The unseasonably warm winter days of January offer opportunities to get out and hike. Today, although overcast, was warm enough to nudge us to hike. We chose to hike the Glendale Branch Trail along the East Lakeshore and create a loop hike by taking the shortcut to complete a 3-mile lolly-pop hike.
Recently we have enjoyed several hikes on the East Lakeshore Trail System along the Little Tennessee River. We like the gentle ups and downs of following the lake shore.
During this time of the year, there are no bugs, poison ivy, tall weeds or ticks!
Most of the trail system is relatively flat with occasional creek crossings on bridges that remind us of those in the pocket wildernesses. A construction of wire mesh on the surface of the bridge prevents wet boards becoming slick.
On the Glendale Branch section Chris spotted what appears to be a cable with old bell-shaped insulators. We had never seen one quite like this one.
There were about 10 separate insulators strung along the cable.
Looking closely, you will notice the chipped and cracked ceramic elements. Only a small portion of the exterior remains. Chris' research concluded that these are high tension insulators. Just down the trail, we passed under two power line towers. So, perhaps these old insulators were once part of TVA's power system.
On our hike today we passed through a large chattering flock of robins. I don't recall encountering so many robins at one time. I wonder if they are wintering here before they head north in early spring.
On all of the trails we've hiked on the East Lakeshore we've noticed an abundance of Cranefly Orchid (Tipularia discolor). A few orchids produce leaves in the winter. An interesting fact about Tipularia is that once the orchid blooms, the leaves begin to deteriorate and wither. By peak bloom time, usually during midsummer, the leaves are dead.
We spotted large patches of these interesting leaves scattered along the side of the trail.
The picture below was taken at the end of July. Without the foliage, the nondescript flower stalk is camouflaged in the leaf litter and shadows. This orchid caught my eye because it was spotlighted by a ray of sunshine. The individual flowers, barely an inch long, resemble a crane in flight but unless the viewer gets a close inspection, these beauties remain illusive although they are considered common in our East Tennessee woods.
One striking feature about the Tipularia leaf is that in the winter the top of the leaf is green while the underside is purple. However, I was surprised to spot two leaves that were purple on the top and bottom.
I thought my mind was playing games when I spotted this gnawed tree near the shore. I spotted a couple of similar small trees gnawed completely in half. Beavers! It had to be, but I never saw any other evidence.
We never quite know what we will encounter in our exploring! It was a wonderful day full of beauty, fragrant smells and birdsong!
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