North Fork Skokomish - met Ranger Bruce

Usnea longissima lichen and the North Fork Skokomish Trail

I went back to the Staircase area to look for the Black Diamond trekking pole that I lost on the causeway bridge parking area. I did not find my pole.. boo hoo.. I took that pole up Mount Adams. I still have the grip for it though.. of what use is it without the grip??

I found a fishing net near where I lost my pole and I turned it in to the ranger on the way out. I also found a big goose feather where I lost my pole. And the goose that I accidentally saved from a bald eagle by stopping to take a picture, was there in the river with its mate and 5 cute yellow goslings.. well I think it's the same goose couple anyway.

After leaving the bridge I went into the ranger station to see if my pole had been turned it. It had not been turned in, but I finally got to meet Ranger Bruce!

Salal leaf faces in hole

Decided to do a little hike while I was in the area even though I am still sore from my last hike. Headed for Big Log but got tired and stopped for tea and lunch at Madaline Creek.

This might be the best week of the year to hike Staircase. Lots of trail work has been done and the summer hoards have not yet arrived. Trail is in great shape, but they still need to do something about the scary bridge on Madeline creek.

I found a second salal leaf in the little hole to the right of the trail.

For a while I leapfrogged with a guy who had a huge heavy pack.  He decided to head up to flapjack lakes.  I hope he made it ok in the snow with the huge heavy load he had.

I found Pacific Fuzzwort again and this time it was down low, so it's not restricted to higher elevations..

Pacific fuzzwort

10 miles 800 feet elevation gain

botched pano from washout

Campsite at Madeline Creek

Conocephalum conicum liverwort

Recent trail work

Dendralosia moss

Fairy vomit lichen

Filling up with no fear

Fungi on Vanilla leaf here

Luecolepis ancanthonuera moss

Lobaria oregana lichen, Homalothecium moss

Losing a toenail and it hurts

Moss sporophytes

Mystery thalloid liverwort on log

Niphotrichum moss

Peltigera lichen on log

Peltigera lichen on log with Scapania liverwort

Poison Amanita mushroom for Ranger Davis to stomp

Psuedocephalaria lichen (spelled wrong)

The bridge from the trail

Rhytidopsis robustis moss

Scapania liverwort with sporophytes

Sporophytes on false Polytrichum moss

Tea brewed about to add soy milk at Madeline Creek

A rought skinned newt crawled under here and disappeared before I
could take a picture at my lunch spot..

Tiny fungi to stomp

Track and elevation log

Trail workers had fun here

Flats at start of trail

view near start of hike

Snow turned me back the last time I was here