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Various Explorations - Early 2025 Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2025) |
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Various Explorations - Early 2025 Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2025) |
| 1 - February 2025 Elaine was out of town, and I felt like doing a little exploring. I didn't want to drive anywhere, so decided to hike some of the lower Eagle Mtn north slopes near us. |
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| I first came across this fire-box from an old still along a creek a few years ago, but it was during the growing season, so I got a cleaner shot now. |
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| I saw these minute light tan colored dots on a rock in a creek, and thought they might be tiny fungi. But when I zoomed the image in my camera, I could see that they were teeny leaves. I think this might be one of the Rhizomnium mosses, perhaps Dotted Thyme-Moss (Rhizomnium punctatum). |
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| These woods used to be pretty open for walking, but there's been a lot of blow-down the past few years. |
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| Giant root-ball. |
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| More dead-fall. |
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| Shelf brackets growing on an old fallen tree. |
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| I find old tree stumps like this very interesting. This tree was cut when these woods were last logged over a half century ago, yet the tree is still alive. It sacrificed its heartwood (the center) to decay, while using what energy remained to form callus and bark over top of the sapwood and cambium layers; protecting its vascular system. It probably puts out some sprouts each spring, which probably get browsed by deer and other wildlife. |
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| Small icy waterfall on branch of Bell Creek. |
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| Little cascade |
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| More small, icy falls. |
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| One more small waterfall. |