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*

Upstate New York II: Orchids at Moreau Lake State Park, Paddling the Hudson River, and Rockwell Falls

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

I was recently going through some shelved drafts on blogger the other day when I noticed a specific post that had completely slipped my mind and unfortunately fallen through the cracks.  Sitting halfway finished from this past summer was the next installment of my trip to visit my good friend Jackie in the southern Adirondacks of upstate New York. It's now going on seven months since I returned from one of the most beautiful areas in the the northeast but luckily the details are still fresh in my mind and ready to be shared, albeit a bit late.  It's definitely a marathon of a post but I'd hate to leave any of the fun out on a jam packed day of botanizing and exploring.  If you missed out on part one of this journey you can click right here to catch up and see what you've missed from the previous day (lots of orchids, I'll promise you that!).

Day two dawned as bright, clear, and cool as the previous and found Jackie and I tying her two lightweight, single person canoes to our cars.  Today had some paddling on the Hudson River planned and I couldn't wait to get my feet wet and glide across its waters.  But not before a stop at a nearby state park to finally see the other major reason for my visit, other than the day before's white fringed orchid.

Mud Pond in Moreau Lake state park

Only a short drive to the north of Jackie's hometown of Saratoga Springs lies Moreau Lake state park.  The park is over 4,000 acres in size and offers a long list of outdoor activities for any time of the year but we were there for the flora!  Jackie's friend, Sue met us at the road pull off to once again join us in the morning's botanical foray.  Our hike took us in a loop through a mixed oak and pine forest and around the perimeter of Mud Pond.  The shallow and still water was ensconced with hundreds of white water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata) and the air abuzz with dragonflies and damselflies darting about under the brilliant sapphire sky.

Your blogger photographing some aquatic wildflowers

Hiking along the margins of the pond revealed much more going on and blooming than just the water-lilies. Mixed in near the shoreline were small yellow flowers that belonged to the common bladderwort (Utricularia macrorhiza).  They seemed to float and hang over the water as if it dangled on strings like a small marionette.  Another was the pink wands of water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia) emerging from the water in the top right of the photograph above.  Most of the other Persicaria taxa are easily overlooked and insignificant but not the water smartweed.

White water-lily, common bladderwort, and water smartweed in bloom

My friend Jackie took the photo from above of a preoccupied me snapping this photo of the three blooming aquatic plants in the shallow waters of Mud Pond.  I found it kind of neat to have both perspectives captured at the same time.  It wouldn't be too easy to reproduce these results when in the field by myself.

Mixed oak and pine forest

Moving away from the water and back into the forest greeted us with a scene typical of upstate New York's forests.  A healthy mixture of black oak (Quercus velutina), red oak (Q. rubra), and white pine (Pinus strobus) dominated the canopy with the dense shade below making for a relatively open under story full of interesting plants.

American chestnut

Spotted wintergreen

Overlooked by the oaks and pines were numerous stump sprouts of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) that had been struck down by the blight in the past.  None were much larger than five or six inches in diameter but it still felt good to actually look up and stand in the shade of our true native chestnut's saw-toothed leaves. Some other species dwelling in the dappled light of the under story was striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum), mountain maple (A. spicatum), spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), prince's pine (C. umbellata), teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens), tree clubmoss (Dendrolycopodium spp.), groundcedar (Diphasiastrum digitatum), and one very special plant I had the highest of hopes to see in bloom...

Checkered Rattle-snake Plaintain - Goodyera tesselata

Anyone who reads this blog with any kind of regularity must know by now I'm orchid-crazy and trying to see all of Ohio's indigenous species; extant and extirpated.  The checkered rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera tesselata) happens to be one of the latter.  It was collected in Ohio only once back in 1929 in Ashtabula county and hasn't been seen since.  It's much more common to the north in the Great Lake states and New England.  So when Jackie said she knew where some consistently grows I jumped at the chance to cash in on another life list orchid!

Close up view of the Goodyera's flowers

Basal evergreen rosettes

One of the classic and unmistakable characteristics of the Goodyera genus is its basal rosettes of evergreen leaves. These thick and leathery photosynthesis factories are detailed works of art with their intricate designs and patterns.  Closer examination of the flowering spike shows dozens of miniscule and charismatic flowers. Perhaps it's just me but I think each individual inflorescence's design is reminiscent of Darth Vader's iconic helmet.

Another much appreciated action shot courtesy of Jackie

Under normal circumstances I experience a certain amount of pressure as the camera's shutter clicks away; it's very important to me to accurately capture the detail of the plant and/or habitat.  Back home I know I'll have other opportunities if my end results aren't up to par with my expectations but the checkered rattlesnake-plantain was a completely different story.  The 11 hour drive to specifically see this and a few other plants only added more weight and strain on me to make the most of this one time event!

Bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia)

Cow-wheat (Melampryum pratense)

Growing among the orchids were a couple other plants I was pleasantly surprised to finally get to make acquaintances with.  On the left is cow-wheat (Melampryum pratense), an often over-looked member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) that is quite rare in Ohio and listed as a threatened species.  Jackie was the first to spot it in bloom and call it out, which I excitedly rushed over to.  Jackie and Sue were surprised at my reaction to such a frequent plant but quickly understood once I explained its scarcity in my home state. One person's common-as-dirt wildflower is another person's life plant!  An additional plant I'd long wanted to see was one of the shrubby oak species that don't occur anywhere in Ohio.  This particular one is called bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia) or sometimes referred to as scrub oak.  It rarely attains heights of more than 20 feet; quite a change from its other oak kin.

