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Turkey Mtn - Dicks Crk Vicinity Chattahoochee National Forest, Rabun Co., GA |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2019) |
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Turkey Mtn - Dicks Crk Vicinity Chattahoochee National Forest, Rabun Co., GA |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2019) |
| I explored a couple of areas accessed off US-76 on the mountain between Hiawassee and Lake Burton. The area doesn't really have a name, so I'm just describing it by two of its more noticeable features... I was scouting out wildflower habitats for next spring, based on soapstone outcrops in the vicinity. 1 - Popcorn Creek Road (FSR 163), Late October - early November, 2019: |
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| I drove down Forest Service Rd 163 just to see what was there. |
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| The most interesting blooms were the Appalachian Gentians |
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| Appalachian Gentian, aka Showy Gentian (Gentiana decora) |
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| This late in the season, they were past their prime. |
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| But there was a lot of variety in the blooms |
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| A deep colored group |
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| I revisited two weeks later to look for this waterfall on a tributary of Popcorn Creek. It looked more impressive on Google Earth than it did in real life... |
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| There were still a few Gentiana decora in bloom. |
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| 2 - An exploration along FSR 164 and Dick's Creek, Late October, 2019, looking for botanicals and old home sites: |
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| As with the previous destination, the first thing I saw were Appalachian Gentians. |
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| I also spied the deep blue color of some Soapwort Gentians (Gentiana saponaria). |
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| Exploring some forest roads and trails, I came across a nice waterfall on a tributary of Dicks Creek. |
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| Later, I found another small waterfall on Shook Branch, another tributary of Dicks Creek. |
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| From another angle... |
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| A pretty bunch of Lycoperdon pyriforme growing on a downed tree trunk. This Puffball is covered with tiny white spines when young and fresh; the spines usually disappear with maturity. |