Alaska Trip Epilogue

Alaska Trip Epilogue

This was my third trip to Alaska and Rick's second trip. After five trips between us, we were still awed by the beauty of the rivers, streams, mountains, wildlife, and the plant life we found in the alpine tundra, rain forest, coastal mud flats and muskegs. I will give serious consideration to a fourth trip, especially, to spend more time at Thompson Pass in mid July.
I started this blog with a photo of Rick and I at the Clayton Hotel in Rabun County, showing a geek type college professor and a young long haired hippie that looked like a young Moses. The student teacher relationship will probably never change but after being with Rick for two weeks it became obvious that this was not the young kid in the rocking chair at that hotel, instead this was Rick the man. I must say, it was the actions of the young man that provided me with positive memories to seek out the man. Thanks Rick.

Cotton Grass------ Eriophorum scheuchzeri

The name "cotton Grass" is a misnomer in that it's not cotton and it's not a grass. It is a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). It belongs to the genus Eriophorum and includes several species in Alaska. Once Rick and I saw them growing in open or coniferous bogs, there was no way to mistake them for any other plant.When you see cotton grass its always in large colonies which is due to the tough rhizomes found just under the sphagnum moss or mud. The flower does not contain petals or sepals, instead cotton grass has long white colored bristles....the cotton in cotton grass. The fruit is a tiny achene which is dispersed by the cotton bristles. It is to hot to grow cotton grass in Georgia, but if you do, be sure to grow it in pot with peat moss. Cotton grass was found growing in the Okefenoke back in the 192o's or 1930's.

Shrub Cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa

This is a deciduous shrub, 1 - 4 feet tall with large yellow flowers Leaves are small and grayish green, three to five toothed. This was one of the most common shrubs we saw in open and partly wooded tundra or muskegs. Potentilla fruticosa is one of those circumpolar plants found in colder parts of the world. This shrub was used in cultivation in many parts of Europe, especially Switzerland.

Flowers of Denali

The white flower is a member of the rose family, White Dryas, Dryas integrifolia. The blue flower is Mertensia paniculata, Bluebells. This plant was found in the higher elevation as well as lower elevation. The red flower is Arctic Dock, Rumex arcticus, this plant was found in the alpine tundra but also grows at lower elevations, in damp, open places.

Denali National Park

These are photos taken in Denali National Park. We saw Doll Sheep, caribou, wolves, grizzly bears, coyote and moose, the big five or big six.
The only way to enter the main part of the park is by park buses which operate every hour on the hour around the clock.

Turnagain Arm

These are photos from the first part of the trip. Turnagain Arm is located 25 miles from Anchorage and is heavily used by day visitors. This highway, Seward highway, takes you to the Kenai peninsula.

Cow Parsnip--Heracleum lanatum

Cow parsnip, also called wild celery, is an important medicine and food plant for the native Americans. It is a large herb that grows as tall as six feet or eight feet tall. Its small flowers form large white umbels, and its large leaves that composed of toothed lobed leaflets. The stem of the upper leaves are surrounded by an inflated sheath. Both the stem and tap root are very thick, the stem becoming woody with age. Most of the plant is covered with hairs that may cause irritation to the skin. Even though cow parsnip is not poisonous it may be confused with plants that are very poisonous such as angelica or poison hemlock. Heracleum lanatum is a species that have seen in North Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. I would love to try growing this plant in the garden.

Unfortunate Event

We arrived in Anchorage last night and spent the last night in our RV. Tuesday we rented a car and drove around Anchorage looking for places to fish . Rick and I fished for a total of four hours and I caught the only fish which was at least two inches long. When we got to the airport my unfortunate incident happened. Rick went through security with no problem. When I went through security the TSA people went nuts. I was pulled to the side and had to answer questions. The problem was I forget my big mama botany knife in my carry on luggage. After a short period of time they decieded that I was not a terrorist, they made me go back and check my carry on luggage with the knife. This is the second time I left this knife in my carry on luggage, the first time TSA missed it. Unfortunately this was not my lucky day
LAST BLOG SUNDAY, JULY 12.

Our last blog will be Sunday, July 12.
Bridal Vail Falls

Sanko & bear

Thompson
Pass

The many leaflet Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)
This is the largest most beautiful lupine I have ever seen. It can be described as
SEX ON A STEM. But many people would a problem with this plant, its an escaped exotic that
could be invasive. It still deserves to be along the roadsides with the natives.

Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass

Yesterday, George and I celebrated Independence Day at Thompson Pass, marveling at the diversity of Alpine flora there. Pictured here is the Worthington Glacier, one of many in Alaska in a state of retreat. The massiveness of glaciers, and of the landscape itself, is nearly impossible to capture in photographs or to express in words. Some of these glaciers are hundreds of feet thick. Last week on my flight over Mt. McKinley, we landed on the Ruth Glacier at an elevation of about 5500 feet. The pilot commented that most climbers carry ropes 300 feet in length, because that is the depth of the average glacial crevasse fall! George resembled a Mountain Goat (Dall Sheep) as we botanized the tundra, putting in a solid 6 hours in the pass. While we saw many fascinating flowering plants and ferns of the Alpine, if there was one plant that stole the show, it had to be the Spring Beauty, Claytonia sarmentosa. Strikingly resembling our native species, C. caroliniana and C. virginiana, except that the flowers at 3/4 " appeared to be on steroids!

Thompson Pass Wildflowers

Two species of dogwoods are
found in Alaska, this is called
Swedish Dwarf Cornel (Cornus
suecica). This one has dark
center and Cornus canadensis has a yellow center, they love to hybridize.
The Blue Flag is Iris setosa and the flower is 4 inches across. WE HAVE AT THE GARDEN.

Rick's Photos of Thompson Pass

Thompson Pass Wildflowers

Moss Campion (Silene acaulis) Yellow Paintbrush & Fireweed

Pixie Eyed
Primrose

Thompson Pass

Thompson Pass (elev. 2678') is a notch through the Chugach Mountains that allows a road connection between the Alaskan interior and the port of Valdez, the terminus of the Alaska pipeline. For George and I, it was our fourth Alpine location on the trip, the first 3 being Mt. Alyeska, Denali-Eielson, and Denali-Mt. Healy. The Alpine has always held a particular fascination for me since the first time I really saw it with George as a student back in 1977. Here is created a wildflower garden of unparralled diversity and color, of plants that survive and thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. After spending 2 hours or so there yesterday, we became quickly overwhelmed, and have decided to go back today to try to sort things out. Walking around Valdez last night, we followed the noisy Seagulls to the fishing wharf, where the catch of the day of Red Snapper, Ming Cod, and Halibut (over 100 pounds) were found! RB.

Flowers of Thompson Pass

Cotton Grass---Harebell---Spring Beauty

Wildflowers

Yellow Paintbrush Castilleja unalaschensis
One Leaf Orchid
Orchis rotundifolia

Richardson Highway-Tok Cutoff

After a warm night at the North Pole (North Pole , Alaska), we reached our farthest point north and started south on a 200 mile leg from Fairbanks to Glenallen. Pictured here is the Delta River, silted with glacial meltwater. It is amazing that the warmest area has been around Fairbanks- certainly in the high 70's yesterday, but still cooling off at night. Still a great reprieve from Georgia summer.
George has been considering his blogs very carefully, having long conferences with his good buddy Jack (Daniels) before he writes anything. This may explain some of the content. Since I'm doing all of the driving, he is doing most of the drinking! Be sure to watch for future blogs in which we will describe the proper operation of an RV. In addition, George has been honing his directional skills: watching him in the rear view mirror while he guides you backing up is something everyone should experience! More later. R.

Richardson Highway-Tok Cutoff

Rick finds cabbage head instead of
moosetress

Richardson Highway-Tok Cutoff

Enj0y

Alaska Wildflowers

Aconitum delphenifolium
Monkshood








Paintbrush
Castilleja elagans

Rick has been trying hard to find
him a MOOSETRESS. At this rest
stop he came very close to the 30%
club of Alaska. Sanko is now a full
member of this unique club.
The beautiful red flower on the right
is an alpine plant called Kings Crown,
Sedum rosea. In Colorado I found
Kings Crown and Queens crown.
More about the 30% club at our
Alaska Party at Tami's house.

Alpine plants

These are two of the many alpine plants
we found in Denali National Park. These
photos were taken above Eielson Center.
The pink flower is Pink Plumes, Polygonum
bistorta and the plant on the right is a shrub
called Dwarf Willow, Salix reticulata. Rick and
I have taken more than 2,500 photos which
we will show this fall and winter.

Alaska Sojourn