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Old Growth and More - Eagle Mtn. Early March, 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
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Old Growth and More - Eagle Mtn. Early March, 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| I took a hike through the Southern Nantahala woods on March 2, looking to find the first spring ephemeral bloom(s). It was still early, no flowers yet, although I saw lots of leaves emerging - trout lilies, sharp-lobed hepatica, broad-leaf toothwort and Packera aurea were common. Fortunately, I found plenty of other interesting things along the way... |
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| We'd had a nice flow of water in the headwaters of Bell Creek this winter, thanks to all the rain. |
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| A green squamulose lichen (one of the Cladonias) growing with moss on an old downed tree. |
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| Thar's gold in them thar hills... (and creeks!) |
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| Another pretty spot along Bell Creek |
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| Bark on a nice Buckeye tree |
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| I came across a spot on the mountain-side with a cluster of several huge boulders like this. This one has water emerging from under the right side, as well as seepage flowing over the top. |
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| Saxifrage (Micranthes sp.) growing under the boulder... |
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| Saxifrage (Micranthes sp.) |
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| A moss-covered tree trunk, showing many reproductive sporophytes... |
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| I started to see some big trees, and then came upon this huge Tulip Poplar. |
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| I had my tape measure with me, and the tree measured 14 feet 2 inches CBH (circumference at breast height). |
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| It was probably left by the early loggers due to all the limb knots along the trunk. |
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| I came across some large red oaks, and then saw another massive Poplar. |
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| Top of the huge tree |
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| This tree also measured 14 feet CBH. |
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| Mossy deadfall in a rocky creek bed... |
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| Rocky creek bed... |
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| Collapsed chimney at old home site, high up on the mountain... |
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| Small stone wall across a gap between two boulders, just below the old home place. |
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| A whole lot of scraping (bear) going on... |
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| Milton Burl |
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| Rock overhang next to the creek. |