Altanash Inlet
While some of us were kayaking this radiantly sunny morning, others chose to attempt a bushwhacking hike along one of the salmon streams that run into the head of the Inlet. Immediately we ran into difficulties, as the streams were too deep and strewn with boulders to serve as a hiking route, while the banks and forest beyond were littered with giant deadfalls, and clogged up with dense shrubbery. The usual bear trails were there, but they meandered and crisscrossed in all directions. Besides, bear trails are designed by and for 4'X4' bears, not for 6' tall people. Each attempt to penetrate the bush beyond the first few hundred yards met with some initial success, but sooner or later every approach ended in a wall of devil's club (Oplopanax horridus).
Both the vernacular and the scientific names of this large woody plant indicate that there is something unpleasant about how we perceive it. Indeed, their trunks, stems and even leaves are covered with spines that readily impale the skin if one is not very careful. John Burroughs in 1899 wrote, "... it hedges about these mossy cushions as with the fangs of serpents". When six-foot tall devil's clubs reach over, and hang into the trail, one's desire to proceed quickly diminishes to zero. We soon gave up in the face of the devil's club's fangs and spent the rest of the morning taking in the awesome beauty of the forest. This allowed us to give the devil's club a second, unbiased look, and discovered that it is a very beautiful plant with its large maple-like leaves, and spikes of bright red berries. Realizing that these berries are one of the bears' favorite foods, we should not have been surprised that all trails seemed to lead to a large patch of this devilish plant. We were surprised to learn that it is one of the most highly regarded medicinal plants among native peoples on the coast. Devil's club belongs to the same family as oriental ginseng, and, like ginseng is used to raise the immune system. In particular, an infusion of the green inner bark and roots is reputed to be good for arthritis, gall stones, diabetes, stomach ulcers, and constipation. Who needs a doctor?
While some of us were kayaking this radiantly sunny morning, others chose to attempt a bushwhacking hike along one of the salmon streams that run into the head of the Inlet. Immediately we ran into difficulties, as the streams were too deep and strewn with boulders to serve as a hiking route, while the banks and forest beyond were littered with giant deadfalls, and clogged up with dense shrubbery. The usual bear trails were there, but they meandered and crisscrossed in all directions. Besides, bear trails are designed by and for 4'X4' bears, not for 6' tall people. Each attempt to penetrate the bush beyond the first few hundred yards met with some initial success, but sooner or later every approach ended in a wall of devil's club (Oplopanax horridus).
Both the vernacular and the scientific names of this large woody plant indicate that there is something unpleasant about how we perceive it. Indeed, their trunks, stems and even leaves are covered with spines that readily impale the skin if one is not very careful. John Burroughs in 1899 wrote, "... it hedges about these mossy cushions as with the fangs of serpents". When six-foot tall devil's clubs reach over, and hang into the trail, one's desire to proceed quickly diminishes to zero. We soon gave up in the face of the devil's club's fangs and spent the rest of the morning taking in the awesome beauty of the forest. This allowed us to give the devil's club a second, unbiased look, and discovered that it is a very beautiful plant with its large maple-like leaves, and spikes of bright red berries. Realizing that these berries are one of the bears' favorite foods, we should not have been surprised that all trails seemed to lead to a large patch of this devilish plant. We were surprised to learn that it is one of the most highly regarded medicinal plants among native peoples on the coast. Devil's club belongs to the same family as oriental ginseng, and, like ginseng is used to raise the immune system. In particular, an infusion of the green inner bark and roots is reputed to be good for arthritis, gall stones, diabetes, stomach ulcers, and constipation. Who needs a doctor?
