! Mossy rocks

I don’t know what it is, but something about a mossy rock that strikes my fancy. Even on the hottest of days, they look cool and inviting.

Let’s share our mossy rocks here!

Did someone say mossy rocks?

Nice, Mike!

Mossy Rocks=GOLD!

Took another hike in Smoky Mountain National Park today. Destination was Abrams Falls but I went another mile or two to the end of the trail. Roughly 8 or 9 miles round trip. It is in a very popular tourist area known as Cades Cove. I avoid that entire side of the park during peak season. There is almost 900 miles of trail so that is easy. Most of the trails are much more remote, longer, & more difficult than Abrams Falls trail. I rarely encounter tourists but there were a few today. There was some elevation changes but fairly minimal for a mountain trail. The falls is about 50 feet tall. Maybe 75. I've seen taller falls in the park but think this is officially the highest volume one. Certainly one of the most popular. It is rated as the 9th most dangerous trail in the USA. Simply because people do dumb things at the falls. The trail itself was rather tame. For the mountains.

Oh, and there were some mossy rocks. It's almost impossible not to see mossy rocks on any trail in SMNP. The trees are thick & there are many springs, creeks, & rivers. Not to mention the fog & rains.

These rocks are very peaceful, thank you!

Some photos I took a while back of some nice mossy rocks -

taken during our annual spring walk in the hoh rainforest last year

Just gorgeous, Carla, and with the ferns too!  My other favorite.

Rebecca, love that setting!  Can almost hear the rushing water from those photos.  Pacific NW?

Artie, yep! It's the Alsea river in Oregon's coastal mountains.

I love mossy rocks!

Mine isn't too grand... only one beautiful mossy rock on my property. But here it is anyway (I hope. I'm just figuring out uploading a picture here.)

just found this in my phone. got a bunch of good mossy rocks up the hill from the house, will have to try to remember to take some pics!

Heidi, Burra, Greg, loving your mossy rocks!

Here is another along the creek in the dappled sunshine.

more mossy rocks!

so much moss! love it!

Can we possibly handle any more mossy rocks?  Why yes...yes we can!

This picture of a mossy rock my girl encountered looked rather familiar. She had had quite the shock.  

I am having a professional gardener reform my garden, which is filled with mossy rocks and one mossy um, water vessel. Not a well, more like the smallest stone watering trench you've ever seen.  I know he's going to keep all the rocks and then select the best ones to create the new garden. He's unwilling to move the watering trench because of its age and mossy growth.  As for me, I love it and will be very pleased to have it as a showcase piece of the new garden.  I'll have to get a photo of it.

A bit further afield, here's moss colonizing lava rocks in the 1968 lava flow at Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. (Photo 2022)

Mossy rocks!

I came across a warm spring in the desert near the Nevada Idaho state line. The water is about 80f /27c and full of very fast crawfish. This small patch of moss on a partially submerged rock caught my attention.

From various hikes.