Fungi, temperature inversion, Brocken spectre and more.

I’ve just had a working Bank Holiday weekend and enjoyed some superb weather. For those who were out and about early on the hills, one morning there was a temperature inversion where the valley bottom and lake were carpeted with cloud. From a modest height, there was a stunning view down onto a cloud. If you look closely at one of the pictures, you will see a Brocken spectre. The sun was behind me, the cloud was in front of me and this is my shadow being cast on top of the cloud.

Bank Holiday visitors who popped into Bark House near Ashness Bridge will have been able to see a weaver at work and to see some of her beautiful work. How we use Bark House is still evolving. At present you will often find volunteers there who will tell you something about the area and there have been occasional events like the weaving demonstration. The log fire is a great attraction of course and likely to be more so as the days become cooler!

I’m also posting photographs of the work some of our guys have done on fences, footpaths and steps on the way up to Watendlath. As you can see, they have done a great job. They can be rightly proud of the result of their hard labour.

Meanwhile, I’ve surveyed the footpath in Cockshot Wood to see what the next stage of improvement should be. Ideally we want to link to a new venture by Theatre by the Lake. The theatre is currently rebuilding the cafe between the theatre and the Trust shop and the plan includes having a wheelchair accessible link to our woodland path. We want to continue improving accessibility on our path so that wheelchair users can do a complete circuit of the wood and include the theatre's new cafe, the Trust shop and of course the play trail.

Another footpath job was to check out a report I’d received about damage up Cat Gill. A branch has fallen and damaged a stretch of retaining wall. This is a job I want to do sooner rather than later. At this stage it can probably be fixed in a day with my volunteers rather than leave it to worsen and perhaps need the footpath team having to do a major repair.

Whilst I was up there I took the following photograph of a fungus I didn’t recognise. I would like to know more about fungi so have been trying to identify it. After some searching, I’m hoping I’m right that it is a cauliflower fungus (ramaria sp). As a friend says, “Every day should be a school day.” As ever, the usual words of warning are to never eat any fungus unless you can 100% identify it as being safe to eat. 

Daisy here: 

I’ve been playing out. It’s great up above the clouds. Wow!