1) TR Trail - Interesting items found along a short but steep trail
September 2018:
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I came across several nice colonies of Pinesap
Monotropa hypopitys, unless they've changed the name again...
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Pinesap - flower detail
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Pinesap in habitat
Note: As of 2021, these are classified as Hypopitys lanuginosa - Appalachian Red Pinesap.
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Native American formed Cupule Rocks
This group of four small moss-covered boulders exhibits similar characteristics to other cupule rocks found in North America and throughout the world. Little is known about the significance or purpose of these cupules. One of these depressions is large enough to be considered a bedrock mortar. With the moss covering, they would be very difficult to notice by the casual observer.
I didn't clean off the moss because I didn't want to make them too obvious alongside the trail.
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Cupule stone 1
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Cupule stone 2
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Cupule stone 3, with possible bedrock mortar.
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Cupule stone 4
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Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii)
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These were practically in the middle of the trail
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2) Trail 2 - The Rockhouse
March 2019:
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The namesake of the Rockhouse Trail at Fires Creek
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Side view
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Interior - This rock overhang could keep at least 20 folks dry in a downpour.
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Saw my first Bloodroots of the spring here, just starting to bloom.
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3) Mountain Camellias
July 2020:
I had been wanting to catch these beautiful trees in bloom;
they are one of the few forest trees to flower this time of year.
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Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata)
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Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata)
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