Along Prong Trail, just past The Gate. It is very garden-like from the trail-head for a mile or two until you reach the vicinity of The Gate. Here the highland the trail follows narrows to create an exposed area with a weather funnel on the western side. As a result The Gate area is much less garden-like with seriously flagged and stunted spruce and much exposed rock. But once through The Gate you are in this delightfully sheltered area. The shrubs in the middle ground are deciduous azaleas, probably sweet azalea Rhododendron arborescens. I have been here when they were blooming! The low fuzzy stuff is either moss (greenish) or reindeer moss (slightly lighter and bluish-and a lichen, Cladonia rangiferina or C. portentosa), depending on where you are looking.