Fall at Bluff Mountain
On Sunday, October 11, the Blue Ridge Discovery Center sponsored a tour hike to the Nature Conservancy's Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve on a perfect fall day. Temperature in the low 60's, light breeze under a cerulean sky, the forest at near peak fall coloration, the group of eleven hikers strolled through some of the rarest ecologies in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
On Sunday, October 11, the Blue Ridge Discovery Center sponsored a tour hike to the Nature Conservancy's Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve on a perfect fall day. Temperature in the low 60's, light breeze under a cerulean sky, the forest at near peak fall coloration, the group of eleven hikers strolled through some of the rarest ecologies in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Above 4500 feet it appeared there had been a frost already and most of the herbaceous flora was burned and wilted. Then red, sugar and striped maples were in their fall glory. The mountain holly leaves were chartreuse and the females were spangled with brilliant red berries that shown like gems in the afternoon light. Flowers were few and far between, a smattering of closed gentian along the trail and in the fen, and tiny polygala at Perkin's Rock and the mesic glade. There was teaberry with full red ripe berries in the glade as well. A lone raven checked us out at Perkin's Rock as it soared on up the ridge towards the summit of the preserve, Cowface, where the elevation reaches 5,100 feet.
The group went off trail to visit a healthy 60' tall American Chestnut. The ground underneath the tree was littered with spiky hulls of the chestnuts but no nuts, the squirrels, grouse and deer had beat us to them.
At the vertigo bench, the dead oak that resembles a Can Can Dancer at full kick inspired a spontaneous Can Can line from four of the women hikers. They preformed admirably in spite of the slope and wet rubbly footing.
There continues to be damage from the hemlock adelgid around the Bluff, but continuing up the trail to the mesic glade the trees appear to get healthier and arriving in the glade the hemlock trees are specimens of health. An observation: where the trees are clumped in groves they are less healthy than where they are singular and spread apart.
A more pleasant stroll with good company through one of natures wonderlands sponsered by BRDC is hard to imagine!
Bluff Mountain Hike
Doug Monroe, Naturalist for the Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve, guided an eager group of individuals on a special hike through the Nature Conservancy property as part of the Blue Ridge Expeditions Program.
Doug Monroe, Naturalist for the Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve, guided an eager group of individuals on a special hike through the Nature Conservancy property as part of the Blue Ridge Expeditions Program.
Naturalist Doug Munroe
Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve is part of the Amphibolite Mountains that are a chain of mountains made up of very hard metamorphic rocks that resists erosion. A mineral-rich rock type called amphibolite gneiss underpins the peaks in the Amphibolite Mountains, yielding a more neutral soil than typically found in the mountains and feeding a rich diversity of plant life.
Within the Preserve, there are 11 different ecological habitats with over 700 species of flora that sprout from varying geologic features and slope aspects. In a relative short distance, a little less than three miles, we passed through all habitats each with unique species.
The trailhead began at about 4,300 feet in elevation. We traveled through a forest of primarily sugar maples, a species of tree that flourishes in this area due to the pH of the soil. Interestingly, there are no heaths (laurels, rhododendrons, etc.) in this area for the same reason. The plants in this section are herbaceous consisting of nettles, deciduous holly, bellflower and native impatiens (jewelweed).
As the elevation increases, the rhododendrons (heaths) appear along with an occasional blackberry who has managed to pop up in a spot of sunlight that has made it through the canopy. The dominant tree species changes to red and white oaks. These trees are twisted and stunted due to the extreme weather conditions on this section of the mountain. The gnarled trees were no good for logging leaving this forest preserved with scattered old growth.
Continuing on, at about 4,500 feet, we reach the meadow. We look upon the meadow, a part of the fen community, that is full of spurge, liatris and false foxglove. It scatters the field with purples and yellows. The Nature Conservancy maintains this area annually by a controlled burn to protect the fen community from the invasive red maple. It is also mowed to control the oak trees that are unaffected by the burn. These methods maintain the fen community and its unique species.
Mixed hardwoods and heaths follow the meadow and we continue on to an old growth forest. Like a sentry, a beautiful majestic sugar maple that exceeds 300 years stands by the trail. We momentarily stand at attention and admire its tenacity and perseverance.
Perkins Rock, Ashe County, NC
Reaching Perkins Rock, we bathed in the warmth of the sun at an elevation of 4,710 feet. As with most peaks, bluffs and knobs of the Blue Ridge at this elevation, it is hard to escape wind. We were privileged to sit upon this rock in the absence of even a breeze. The weather and views were spectacular. After once again traveling through the old growth forest to mixed hardwoods, we begin to see a mingling of hemlocks. Taking a side trail towards the bluff (the mountain’s namesake), we approach a rock ledge that looks down upon a lovely waterfall 300 feet below us. This makes our guide nervous so, one at a time, we are allowed to peer over the edge with our bellies on the ground. There are lots of beautiful obedient plants along the ledge. We return to the hemlock forest, home to the oldest known Carolina hemlock in the world. Core samples of neighboring trees were taken to determine the age of the hemlocks in this forest, however this oldest of the Carolina hemlock (as determined by its sheer size) was not sampled due to potential damage that could arise from such sampling.
Leaving the hemlocks, we enter the mesic glyn (glade). This is an area of thin, moist, acidic soil atop rock. It is home to special lichens, mosses and low shrubs and is particularly sensitive to foot traffic. We saw teaberry, trailing arbutus, lady slippers and reindeer moss to name just a few of the species.
And finally an unbelievable two acre fen formed by a bowl in the amphibolite bedrock, one of only two in the Southern Appalachians. A fen is a type of wetland. Similar to bogs, a fen is a mire and is usually fed by mineral rich surface water or groundwater. It is quite unique and hosts several special species such as grass of parnassus, canada burnet, sundew and indian paintbrush.
Other interesting findings throughout the hike included multiple red efts, bobcat scat, poor man’s truffles, numerous pipevine swallowtails and a pair of beautiful cedar waxwings. It was an amazing day of exploration and discovery.
*photo credits to Susan McClelland and Lisa Benish
Blue Ridge Expeditions: Hike on Bluff Mountain, Ashe Co, NC
The Blue Ridge Expedition hike of The Nature Conservancy's Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve was smiled upon by the weather gods as the fog lifted as the hike began and the rain fell as the hike ended. Hikers were treated with peak blooms of mountain laurel at Perkins Rock and the mesic glade and indian paintbrush in the meadow. Numerous red efts shared the trail without a single casualty which was a minor miracle considering there were thirty feet finding their way.
The Blue Ridge Expedition hike of The Nature Conservancy's Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve was smiled upon by the weather gods as the fog lifted as the hike began and the rain fell as the hike ended. Hikers were treated with peak blooms of mountain laurel at Perkins Rock and the mesic glade and indian paintbrush in the meadow. Numerous red efts shared the trail without a single casualty which was a minor miracle considering there were thirty feet finding their way.
Catawba rhododendron and pink lady slippers were about finished blooming but the sun dews in the fen were in their full minuscule revery.
Five of the hikers were board members of The Florence Thomas Art School along with the director of the school, Kathleen Janowiak. BRDC and The Florence Thomas Art School are discussing a collaboration of art and nature in the not to distant future as part of the Blue Ridge Illustrated program.
There are two more hikes on the calendar for the Bluff Mountain Nature Preserve with spaces available on August 2 and October 11, first come first serve.