November 17, 2024: Reindeer on the Mountain

 Lichen, that is, Reindeer Lichen.

Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia rangiferina)

Hiking along the historic Algonquin Trail from Sandwich Notch to Black Mountain, I came across the most lush community of Reindeer Lichen I've ever seen.  It was one of the largest, and certainly the softest, greenest crop I've found.

This lush growth near the summit of Black Mountain must be the result of several factors coming together, especially considering how dry our summer has been.  Reindeer Lichen is a symbiotic hybrid of fungi and cyanobacteria, often growing on north-facing granite slabs which provide the minerals and limited sun they prefer.  The fungi and the bacteria (or algae) provide their partner with the nutrients the other can't produce on its own.  But they both also need water, and I'm guessing the geography around Black Mountain is very efficient at capturing moisture rising up from the valley below, condensing it into clouds and fog that is usable by the lichen.  

A lush growth of Reindeer Lichen.

We have Reindeer Lichen around Lake Wicwas and you can see a large community of it at the White Mountain Ledge in the Hamlin Town Forest.  Like most patches I've seen, the lichen at the White Mountain Ledge is gray in color and quite dry and brittle, which is one reason it's important to not step on it as the fragile stems will break off, destroying years of growth in a rather unhospitable environment.  This lichen grows at a rate of about 1/4 inch per year.  

Evidence of the lack of rain was evident by the dry stream beds along the trail.

Even crossing streams with water didn't even require much of rock-hop.

Another find on granite right in the center of the trail was weasel scat.  

That sample looked like it was only a day or two old, but another looked very fresh, probably left that morning.

This scat appears to have leaves in it.

The mountains are pretty empty this time of year so I guess the weasels can go wherever they want.  I saw no other people on my hike and heard only a couple of Blue Jays and Chickadees that were annoyed by my presence on their mountain.  I also heard and saw one lone raven flying along the thermals rising up from the south-facing ledges of Black Mountain which were warming in the morning sun.  As it flew it made a short musical call that sounded like water drops falling into a well.

If you're curious where Black Mountain is, it is readily seen from many viewpoints around Meredith including the White Mountain Ledge, the viewpoint from the Yellow Trail near the clearing by Wicwood Shores Rd, and even driving down Route 3 into Meredith Village.

Black Mountain in winter as seen from the White Mountain Ledge.

While hiking silently along the ancient, time-worn Algonquin Trail, I found myself thinking again and again how I was walking a path laid out thousands of years ago by the indigenous people of N'dakina, wondering how many feet have traversed this path over the millennia.

The Algonquin Trail as it departs from Sandwich Notch.

It was quiet at Lake Wicwas too, without a single duck sighting.  About all I have to offer is this deer scrape right in the trail.

Like weasels leaving scat in obvious places, a buck will scrape down to bare soil and leave its scent to let all the other deer know that it has claimed this particular patch of the forest - and all the does that live in it!

The beavers did come back to finish removing the branch on that beech tree they felled last week.

Last week.

This week.

They took the branch away, along with three other small trees beside it.

Those beavers sure are efficient loggers.

I also came across a couple of trees that were felled by the wind in one of our recent winds storms.

It's always interesting to examine the root structure you don't usually see, as well as all the soil and rocks wrapped up in it.

How often do you get to see the underside of a tree?

So it's a quiet time here waiting for winter to arrive.  There was no snow in the notch, but soon Sandwich Notch Road will be closed and the Algonquin Trail to Black Mountain will be inaccessible except by ski and snowmobile.

Just a trace of snow at higher elevation.

It was nice to get one last trip through the notch before winter settles in.