Adventures in the Adirondacks II: Hiking atop Dorset Mountain

*Part I* *Part II* *Part III* *Part IV*

I've been guilty of letting a topic sit on the blogging shelf before but never quite like this.  It's certainly not on purpose or an intentional act, as the subject(s) within this post and the related ones to follow are some of my most memorable and cherished experiences yet.  They are memories I love to sit and reminisce on when I find myself a bit bored or wishing I was outside among the plants and birds.  That all being said, in a weird way I enjoy the delay as it gives me a perfect opportunity to look back and really dive into the details and (finally) share them with my readers.

Rewind nearly a year ago to late May of 2013 and your blogger was back in the southern Adirondacks of upstate New York with dearest of friends, Jackie for another round of botanical adventures in her home area.  Jackie is an incredible naturalist and passionate lover of the outdoors and quite the blogger as I've mentioned before.  If you have never paid her site a visit, I highly recommend spending some time there.  My first trip happened back in the summer of 2012 and I had so much fun we planned another visit, this time in the freshness of spring in northern New York.  You can go back and read about our first day's finds and good times by following this link here.

Low hanging rain clouds over the mountains of the Taconic Range in western Vermont

The second of my three days to be spent wandering the wilderness with Jackie and fellow brilliant naturalist friend, Sue dawned dark with swollen rain clouds rolling through.  Our plan was to make a short drive east into western Vermont to meet up with a group of naturalists for a hike up to an old abandoned marble quarry near Dorset Mountain in the Taconic Range mountains.  The sound of rain off the windows and shutters while we ate breakfast had me nervous the trip might be canceled but never to fear as our intrepid group had no thoughts of giving up.

Hiking up, up, up to the top of the mountain

We donned our rain gear and broad-rimmed hats and ventured into the mists as our hike took us higher, and higher, and higher into the clouds.  The rain was steady at first but eventually slowed to a fine mist before stopping altogether by late morning but the saturated air and foggy conditions never let up.  It prevented any shot at a good view out across the mountain range but created a unique atmosphere that made the greens all the more rich and vibrant and enveloped our group in a sense of mysteriousness.

Round-leaved Dogwood (Cornus rugosa)

Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

Throughout the forest was sugar maple, red oak, basswood, paper birch, white ash, and hemlock shrouded in the fog.  Each tree seemed to slowly materialize before your eyes as each footstep brought us one step closer to the top of the mountain.  In shrubbier areas where fallen trees and rock slides had made gaps in the canopy were stands of round-leaved dogwood (Cornus rugosa), a rarity back in Ohio that had always escaped me.

Twisted fruits of the rare rock draba (Draba arabisans)

As our group neared the top and the marble quarry that awaited us, we came across one of the more rare and unusual plants that calls Dorset Mountain home.  The rare rock draba (Draba arabisans) looks a lot like the other small, inconspicuous members of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) when in flower but upon pollination and fertilization its unique fruits come to life in their twisted siliques.  This species is only known to occur in a handful of states in the Northeast and northern Great Lakes states.

Moss and fern covered walls of the abandoned marble quarry

After about a mile and a half and nearly a 1,000 foot climb in elevation, we finally came to the abandoned marble quarry near the top of the mountain.  Decades and decades in the past would have greeted us with a completely different scene when the site was active but nature has an amazing way of "taking" things back when given the opportunity.  The sheer walls of the quarry rose above our heads 70+ feet and supported masses of mosses and ferns from years of desuetude.

Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra)

Red eft stage of a E. red-spotted newt

The precipitous marble walls and thick fog made for a surreal experience upon entering the quarry and its explosion of wildflowers and life.  The air was alive with the songs of birds returned and looking for a mate with scarlet tanager, winter wren, veery, hermit thrush, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, parula, and American redstart all adding their own part to the choir.  The moist conditions and humid air made for perfect conditions for the likes of red efts to be out and about and boy were they ever.

