Dec 29, possibly my last hike of the year? If so it was a good day to go out. Temps in the upper 40’s had melted most of the snow from the big winter storm that hit just before Christmas. I was expecting that the soggy conditions and warmer temps would combine to perk up the Lichens along the Tolleston Dunes trail. I maintain that if you want to see the true colors of nature, vibrant and vivid, there is no better weather than when it is overcast and damp outside.
It was a beautiful day to be out hiking in the Indiana Dunes. We’ve recently had a couple of nice soaking rains which always bring out the best in the fall foliage. All pics were taken along the Indiana Dunes State Park Trail #2, one of my favorites as it sticks close to the marsh.
It was a slightly overcast fall day, perfect for capturing the fall colors due to the uniform illumination of the landscape.
Even from a few feet away off the trail, this purple lichen easily caught my eye.
I love this stage of decay in fallen leaves. The patterns and contrasts are beautiful to behold.
Look closely at the base of the mushroom, I did not notice the little fella munching on it until I’d loaded the image on my computer.
Look closely at this pic, the variety of fungi is striking.
This is part of a board walk across the marsh which is about half a mile long. It is one of the best spots in the park system to see the inner workings of the marsh.
This stand of dead Ash trees creates wonderful reflections in the water on calm, cloudy days like this one was.
I love all of the delicate details in this shot.