posted: July 1st, 2017 |
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As it says at the bottom of Page 4, this page continues on June 19th at 2:07 PM at Eagle Summit.  We were hiking the Pinnell Mountain Trail and made it a bit past mile marker 2 before hearing thunder and realizing that a storm was coming our way.  We headed back, but got caught in the storm when we were only about 10 minutes from our rig.  Such is life!  In Row 8 we jump to June 20th and some photos from farther out the Steese Highway beyond Central, Alaska, where we found a Lady Slipper Orchid.  Then, in Row 16 we briefly take you to Wickersham Dome and in Row 18 we proceed to the Grapefruit Rocks Area, where we found a second species of Lady Slipper Orchid.  Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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June 19th Continues from Page 4 (at 2:07 PM) |
  Okay, we are continuing our hike of the Pinnell Mountain Trail from the Eagle Summit end and the time here for the first photo in Row 1 is 2:07 PM. This first photo shows a nice patch of Lagotis minor. The second photo shows a single flower of it and the third photo is once again, a shot of Gentiana glauca. |
June19_193_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_209_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_214_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  The first image in this row is cropped out of the previous photo of Gentiana glauca. The second shot is another example of it and the third shot is the same species, but a yellow/white - albino - form of it. |
June19_214Part_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_223_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_226_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  The first shot in this row is another of the albino form of Gentiana glauca. The second and third shots show a Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus). We saw several of this bird, but never very close. Both of these shots are quite zoomed. |
June19_225_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_221_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_227_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  Here are three scenery shots taken from the Pinnell Mountain Trail. The first two of them show Kazuya. The second one is a 170° iPhone panorama. |
June19_230_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_2_PinnellMountain Trail_EagleSummitRC |
June19_241_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  Here are three more shots taken along the trail. The second shot shows that we have reached Mile 2 of the Pinnell Mountain Trail. The third shot shows a distant rainstorm which may be coming toward us. |
June19_242_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_244_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_258_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  In first and third position are shots of Pedicularis capitata. The center shot was taken to show the general ground cover at this spot. I shot it using the Vivid Mode on my camera so that it would show up as colors other than merely shades of brown. It really was amazing to see, even if not as Vivid as this shot seems. |
June19_272_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_263_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_273_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
  We found a large patch of Shooting Star (Dodecatheon frigidum) and stopped to take several photos. We had heard thunder and noted that clouds seemed to be headed our way more or less from the north. We were headed back to our rig, but we just could not pass by this patch of Shooting Stars without getting some photos. Well, we got caught by the storm when we were only about 10 minutes from the safety of our rig. We were fairly well prepared and at the first drops of rain we had stopped and put on our rain jackets, but we did not have rain pants. When the storm came it was accompanied by hail about 1/8th - 1/4th inch in diameter and that stung when it hit. Of course the wind was strong. We were going really fast at that point, but our legs got soaked. We got back to the rig and sat inside with the heater going until the storm passed, which happened in about 15 minutes. Then we changed our clothes, cooked our supper and went about our normal activities. We slept in the canopy on our pickup and it did not rain again. We had been hoping for clear skies so that we could watch the sun NOT set from this location, but it was cloudy. If you want to see the sun NOT set then please go to our June 23rd and 24th trip to this place last year and scroll down to about Row 10 to watch the sun NOT set.
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June19_278_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_290_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
June19_291_ PinnellMtnTrailRC |
End June 19th, Begin June 20th |
  Now it is June 20th. It's sunny again and we have driven another few miles up the Steese Highway. We passed through Central, Alaska and kept going a few more miles because Kazuya had read on the internet that we might find a Lady Slipper Orchid here. Well, we stopped several places and walked into the woods for some distance. We hunted and hunted and finally just when we were ready to give up and were approaching the rig for the final time to get in and leave, Kazuya found one of them right beside the rig! We walked up and down the highway and found several of them. So, the first and third shots in this row show the Northern Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium passerinum). The center shot shows a nice example of Epilobium angustifolium - Fireweed.
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June20_05_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20_03_ NearCentralRC |
June20_10_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
  Here are three more images which show the Northern Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium passerinum). |
June20_10Part_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20th_Cypripedium Passerinum_6951PartRC |
June20th_Cypripedium Passerinum_6951RC |
  And, another three shots of the Northern Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium passerinum). In the third photo you may notice some brown on some of the flowers. We found this all along here and had also seen it for 10 miles before we got here. We had to assume that there had been an extremely late frost which had damaged the flower buds here. There had even been frost warnings in Fairbanks just 10 days before this.
