R: California Fetid Adderstongue.
Today we came back to Armstrong Woods. We’ve only ever been the once. Forever ago, when Victor brought us Theatre in the Woods kids to see what an amphitheatre in the woods could look like. This was perhaps sometime in 2002 or 2003. Not long after we started TIW, since all five of us went together. Soon after we started that theatre company, we weren’t often together as a fivesome.
We both couldn’t remember too much of the place. There was a Redwood Forest. There was an amphitheatre, unlike what we’d ever seen before. But it was fuzzy. What I remembered most was thinking that Victor was crazy to think we could pull something like THAT off out at The Land. Little did I know we’d end up hand-carving an earthen amphitheatre into the creek hillside a number of years later anyway! You never know what’s in store for you until it happens sometimes.
So this was our big return! And THIS TIME, I was not an aspiring actor but an excited naturalist. Hoping to see All The FUNGI.
Some time ago, we went on a nature walk at Bouverie Preserve with Carol and Dan. And there were a handful of fungi along the walk. And I had to stop at each and every one of them back in those days. And a family of three (who had a little boy, almost equally curious about mushrooms as I was that I’ll never forget) had told me they’d just come from Armstrong Woods. Which had ALL SORTS OF FUNGI.
I’ve been meaning to come back ever since. At the right time of year.
So. It was that time. And there was a whole ASSORTMENT of Fungi!
Mostly Waxcaps, but there was plenty of others to take note of and delight in. We took the Armstrong Redwoods Grove Loop Trail on AllTrails. With an extended bit to see the Redwood Forest Theater, for old time’s sake.
Now, this trail is POPULAR. It’s easy and pretty short. And it was RARE when we didn’t have folks pretty close to us. As such, I didn’t pull much on this outing. Didn’t want to encourage EVERYONE to do it. And it turned out, there are indeed Fungi Fairies at Armstrong anyway.
So even though I hardly pulled any mushrooms, it was still utterly joyful to come across so many Fungi Candy so brightly popping out from the dark and saturated forest floor.
And Brian even helped me try out the new dental mirror I got (at an antique store in Martinez, with an extension!) to see how easy it’d be to get a look-see at the underside of mushroom caps. Turns out, it’s kinda easy TO SEE but quite difficult to then get a photo of the reflection. Especially in a dark forest!
Not only were there Fungi all around the place, but I was completely giddy upon seeing both California Fetid Adderstongue flowers in bloom AND Button’s Banana Slugs near the amphitheatre. But what was interesting was seeing these particular Adderstongues… They seemed DIFFERENT than the ones I know and love at Muir Woods.
These seemed to have taller stems, perhaps? And there was one that looked like it had maroon or burgundy coloring on its petals. Which I totally don’t believe I’ve seen before. Is that possible to have those variations not that far from Muir Woods/Marin County?
When seeing the water running in Fife Creek, I wondered if Salmon were in the area. A quick and absolutely non-extensive search on Google for an answer resulted in Yes. In upstream tributaries of Russian River. Both Chinook and Coho. Need to look that up more later.
We only heard a few birds while out Naturing. Not surprising. A dove of some kind, a Northern Flicker, an Acorn Woodpecker, an American Raven, and a Hairy Woodpecker. Oh! And a Pileated Woodpecker, I think. It always takes me a minute to realize what I’m hearing is a Pileated Woodpecker. And then it’s, “Oh! The LAUGH!”
We made it back to where we started, at the Visitor Center. And I marveled (while standing in front of a map of the entire Reserve) at how little of Armstrong Woods we’d just seen. Would be nice to have more time next time. And visit some trails off the main drag.
While I wasn’t there for The Redwoods per se, it’s always humbling to be in their presence. And impossible to ignore them towering above you. Our coastal giants. With so many small and super small and even teensy tiny mushrooms below them. Love that contrast. How special it is to bear witness to such things.
