Early summer at Summit Lake, a quick detour off the Highland Scenic Highway in the Monongahela National Forest.
From top: an unidentified fungi growing in a mossy nook; an impressive young Berkeley's polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyei), which is not a true polypore but a member of the Russulales order; another massive Berkeley's polypore with my hand for perspective - these beauties can grow up to three feet wide and produce additional shelf-like caps from a single stem, giving them a tiered appearance as they mature; the tall and stately foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), whose profusion of tubular white flowers draws hordes of long-tongued bees and hummingbirds from late spring to early summer; common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), whose large, dangling umbels of pink to purplish flowers are Mother Nature's ultimate pollinator buffets; swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), also known as rose milkweed, a wetlands-loving beauty with narrow, lanceolate leaves; black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), an irresistible summer aster with a prominent, dark brown button at the center of its flower head; and the sensual arc of a fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium), whose flowers have elongated, dangling stamens and a four-cleft, curling stamen.
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I'm back from my trip!
Here are a few highlights from my photos--I have a lot more, so if there is interest I'll post more.
Here's the beautiful cabin we stayed in:
The view from the cabin, looking across one of two streams that run along either side, toward another rental cabin:
The cabin's giant fieldstone fireplace:
Exploring the ruins of an old hunting and fishing lodge:
More of the ruins:
According to the park brochure, the the lodge was built in the 1920's and burned down in the 1930's. Around that time, when the park was established and was in the process of recovery from logging in the 1800's, a number of permanent campsites were sold to various individuals and groups. This one was reabsorbed back into the public land when the lodge was destroyed, but some are still in private hands. (I have an exciting story about one that belonged to a Natural Science club.)
A giant mushroom:
US quarter for scale. According to my nature app, this is a Berkeley's Polypore. It rained a lot during our trip--we had exactly one day, Thursday, where it didn't rain at all--so there were a lot of fungi to see. This one was at a nature preserve near the park, run by the Carnegie museum of Pittsburgh (the nearest city to the park).
As another result of the rain, these little orange newts were very active:
I found three, in different spots. Here's another one who is Less Orange:
Other wildlife sightings included a small snake (disappeared too quickly for identification), a very big millipede that I was very brave about, several deer--including a doe and two fawns--and a pair of raccoon kits. (Only the newts and one interesting moth stuck around long enough to be photographed.)
And here is Sophie having a drink at one of the two rock overlooks we visited:
I have additional photos in the categories of: Cabin and surrounding area; Ruins and Structures; Landscapes; Flora and Fauna*, so if there's something you'd like to see more of, say something.
(*the fauna is Mostly Newts, unless you count Sophia as fauna.)
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What kind of mushroom are you?
Berkeley's Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi)
You are tough, stubborn, large, and in charge! You have a beautiful heart, but may have been more approachable when you were younger. (This is an edible, sometimes called "bacon of the woods" because you can cook it like bacon. However, it can be very tough, and it's best to eat the youngest and most tender parts. Also it gets HUGE.)
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Saw Berkeley’s polypore for the first time yesterday!
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Huge Berkeley’s polypore I found today! Spotted growing at the base of an oak tree on my street. Here it is with my hand and Josie for size comparison. :)
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Berkeley’s Polypore!
It has finally stopped raining in New England - so many mushrooms!!
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