Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The landscape–Great and Small

The tundra in the Fall is absolutely breathtaking………a carpet of colors weaving a beautiful tapestry….as far as the eye could see.

IMG_0801

With crystal clear blue lakes and streams…….

IMG_0840

Not ‘tree-less’…….but with sparse patches of evergreen  trees……

IMG_0826

And what was so amazing…….there were 13 of us at Peterson’s lodge, …..including the Petersons and all guests and staff. No one else around Point lake (which is 42 miles long) and no one else around for miles and miles and miles……..Just this pristine landscape…unspoiled by people.

IMG_1410

IMG_1135

To call this the barren lands seems to be a misnomer…..it is far from barren. Some areas are covered with willow and birch ‘shrubs’ that are 3-6 feet tall…..

IMG_1327

Or carpeted with low growing bear-berry or wild cranberries (which were delicious).

IMG_1199IMG_1242

The mosses and lichen form thick mats which feel ‘spongy’ when you walk on them.

IMG_1333

IMG_1155

There were more kinds of lichen than I can remember the names for……left- is black rock tripe (which was noted to be what the Franklin expedition, ate when they were lost and starving….not a good idea, as it gave then severe diarrhea), and right – is reindeer lichen (by the way….caribou are in the same family as reindeer).

IMG_1279IMG_1281

And ‘finger’ lichen….and I don’t remember the name for the one on the right……

IMG_1207IMG_1255

Don’t remember this one, either, but I loved the color……

IMG_1289

It was our first experience on the tundra……so different than anything we had ever seen…..and so wild……We left a piece of our heart there………….

No comments:

Post a Comment