Where the frost lingers

Deep in the Strid Gorge at Bolton Abbey, it was clear that the sun had not penetrated all day and the air temperature was chill enough for the frost still to be lingering. It was very beautiful. I don't often venture out in those conditions and it was a joy to experience. 

I was fascinated by the detail of the frosting on different surfaces. It looked like sugar sprinkled on the sawn wooden posts.

Coating the dead grasses and leaves on the woodland floor, it emphasised the shapes and reminded me somehow of Chinese characters, those wonderfully intricate logograms.  

On leaves, it has the effect of picking out the veining. 

I also spotted a couple of curiosities... This icicle was hanging from a fallen log, looking a bit like a snake's tongue. The orange colouration was interesting and I'm not sure whether it was a simply a result of the dead wood or caused by resin still dripping from the log. 

The other phenomenon I spotted, which I got quite excited about, was this hair ice. It is apparently a rare kind of ice formation, caused by the presence of a particular fungus, Exidiopsis effusa, that is found on moist, rotting wood. (See HERE) It needs very specific conditions before it forms. I've heard of it but never seen an actual example before. It looks soft and silky but was in fact hard and brittle to (a gentle) touch. 

I found it so enjoyable just wandering along and seeing what I could spot.