Fungi Alert

 No, this isn't an athlete's foot alert; this is the real cool fungi that is everywhere here in the campground.  Fungus has always been fascinating to me, cause they are neither plant nor animal, but they grow a lot and fast.  They acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment - hence they are the great decomposers of the natural world. Fungi do not photosynthesize like plants, and growth is their means of mobility, except if they have spores.  

OK - enough science stuff, here's just some of what's out there on the campground floor.  

They are everywhere, and if one wants to pop up, then no matter what's in the way, it gets moved.  

This one looks fresh -- probably this afternoon's crop!

And then next to all the fungus are about 5 different varieties of mosses which are plants - very simple ones.

But that's not all there is. The forest is teaming with lovely little flowers that are so delicate you wonder how they survive.  

And the best for last.  The best my books can ID is the it's a Butterfly Pea.  Click here for more info.

It looked like an orchid to me, but is related to the pea family, and there's nothing prettier than a sweet pea blossom, but was fun to find this out in the forest today on our walk.  

We tried to do the North Rim, but our goal was to get some photos along the edge of the rim.  Apparently this part of the trail, is far in from the edge.  We'll try again tomorrow from the other end - at the Visitor's Center.