A Sphagnum moss bog is a very particular habitat. The many species of Sphagnum are the primary peat forming species of moss. Such bogs provide a niche environment for a whole spectrum of living things be they micro-organisms or larger plants and animals (insects, spiders, frogs, reptiles, birds etc.)
 I came across the one shown above by chance walking down from the rim of the Crater Lake caldera; no doubt there are others on the slopes fed by the snow-melt streams. If I return to these parts I see there is a large one marked on the map in the north west corner of the National Park. It can be reached by the Bald Crater Loop which connects with the Pacific Crest Trail at Red Cone Springs. Great names, maybe next time...
 Below is another example closer to home- on Wimbledon Common. Farm Bog is one of a few that can be found within Greater London (and the largest of them). I have to be honest and say that my main reason for being this side of town was a lunchtime drink with some pals. Since I was in the neighbourhood I thought I'd go in search of Farm Bog having read about it a few years ago. I suppose navigating Wimbledon Common lacks the drama of hiking in Oregon but finding this small survival of a primeval landscape in my home city is thrilling in its own way.
 I thought I must be getting close when the park path I was following became a hollow lane of sorts, a sure sign of an ancient route. The woodland around me was noticeably deeper and wilder here than elsewhere on the Common- the trees were gnarly and the ground covered in bracken. The air smelled different: damper and heavier. I followed an overgrown path heading downwards off the beaten track and as I hoped it skirted around this soft, squashy morass.