| Hickory
Nut Gorge |
James
Smith |
| Feb
05, 2007 15:48 PST |
Yesterday, I took a long hike up a mountain peak I've wanted to
bag for
years. In the past, I was unsure about private property and
didn't want
to get arrested trespassing, so I avoided trying to hike to the
top of
Rumbling Bald Mountain. With the recent news that it will now be
a part
of the new Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, I planned a hike there
with a
couple of friends. One of my companions called ahead and was
told that
as long as we didn't hunt, camp, build any fires, or try to
drive a
vehicle, we were welcome to use the old jeep trail that follows
the
ridgeline from near the shore of Lake Lure on Boys Camp Road.
It was a relatively long day-hike (about 8 miles round trip)
with total
elevation gain (between climbing and reclimbing from gaps) of
about
3,600 feet. You start at about 1,000 feet and end up at just
over 3,800
feet on the top of Shumont Mountain.
I was happy to see so many very healthy and vigorous hemlocks.
Almost
ever hemlock we saw looked to be in the peak of health. Very
green. Lots
of vigorous growth. Full compliment of needles. There are not
very many
large hemlocks, since this forest was cut down in relatively
recent
history. But there were some grizzled old hemlocks to be seen
here and
there along the ridgelines and down in a few coves near cliff
faces.
However, at one point I stopped to examine an exceptionally
healthy
looking hemlock, and was horrified to see that it was TOTALLY
INFESTED
with adelgids. The underside of each branch was just covered in
the
white fluff that marks those little whores. So I guess this area
is just
now in the early stages of the infestation.
Let's hope the fungal treatment mentioned earlier can mean our
hemlocks
might have a decent future.
PS: I also saw a lot of nice Table Mountain Pines around Eagle
Rocks
just below Shumont Mountain. First healthy stands of that tree
that I've
seen in a while. |
| RE:
Hickory Nut Gorge |
Joshua
Kelly |
| Feb
05, 2007 16:04 PST |
James,
I had a good time scampering around on Rumbling Bald and Shumont
Mountain a
couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't get the workout you
did and
found an access from up top. I remember seeing lots of Carolina
hemlock on
Shumont Mountain - glad to hear they're still in good shape. I
always think
it's cool to see a couple of Southern Appalachian endemics like
Table
Mountain pine and Carolina hemlock growing together.
Josh
|
| RE:
Hickory Nut Gorge |
Will
Blozan |
| Feb
05, 2007 16:22 PST |
James,
The treatment site I mentioned in the Southern Appalachian
Hemlock update
was on the southwest side of Rumbling Bald Mtn. It was seriously
infested
and the eastern hemlocks were in decline. Carolina hemlock seems
to retain
vigor and color longer than eastern hemlock with respect to HWA,
but then
suffers a massive dieback that doesn't occur in eastern hemlock.
The Nature Conservancy owns a Carolina hemlock bluff community
on Rumbling
Bald Mtn, but has no plans that I know of to treat the trees.
For now,
"monitoring" is the answer I get. Monitoring HWA does
not save hemlocks!
Will
|
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