Wagaon Road Trail

7/1/09 12:30pm-3:30pm
Partly cloudy, 65 degrees & breezy.

Mammals:
Moose Tracks & Scat
Bear markings on tree.
Bear Scat
Douglas Squirrel
Humans left sunglasses & a dryer sheet.

Insects:
Mosquito
Fly
Moth
Lady Beetle

Birds:
Tundra swans along the road.
Birds chirping.

Plants:
Northern Yarrow
Mountain Hairbell
Alder
Willow
Cottonwood
Devils Club
Pink Pyrola Wintergreen
Dogwood
Sitka Spruce
Lady Fern
Blueberry
Salmonberry
Broom Rate Ground Comb
Alpine Heuchera
Ostrage Fern
Stinging Nettle
Large Leaf Avens
Fire Weed
Meadow Rue
Horse Tail
Goats Beard
Wild Geranium
Monks Hood
Columbine
Sitka Burnet
Lichen
Baneberry
Watermelonberry

We've been lucky, as far as the weather goes...

You guessed it; it was another beautiful day for a hike! The wagon road was originally a pack trail that became part of Richardson Highway. Today it's a beautiful hiking trail. As we were walking through the first part of the trail we noticed a large dead Sitka Spruce that took the trees sourrounding down with it, when it fell. We walked over the trees & up a steep, narrow incline; it was nice & flat at the top. There were alot of mosquitos, as usual. One of the facinating things about the tree is they appear dead execpt for the tops of the tree. This is because there is very little light at the lower part of the woods. Many other plants flourish with only a small amount of light. A bear marked up a Sitka Spurce with it's claws. We also saw bear & moose scat. A douglas Squirrel chattered at us, but I thoguht it was a bird at first. We had a nice long hike along the beautiful & peaceful trail. This was a relaxing hike for me & I felt great after we finished.