July 5, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Wild, wonderful West Virginia

Jacqueline and I made a long-overdue return trip to Pocahantas County, West Virginia last week, and it really was "wild and wonderful," as the Mountain State's slogan goes. The main objective was taking a ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad, which we had just missed the last time we were there a decade or so ago. This time we timed our trip just perfectly in terms of the weather, which was clear and very mild. (Today the temperatures are in the upper 90s. ) We took the full 11-mile ride to the top of Bald Knob, elevation 4,824 feet, though the train actually stops at a point about 150 feet below the summit. Along the way we made two switchbacks, where the train pauses and then goes the reverse direction on the other leg of a "Y" intersection. On steep slopes, it's the only practical way to build train tracks. There was a rest stop at the old logging camp of Whittaker, after which we resumed the uphill climb. We passed the abandoned town of Spruce, WV, named for the red spruce forests that used to blanket the entire highland region -- until the buzz saws did their work, that is. It's remarkable passing from one ecological zone to another in such a short time span, as though we had gone 500 miles north into Canada. We learned that the piston-driven, coal-fired Shay steam locomotive was designed especially for use on steep mountain grades; this one was built in 1923. It certainly spewed forth a lot of smoke and ash. After stopping to fill up the water tank, we continued on to the destination near the peak. The view toward the north, east, and south was superb, and the conditions for taking photographs could not have been better for this time of year. See for yourself at the newly-updated Summer 2010 photo gallery.

Cass Scenic Railroad train, and the General Store in back.

After the train ride, we toured the museums next door, and learned all about the history of the logging industry in the West Virginia highlands. The Cass train shut down commercial operations in 1960, because it was no longer profitable. They didn't say so explicitly, but I assume that means they had cut down nearly all the old growth red spruce trees, and there weren't enough trees left to make the train trip worthwhile.

The next day we went to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area (see pocahontascountywv.com), and spent a couple leisurely hours strolling around and observing the unique habitat. Because of its high altitude, moist conditions, and flat terrain, it is the southernmost area in which cranberries and other northern bog plants naturally occur. We saw a variety of wildflowers, including orchids and Rhododendrons. To prevent the sensitive plants from being disturbed, they built a half-mile-long boardwalk, with strict rules against anyone straying from it.

Cranberry Glades, with Black Mountain in the background, to the northeast.

In the afternoon, we drove along the Highland Scenic Highway, which is a lot like the Blue Ridge Parkway, in that there are no towns and no commercial truck traffic. It follows the crest of Black Mountain, descends abruptly into the Williams River valley, and then climbs again. We stopped at several overlooks, one of which features a boardwalk through a wooded area that was burned out in a forest fire several decades ago. Red spruce and Mountain ash trees are the dominant forms of vegetation, along with Rhododendrons. At the end of the boardwalk was a fine view of the impressive-looking Big Spruce Knob, which is actually lower in elevation than Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. The latter is surrounded by higher land, however, which is why it doesn't stand out quite as much. Anyway, we then drove past the Snowshoe ski resort, went through the town of Cass again, and stopped at the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory just long enough to take a photo of the huge radar dish, which we had also seen from the summit of Bald Knob. Then we headed home, arriving in time for me to play a game in the local church softball league. After all that exertion, it took me all weekend to recover my energy!

Butterfly photos

I recently bought a field guide to butterfies, enabling me to identify some species that I had photographed previously but wasn't sure about. Take a look at the new photo gallery page for Butterfies.

Roll mouse over this montage to see a Red Admiral butterfly, which we spotted at an overlook on the Highland Scenic Highway in West Virginia.

June 22, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Day trip to Reddish Knob

At the recommendation of fellow Augusta Bird Club member Jo King, Jacqueline and I took an extended drive up to the mountain peak known as Reddish Knob on Saturday. It was our first time there, and we were amply rewarded with sightings of many birds, as well as spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Even though the skies above were fairly clear, hazy atmospheric conditions detracted from the views of the valley from up above. We stopped several times on our way to the top, pleased that the road was paved all the way, even if it was only one lane in most places.

In the valley on the West Virginia side of the mountain ridge, we were startled to see a large complex full of giant-size radar dishes. My first thought was that it was the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, located in the town of Green Bank. We visited it about 15 years ago, but it is actually about 30 miles of where we were looking at. After doing a quick Google search, I determined that this complex is the U.S. Navy-run Sugar Grove radar facility, which apparently intercepts all incoming telecommunication signals in the eastern United States. In other words, it's a vital part of the U.S. national security system.

We spent a half hour or so enjoying the 360-degree view from the summit; the elevation is 4,397 feet, second only to Elliott's Knob in this part of Virginia. Then, we continued toward the southwest, along gravel roads. We saw lots of campers and some youngsters whooping it up in pickup trucks, but no bears, unfortuantely. Eventually, we rejoined the main road near Elkhorn Lake, which we had visited on May 23, and then we headed home.

Briery Branch Reservoir, on the road leading up to Reddish Knob; click to see the full-size version.

June 1, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Blue Ridge Parkway day trip

Jacqueline and I are slowly recovering from our exhilarating but exhausting excursion to the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday. (She is in better shape than I am, actually.) Aside from all the colorful birds (which I reported on May 30), we also saw quite a few butterflies and flowers. Though physically tired, we were spiritually refreshed by seeing all the beauty of God's creation, unspoiled by human hands.

Our initial plan was to hike to the top of Humpback Rocks as early as possible, so as to beat the large crowds that were sure to be there later on. The trail was a bit slippery due to the recent rains, and we paused frequently to look for birds. We made it to the top just after 8:00 A.M., a net gain in elevation of about 800 feet. Only one other hiker was there, plus his dog. With clear skies (though slightly hazy), mild temperatures, and no sound but for the birds singing, it was sheer bliss -- for a while. Sure enough, several large groups soon arrived, and so we headed back down just before 9:00 A.M.

After the hike, we spent some time at the Humpback Rocks visitors center, where we learned about the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway (1935-2010). Because it was Memorial Day weekend, they had some exhibitions at the recreated farm nearby, and we talked to a guy at a tent who was displaying memorabilia from the Vietnam War. Then we decided to continue south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping to walk around at some of the scenic overlooks. It was the first time we had gone south of the Wintergreen turnoff in years, and I especially enjoyed the dramatic view at Twenty Minute Cliff. A bit further along, I was delighted to finally get a good look at a Chestnut-sided Warbler, which is one of my favorites. Finally we reached the intersection of Route 56, and descended into the Shenandoah Valley once again, passing through the towns of Vesuvius, Steele's Tavern, and Greenville on the way back to Staunton. Time well spent on a wonderful day!

"Los Clems" taking in the awesome view at Humpback Rocks. Roll the mouse over this image to see a Fritillary butterfly on Mountain Laurel blossoms at the Humpback Rocks visitor center.

Those photos, and others, have been posted on the new Summer 2010 photo gallery page.

Spider photos

I have also created a new nature photo gallery for our tiny eight-legged "friends" in the Arachnid family: Spiders. Some of those photos are enhanced, re-edited versions of spider photos that I posted years ago.