What better way to get ready to go to Alaska next week than to put on my boots and take a hike with Denali, my favorite sled dog?

    Bruce & Denali on bridge

    Denali, Tanya and I hit the trail at Jockey Hollow National Historic Park in Morristown, NJ this weekend. The weather was beautiful and the woods were filled with the pulsating buzz of 17-year cicadas.

    Sound of the Cicadas [swf file="http://www.polartrec.com/files/members/bruce-taterka/audio/cicada_sounds.mp3"]

    Cicada in hand

    Cicada closeup

    Cicadas were everywhere! Unlike the bugs at Toolik, the cicadas are non-biting and very gentle. The cicada nymphs began emerging from the ground a few weeks ago. After emerging, they shed their exoskeletons which you can see all over the trees and the ground.

    Exoskeleton on tree
    :

    Exoskeleton carpet

    After shedding, the adults look to mate. We caught a pair in action.

    Cicadas mating

    After mating, the female lays her eggs on a branch. When the eggs hatch, the larvae drop to the ground, burrow in, and spend the next 17 years sucking sap from tree roots. They’ll be back in 2030.

    Tanya also made friends with a Green frog on our hike.

    Tanya the Frog Whisperer
    Tanya the Frog Whisperer

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