Floyd, VA hikes

Wanted to check out the materials at Schoolhouse Fabrics in Floyd so we found two short hikes in the area.  The first was at Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve.   The trail to the top is probably a little over a mile from the parking area.  It is a pretty steep climb to the top, but the trail is in good shape.  The information online about Buffalo mountain claims that the area is home to quite a few rare plants.  We did not see the woodland seeps where many of these are found, we just did the walt to the summit.  The summit is a bald and you get a really nice 360 view of the area.  This link gives directions and information on the area:  Buffalo Mountain Natural Area.

These pretty yellow primroses were blooming all along the trail.

Oenothera biennis, Common Primrose

For the second hike we took the  Blue ridge parkway up to the Smart View recreational area (milepost 154) and followed the 2.5 mile Smart View Loop Trail.  This was a wonderful forest with really huge mature trees.  We took these photos so show the size of the largest trees, but  I love it as the perfect tree-hugger image!

Huge red oak, Quercus rubrum

There was a nifty little plant, very unusual that formed large mats along the trail.  I thought it was a wild sedum, and after a good bit of searching, finally ID’d it.  There is a very common sedum, the woodland stonecrop, Sedum ternatum, that is very common in the mountains – but it does not form the pretty rosette like this one.

Sedum glaucophyllum, Cliff stonecrop

Elk Gardens to Mount Rogers along the AT

Returned to Grayson Highlands this week and continued to follow the AT from Elk Gardens along the AT.  A very similar forest to that on Whitetop.  Mount Rogers is a very busy area and the AT is heavily used.  It was a hot day so we got a really early start and were on the trail by 8:30 AM!  Had a lovely hike (did not take the camera as the weather forecast was for thunderstorms).

Whitetop Mountain to Elk garden along the AT

Walked about 6 miles along the AT:  We started at Whitetop Mountain and followed the trail 2.5 miles to Elk Garden (where the AT crosses Va route 600).  Returned to Whitetop and followed the trail down for another 1/2 mile.  [To get to Whitetop you follow route 58 out of Galax, pass the entrance to Grayson Highlands State Park, and turn right on route 600; then take the gravel road to the top (about 75 miles from home if you go through Galax – I think it’s about 10 miles shorter to go via Sparta )].  This was a great hike.  Next time, we will drive up to where the AT crosses route 600 and take the trail from there to Mt. Rogers!

The AT is heavily used and there were quite a few folks on the trail.  That being said the trail is in good shape.  It wanders through a beautiful mature forest with some of the nicest, biggest spruce trees i have ever seen.  The red spruce up there seem to be in much better shape than those in places like Mt. Mitchell and the Blue ridge in NC.

Nice botanizing:

• Trautvetteria caroliniensis, Carolina bugbane or Tassel rue
• Rhododendron calendulaceum, Flame azaleas – these were in bloom in large masses on the summit of Whitetop.  I had never seen this species with such brilliant, deep orange flowers
• Viburnum lantanoides, Hobblebush (or Moosewood) – a low growing shrub with distinctive opposite leaves was all over the place, though not in flower
• Lycopodium clavatum,  Common club moss – there were large mats of this all along the trail and it was the only club moss in sight.
• Lilium grayi, Gray’s Lily – a rare lily, found on the Appalachian balds

Trautvetteria caroliniensis, Carolina bugbane

Rhododendron calendulaceum, Flame azalea

Club moss – you can also see the remains of some sort of monocot??  There were huge masses of these all along the trail.  I do no know if they are lilies or orchids or what because the blooms were long gone.  I think a lot of them are the Blue-bead lilies like we saw last week at Roan (you could see the young fruits).  This area must be impressive in early spring when all these are in bloom.  There were also quite a few Trillium.

And the capstone of the day…

 Lilium grayi, Gray’s Lily

Roan Mountain

I finally got to Roan Mountain.  I have wanted to make this trip since grad school at WFU and hearing the many stories from Dr. Weigl and his students.  Roan is famous for its natural rhododendron gardens and we hit it at peak bloom.   There are several trails to follow and you can pick from easy to strenuous hikes.  We followed the Cloudland trail that basically goes along the summits (about 3 miles out and back).  This trail begins at the site of the old Cloudland Hotel.  It is a pretty easy hike through a classic spruce-fir forest.  There were a lot of blooming rhododendron along the trail.

At the end of the trail there is a platform that offers a fabulous view of the Tennessee mountains.

The mature spruce-fir forest is always botanically interesting.  There were large populations of this pretty little monocot (each plant is about 3 inches tall)

Canada mayflower, Mianthemum canadense

The AT is accessible from Carver’s gap and from the parking lot where you start the Cloudland trail.  If you park at Carver’s Gap you can walk across the famous balds.  Dr.Weigl did a lot of research on the formation,  history, and wildlife of these balds.  The views here are amazing.

The natural gardens of Rhododendron catawbiense on the roan Mountain balds

Monticello and Cave Mountain Lake

We decided to combine a little historical sightseeing with a camp/hike outing.  I remember seeing Monticello as a school kid and being very impressed.  Karl had never been.  The gardens are rather nice and there are some unusual trees.  There were 2 stumps – one on either side of the house – that were probably 8-10 feet in diameter.  You can tell a lot goes into keeping the grounds nice.

