On a sunny March day we hiked through the rocky hills of the Frederick Bluffs.   There were no wildflowers and shrubs were not yet “leafing,” but a few mosses, sedges, and grasses were showing new growth.

Fire moss patches had reddish stems and smooth-green cylindrical capsules.

We saw emerging sedges in damp, sheltered areas.

I though the white cement-like formation was a lime concretion, but on close examination was a hard crustose lichen.

I spotted a fallen ponderosa pine with a large burl.

A few wind-shaped trees grew in the rock on the edge the hills.

An old fir log lay in a dry south-facing location, bleached, lined, and tinted with several small holes, a refuge for insects.

The area is rugged, but rich in terrain, plant growth, and views, a spot we hike twice each year.