In the fall, there is still much to observe in the forests on the Interior Plateau.   Fall color often flanks the trails on our hiking routes and we make a few stops along the way to observe the ferns, lichen, fungi, shrubs and herbs off the sides of the trails.   Open, dry glades have less abundance than damp, sheltered spots.    Fungi can be spotted in the Douglas fir and mixed forests as we hike at higher altitudes than our valleys.

In this week of hiking some photos were taken of a variety of flora, shared here in a Google Photos album.    Identifications are provided in most cases, but we can see captions on any or all of the photos by clicking the link in the top corner.

Nature hikes are ongoing right up to the time when snows cover the landscape and more observations will be shared through the fall.