I have been learning to use the new camera!  I usually try to snap a photo of the plant label, but I failed to do so on this one, so I have no idea what this is.  But it’s gorgeous.

After the visit to Charlottesville, we made our way back south and camped out at Cave Mountain Lake in the Jefferson National Forest.  It is a CCC camp and every campsite has a nice stone wall.  A pretty stream runs through the campground.  We went for a nice hike along the Wildcat Mountain Trail – 4 miles, 2700 ft climb.  It was a pretty strenuous hike  but no views outward in spite of the climb.  The woods are a fabulous mature forest of beech and basswood – including some very very large trees.   We saw some very interesting flora including

• Panax quinquefolius, Ginseng (photo was blurred – still on the learning curve with the new Canon!)
• Rubus odoratus, Purple flowering raspberry.  This was very easy to ID because of the unusual leaves and distinctive flowers.  It is very unusual for a rose family plant to have maple-like leaves.

Rubus odoratus, Purple Flowering Raspberry

This was growing all over the place, near the summit.  I have no earthly idea what is it, cannot ID it based on the old flower and the leaves.  The flower spikes up from a large basal rosette.

New River Trail – Byllesby Dam to Fries Junction

We continue to cover new sections of this trail.  It was a bit of a dreary day – threatening rain all along, but we lucked out and the rain held off.  The New River Trail is always a pleasant walk.

A really pretty shrub in the Rose family, Physocarpus opulifolius, Common Ninebark

Iris Pseudacorus, Yellow flag Iris – growing along the banks.  [I have read that this is an invasive species but this was the only specimen we saw around.]

New River Trail – Foster Falls

Sunday afternoon hike starting at Foster Falls and heading towards Lone Ash.  It was cold when we left home, we did not realize there was snow in Virginia.  We had a lovely outing walking through the snow.

Christmas hike

Kristen’s home for a Christmas visit and we always have a Christmas hike with her.  We decided to do the Flat Rock ridge trail at Doughton Park.  Karl and I did this one in summer (see July 18 post) but Kristen had not been up this one.  It is a really, really demanding climb.  I really did not realize how out of shape I had gotten.  By the time we got to the top, I was pretty spent.  I am not certain how much of this is my being out of shape and how much is due to the much faster pace we set when hiking with Kristen!!  Still – it was a great hike on a beautiful, clear winter day.

Kristen on the trail.

Thanksgiving hike

We all went to Mount Rogers for a post Thanksgiving Day hike.  This is still one of my favorite places.  It was a crystal clear day, you could see forever.  A lovely walk.

There were lots of ponies to see.  They are obviously used to people.  They seem really fat and healthy.

Kristen makes a new friend

What’s not to love?  Fabulous views, rocks to climb …

Grandfather Mountain

November 20 – A Happy Aniversary (29th) Hike

We travelled to the main entrance of the park and stopped at the hiker’s parking lot.  We followed the Grandfather Extension Trail  to Grandfather Trail.  We followed the  Grandfather Trail to the top of MacRae Peak, 5845 ft.   We came back down the Underwood Trail which rejoins Grandfather Trail and ends at the Swinging Bridge parking lot.  We returned to the car via the Bridge Trail.    The total distance walked was about 2.5 miles.  It is more of a climb than a hike!   The trek along the Grandfather trail requires the use of cables and ladders.  The hike is great fun with amazing views.  But as Karl says, that is probably at the limit of our comfort level.  The last couple of ladders are way up there, and if you were to fall, well it’s a very long drop!   It is well worth the trip.  It was a lovely clear day and the views, especially to the south, are fantastic.

Grandfather Trail to MacRaes Peak

If you look at the photo above, you can just make out the ladders about the middle of the ridge line.

Time for nostalgia…

My first week at WFU, new grad student in the biology department, I was invited to join a group that I thought included faculty and students for a Saturday hike.    I show up, there I find Drs Herman Eure, Phillip Falkenberg, and Bob Sullivan – but no other students.  I try to gracefully bow out, but am taken under the wing of Dr. Sullivan with a “you most certainly ARE coming along, young lady!”  So off we go to climb Grandfather Mountain.  I cannot remember exactly where we began the hike – I am guessing it must have been at the parking lot at route 105 ( I know it was not off of the BR Parkway).  And I remember that it was a 10 mile round trip.  If you add up the mileage for the Profile and Grandfather trails, that seems to match.  I was a bit of a flatlander – having just arrived in Winston from the Wilson area where there really are no hills.  But I was in pretty good shape, so I do not remember having any trouble with the hike / climb.  I do remember feeling very comfortable with the 3 “Phds”.  At the proper time and location,  Dr. Falkenberg pulled out his stove and made tea for us all.    It was a lovely hike and a great introduction to some of the nicest folks at Wake.  Over the next 2 years I would venture out many times with Falkenberg and Sullivan – always stopping for tea.