Lichen Unto Us - Gold Butte Full Of It

How many of us ever stop to look at Lichen? I do, but I have to confess it's pretty much just in passing - even on Gold Butte.

We mostly think of the tiny, colorful stuff in relation to wet, damp, cool places; but, I'm here to tell you it's all over the desert as well. Naturally, I don't have to convince riders in Utah, Colorado, California, Wyoming or Arizona that their rides are full of rocks with lichen attached.  But, Nevada… well… that's an equine of a different wavelength.

For them I present — DATA! Look at the photo of Ladybug Rock in Cottonwood Wash to the right. Ignore the ladybug if you can and look at the rock. I can see at least three kinds of lichen. Can you?

And the rocks at Falling Man – that's not food coloring. I've seen lichen on the rocks over the entrance to Gold Butte Mine, at Devil's Cove and Tassi Springs. At Whitney Pockets at 3-Corners at Logandale Loop and many points in between.

What we must remember is that lichen is about as tough as the rocks upon which they live. And, things in the desert weren't always like they are now so there are patches of fossilized lichen all around… if you look for it.

Recently, I stumbled upon a whole bunch of lichen photos on another post and I've brought them together from Flicker for your purusal and enjoyment. So enjoy!

Green Lichen by kaibara87

Map Lichen by Vik Nanda

Lichen by pfly

Lichen @ Pinnacles by Dawn Endico

Stonewall Rim-Lichen and Bare-Bottom Sunburst Lichen by pellaea

Wolf Lichen on Douglas Fir – Colockum Road by brewbooks

Lichen by jenny downing

Lichen at Mt Waterman by steveberardi

Snow, Rock, Lichen 1 by Ctd 2005

Lichen by Paul J. Morris

Lichens on a Tree by Steve Newcomb

Lichen Bloom by Arenamontanus

Yellow Map Lichen by pellaea

Reddish Lichen by kaibara87

Lichen by treehouse1977

Lichen by Tim Green aka atoach

Wood Lichen by Nogwater

Lichen Tooth by Mike McCaffrey