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June20_16_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20_17_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20_19_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
  In the first shot in this row you can see how close the Northern Lady Slipper Orchids (Cypripedium passerinum) were growing to our rig and the highway! The second and third photos show Corallorhiza trifida - (Yellow Coral Root) - another Orchid. |
June20th_CentralArea_ CypripediumPasserinum_7008RC |
June20_22_NearCentral _OrchidRC |
June20_23_NearCentral _OrchidRC |
  Here are another three photos of the Northern Lady Slipper Orchids (Cypripedium passerinum). |
June20_33_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20_33Part_Near Central_Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
June20_30_NearCentral_ Cypripedium_passerinumRC |
  In first position in this row is a shot of an unknown flower and then two shots of some species of Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.). |
June20_41_ NearCentralRC |
June20_44_ NearCentralRC |
June20_47_ NearCentralRC |
  Now we have finished shooting the Orchids and are headed back towards Eagle Summit. We noticed this different Cottongrass and stopped to take some shots of it. You may recall that all Cottongrass we have photographed in the past had only one puff of cotton on each stalk, while this Eriophorum angustifolium has several puffs of cotton on each stem and that the cotton puffs are not at the apex of the plant.
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June20_50_ NearCentralRC |
June20_51_ NearCentralRC |
June20_52_ NearCentralRC |
  These two photos show Birch Creek (first photo) and Twelvemile Creek (second photo) from the Upper Birch Creek Wayside, at Milepost 94 of the Steese Highway. Birch Creek is a National Wild River. If you'd like to see a PDF Map of this Wild River which is suitable for printing CLICK HERE. This spot is shown on the map as "Mile 0". |
June20_59_Birch CreekWaysideRC |
June20_60_Birch CreekWaysideRC |
End June 20th, Begin June 26th & 27th |
  On June 26th we went out to Wickersham Dome again. We had planned to climb to the summit, but we discovered that we were both too tired to make it. We DID make it far enough to find the primary species which we had hoped to find here though. All three photos in this row show Castilleja elegans - the Elegant Paintbrush. WOW! Yes, it certainly is ELEGANT! |
June26th_005_WickershamDome _CastillejaElegansRC |
June26_04_WickershamDome _ElegantPaintbrushRC |
June26_06_WickershamDome _ElegantPaintbrushRC |
  Here are two more shots of Castilleja elegans - the Elegant Paintbrush and then a scenery shot in which you can find the summit of Wickersham Dome - search for the radio tower in the photo. |
June26th_023_WickershamDome _CastillejaElegansRC |
June26_10_WickershamDome _ElegantPaintbrushRC |
June26_11_ WickershamDome_RC |
  In first position in this row is a Campanula lasiocarpa. The second photo shows another Castilleja elegans (Elegant Paintbrush) and that finishes the photos from Wickersham Dome. We went back to the rig and drove another 10 miles up the Elliott Highway, to the Grapefruit Rocks Area, primarily because we wanted to see if the Anticlea elegans (Mountain Deathcamas) (Page 1, Row 8) was in bloom yet. Well, when we stepped out of the rig one of the first things that Kazuya said was "Here's another Lady Slipper Orchid!" And, sure enough, he was not joking, so the third shot in this row shows Cypripedium guttatum - The Spotted Lady Slipper Orchid.
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June26th_027_WickershamDome _CampanulaLasiocarpaRC |
June26th_033_WickershamDome _CastillejaElegansRC |
June26th_043_Grapefruit Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC |
  Here are three more shots of Cypripedium guttatum - The Spotted Lady Slipper Orchid. There were several of them here. |
June26th_043Part_Grapefruit Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC |
June26_17_GrapefruitRocks_ Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
June26_20_GrapefruitRocks_ Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
  And another three shots of Cypripedium guttatum - The Spotted Lady Slipper Orchid. Note the previous year seedpod in the third shot. |
June26_24_GrapefruitRocks_ Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
June26th_046_Grapefruit Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC |
June26_33_GrapefruitRocks_ Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
  When we take Orchid photos, we always take a great number of them, even though we use digital cameras and can see if they appear to be good shots or poor shots, one never knows, so we do not hesitate to keep taking more and more photos. |
June26th_072_Grapefruit Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC |
June26th_068_Grapefruit Rocks_CypripediumGuttatumRC |
June26_35_Grapefruit Rocks_Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
  Here are the final two shots of Cypripedium guttatum - The Spotted Lady Slipper Orchid. Then we hiked a ways up the Grapefruit Rocks trail and we did find the Anticlea elegans - Mountain Deathcamas to be in bloom. |
June26_47_GrapefruitRocks _Cypripedium_guttatumRC |
June26th_124_GrapefruitRocks _CypripediumGuttatumRC |
June26th_077_Grapefruit Rocks_AnticleaElegansRC |
  Here are two more shots of Anticlea elegans - Mountain Deathcamas - flowers and then a shot of the plant. |
June26_39_Grapefruit Rocks_Anticlea_elegansRC |
June26th_076_GrapefruitRocks _AnticleaElegansRC |
June26_42_GrapefruitRocks _Anticlea_elegansRC |
  Here is a final shot of the flowers of Anticlea elegans - Mountain Deathcamas and then a nice reflection in a pond along the highway as we headed back towards Fairbanks. We stopped at Olnes Pond and spent the night there in our pickup canopy and the final shot - Epilobium angustifolium - Fireweed - was taken there. And -- that's the final shot for June. |
June26_40_Grapefruit Rocks_Anticlea_elegansRC |
June26_58_Steese Highway_PondRC |
June27th_011_OlnesPond_ EpilobiumAngustifoliumRC |
End June 26th & 27th, End June 2017's Photos, Begin Miscellaneous Links |