In mid-January, we had a stretch of wet, windy and warm weather. In the past week, the temperatures have ranged from highs in the sixties to lows in the teens. Yes, the weather can change rapidly here, but it has been a bit more extreme than usual. Our destination was the Hogback Ridge Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. This trail begins at 3,800 feet, meanders upwards to the overlook at High Rock (4,460 feet) and then drops down to the Hogback Ridge Shelter. Another positive about this trail is that is is 20 minutes from our home, providing a good option for a quick in-and-out hike. And there are gorgeous views- fungi and otherwise!
About a half mile up the trail, I suddenly realized that I had left my camera at home; no wonder I felt so light on my feet! Sigh….I pulled out my iphone- better than no camera at all.
It was slightly cooler as we moved along the ridgeline, sidestepping branches littering the trail. I spotted this interesting fungus stacked neatly in the crevice of a tree. It may be a Northern Tooth, which varies in color from white to golden to light brown over time.
The view from High Rock (yet another spot named “High Rock”!) and the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee.
Hogback Ridge shelter is set in the woods below the AT, unlike some shelters where the trail is mere feet away. There are ample tent sites scattered about, and Hogback Ridge has a privy. The shelter was unoccupied, and we headed down to the spring to water the dogs. The mileage on this hike is the upper limit for our 11 year old Dane, who used to accompany us on backpack trips and tolerate 12- 14 mile days. While those trips are behind her, she was in her happy place, out on the trail with her family!
Fungus among us
Around Hogback Ridge shelter, there are large fallen trees, laden with mosses and fungi. These Devil’s Urns were fascinating, perched on the top of the moss like a bunch of baby birds. They reminded me of animated creatures, with the cup hiding a periscope that might rise and survey its surroundings, and then roll up into a ball and scurry away, like a scene from Fantasia.
I noticed a pop of yellow and brushed aside some leaves to find this Orange Jelly fungus growing through a tear in the bark. No matter the season, there is so much life to explore in the woods.
If you haven’t seen Fantastic Fungi, check out the film trailer and put this on your list! I saw this a couple of months ago, and it deserves a second viewing.
In an earlier post, I referred to the numerous images of fungi that are in my photo archives. https://hikescape.org/hiking-in-rime-ice-allen-gap-on-the-at/ This image is from a few years earlier, at Higgins Falls in Cherokee National Forest. I just love this name: Barometer Earthstar. It perfectly describes the unearthly appearance of this fungus that has a stellate shape surrounding a pouch (peridium) containing the spores. There are references to both Astraeus morganii (native to the central and southern US) and Astraeus hygrometricus. Here is a site that has great information on the Barometer Earthstar: https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/astraeus-hygrometricus.php
I hope you’ll join us on our most recent exploration of the gorgeous winter landscape, marked by colder temperatures and a high wind advisory. Just remember: spring will be here in 58 days!
1 Comment
Bernie Kessel · January 27, 2020 at 1:06 am
Another great hike.
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