Running the dogs along a trail through the moss-covered forest near the campgrounds, I spotted the "Cougar Crossing" sign hanging from a tree. We had been walking along the rocky creek, and stopped for a picnic on the gravel bar by the log jam where the creek flows into the upper Skagit River. 
True, it was not the most "official" looking sign that I had ever seen, but to be respected just the same. The locals tell of cougar sightings along the edge of that creek and in those woods. Sitting on big logs and rocks by the water's edge, we kept the dogs in sight as we ate and enjoyed our view. I saw an eagle soaring overhead, but no cougars. None this day.
We'd gone up river for the day to Marblemount to get that camper put away now that the cold of winter had settled in. We stopped for a bit to explore under the Cascade River Bridge. Along the shore of the Cascade River, a few others were stopped too. With their binoculars ready, they hoped to catch sight of an eagle.
I like mosses and lichens and I've found strands of this moss before hanging from the trees when hiking near Baker Lake. Told that it may be a non-native, invasive species in our forest, I like it anyway.
True, it was not the most "official" looking sign that I had ever seen, but to be respected just the same. The locals tell of cougar sightings along the edge of that creek and in those woods. Sitting on big logs and rocks by the water's edge, we kept the dogs in sight as we ate and enjoyed our view. I saw an eagle soaring overhead, but no cougars. None this day.We'd gone up river for the day to Marblemount to get that camper put away now that the cold of winter had settled in. We stopped for a bit to explore under the Cascade River Bridge. Along the shore of the Cascade River, a few others were stopped too. With their binoculars ready, they hoped to catch sight of an eagle.
I like mosses and lichens and I've found strands of this moss before hanging from the trees when hiking near Baker Lake. Told that it may be a non-native, invasive species in our forest, I like it anyway.It reminds me of some of the fuzzy yarns I've used for knitting and crochet. Thinking back to when I was a child and the forest was our playground, often my siblings and I carpeted our tree-formed playhouses with huge sheets of thick, plush mosses. I guess you could say that we transplanted those sheets of moss. Maybe someone transplanted the fuzzy strings of this moss too. Secretly, I wondered if perhaps I could knit with it.
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More pics.
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I wish I could identify this stuff. 
And, yes, my new hat did a fine job of keeping my ears warm!
And, yes, my new hat did a fine job of keeping my ears warm!
WOW Rose, the lay of the land is absolutely beautiful where you are. I can smell the clean air from here:)
ReplyDeleteATW, With salt water in our front yards and the mountains in our back, you are so right, we truly are in a beautiful place. And, with all that marine air and dense forests, the air does feel exceptionally healthy and clean.
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