Rose Twisted Stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus) 

One of the most pleasant of finds among the marble cobble and rich pockets of accumulated soil was some rose twisted stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus) still in perfect bloom.  This is an endangered plant in Ohio and only known from a site or two in the extreme northeast corner.  I didn't think I'd get to see this lifer due to all the plants at lower locations already being in fruit but the cooler conditions at a higher elevation kept them just right.  Other floral showoffs like foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), red baneberry (Actaea rubra), mitrewort (Mitella diphylla), round-leaved ragwort (Packera obovata), wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis), and red trillium (Trillium erectum) were mixed in as well.

Large Yellow Lady's Slippers (Cypripedium pubescens)

Beautiful clumps of large yellow lady's slippers (Cypripedium pubescens) glowed like golden beacons from the gloomy forest floor all throughout the quarry and its corresponding slopes.  Despite seeing this orchid dozens of times in previous botanical forays, it just never gets old coming across such a familiar scene and falling in love with the sight of it all over again, each and every time.

Foggy abandoned marble quarry

Huge colony of bulblet fern (Cystopteris bulbifera)

Perhaps the most impressive thing of all about the marble quarry was the explosion of green that filled every bit of your field of vision no matter where your turned and looked.  Wildflowers, trees, ferns, and mosses all added their own unique shade and was only magnified by the fog and residual water droplets.  At the bases and along the steps in the marble walls was a profusion of bulblet fern (Cystopteris bulbifera) that created a thick carpet of feathery goodness you just wanted to lie down and nap in.

Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum) in full flower

Mountain maple (Acer spicatum) and striped maple (A. pensylvanicum) were two of the more common understory trees and both were in full flower with the mountain maple pictured above.

Slender Cliff-brake (Cryptogramma stelleri)

Tucked away in small groupings on the mossy marble walls was a species of fern I'd never seen before in the slender cliff-brake (Cryptogramma stelleri).  It's quite at home in rich, limey areas on moist, shaded, rocky substrates and the quarry had that in spades.  The fronds with skinnier, more narrow pinna are the spore-bearing or fertile fronds while the stubbier ones are sterile.

Hundreds of small yellow lady's slippers covering the lush forest floor

A few years back, Jackie posted a piece on this marble quarry on her blog and for all the reasons shown so far and the many more that didn't make the cut, it was instantly a place I knew I had to see and experience for myself one day.  The one thing that really captured my attention and was the subject of many a daydream was the fact that in select spots within the quarry was hundreds upon hundreds of northern small yellow lady's slippers (Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin) that literally carpeted the ground in their miniscule wonder.  I tried to picture what it must look like in person too many times to count but none came even close when I finally came upon the majestic scene laid out before me.  I haven't tried to count just how many lady's slippers are visible in this shot but it's safe to say there's more here than I've ever seen and probably ever will!

Nice clump of small yellow lady's slippers

Golden beads in a sea of green

I can't recall a time when my breath became so still and my footsteps so slow and carefully planned.  Even so, it was quite the task to walk among the sea of orchids and keep a light boot in mind.  It was hard to take the eyes off such an unbelievable collection.  A quick whiff of the slipper reveals a potent and sweet aroma reminiscent of vanilla and almonds.  Had the sun been out and temperatures warmer, I can only imagine how their bouquet might have hung in the air.

Looking down into the valley near Manchester, Vermont

Moving further up slope carried us away from the depths of the quarry and out along the edge of the mountain with some still gloomy but better-than-nothing views of the surrounding mountains and valley below.  This final ascent had something very special, very rare, and very tiny in mind...

Triangular-lobed Moonwort (Botrychium ascendens)

Growing on the open, rocky flats near the summit of the mountain was one of the most intriguing, rare, and curious vascular plants I'm sure to ever lay eyes on.  The photo above shows the triangular-lobed moonwort (Botrychium ascendens) in all its miniature glory.  This fern is native to the western United States and even then is a rare occurrence but magically appears in a handful of sites east of the Mississippi as well (all in Canada).  This site in the Taconic Range of western Vermont is, as of now the only site in the entirety of the eastern United States where its known to occur (potentially one more these days?).  Dozens of plants were to be found throughout the immediate area with none much bigger than the specimen photographed.  It was a truly humbling moment to bear witness to such a rare and fascinating little plant.  A feeling unique to botanists and naturalists, I'm sure but a feeling I don't think I'll ever forget.  If you want to read and learn more about this moonwort, feel free to check out this link here (on page seven).

