What Lies Beneath (the Red Alder Trees)
Last month we had a massive windstorm, strong enough be be dubbed a "bomb cyclone." Since then, at each of our favorite hiking spots we've noticed many newly fallen trees. It's hard not to feel a pang for the downed trees, especially the grand old conifers. Sigh. Fodder for the fungi and slime molds, I guess. At Cougar Mountain recently, we saw some freshly knocked down red alder trees ( Alnus rubra ). Perhaps unfairly, fallen red alders feel less tragic, as they are pretty short-lived for a tree. Most that reach maturity will only live 60 or 70 years. They are lovely trees, though, with their pale, lichen-covered bark, their pinkish catkins in spring, or their yellow leaves in autumn. As we looked at this fallen alder, I thought I spotted a slime mold or small fungi on the roots - clusters of something weird and tiny and round and orange. Definitely not slime mold - not squishy enough. Maybe a fungus? Hmm. Then it clicked! Red alder is a pioneering species, and can...