More Bushwhack

People from class are posting some of their pictures of yesterday's bushwhack, so I'm adding them as they come in. Thanks to Charles and Peggy for this first set.

Here's a giant Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis), with me in the picture for scale. Note the Devil's Club in the foreground—I had to pick my way through that in order to stand next to the tree. When we use the term "bushwhack," it may conjure up images of machetes, but what we really did was pick our way gently through the forest. Typically, that works quite nicely in this area, since the large trees block out much of the sun and it's relatively clear at ground level. That's not the case near the creek, where the open sky allows things like Devil's Club to have a field day.

This is a picture of the same tree taken from exactly where you see me standing in the previous picture.

Another good picture to help your sense of scale. These big old trees aren't as giant as redwoods, but they're immensely old—they live up to 800 years, and Richard estimated this one at around 300—and pretty wonderful.

Richard explains some of the ecological processes of the fen we're standing in. Please note that we're about ankle-deep in wet Sphagnum at this point.

Thanks to Peggy for providing a good picture of Richard, our guide.

Keep an eye out; there may be even more pictures from the bushwhack coming to a website near you.