Maidenhair Fern (Adiatum pedatum) 

Goldie's Fern (Dryopteris goldiana)

After getting our fill of the tiny moonworts, our group began the long trek back down the mountain.  I could have easily slipped back into the quarry to spend countless more hours exploring its misty depths and bevy of wildflowers, it was just that mesmerizing and fantastic a site.

A tasty and perfect morel mushroom waiting to be found...and eaten

In the end, our hike had produced unforgettable moments for the eyes, ears, and nose, so it was only appropriate the mountain made one last offering to complete the cycle and give me one for my taste buds too.  The trek down fortuned Jackie and I into some plump, perfectly formed morel mushrooms that we quickly harvested and agreed would find their way to a hot skillet later in the evening.

Jackie and I's bounty of tasty morels!

The best part of the morels was getting a taste later in the season than normal for an Ohioan.  By late May these mushrooms have all but disappeared until next spring for my area(s) of the Buckeye state, so you won't hear your blogger complain one iota about getting one last shot at these delicacies!  True to her word, Jackie fried them up to perfection as an appetizer for our dinner that evening.  What a way to end one of the most incredible days in the field I've ever had.  Jackie truly brings me all the luck in the world and how dearly I love her for that power.

There's still plenty more to come from my third and final day in the southern Adirondacks and I promise not to leave you hanging even a fraction as long.  Thanks for tuning in and keep an eye out for the next post(s) soon!

*Part I* *Part II* *Part III* *Part IV*

Adventures in the Adirondacks I: Bog Meadow, Hudson Ice Meadows, and Cole's Woods

*Part I* *Part II* *Part III* *Part IV*

Ah, back to the Adirondacks!  For my devotees, you may recall your blogger making the trek to the Saratoga Springs area of upstate New York last July for a week of hiking and botanizing with my dear friend Jackie.  You can read all about the finds and wonderful discoveries by clicking here to see their respective posts.  It wasn't long upon my return back to Ohio that Jackie and I already began to plan for another visit in May 2013.  I'd seen the southern Adirondacks in the summer, now it was time to see what late-spring had to offer!

I came prepared with a list of plants I had the highest of hopes to find in blooming shape during my time in the area.  I'm constantly in the hunt for new wildflowers to mark off my life list (which recently eclipsed 2,000 species) and in similar fashion to my earlier trip, Jackie was my lucky charm.  By the end of the week just about every name on my list had a very satisfying and fulfilling check mark next to it.  I have to say that even if all I had seen was chickweeds and yard violets during my stay it would have still been completely worth the drive.  Being out in the beauty of the Adirondacks with Jackie are and forever will be some of my most treasured moments.  Her love, passion, and knowledge of the outdoors is palpable and very contagious!  I was also very pleased to have Jackie's naturalist friend, Sue take time off work in anticipation of my visit and join us on our forays!  Her eagle eyes and wonderful knowledge and lore of the area came in handy while out in the field.

Early Pink Azalea - Rhododendron prinophyllum

My first full day back in the Adirondacks had Jackie, Sue, and I visit a few key places in the Saratoga Springs area to see what wildflowers we could happen across and to find a number of specifics I had my eyes on.  First up was the Bog Meadow trail outside of Saratoga Springs.  Its path through varying habitats of rich, moist woods; spring seeps; and marshes had plenty to see and enjoy.

Woodland horsetail in a sea of green false hellebore leaves

It wasn't more than five minutes into my first day of hiking before I came across a new and exciting scene for someone who lives and works in southern Ohio.  Growing in a swampy woods was a lush sea of varying greens that seemed to glow in the shade and shadows of the thick canopy.  The whorled, elaborate branches of woodland horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum) glistened with dew in the waxing morning sunlight, intemixed with the lady's slipper orchid-like leaves of green false hellebore (Veratrum viride).

