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| Upper Cataract Falls |
I'd planned to look for interesting fungi in the area around Laurel Dell on Sunday, but Cataract Creek was going gangbusters after Saturday's rain, so I hiked a little out of my way to check out the falls. The creek that begins up by Rock Spring gets steep just past Laurel Dell, and Upper Cataract Falls is just the first of several waterfalls between this spot and the Alpine Lake reservoir. Although I was tempted to visit them all, I took in just the upper falls before heading back up the trail to look for mushrooms.
On the way I was checking out a few sprouting buckeye nuts when I spotted the biggest Helvella crispa I've ever seen. The thing was huge, and I couldn't quite tell if it was actually several stalks that had more or less fused. Unfortunately, it was weathered with age and not very photogenic (I can relate!).
When I first arrived around 9:30 a.m. I parked above Laurel Dell, pulling in next to the only other car there. I must have been in a rush to get going because I dropped my gloves, and by the time I realized my mistake I was too far down a steep hill to go back. When I returned to the car, I found that someone had stuffed them in my car's door handle (thanks!). Every parking space was filled -- including the "No Parking" space in front of the fire road access gate. The Rock Spring parking area was also overflowing, and many cars were still heading up the mountain as I headed home. It was a good day to be an early bird.
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| Sinuous Section |
Moving Water
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Mossy Boulder I
(105mm lens, 3-second exposure) |
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Mossy Boulder II
(50mm lens, 6/10th second exposure) |
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| Moss Sporangia |
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| Phone snap of some old viscid-capped, red-stemmed boletes (probably Boletus zelleri) and their little orange friends. |
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| Two-headed Puffball |
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| Fairy Fingers |
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| Bay Laurel Leaves |
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| Scarlet Cup Fungus |
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| Cataract Creek Section #1 |
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| Cataract Creek Section #2 |
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| Cataract Creek Section #3 |
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| Cataract Creek Section #4 |
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| Here's the same section shot at 1/1000th second. |
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| Mountain Clouds |
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