A mid-Autumn day. The forecast warned of Intermittent showers. Nothing new about that in the Pacific Northwest. Most importantly, intermittent showers… also implies that intermittent sun might also be a possibility. The type of Pacific Northwest sun that weaves in and out of the clouds. In mid-Autumn, we bathe in it when we can. Otherwise… we wear fleece, down and gore tex. On this day in particular, the wind was moderate and flowing from the Southwest. The air temperature was fifty five degrees. Perfect hiking weather. Fort Flagler was on the day’s menu. So was Port Ludlow. Both offer the possibility to enshroud oneself in autumn laced combinations of mist, drizzle, a cacophony of green lushness, moss, fern grottoes, young, old, ancient trees, dead-fall… and mushroom breath. Mushrooms are everywhere at this time of year. All kinds. They shed spores…
The trails are excellent. Tree roots abound. High quality hiking boots are recommended. Without trails, traveling through the Flaggler and Ludlow forests isn’t impossible, but it is certainly challenging. Oh… it can be done if you are willing to follow “game trails”. But that is just not practical unless you are 10 years old and don’t mind a few bruises, scrapes and cuts that don’t bleed too much. Otherwise… leave the off trail experience to the deer, coyotes, chipmunks, birds and the thousands of other creatures that get along just fine without homo sapien interventions.
The environment at this time of year, is bathed in intermittent sunlight filtered through a mixed deciduous and evergreen tree canopy that is in the throes of shutting down for winter. Deciduous tree leaves are changing color and are falling to the ground. The trails are carpeted with them. Roots and rock obstacles are hidden at times. At least there is more light to detect them as the canopy above thins. More of the ethereal light penetrates to the forests floor.
As the forest slows down it exhales a woodsy perfume: a lush, olfactory brew of evergreen terpenes suffused with a sweetish trace of maple sap as the maples move their winter energy sources into storage. The dropped leaves of the red alders, maples, red cedar and smaller bushes that are piling up on the forest floor add the tang of organic decay to the aromatic mix. And… the scent of “mushroom”, provided by their airborne fungal spores adds a final elemental fragrance. Pheromones abound. If only we could “read” them. Perhaps some day…
Salish Sea Cruising With Blair, Les, Leo, and Bliss 