Category: Fungi & Lichen

Full Color Fall

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End of October and the fall colors along the southern shore of lake Michigan are pretty much at their peak.  Today was also the first day it really felt like Autumn, with a little touch of chill in the air.  Overcast skies following a couple days of rain, a recipe for intense and saturated colors.  It was a great day to be out of doors, enjoying nature.  Of course any day, any time of year in any weather makes for a great day to be out of doors in nature.  The world is just kind of a beautiful place like that.

This is the first of three posts about my new favorite trail in the Indiana Dunes National Park.

Leaves, in all their brilliant saturated glory. They have been pretty much stealing the show for the last couple weeks, and will continue to do so for another couple weeks.

Although leaves are all over the place, they are far from the only source of color. These yellow-orange fungi can be found year round, but they really show well this time of year.

The view from atop the Dune Ridge, looking down on an abandoned stretch of Beverly drive that serves as a nice trail through a marsh which is in the process of being reclaimed from past residential use.

Individual leaves are always a fascinating subject to photograph, but especially this time of year.

Brilliant shades of red and yellow. These Sumac leaves appear as if they have been hung out to dry.

The layers and layers of leaves carpeting the ground are simply mesmerizing. Here we see a lone leak sporting subtle shades of yellow and green, contrasting with the predominant browns and rust oranges. A few bright green blades of grass complete the scene.

Looking down into the edge of the forrest where it gives way to the marsh below.

Kinda looks like that acorn nut is sticking its tongue out at me for taking its photograph.

The view looking down one of the trails which runs along the Dune Ridge. The sheer amount of detail and color present along the trails is beautiful to see, but challenging to photograph well. The group of trees all leaning to the right across the trail help give the eye something to follow.

Pine cone atop a bed of pine needles.

I am treading each leg of what I consider a distinct three part trail separately.  This was the first leg which begins at the Kemil Beach parking lot.  Two other posts describe the second (Beverly Shores) and third (Beverly Drive) legs of this wonderful hike.

Cool… Wet… Blustery… Perfect

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As we reach the middle of October the weather has turned rather nicely to become cooler, wetter and more blustery.  We have had several days of steady rain to soak the ground which always makes for great hiking.  Leaves are changing color and beginning to fall, adding a new layer to enrich the humus.  Fungi are popping up to release their spores and the lichens are becoming vibrant as the moisture soaks into the dead and decaying wood on the forest floor.  One of my favorite times of year to hit the trails at the Indiana Dunes, this day I decided on the West Beach trail loop.  It is a trail with a lot of variety including beach, foredunes, interdunal wetlands and mature forested dunes.

Although not apparent in this photograph, there was a light rain with a sustained 30 mph winds off the lake on this day. I consider this to be near optimal beach weather, though it would appear that not many share my opinion on this matter. Regardless I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll along the beach this day.

The grassy backside of the foredunes facing the lake. Although it may not look like it this stage of dune formation is quite fragile. The grasses which are stabilizing the sand are easily damaged so it is important to stick to the marked trails.

Eastern Prickly Pear cactus, one of the main attractions along the West Beach trails. The whole area is very sandy and these hardy cacti can be found all over the open areas where they can get plenty of sun. The fruits are still attached and healthy, their orange hues contrasting nicely with the green.

Fallen leaves will form many layers where they soak up the moisture. Eventually they decay and form a fresh and nutrient rich layer of new soil for the coming spring.

It is early Autumn and the grasses are still vibrant green, though they are beginning to get matted down. I enjoy examining the crisscrossing patterns and the droplets of water which collect at their vertices. This is the sort of scene which makes it well worth being out in the rain.

The day alternated between light misty rain and short bursts of moderately heavy rain. Here I spent a few minutes examining this interdunal wetland while waiting out one of those moments. Just standing still, listening to the rain fall all around me and wind gusting all about. Being out in nature in the rain is one of the best experiences, and I never get tired of it. When appropriately dressed it is very enjoyable.

Another thing which you can really only find on overcast and wet days. The water soaking into this fallen branch has perked up the lichens and bracket fungi. And the over all dampness really intensifies the colors of everything. Many people associate overcast and rainy conditions with dull and drab, but the actual experience is just the opposite once you know where and how to look.

Water droplets act like tiny lenses, distorting and magnifying the structure of the veins in the leaves. Although similar in many ways to wet leaves in Spring and Summer, these Autumn leaves have fallen to the ground and are lying flat and still. This makes them so much easier to photograph as opposed to when they are still attached to plants which are usually bouncing around in the wind.

This old bracket fungi has taken on the appearance of a clam, or perhaps a mouth.

As I described earlier, colors are the most intense in these rainy conditions. One a bright sunny day the deep reds and greens of these leaves would be washed out and lost amid the intense brightness differences between the deep shadows and sunlit highlights. The uniform lighting of an overcast day is perfect for capturing the true colors of nature.

On this day it turned out that I timed my visit to the park perfectly. It was overcast, windy and rainy for most of my 3 hour hike. Only near the very end did the rain subside and bits of blue sky begin to appear. Time to return to the car and head home.