Snow Trillium in West Virginia 2017

I had an opportunity this week to visit a site for Snow Trillium in West Virginia. I had been here four years ago and was fortunate to find five or six plants and a couple of blooms. When I arrived this week, I found hundreds, maybe thousands of Snow Trillium in bloom. 

        They need one of two specific set of requirements in order to grow. Here it was on limestone crevices, limestone cliffs and very steep loess deposits where the soils are sparsely vegetated, if at all with no accumulating organic matter such as leaf mold and litter.(Complete Description)

They bloom from Early to Mid-March and often come up through snow. There was plent of snow around the area but not at the actual site, they had recently been covered by snow and were many that had been damaged. 

         They are rare in most areas and I was awestruck to find the numbers I dd this year. Below are many photos and some descriptionws. 

Snow Trillium (notice Stonecrop)

Typical location, limestone with minimal leaf litter

Notice size in relation to the acorn

Typical damage on this day due to recent heavy snow

Click for Video

Snow from hike to site

Stone Crop

At least ten plants in this picture 

Close up of reproductive parts

Frozen Brush Creek Falls

Brush Creek Falls is one of my favorite places in all seasons. This morning it was 5 degrees Farenhite and the snow that has been accumulating for the past two weeeks was over 18 inches deep. I knew the falls were probally froze and worth a hike in. I have seen them froze even more than this but it is still pretty awesome. Below are pictures from the front side and behind the falls. Also a small trail side falls was in good form with interesting greens and blue colors.

Running?

I hike. Period. 

Running is for 20 something's who want to stay buff and live forever.

So, why do I suddenly find myself running? Several colleagues from my school decided to run in the KOMEN WEST VIRGINIA RACE FOR THE CURE®.
A 5k race on May 2, 2015.

They formed a team and started recruiting members. I avoided them in the halls, said no several times, blustered about being a hiker, not a runner but finally gave in. 

         It was not a hard decision really, my wife is a breast cancer survivor. 12 years now.

So, I find myself in the evenings, in the dark, frozen fields around my home,  alternately walking and jogging, following an iPhone app called C25k ,Couch to 5k. A program that helps you prepare for a 5k race in seven weeks. During tonight's 30 minute workout, I covered 2.1 miles. 

Last year the first 275 finishers made the 3.1 miles in 30 minutes or less. The next 175 made it in less than 45 minutes. So my goal is between 30 and 45 minutes.    

I've setup a personal page where you can read more about my race and the event:

  http://westvirginia.info-komen.org/goto/cpackjr

Where are the Wildflowers in this post? Well, when I am jogging around that field, I find myself saying, 'there's the spot where Slender Ladies Tresses will be this fall', and 'there's the Nodding Ladies Tresses', and 'over there is Reclining St. Andrew's Cross.'

So, today is the day when meteorological winter is half over and I think I can make it to spring wildflower season now; if this running stuff doesn't kill me first..   

We Race Because…

One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

Because every minute, somewhere in the world, someone dies from breast cancer.

And because, breast cancer knows no boundaries- be it age, gender, socio-economic status or geographic location.

We continue to Race because at the current rate, 13 million breast cancer deaths around the world will occur in the next 25 years.

November- Is it Fall or Winter

How quickly the seasons change. It was a very pleasant fall, though hectic at times.

Now, Winter has made a sudden appearance.

So, I have filled the feeders, brushed up on the difference between House and Purple Finches, and am getting ready to settle in for cold weather. 

Not. 

I'll be out and about, hiking, 

fishing (just to show that I'm not too old to fish in Winter), 

and generally enjoying Wild Wonderful West Virginia

Witch Hazel Blooms Nov 1

Dandelion in frost

October 31, 2014

Everything has seasons, and we have to be able to recognize when something's time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings.   

Henry Cloud

A Sedge

Yesterday, I was traveling to be with students at a state competition and stopped near Charleston, WV at a roadside waterfall. I was really looking for a geocache because it still is a little early for any wildflowers (woke up to a couple of inches of new snow today). But, as usual I was scanning the area for any possibility. The elevation was only 850 feet as oppose to the 3000+ where I live and Daffodils were blooming in the area. On a wet cliff below the waterfall, I saw the following Sedge; I thought it it may be Long Stalked Sedge, but after  the owner of the blog , "The Natural Treasures of Ohio" chimed in, I believe he is correct in identifying it as Plantain-leaf sedge, Carex plantaginea , an early blooming Sedge with the unusual lower fringes that I had not seen before. So, I continue to photograph and identify as many of West Virginians wildflowers as possible. Last year, I found 308; all in one calendar year, so this Sedge makes # 309 for this blog.

                                                      # 309-  Plantain-leaf sedge, Carex plantaginea

Another view that better shows those wide, deeply veined leaves.

