Pine Mountain, Georgia Excursion
Considering the majestic peaks of the Smokies, I wouldn't call Pine Mountain a true mountain except for the spectacular views below of the flat forested valley we experienced from several lookouts. Dowdell Knob at 1395 feet is the highest elevation on Pine Mountain. Over all, the elevation along the ridge top averages 1100 feet. Keeping in mind that Mt LeConte rises more than 6500 feet with views of extreme valleys, dense forests and competing peaks, Pine Mountain does not come close to the wild majesty of the Smokies. But Pine Mountain is a welcoming, comfortable mountain beckoning hikers to enjoy the beauty of a friendly forest. Our destination was F.D. Roosevelt State Park, the largest state park in Georgia. Named after our thirty-second President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the park provides a multitude of activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, horseback-riding and wildflower looking.
On our way to the visitor's center, we caught glimpses of the view to the south from the highway as it undulated along the ridge top.
over-looking the valley.
F.D. Roosevelt State Park is located between the quaint town of Pine Mountain and the historic Warm Springs, the location of the Little White House President Roosevelt built so he could enjoy the waters of the warm springs nearby and also escape the pressures of Washington, DC as he contemplated the weighty matters of leading a nation during a time of war.
A statue paying tribute to the young men of the CCC stands proudly in front of the headquarters.
One of our reasons for visiting Pine Mountain was to hike with the Georgia Botanical Society, a group we have enjoyed hiking with on several occasions. Hal Massie, our very knowledgeable leader, was a storehouse of information about the flora and history of Pine Mountain.
The sourwood trees along the trail were spectacularly dressed in crimson.
Although the Pine Mountain Trail is 23 miles in length, we chose to hike a 2.7 mile segment from the parking area near Dowdell Knob.
One of the naturalists in our group was ecstatic to discover several mature Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum) with their distinctive five-lobed leaves, a tree found in more northern regions.
We were excited to find a surviving sapling of the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) sprouting from a long-decayed stump. It is rare to find a mature American Chestnut tree because the species is still vulnerable to the blight that quickly killed one of the most majestic trees in the eastern U.S.
Our quest this day was to find the Kidney-leaf Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia).
With its distinctive parallel green bee guides, Parnassia asarifolia is neither a grass nor a plant from Mount Parnassus in Greece.
It was fascinating to watch a pollinator hover and explore the bloom.
A few of the plants grew in moist areas.
Compared with last year's bounty, we did not find as many blooming plants as we expected to find.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Parnassia asarifolia is the kidney shape of its basal leaves, thus its common name Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus.
Both asarifolia and grandifolia prefer seeps and swampy areas.
From the condition of the leaves and clipped bloom stems, we deduced that deer had browsed on the plants.
Many of the plants were growing right in the stream.
Grass-of-Parnassus is a striking flower with its snowy white background and lacy pattern of green veins.
We continued our trek in search of other interesting plant and geologic features.
Occasionally Hal or another member of the group would make an observation about the difference between Farkleberry, Deerberry and Blueberry shrubs.
At other times Hal would use his hand lens to magnify and inspect a tiny feature of a plant.
At the end of its blooming stage, Blue Sage (Salvia azurea) struggled to hang on. At first glance from a distance, Blue Sage reminded me of a skullcap or lobelia. But upon closer inspection, this tiny flower is unique.
From his rock pulpit, Hal taught us about the ways to identify the lovely Sourwood.
The hardy Georgia Oak (Quercus georgiana) thrives in the harsh, dry conditions of Pine Mountain. This slow-growing tree remains shrubby for many years. It never reaches the heights of its cousins the great Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) or the competing Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana).
A lonely Slender Gerardia, or more specifically identified as Slender-leaf False Foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia), makes one last gasp before the cold temperatures of late fall invade.
We encountered several rocky areas but when we encountered this big rock outcropping, we were reminded of some of the rock features of the Cumberland Plateau. Rocky Point stands as sentinel overlooking a steeply sloping drop into the valley floor.
Clasping Aster or Aster patens (Symphyotrichum patens) is a common aster growing in the dry, sandy soil of Pine Mountain.
Grass-leaved Golden Aster is a new plant for me although it is considered a common flower. But as with other DYCs, I struggle to make a definite identification. Add to the difficulty the periodic changes in Latin names! Is this Pityopsis graminifolia, Chrysopsis graminifolia or Heterotheca graminifolia? If the experts can't agree, how are we amateurs to determine the taxonomic nomenclature? And to think purists have trouble with us amateurs using the common names!
I need to check the identity of this DYC.
Our trailhead started on Dowdell Knob close to the historic overlook where a bronze statue of a relaxed and pensive F.D. Roosevelt commemorates his love for Pine Mountain.
Not exactly a fireside chat!
Peeking over the President's shoulder, you can see why he favored Pine Mountain.
Now filled in with concrete, President Roosevelt's preserved barbecue pit sits at the edge of the overlook into the valley. Imagine the Presidential entourage spreading an elegant picnic at this spot: white table cloth, china, crystal and delicate linens. But did he eat his fried chicken with his fingers?
Just below the visitor's center headquarters, an oak we did not see on our hike...
Mistletoe growing among all the branches gave the tree a fullness of green.
The Roosevelt Memorial Bridge is another example of the sturdy CCC construction.
This is what we returned home to find: nearly 1 1/2 inches of snow! The arctic blast brought freezing rain, snow and super cold temperatures from the Arctic across the Great Plains sweeping down into the Deep South, affecting Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana across northern Florida. Few states were spared!
I love the deep colors of fall leaves dusted with the delicate icy flakes of snow.
The ridge behind the house had become a wonderland!
Sweet peppers blanketed with ice and snow. . . .
The clouds were soon replaced with a cold front that dropped the temperatures in the 20s.
Brrrr....
No comments:
Post a Comment