Today, we hiked to see one of five remaining pools in the world where the boreal toad is known to be found. I won't tell where it is. You have to be delicate with their habitat. We bleached the bottoms of our boots before we went up, and we never went inside the pond, though Laila pulled one out to see it better and sex it. They were sooooo cute. :]
Getting there was an adventure. We walked through an avalanche zone where all the trees were mowed down as though someone came through with a bulldozer, crossed four streams and I got soaked from the waist down, walked over piles of snow, and found where they live. We were worried at first because we couldn't find any females. All we saw were males (they are distinguished by their big strong daddy toad arms tehe). But then we found some tadpoles and realized the females must have already moved out. There were no signs of the deadly fungus that eats at the keratin in their skin and disables gas exchange, thereby killing them. So that's good.
What happens, they think, is that as global warming progresses, it gets warmer at higher elevations, slowly allowing the fungus to progress upward. There used to be so many toads that when it rained you couldn't help but run them over down on the road. And now there are only five small ponds left (at higher elevations, I'm assuming) where they exist because of the fungus. They're healthy where we went, and there are obviously enough of them to breed. All we can hope is that we didn't bring it in somehow.
Satisfied, we had a snack, took some pictures, and came back. I took lots of pictures for Mom and Abbie. They're pretty much adorable. On the way back, I resumed my drenching process. I brought my flip flops, but lost Mom's right thong to the first stream we crossed. Sorry Mom. :[ I probably should have taken your strappy sandals after all. I soaked my jeans, my leather boots, two pairs of socks, the edges of my jacket; and finally I got the sleeves of my UWEC sweatshirt catching myself on a particularly bad, fast stream.
I'm pretty tired now, but I think it was worth it. Who knows? - maybe in a few years they'll all be gone.
When I got back, I was starving. While I'm moving, my body tends to turn off the hunger feeling sometimes, but when I know home is near, it turns back on. By the time I was back in my cabin, I was famished. I heated up some of the pre-made noodle meals Mom sent, and before I knew it, it was consumed. It was one of those meals where you don't look up from your plate until it's all gone, and then you go, "Whoa. I ate something."
Gotta go! Shopping in Gunnison!
Current music: "Swingtown" - Steve Miller Band
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