Water Avens - Geum rivale

Water Avens - Geum rivale

One of the first big plants to make it off my list was some of the unique water avens (Geum rivale) blooming alongside a small brook.  Their red sepals and yellow petals hang over its attractive green foliage in quite the aesthetic display.  Just about all our other avens (Geum spp.) are inconspicuous and easily over-looked but this one certainly stands out.

Nodding Trillium - Trillium cernuum

As nutty as I am over orchids, and rest assured there will be plenty of those in these posts, I am also a lover and appreciator of our native trilliums.  There's just something about their three-parted symmetry and having that "classic" spring wildflower look that sets them at a higher level for me.  Halfway through our morning at the bog meadow trail, I was able to finally make the acquaintance of the Ohio extirpated nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum).

Showing off those obvious filaments

Nodding Trillium

This particular trillium was first (and only) collected in Ohio back in 1879 in Lake county and subsequently never seen again.  It looks excruciatingly similar to our much more common drooping trillium (T. flexipes) but can be told apart by a close look at the flower's filaments.  T. cernuum has anthers that hang on longer, easily-noticed filaments, while T. flexipes' anthers seem almost sessile and their filaments are only visible upon pulling apart the flower's petals.  Unfortunately, this species is becoming more uncommon across its northern range; a probable response to warming climate conditions.  Jackie commented on how she doesn't see them with the frequency or consistency she used to.

The botanically-diverse Ice Meadows of the Hudson River 

Next up was a visit to the famed ice meadows of the Hudson River to see what plants we could find beginning to bloom along the newly ice-free shorelines.  Looking up and down the banks on either side it's easy to see just how open and free of woody encroachment this habitat is. This is created and sustained each winter when huge deposits of frazile ice accumulate on the margins of the Hudson.  The immense weight and pressure from the ice pack, which can reach and exceed 15 feet in height at this location, generate the pseudo-boreal habitat.  This annual "cleansing" of the shoreline prevents woody vegetation and invasive species from encroaching and keeps the intriguing plant diversity intact for the late spring and summer months.

Dwarf Sand Cherry - Prunus pumila var. pumila

During my visit last summer I arrived a few weeks too late to catch the ice meadows in their floral prime and this time around I was a few weeks too early for the same thing but that doesn't mean the meadows were completely devoid of anything botanically interesting! The first thing to catch my eye among the greening vegetation was dwarf sand cherry (Prunus pumila var. pumila) in full flower.  This small shrub of beaches, rocky shores, and dunes has long been extirpated from Ohio due to habitat loss and degradation of its already naturally rare home(s).

Large Cranberry - Vaccinium macrocarpon

N. Pitcher Plant - Sarracenia purpurea 

Growing and twining all over the place among the boulders and rock cobble of the ice meadows was large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) plants with last year's fruit still clinging to its wispy branches.  In select spots clumps of northern pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) were just sending up their flower stalks.  I wonder if the pitcher plants generally have more success at the capture of their insect prey during flowering times than any other period of the year?

Alpine Bulrush - Trichophorum alpinum

Being the sedge-head that I am, I could never pass up the opportunity to admire and photograph a new life species hailing from the Cyperaceae family now could I?  While it may not look like much to most, I found the fuzzy white hairs on the fruiting heads of the alpine bulrush (Trichophorum alpinum) quite charming and worth the time to photograph.

Dog Violet - Viola conspersa

Ovate-leaved Violet - Viola fimbriaulata

Despite the vegetation just starting to wake up along the Hudson, we did see a couple violets blooming profusely in more open, sandy spots along the banks.  The dog violet (Viola conspersa) was a familiar face to your blogger but the downy pubescent leaves and flowers of the ovate-leaved violet (Viola fimbriaulata) were something I'd never seen before.  I adore the violets for their diversity and the countless habitat niches they fill, so it's always a pleasure to add yet another to the life list.

Stunning white and red pine forest along the Hudson full of botanical goodies

After an hour or so combing the western side of the Hudson's ice meadows, we jumped back in the car and drove over the river a short distance to another location on the eastern side to explore what goodies may be up and blooming over there.  What should have been a five minute hike through the woods to the river's edge ended up taking much, much longer after one exciting botanical find after another!

