Kennecott Trail, McCarthy Day 3, 9/7/11

Weather: Temperature in the mid to high 40’s with clouds and scattered sun breaks.

Plants:

·         Puff Ball Mushroom (Lycoperdon umbrinum)

·         Spiney Puffball Mushroom (Lycoperdon echinatum)

·         White Spruce (Picea glauca)

·         Freckled Pelt (Peltigera britannica) 

·         Dwarf dogwood (Cornus canadensis)

·         Black spruce (Picea mariana)

·         Currant (Carissa spinarum)

·         Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum)

·         Horsetail (Equisetum)

·         Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus)

·         Frog Pelt Lichen (Peltigera neopolydactyla)

·         Wild Roses (Rosa nutkana)

·         Lycopodium

·         Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)

·         Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)

·         Green Wintergreen (Pyrola chlorantha)

·         Poplar (Populus balsamifera)

·         Slime mold (Dictyostelium discoideum)

·         Willow (Salix)

·         Black mushroom

·         Mistletoe (disambiguation)

·           northern red currant Ribes triste

·           high-bush cranberry Viburnum edule

·           raspberry Rubus idaeus

·            

 Animals:

·         Squirrels

·         Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)

·         Birds nest

·         Beetle infestations 

·         Evidence of woodpecker

Other: Chugach/Wrangell Mountains, Kennecott/Root Glaciers, glacial till, bog/muskeg

Comments:

“The trip to McCarthy and being able to see the glaciers and how much they shape the land was very cool. Coming from Washington I have seen how glaciers can form land, but seeing the glacier right next to where it just receded from really opened my eyes on how it actually looks like. Not to mention trying to comprehend the size of the glacier at its peak versus what’s left makes me feel smaller than a seed.” –Nate