Logo Big Tuni Creek along the Chunky Gal Trail
Nantahala National Forest, Clay Co.
All Text & Images:
Copyright (2018)

1 - September 2018

Today I made a few short explorations at several neighboring areas.
This was a scouting expedition for Turtleheads along Big Tuni Creek.


Turtlehead
Appalachian Turtlehead   (Chelone lyonii)


Turtlehead
A few more examples growing in and along the creek:


Turtlehead
Chelone lyonii


Turtlehead



Turtlehead
Chelone lyonii


Turtlehead



Mountain_Wood_Aster
Mountain Wood Aster   (Eurybia chlorolepis)


Big_Tuni_Creek
One of many small cascades on Big Tuni Creek.



2 - Early October 2018

I made a combined trail exploration and botanizing trek further up the Chunky Gal
Trail as it follows Big Tuni Creek. I wasn't expecting to find much exciting blooming
at that elevation in the deep woods at this time of year, and didn't, except for fungi.


Forest_road_crossing
Old concrete creek crossing for an abandoned forest road


Green_Cladonia
Green Reindeer Lichen   (Cladonia furcata)
This was considerably greener than the usual reindeer lichen/moss that I see.



Big_Tuni_cascades
Cascades on Big Tuni Creek


log_end_fungi
Fuzzy white fungi growing on the end of a log...


log_end_fungi
Close-up
Possibly Powderpuff Bracket (Ptychogaster albus)



Green_Mushroom
Green mushroom   (Russula sp.)


Puffball
Puffball   (Lycoperdon sp?)


Lions_Mane_fungi
Lion's Mane Fungi   (Hericium erinaceus)


Polypore
A large polypore, maybe Ischnoderma resinosum (?)


Asters
Asters of some type.


Chatuge_overlook
Another nice cascade on Big Tuni


Burnt_summit
Smoky-eye Boulder Lichen   (Porpidia albocaerulescens)



For the follow-on climb along this trail to the summit of Tusquitee Bald, click here.



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