What a treat.

Skunk cabbage apparently has an odor, to attract certain pollinators, but I didn’t smell it. Maybe I was high on the ocean air or the misty rain forest smells, but it didn’t hit me. I know the hearty yellow flower isn’t the most IMPRESSIVE plan on public lands, by any means, but it sure is a delight among the rest and something that I have fond memories of seeing for the first time last year on my first real hiking trip to Olympic National Park. I enjoyed every plant I saw on my trip, but I’ll always be excited to visit in the spring and look for good ole skunk cabbage.

#NatureWritingChallenge - I Didn't Even Know the Desert Could Do This!

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Topic: A day of surprising wildflowers on America's Public Lands

As with every #NatureWritingChallenge, this post was created, edited, and uploaded within an hour.

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Who knew the desert could bloom, and why didn't you tell me!?

It was 2008 and my two great friends and I were on a road trip to see the west.  I've talked about these road trips in numerous blog posts, but they're an important part of my love for public lands and road trips.  We had taken a trip in 2007 and stopped at a few cool places, but wanted more out of this year so we planned some major stops.  We started in the Pacific Northwest and made our way down the coast through the Redwoods and over to Sequoia/Kings Canyon and on to Death Valley.

None of us had been to Death Valley, nor the other places on the list, so this was a first-time experience for us all.  We entered the park, with views of mountains and started descending.  The views on the way in were as if we had been transported to another planet.  It went from giant trees to desert with snow capped mountains in the background so quickly.  We stopped early on to take some photos and so my friend could check out the dirt - he was a geology major and is now a geologist.  From there we went down to sea level, and of course stopped for a picture.  From there we kept going down, with plans to stop at the historical sites along the way to Badwater Basin.  As we stopped to take it all in, we realized we were in the midst of a desert bloom (or whatever we called it in 2008).

In my current state of being, I know what a desert bloom is.  I see all of the photos from the California desert and high desert areas in other states all spring long.  Back then, before even researching a road trip destination too much, I had absolutely NO IDEA what a desert bloom was or that it could even happen at this level.  We had stumbled upon, what I now realize, a brief window in time when people plan for and take vacation time to see what Mother Nature can do with colors in the desert.  It was gorgeous!  Yellow flowers across the desert, with snow capped mountains in the background.  Simply amazing and unexpected.  I look back at the photos, trying to remember what I was thinking and can only imagine it wasn't much.  I'm not sure in 2008 we appreciated it as I would today, but I know it caught our eye and offered a nice experience nonetheless.  I can't say the photos we took in 2008 do it any justice, but it was very windy and we didn't quite try too hard.

Nowadays, I look forward to the time I'll be able to make a trip to the desert when the flowers are blooming and hope to do it soon.  Enjoy these photos from the surprising and unexpected desert bloom of 2008 in Death Valley National Park.  May you find some flowers this spring, wherever you are!

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#NatureWritingChallenge - Lost Man Creek

Lost Man Creek is one of those spots I didn't plan on visiting but was instantly grateful for finding when exploring Redwood National and State Parks. I was traveling with my other half, a summer road trip to see the Redwoods, and we did not have a lot of plans set in stone other than our hotel in Arcata, California. The plan was to venture south one day, to see the sights around the Avenue of the Giants and then a couple of days north with no destinations in mind. One morning after coffee, the car was pointed north on the 101 and the exploring began. First stop was the Prairie Creek Visitor Center area to make a plan. We checked our Google Maps, searched for places online, and Lost Man Creek came up. We had nothing to lose, so we went.

Following the signs, we turned down the road that led to the parking lot. The road was narrow, dirt, and flanked by moss-covered trees. The parking lot was empty, which was a nice surprise, so we parked and headed toward the moss-covered picnic table. I can’t recall if there was a sign that had a functional map, but we followed what appeared to be an old road along the Lost Man Creek into the woods.

First things first, we posed with several large trees because that’s what you do in the Redwoods. After the photos, we admired how quiet it was in regards to the outside world. It was far enough from the 101, or there were enough trees, that it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. I can remember just standing in a patch of sunlight coming in through mossy branches and listening to the creek trickle by. We went back, further and further, finding more solitude as we walked. With the solitude came endless ferns, a few white iris flowers, and honeysuckle. The ground was a brilliant green as far as you could see, with the creek barely visible along the trail.

This creek in this park, at this moment in time, holds a significance to me because it was a moment of complete freedom. It was relaxing yet fun, an easy hike yet beautiful, and accessible without the crowds. The time spent along Lost Man Creek was an ideal moment on public lands. To this day, I have wallpapers on my work PC of this specific place to remind me to calm down, take a moment, and find some peace when things get stressful. I can’t wait to get back, hike a bit further, and enjoy it all over again in a new way someday.

This post was created in one hour for the #naturewritingchallenge

**Editing done after the hour due to technical issues.