Chanterelles and habitat

[StoneCarver]

These are some chanterelles that commonly grow along the creeks in the Appalachian mountains. They can be so numerous on the forest floor that the forest floor is polka dotted with them. They are very good eating. I'd hike down into this creek with a wok strapped on my backpack and fry up a bunch of them. This picture is a very zoomed in. I think its called a macrophoto? Each mushroom in the picture is less than 1inch diameter just to give you some scale. They form these exquisite little scenes with the moss, ferns, and rocks.

 

[StoneCarver]

This is a view looking downstream from where I usually camp here. My tent is just off the left frame of the picture. I've caught a lot of brown trout in this creek. Legally its a catch and release creek but there used to be a trout farm up stream from here. Hence the brown trout and not many brookies. You have to go way up stream from the old trout farm to find brookies. I never fish for them.

 

[StoneCarver]

This is the rock I was standing on when I took the above picture looking downstream. Its a huge rock coming out of the side of the mountain and gets good full sun in the afternoon. Its a very nice hangout spot. I've smoked many cigars over the years whilst sitting on this rock.

In the image, you can see my tea setup. Water filter, bottles, bag of teas, my stove, and a cuppa in the process of brewing. The astute amongst you ought to recognize the vintage Tupperware cup and lid/saucer. My dad gave me the stove. He used to take it with him in the field when he was in the Army. Its an old Coleman Peak1. There's a skill to operating it. The water filter is an MSR ceramic filter.

 

[StoneCarver]

And this is upstream, you can see more features of the rock here and how it literally sticks out from the mountain and forces the creek to go around it. I'm standing on the middle of the rock when I took this picture. Btw: there is no old growth here. It all got logged about 100 years ago just like most everywhere else around here.

 

[StoneCarver]

I suppose I ought to share a picture of my camp. One of the best campsites I've found in all the backpacking I've done here in the Southern Appalachian mtns.

 

[deluxestogie]

Where is this?

Bob

 

[StoneCarver]

Wilson Creek, NC, USA- before Hurricane Helene. I haven't been back yet since the hurricane. I've heard its unrecognizable now.
This particular location is about 1.5mile hike from the trailhead.

 

[deluxestogie]

It looks similar to many of the creeks along the Appalachian Trail section that I backpacked between Erwin, TN and Damascus, VA, a quarter century ago. Nearly all of the National Forests along the AT were purchased by the US government as clear-cut "stump farms" in the early 20th century. They were considered useless for farming, too troublesome for road building, and sold at a bargain price. (There is "old growth forest" about 35 miles north of me. It's even marked with a sign at a poorly maintained trail head. Its entirety consists of 6 ancient conifer trees that were simply too difficult to access, when all the surrounding trees were clear-cut.)

Bob

 

[StoneCarver]

Yeah, afaic, its like any other creek in the southern Appalachians. I just like this particular spot because it has various features which makes it a nice place to camp in summer. I've also spent a lot of time between Erwin and Damascus. An old friend of mine lives in Mtn. City, Tn. "Clear cut stump farms" describes much of Southern Appalachia about 100 yrs ago. I always shake my head when I hear people say "oh look at the beautiful forest." I'm there thinking to myself "yeah these trees are babies." I suppose that's "seeing the forest and missing the trees"? I'm sure you're likely aware but in NC the famous old growth forest is Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Years ago people could backpack and camp in that forest but not now. They even gated the parking area which we used to be able to use as a trailhead to get into Slickrock Creek Wilderness area. There's some huge poplar trees there; those are what makes up the old growth in in Joyce Kilmer.

 

[green_bean]

Are you saying they've closed Slickrock? IIRC that's approx. a 7 mile hike into it? It's been about 45-46 years ago that we did that hike. I was trying out a brand new LL Bean pack basket. It was hardly the best back pack I ever used and after that, used it for camera equip, not for anymore long hikes.

 

[StoneCarver]

Are you saying they've closed Slickrock?

No Slickrock isn't closed. You just can't use the trailhead in Joyce Kilmer to reach Slickrock because they gate the parking lot after hours and don't let you leave your vehicle over night like they used to. At least that's the way it was last time I was there which was about 15years ago. You can still get into Slickrock through Haoe lead trailhead, Stratton bald or along the lake shore. I suppose they are trying to maximize parking space for day hikers visiting Joyce Kilmer and making the over-night hikers use some other way to get into Slickrock and I can understand that.

 

[JungleGhost]

I love mushrooms!