Originally I had hoped to head up Harbor Mountain and walk to the south slope meadow for a picnic lunch with Connor and Rowan. Those plans changed when we got to Harbor Mountain road and found a sign saying it was closed. (I knew there was going to be work going on to clear some of the remaining debris from last August’s landslides, but I had not really paid much attention to the days.) Instead, we ended up out at Starrigavan and hiked over to Mosquito Cove for our lunch.
I can’t remember how long it has been since I walked the full Mosquito Cove loop, but I think it’s probably been at least several months, and perhaps it has been since last fall (or longer). I’m not sure why I do not make it out there more often, I guess because I tend to prefer the Estuary Life and Forest and Muskeg trails, as they generally offer better bird viewing opportunities.
Mosquito Cove loop is a very nice trail, and it was pleasant walking over the upland section to get to the cove. With the beach in full sun, it felt quite warm sitting on the gravel eating our lunch.
There were several things that caught my attention as we walked along, the most exciting of which was seeing Chromophyton on the same mud where I last saw it in 2007. I’ll write more on that separately.
I was also interested to see copperbush growing right along the trail – I either had not noticed it previously, or perhaps more likely, I just forgot it was there. This species is more typical of subalpine habitats near treeline, and it’s a bit unusual to see it right at sea level. In this case, it’s on a shaded north-facing slope, so perhaps that makes a difference.