Paddling on the Hudson River

After spending the morning photographing the orchids and hiking around Mud Pond we decided to break for lunch along the shores and enjoy the fresh air and warm breeze.  Following lunch we packed back into the car and said our goodbyes to Sue, who unfortunately had to head into work and could not join Jackie and I on our Hudson River paddle.  We soon arrived at the Hudson and unfastened our canoes, hot with anticipation to wet our paddles.  The second my canoe slide into the cool, still waters my mind became at ease and my soul became one with the river.  There are truly few other remedies as powerful as being on the open water with nothing but the blue sky and breeze in your hair.

Along this stretch of the Hudson River are a series of dams that control water flow, which in turn creates a lake-like appearance and attitude to the water.  Without much current at all you are free to skim across the deep blue waters at your own pace without a care in the world.

American chestnut male catkins and maturing husk

We slowly navigated our canoes along the shoreline to keep an eye out for any summer wildflowers starting to grace the banks with their striking colors.  I soon began to notice trees hanging over the waters that had something on them that I had never seen before.  American chestnuts that had survived the blight long enough to reach maturity were in fruit!  In the photo above you can see the spent male catkins still attached and the maturing spiky bur.  It had long been a dream of mine to finally see a mature flowering/fruiting American chestnut.  Believe it or not I consider this find as memorable as the orchids.

Hudson River island hopping with our canoes

In the middle of the Hudson was a series of rocky islands that Jackie frequently visits for their aquatic wildflower displays and peaceful atmosphere.  Obviously I wasn't the first to step foot on these dry exposures of granite but as my canoe made landfall and my feet squished into the muck and sand, I felt a measure of giddy excitement for having the islet all to mine and Jackie's selves.

Lone flowering plant of cardinal flower

Pipewort and golden hedge-hyssop

The islands certainly weren't short on interesting plants and had a diverse arrangement of aquatic vegetation. Species like cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Allegheny monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens), grass-leaved arrowhead (Sagittaria graminea), marsh speedwell (Veronica scutellata), dwarf St. Johnswort (Hypericum mutilum), marsh St. Johnswort (Triadenum virginicum), steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa), blue vervian (Verbena hastata), pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum), and golden pert (Gratiola aurea) abounded in the saturated soils and standing water.

Golden pert (Gratiola aurea)

Golden pert (Gratiola aurea)

The most interesting of all the flowering plants on the granite islets had to belong to the rich, golden blooms of golden pert (Gratiola aurea).  Also known as golden hedge-hyssop, this plant is quite uncommon and local throughout its range and seems to be most frequent in the northeast.  Golden pert is right at home growing completely submerged in water in dense vegetative carpets and mats near the shorelines and banks.  You would never know of its presence unless the water level drops low enough to expose the plants to the air and trigger their bloom en masse.  Lucky for us the water levels were very cooperative and allowed the golden pert to put on an amazing show.

Hudson River just upstream from Rockwell Falls near Lake Luzerne-Hadley

After enjoying the comforts of a long paddle on the Hudson, Jackie and I tied our canoes back onto our cars and headed off to the Rockwell Falls area of the river.  Our plan was to explore the exposed shorelines and take a look at a very intriguing and mysterious plant that Jackie had found a few days prior.

Rockwell Falls on the Hudson

Naturally-worn holes in the granite

Even with the water levels being quite low, Rockwell Falls was still a pouring torrent of white water, slowly but surely wearing away more rock as it boiled downstream.  One of the most fascinating aspects of the falls was the presence of nearly perfect holes in the rock.  They appeared to be created with man-made precision but Jackie explained that in times of higher water little pebbles collect in the rock's depressions and are spun around in a spin cycle motion that gradually wears the rock down lower and lower, creating these pot holes. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Mudflats full of the mystery plant

Slender milfoil (Myriophyllum tenellum)

Along the shores in the newly exposed mudflats of the Hudson grew the mystery plant Jackie had found earlier. The night before I took a look at a specimen Jackie had brought home with her after the initial discovery. After going through some keys and illustrations in my Gleason and Cronquist manual of vascular plants (or my botany bible as I like to call it), I determined it to be slender milfoil (Myriophyllum tenellum) from its unique flowering stem and habit.  Upon seeing them in person there was little doubt on what it was. As it turns out it is a real rare treat to catch this aquatic plant in bloom.  It typically grows in areas of deep water and remains in its vegetative state until the scare moments where water levels drop low enough to expose the mats to the air and activate it; much like the golden pert.  I have since forgotten the gentleman's name, but one of eastern North America's most distinguished and published experts on aquatic vegetation (if I recall correctly he co-authored the manual on eastern North America's aquatic flora) emailed Jackie in response to her queries that it was indeed slender milfoil and in all his decades of researching and exploring our aquatic flora had never seen it in flower! We were sure to grab several specimens to press and pass out to those who were sure to be interested.

Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)

Beaked hazelnut (L) vs American hazelnut (R)

Finished with our slender milfoil mission, Jackie and I decided to call it a day and start heading back to Saratoga Springs.  However, there was one quick pit stop on the way to see a key species I had very high hopes of seeing while in New York.  Along a bike path in large thickets grew the common American hazelnut and the Ohio extirpated beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta).  Looking at the picture above left, I don't think it's too difficult to understand why it got the name 'beaked' hazelnut.  It was recorded and collected only twice in Ohio: once in Adams county in the early 1900's and again in the 50's in Ashtabula county.  It hasn't been seen since and is considered extirpated from the state.  It was the perfect cherry to the top of the massive botany sundae we enjoyed that day.

It's about time I got this post finished and published but in a weird way I'm glad I waited this long because this really gave me the chance to look back and reminisce on my fond memories and experiences of this day with Jackie.  I have one more post to complete this upstate New York trilogy, so stay tuned!  Here's hoping it comes out much, much faster!

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