Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

In early December 2020, me and our rescue mutt, Marvin, hiked Birkhead Mountain Trail in the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, in Uwharrie National Forest. The designated wilderness area is relatively small at 5,160 acres, and contain what some geologists consider the oldest mountains on the continent. The "mountains" today are more like big hills at 600-1,000 feet elevation. 

Ilex opaca, american holly

The trail starts from the parking lot at the historic Lewis-Thornburg Farm House, it has some interesting out buildings you can explore before the proper trail starts. 

Uwharrie National Forest is composed of Southeastern mixed pine and oak forests, characteristic of the southeastern piedmont. 

The Birkhead Mountain Trail loop is approximately 12 miles and covers beautiful forest with exposed bedrock along sections, and several creeks. It's definitely worth checking out!

 

Raven Rock State Park

marcescent beech leaves, one of my favorite winter sights, ubiquitous back in NH

Last weekend Sam and visited Raven Rock State Park, a beautiful place on the eastern edge of the Piedmont region, in Harnett County, NC. We hiked the gentle rolling hills 4.5 mile Campbell Creek Loop Trail and the Lanier Falls Trail along the Cape Fear River. 

There was a a dead deer along one of the creeks that flows into the Cape Fear River. 

Our goofy pup, Marvin

The bench along Lanier Falls

Marvin and Sam along the trail

 

Okefenokee: Part III

 In August of 2020 I went back to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge with my twin brother and best friend, Paul. August is not the most popular time of year to visit a wetland in southern Georgia, but we previously experienced it in December and January, and wanted to see it in the humid heart of summer. 

Understandably the platforms are closed in the summer, we opted to spend a few nights in  Okefenokee Pastimes Cabins, the private campground directly across from the refuge. 

Jones Lake State Park

 On a very hot and humid day in August of 2020, we hiked the 4-mile Bay Trail at Jones Lake State Park. The very flat trail is a loop around  224-acre Jones Lake, one of the two carolina bays in the park, the other being Salters Lake. 

a glimpse of the dense pocosin wetlands that border much of the lake

a view of Jones Lake from a gap in the forest, along the trail

an eastern fence lizard

the fallen flower from a loblolly bay, a beautiful wetland tree common in pocosins)

a pine stand in the adjacent uplands near the lake

an american toad

along Bay Trail

along Bay Trail

a rough green snake

Carolina Beach State Park

 Murphy and I visited Carolina Beach State Park. The state park is at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, which is home to pitcher plants, venus fly traps, salt marshes, pocosin wetlands,

crane fly

Woodwardia virginica, Virginia Chain Fern

Polygala lutea, candy weed, the roots smell like wintergreen

 A young Pinus palustris, longleaf pine

Murphy enjoying the beautiful day in the woods

Sarracenia oreophila, green pitcher plant

The invasive stink bug, Halyomorpha halys

Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area

Two weeks ago Sam and I finally ventured out to  Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area in Aiken County South Carolina. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is found in the southeastern USA, from Louisiana to the southern parts of South Carolina. The majority of it's range is in Florida. They prefer dry sandy soils with thin tree canopy cover, and are typically found in the coastal plain in sandhill, coastal dune, scrubby flatwood, prairie, and pine-mixed hardwood systems. Fire is a key mechanism necessary to maintain the required habitat for the tortoise, maintaining low growing plants (their main diet), and preventing dense forests to occur. 

Habitat loss and degradation has lead to a dramatic decline in the gopher tortoise's population, and it is now a federally listed threatened species in the western portion of its range, and a candidate species in a portion of its range. 

Their burrows can go over six feet deep and extend over 25 feet in length. Many other species includes snakes and mammals use their burrows for shelter. We visited on a cool day, so it was not surprising that we did not get to see any tortoises. 

prickly pear

I have wanted to visit the preserve since hearing about it shortly after moving to South Carolina 3 years ago. The preserve has a beautiful longleaf pine system being restored and maintained.