Spring- Almost- I Thought

Grand kids are all practicing baseball or softball, so today while one practiced at the Grandview section of  the New River Gorge National River, two others and I went on a short hike in upper 50's tempertures. Even though it is several weeks before the first wildflowers, I found myself scanning. The overlook was great today and at home I saw the first crocuses. 

         

  I also heard the first 'Spring Peepers.' These may be Wood Frogs, having just emerged from logs and stumps after a minimum numbers of  warm enough days. They gather at ephemeral water holes to make war and love. Their story is fascinating as is much of the natural world. Find and read George Constantz's Hollows, Peepers and Highlanders for a look at West Virginia's natural wonders.

       Whoa, whats that, we're under a winter weather advisory? Five inches of snow and 25 degree temperatures for the next few nights? Well, Spring can't be stopped, it is almost here, and I need to reread that book anyways....

Snowy Owl

This Owl was first reported in Beckley West Virginia on Jan 5, 2014. I work in Beckley so I was able to spend at least a little time for five of the last seven days looking for the bird. On Sunday, I spent most of the afternoon cruising the mall area where it was hanging out glassing the light poles and rooftops, but all to no avail. I was watching a Twitter feed that had been reporting its location occasionally and as I was leaving a meeting at 5 pm it was reported near by, so I took off and was able to finally see it. It was on a light pole, with an intensely bright light, so the combination of dusk and rain prevented a really good picture. I never saw its face. I hope to see it again and get better pictures. The only thing I can compare this find to was when I finally found Showy Ladies Slippers after searching for three seasons.

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owls are an Arctic bird but often fly south in search of food sources in the winter. This year the unusual numbers of owls is referred to as an irruption. This is only the 2nd one I have heard of in WV this year but Ohio has 150 or more. I have heard of people from Virginia, Tennessee and Florida coming to Beckley to see this extremely rare owl for this far south.  I hope it stays around a little while longer to give as many people as possible the chance to see him.

I hope to post better pictures in the near future, but am satisfied to just see him.

Ross's Goose

A Snowy Owl was sighted in Beckley, WV and I spent part of the morning searching for it. Yesterday, it was 48 degrees Fahrenheit  and the owl was seen in a grassy area relaxing. Today it has snowed and was 18  degrees Fahrenheit and falling fast. I never saw it but I did meet three others searching for it, who sent me a message later on about a Ross's Goose in a nearby pond. I was unfamiliar with it but they indicated that I really needed to see it. So I was able to find and photograph it and now understand how rare it is in this area. Since I work near the area the Snowy Owl has been frequenting, I will be able to continue searching, but this bird was equally interesting. I really appreciate the tip on the Goose.

Ross's Goose

Winter for Real

After several fits and starts, winter seems to be here for real. Today, we are in midst of ice and sleet storm that has affected much of the East Coast. Church has been canceled all day, so I am watching out the window and reading up on birds, even though I vowed not to get hooked on them.  Probably won't spend a lot of time posting birds, just interesting items. ( but they all tend to get more interesting when you are stuck in the house)

Below are some wildlife from around the farm, roaming among the Christmas decor, and grandbabies toys.

Rusty Blackbirds (Apparently, not very common)

Joe Pye Weed in August

Joe Pye Weed in December 

J

"When your hobbies get in the way of your work - that's OK; but when your hobbies get in the way of themselves... well...”. Mark Twain

Frosty Wildflowers

Snow on Wild Geranium and Periwinkle

We usually get a few frosts beginning in September but this week (3rd week in October), we had out first frost, snow and a freeze. But I did get to see a couple of new wildflowers on a trip to Morgantown.
   

#306- Heart Leaved Aster

 The first morning, I went to one of my favorite Morgantown, WV wildflower hot-spots. The Core Arboretum  is beside the WVU Basketball coliseum and has several trails and great wildflowers, especially in the spring. On a frosty morning I found an Aster that was relatively easy to identify. I have been using a great web resource called Asters and Goldenrods of New England. This one is Heart Leaved Aster, blooming through November according to some references. The heart shaped leaves  on the ones scattered throughout the Arboretum had begun to deteriorate as well as the blooms.





On the way home, I stopped at the New River Gorge: Canyon Rim Visitor Center for a rest and short walk to the Bridge Overlook. On the trails there I found several flowers, but only one was new for the year.


I think I have been seeing Old-Field Aster along the roads around home but had not looked at it closely and this was my first opportunity. It is also called Frost Aster for two reasons, one, it lasts until frost time and the other is the fine and heavier white hairs that the entire plant is covered with have the appearance of frost. The description also describes the yellow center of the blooms that turn red after pollination.

#307- Old-Field Aster

Grandson on a cold day hike, checking out the wet field where the Ladies Tresses have gone for the year.
(iPhone Panoramic Photo)

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
John Ruskin