Pink Lady's Slippers - Cypripedium acaule

Under the cathedral of white and red pine, nestled in the soft bed of fallen needles were hundreds of pink lady's slippers (Cypripedium acaule) in pristine condition.  Heading due north during the spring is the closest thing to time-traveling I'll ever experience.  Back home in Ohio these orchids were long out of flower and something I wouldn't see again for another year but being in the Adirondacks gave me one more shot at soaking in their beauty.

Pink Lady's Slippers under the pines

Starflower - Trientalis borealis

It wasn't just the lady's slippers that abounded under the pines but many other typical northern woods associates as well; some of which were quite rare back home in Ohio.  The starflowers (Trientalis borealis) and their short-lived blooms were in prime shape for some len's time and rarely fail to impress with their delicate, dainty flowers.

Gay wings among the shining clubmoss

Gaywings - Polygala paucifolia

One of the aforementioned Ohio rarities still in bloom in the dappled shade of the pine woods was the bubblegum pink colored flowers of gaywings (Polygala paucifolia).  Their brightly colored flowers stand out like a sore thumb against the varying shades of green throughout the forest floor.

Sea of blue-beaded lily (Clintonia borealis)

As we plunged deeper into the pines, we started to spread out in an attempt to cover more ground in the hopes of coming across something that would catch our scanning eyes.  It wasn't long afterwards that my breath got caught in my throat and I involuntarily burst out with an, "oh my, God!" at the wildflower display laid out before me.  Completely surrounding the base of a red pine was dozens of blue-beaded lily (Clintonia borealis) in picture perfect bloom!

Blue-beaded Lily - Clintonia borealis

Blue-beaded Lily - Clintonia borealis

Blue-beaded lily is an endangered species in Ohio that is currently only known from a single population in the extreme northeastern part of the state so it was quite the big deal to find (and see) so much of it in such incredible shape!  Your blogger had come frustratingly close to seeing this species in bloom twice before; only to both times find their maturing fruit or petal-dropped blooms in place of their spectacular lemon-lime colored flowers.

Looking up into the towering pines

So much time looking at the ground can easily cramp one's neck, so it's only natural to stretch things out with an opposite gander into the heavens.  With that came a spectacular view through the layered canopies of the pines set against the brilliant sapphire blue skies.  There's few things better than aimlessly meandering your way through a northern pine forest with its spicy scent caught in your nose.  It's not something I get nearly enough of back home...

Thick carpet of Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) in full bloom

Speaking of spicy aromas, the air of the pine woods was saturated with a sweet, spectacular odor that none of us could put on fingers on as we continued on towards the river.  Jackie eventually put two and two together that the en masse blooming of the Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) in the under story was the culprit.  None of us had any idea this dainty little wildflower could put out such an intoxicating scent!

Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum)

More mass blooming Canada Mayflower

One of the best parts for any nature-lover is the seemingly endless places one can go to cleanse their pallet of the norm and experience something new that kindles the fire of interest inside.  I certainly have no qualms of quarrels with my typical botanical experiences but I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that my time spent in upstate New York made me fall in love with Mother Nature all over again.

Dwarf Ginseng - Panax trifolius

Once our time came to a close along the Hudson's ice meadows and pine forests, we had a little time left to visit nearby Cole's Woods in hopes of finding one plant that I had long missed out on seeing time and time again.  While not rare in Ohio overall, the dwarf ginseng (Panax trifolius) was just one of those plants I'd never had the fortune of crossing paths with until my visit to New York.  Most of the hundreds of plants at Cole's Woods were done flowering but as luck would have it a few were still in perfect shape for the camera!

With day one at a close, Jackie, Sue, and I decided to grab a bite at a delicious Thai restaurant to satisfy out growling stomachs after a long day in the field.  As we reminisced on the day's exciting finds, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to tomorrow and what it had in store.  Stay tuned for the installment and day two of my trip to the Adirondacks of upstate New York!

*Part I* *Part II* *Part III* *Part IV*