Don't worry! Old Man Poplar is not one of
the trees that took a tumble on the nature trail
this summer. As you can see, my able daughter
Amanda (center) and my Georgia nieces Lindsey
(left) and Brantley (right) are in full support of
the Old Man.
But there are definitely things happening or
not happening on the trail these hot summer days.
For one thing, the stream has run dry. If you
care to do some dry stream hiking, now's the
time. Unfortunately, you must watch out for
sharp objects in the stream bed. Perhaps I'll
give it a good check before school starts.
One plus of a dry stream is that iconic
Big Rock is easily accessible.
Lindsey, Brantley, Amanda, and I took time
to document our visit-- and treacherous climb!
When we walked the trail Friday, we were
stopped short by a fallen tree across the trail
to the old bridge. So today, I headed to school
with my chainsaw to re-open the path if possible.
I knew there was a strong chance of rain, and I
had just begun cutting when a steady rain began.
I was a long way from any man-made shelter, so
I took refuge UNDER the roots of this giant
tree which had fallen earlier in the summer
(not to be confused with the newly fallen tree).
Here is the view looking out. I'm going to
prune some of the low-hanging roots so hikers
can comfortably and safely walk under it.
As it was, I got a lot of dirt in my hair. But
it served its purpose just fine.
The first shower ended and I got the path
open once again. Then a much heavier
rain began. I covered my chainsaw, but
decided to proceed with clearing the limbs.
I was thoroughly soaked, but at that point
it didn't really matter.
The former "top" of the tree still extends
far across the trail. I intend to clear the
area enough so that hardy adventurers can
walk it (at their own risk)!
The "root" end of the tree had
been on the north bank of the
stream. Its fall and uprooting
widens the channel of the stream
by several feet at that point, and
could have a lasting effect on the
stream's course. I'll be watching.
I took this photo from the dry stream
bed where the tree had toppled. I'm
sure many other trees are vulnerable
to the same fate, but that's part of nature.
Another observation I made is that kudzu
has run rampant over the summer months.
In places where it has sent out runners, but
hasn't attached, I can prune it and fight back.
But I have found sprigs of it in locations far
from the main source of kudzu, suggesting
that some has been spread by wind, rain,
and animals. It's worth fighting to stop the
Evil Plant that Wants to Take Over the World!
The one thing in my favor is that the first
frost will arrest the onslaught of kudzu.
But that is a long way off!
Kudzu is not the only vine that relentlessly
seeks to extend its territory. Here, honey-
suckle sends out several runners. Some
vines are more problematic than others.
You may have seen galls such as the one
below. They contain an adult gall wasp.
Read about the fascinating life cycle of the
gall wasp here.
I have not yet tried to identify the bright
yellow fungus I found around these alder
plants. Maybe you can beat me to it.
Last spring, many students saw the distinctive
hooded flowers of Jack-in-the-Pulpit. In the
fall, red berries will be found. But for now,
the berry clusters are green.
I did treat myself to a sourwood snack
after working for a good while. Some of
my brave hikers sampled it last week--
with few comments.
Two years ago, the Cub Scouts constructed
this makeshift dam to help with erosion
control. Today, I saw that stronger measures
will be needed (as I already knew).
Rain run-off from the school parking lot
quickly became a small lake. Perhaps a
strategically-placed drainage ditch will be
our next project. The scouts had proposed
a short boardwalk over the portion of the
trail where the problem exists. We'll see.
Here's the drainage problem via video.
If you've only seen the nature trail in fall
or spring, or perhaps never at all, why not
work in a relaxing and refreshing evening
hike before summer is over. I'll be sprucing
up the trail between now and the start of
school, but it's ready for hiking and seeing
the unexpected any time.
