The tundra in the Fall is absolutely breathtaking………a carpet of colors weaving a beautiful tapestry….as far as the eye could see.
With crystal clear blue lakes and streams…….
Not ‘tree-less’…….but with sparse patches of evergreen trees……
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.
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…..
Or carpeted with low growing bear-berry or wild cranberries (which were delicious).
The mosses and lichen form thick mats which feel ‘spongy’ when you walk on them.
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).
And ‘finger’ lichen….and I don’t remember the name for the one on the right……
Don’t remember this one, either, but I loved the color……
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………….
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