RHH's photos with the keyword: chuckanuts

Photographed on a Memorial Day hike in the Chuckanuts.

The Chuckanuts are the mounttains south of Bellinham, Washington. This was taken from Samish Overlook, a launching point for hang-gliders and one of the best views of the Strait and Islands. The overlook can be reached with by hiking or by a very rough gravel road.

I have no idea which species of Slime Mold this is. Lecarpus fragilis is a guess from some of the pictures I've seen, but perhaps someone who see the picture will know. It was photographed along the Fragrance Lake trail in the Chuckanut Mountains. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-chuckanuts.html

I was out for a little while today and took some shots of this unnamed cascade in the Chuckanut Mountains south of Bellingham. We had some dry weather for a change, though it was cool and cloudy. In fact we had the coldest April on record since the 1800's and twice our normal amount of rainfall, so any opportunity to get out is welcome. There wasn't much blooming yet in the way of wildflowers and I spent some time looking for places to take time exposures.

These were photographed in the Chuckanut mountains south of Bellingham, Washington earlier this spring. The photo was taken by my wife and was one of the better shots of the excursion. Corallorhiza striata is also known as the striped Corallroot and is one of the prettier species in that genus. It blooms quite early in our area. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2011/05/c...

This is one of our native trees. The Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii, grows along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California. Sadly, it is declining throughout its range. This photo was taken at Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park and shows the attractive features of this small tree, its green wood and its naturally peeling red bark. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/clayton-bea...

Here's another shot of the Pacific Madrone, showing its orange-red peeling bark, its smooth green or tan wood, and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca where it grows. It is native to the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia and is one of our most striking native trees. This photo was taken at Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park south of Bellingham. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/09/clayton-bea...

This is one of the native orchids that we go see in Larrabee State Park. The trail to Clayton Beach, a remote area of the park, follows a path through the woods, crosses a railroad track and includes a couple of scrambles down the rocks. This orchid is found above and below the tracks and along them. Epipactis helleborine, the Broad-leaved Helleborine, is not truly a native, but a European import first found in the US in 1878 that has spread all across the northern part of the country and of southern Canada. It is one of two Epipactis species in the Pacific Northwest, the other a true native. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/10/t...

Here's another photo of the Broad-leaved Helleborine, the European plant that was, according to the reports I've read, introduced into this country by settlers who considered it a remedy for gout. This photo of a more colorful form than the green and pink flowers I posted earlier (see below) There is huge variation in these. The plants themselves vary in size from a foot to four feet tall. The flowers vary in color from green to a deep pink or purple and the flowers, which also vary a great deal in number, are sometimes widely spaced as on this stem and sometimes crowded together. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/b...

Taken on the Fragrance Lake trail in Larrabee State Park, this gives an idea of what our northwestern forests are like, green and mossy with ferns everywhere. Many thanks to those who identified the fern for me.

This photo was taken earlier in the year In Larrabee State Park, but not at Clayton Beach. Near the main road through the park, Chuckanut Drive, there is a walking and biking trail, the Interurban Trail, that follows the road for many miles. This photo was taken along that trail at a spot where we go to see these orchids every year. Corallorhiza striata has the largest and showiest flowers of any of our native Coralroots. It blooms in the spring and is usually found growing in rather sheltered and shady areas. In this particular location it can be found in some large clumps if they survive the dogs and bikes and hikers who use the trail, but usually they do and people who use the trail seem quite careful to use it responsibly. All the Coralroots are leafless and without chlorophyll. They live in a symbiotic relation with a fungus and through the fungus obtain their nourishment from decaying material in the soil. Washington has five species of Coralroots, maculata, mertensiana, striata, trifida and wisteriana, plus several important varieties of these species. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/05/s...

This is the same native orchid species I posted a few days ago, but a close-up of the flowers. The photo was taken on a rainy day in Larrabee State Park along the Interurban Trail. The Coralroots are mycotrophic plants, without leaves or chlorophyll and depending on a relationship with a fungus for nourishment. This is the showiest of our five species of Coralroots. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/05/s...

On one of our hikes in Larrabee State Park on a rainy day we found these Bellis Daisies (Bellis perennis) along the path. They are not native to Washington, but are a European import that has naturalized all over the world.We took some pictures of them in the rain though we had better things to look for.

One more picture from Clayton Beach. This area is now closed off to the public, since the path crosses a railroad track. People have been crossing the track for years and no one has ever gotten hurt, but the railroad has said that the lines of sight are not good and has probably put up fences to stop people, though I have not been there yet and have not seen seen what they've done. It is a shame not only because the beach was a very popular spot for families, and because it has some unusual sandstone formations, but because it is part of a state park and ought to be open to the public.

One more picture of this species, this time of a very dark flowered plant, this one also from the Clayton Beach area of Larrabee State Park. The variation in color, flower number, and size of the plants is amazing. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/b...

My photos of this orchid species have drawn considerable comment from those who know it in Europe and who are surprised at how different these plants are from what they know. Here is another photo showing a side view of the flowers. The whole matter has interested me to the point that I hope to do further investigation this summer when they bloom again and will check with the University of Washington Herbarium to see if they can give me any information. For those who have not seen the previous photos, this is the Broad-leaved Helleborine, a non-native, introduced into this country in the late 1800's by European settlers. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2010/09/b...

This picture was not taken in Larrabee State Park but further south, though still in the Chuckanut Mountains. Had to scramble down a muddy slope from the bridge that crosses the creek to get this picture. The picture is one from the archives and was taken a couple of years ago.

I've been posting close-ups of the wood and bark of the Pacific Madrone or Madrona (Arbutus menziesii) and thought I ought to post a picture of the tree. This photo, too, was taken at Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2010/08/larrabee-st...