This is a another of the missing holiday blogs – this one dates from Saturday 21 July – Enjoy!
Continuing what seems to have been a decided trend of this holiday, Saturday’s walk was again an attempt to look at some of the more open upland pastures, hopefully with their associated views and we were again lost in the thick mass of a cloud! Get the feeling here that there is a pattern to the walks here? Just a bit of cloud and mist, maybe a drip or two of rain?!
Simple route today, head up through the forests and over the top of Boczań at 1208m, which you’d never know was a top, as it was surrounded by Spruce forest, with no open views. This early on I knew the cloud was upon us, as the top of the trees were already attempting to get lost in the mist. Maybe my confidence of the views that I was expecting, should have wavered a bit at this stage, but still I walked on with confidence, always expecting to see something exciting over the next rise. Then we walked up on to the Skupniów Upłaz Ridge and continue on up to the pass at Przelęcz Między Kopami, at 1499m. Passing on the way through Dwarf Pine woodland, before opening out in to what should have been open alpine meadows, supposedly accompanied by some views! Unfortunately they were lost in dense cloud, and I had to dream of the open soaring views that should have been there. Finally we head back down the Dolina Jaworzynka, which took us down through the range of habitats again and finally into some lower wet meadows.
The View From the Skupniów Upłaz Ridge – 21 July 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)
Maybe a lack of views and maybe most of the species that I wished to see were lost in the mist, but even so the mist produced some amazing patterns as the clouds wafted amongst the cliffs, crags and trees. On a smaller scale, what was lacking in the views, was made up by the beauty of the water droplets that had settled with a precise placement on various stands of vegetation. It was as though each had been placed individually, as if each droplet had been selected with an artistic brilliance and added to brighten the dull day.
Water Droplets on Spruce – 21 July 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)
Not quite all was lost in the mist, many of the grasslands where brightened by many white Umbellifers, the pinky-purple of the Shining Scabious (Scabiosa lucida) flowers, and a pinkish Knapweed (Centaurea sp.) heads. But best of all though, had to be the bright single white flower of a Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustria) plant by the edge of the path; that seemed to shine out of the mist like a lighthouse beacon directing ships.
Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustria) – 21 July 2012 (Copyright Ross Lockley)