Saturday, May 27, 2023

Jones Gap State Park in the Spring

 


Last week we hiked a loop via the Rim of The Gap Trail to the 6 & 20 Connector Trail to the Pinnacle Pass Trail, and back to the Rim of The Gap Trail. It's a beautiful hike through several different forest community types with a nice view of the valley at a cliff overlook along the route. The distance in total was about 6 miles, with 1,500ft elevation gain. 


a snail on an umbrella magnolia 

beautiful wife!


red eft phase of the eastern newt

the main overlook on the hike


The mountain laurel throughout the park was stunning!




a giant millipede



Chimaphila maculata, spotted wintergreen

The Narrows at Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve

  We recently hiked down to the beautiful Eastatoe Gorge, to The Narrows Falls. The parking area is off Horse Pasture Road, which cuts through the stunning Jocassee Gorges Natural Area. From the trailhead, it's a mostly downhill hike (2.7 one way) to the overlook platform. The hike down is beautiful, starting in a chestnut oak forest, going through oak-hickory and cove forests, down to what was previously a hemlock-dominant forest by the falls. Tragically, the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has decimated hemlock populations in the south, permanently altering forest community composition, structure, and function. Some researchers speculate that the rapid decline in hemlock and subsequent large inputs of detritus into the soil may lead to the shrub Rhododendron maximum to takeover in some areas (Nuckolls, April E., et al. "Hemlock declines rapidly with hemlock woolly adelgid infestation: impacts on the carbon cycle of southern Appalachian forests." Ecosystems 12 (2009): 179-190.).


Sam spotted this beautiful black rat snake along the exposed bedrock of hillslope

Galax urceolata

Hydrangea radiata or snowy hydrangea, is common in this area


Hydrangea radiata


Rhododendron maximum or great laurel




 Rhododendron catawbiense or purple rhododendron


The trail branches, to the right it leads The Narrows and the viewing platform. The left leads to some designated primitive camping spots. Kermit and I camped there about 7 or 8 years ago. 


Tradescantia virginiana or spiderwort

The view of The Narrows from the platform above