Some Mushrooms and Lichens of the Northern Boreal Forest

side of slime fungus

The variety of these life forms in the Yukon and Northern British Columbia Forests was eye opening. I’m neither an expert, nor a collector. I just love wandering in the bush staring down at my feet. Later I try to research what I’ve seen. Some are extremely interesting. The orange lichen with the little black dots was about 1/3 hand size. Above that the yellow and green  colours of the lichen were eye-opening. The pink dots are called fairy barf! Really! I call the big white one a bottle cap mushroom, and the lower red ones are obviously boob mushrooms (although I think they are Mycena haemoptus). On a slightly related salacious theme, the small mossy picture shows numerous little erect mushrooms….thousands of them.

This was early to mid September. Early autumn. Ran across a couple looking for ‘shrooms, ie. psilocybin or psychedelic mushrooms. I have no idea if I saw any or not. I think they thought I was lying.

The Northern Rockies’ Route

Mid September first snow

Toad River

Folding from mountain building

 

Muncho Lake

Beautiful drive…just amazing

Northern Lights at Liard Hot Springs. Not a good pic cause it was handheld, and I was freezing. See, I got out of bed around 1 AM and looked outside. Then I ran outside wearing, well, very little. Not awake enough to grab tripod and other necessaries.  Stayed outside 20 minutes, shivering but totally into those Lights. You can never see them often enough.

In northern British Columbia, the Alaska Highway is route 97. It traverses the Northern Rockies which are, almost entirely, true wilderness.Wildlife everywhere..we saw Dahl’s sheep, caribou, bear, bison and mule deer. One of the most amazing roadtrips in the world. The Rockies section starts at Watson Lake, Yukon and ends at Fort Nelson, BC.

 

 

 

Keno..Just About the End of the Road

Best part of the 44 Km dirt road to Keno. Mining trucks have chewed up the major part of the road.

Looking north east across the valley en route.

This facade appears to be metal (possibly gas cans), flattened and painted.

Don’t get your hopes up…

Hasn’t been gas for years

Backstreet

Keno Locals

Logs and cabin

Who you gonna call?

Keno Hill was once a major hub for silver mining. Located 44 km from Mayo on a dirt road, it has a year round population of around 12. There once were ancillary mines around in the hills, with people living at them…like Wernecke, Calumet, and Elsa. All merely names on the map now. They were all communities, and Keno was the center. Now Keno has a really good Museum, a couple of cafes (possibly seasonal) and a hotel bar. Grocery shopping is in Mayo, where there is a general store/grocery. And a cardlock gas station.Nearest town is Dawson way to the north, and nearest city is Whitehorse way to the south. It doesn’t get much more remote than Keno.

Yeah, Keno was named after the gambling game. 

Pioneer Cemetery at Mayo, Yukon

Mayo was once a red hot mining town. Been on a roller coaster since the early 1900’s. To get there you drive up the Klondike Highway and turn off at the Stewart river. Not very central to anything. These graves are in the old Pioneer Cemetery in Mayo. They sit together forever in a small grove.

Traveling in the Yukon Territory

 

This gouge out of the mountain dominates Dawson.

If you don’t raise your foundation on blocks, then this happens over time.

Sternwheelers were the main transportation mode for most of a century. This is for tourists now

Dirt streets. And a zany collection of period buildings and modern buildings built in period style.

 

A dream realized. We roadtreked to the Yukon. Visited many historical sites like Dawson City, Mayo, Keno Hill, and the spectacular country between these far flung places. The photos here are of Dawson, home of the Klondike Gold Rush. A suitable town at the end of the road. At least, the Klondike Highway. If you are up for it, and your vehicle is up for it, there is the Dempster Highway which now extends north to the Beaufort Sea at Tuktoyaktuk.  We didn’t go. So our vehicle can’t boast a muddy coating of Tuk Muk. Even so, we found lively scenes in Dawson and Whitehorse. Yukon is energizing.

Appalachian Creek, Tennessee

Spring in Tennessee

Ladder Down from the Gila Verde Cliff Dwellings

Gila Verde Cliff Dwellings lasted only 25 years in the 1200’s. These were people of the Mogollon civilization. The structures  were built from rocks way down in the river valley. Carried up by the women. Farm fields were on the top of the cliffs. 6 big caves are present. This is a steep ladder down from the 5th cave.

Beach Chairs, Brighton

Beach chairs on the shingle beach at Brighton, Sussex

Lambs in the Ruins

The main Orkney Island, called  ‘The Mainland” by the locals, has plentiful stone farm ruins. Lambing was in full flush. Fascinating place.

Laundry Day

Renovated terrace Houses. Cobh. Ireland.