In Search of Big Run Bog, Part 1

Freeland Run in Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

 

My friend had read about another high-altitude bog in West Virginia--Big Run Bog, and we wanted to explore it, so one morning back in late September (my birthday), we set out to find it. Google was of little help: they showed no location for it, but there was a Big Run Falls shown on their maps. We figured the bog had to be somewhere nearby.

The leaves were starting to turn in the WV highlands, making for a colorful drive along the way, although the day was cloudy and the colors subdued. Mist and fog wafted up from the valleys and mountains, looking like smoke. We reached the town of Davis, WV, not sure in which direction to proceed. My friend's husband had obtained some GPS information, and directed us to a location south of the town, past Blackwater Falls State Park, and there seemed to be a boardwalk there. We parked and started walking down the Freeland Boardwalk Trailhead.

Bracken Ferns along the boardwalk

The fall colors along the boardwalk were lovely, with several varieties of Goldenrod--there are so many species of Solidago that I couldn't venture to say how many or which, but Narrowleaf (Euthamia graminifolia), Zigzag (Solidago flexicaulis) and Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) were three I could identify. Spent flowers of Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) turning russet, and wild asters (Symphiotrichum racemosum) made for some beautiful arrays. Meadowsweet, elderberries and other shrubs were abundant.

Wild asters, Narrowleaf and Canadian Goldenrod

CanadaGoldenrod

Walking along the boardwalk I looked for cranberries, a classic bog plant, but saw none, nor any cotton grass. I guessed that this was actually a wetland, not a bog, and therefore, not the Big Run Bog we were looking for. Still, it was a lovely place full of interesting plants. A spring-fed stream, Freeland Run, was visible in places from the boardwalk, and an old beaver dam had left a pond of sorts.

Around a bend, we spied small spikes of white flowers that turned out to be Nodding Ladies Tresses orchids (Spiranthes cernua) in the distance. A wonderful, unexpected find!

Nodding Ladies Tresses orchid

Nodding Ladies Tresses orchids

Signs said that the Canaan fir, native of this area, was in danger due to the Wooly Aldegid insect, and some of the trees looked to be affected, but they were attempting to restore the habitat by planting more fir saplings, protected from deer with wire cages.

Canaan fir (Abies balsamea var. phanerolepsis)

Lichens covered the dead branches of the Canaan firs and other stands of bare trees and shrubs.

Lichens on dead branches of Canaan fir

Here and there we saw the seedpods of Clematis vines, likely Clematis virginiana. And also, several strange-looking caterpillars with long hairs, which turned out to be Tussock Moth (Lymantriidae sp.) caterpillars. Those long hairs usually have stingers, so we didn't touch them.

Virgin's Bower seed pods (Clematis virginiana)

 

Tussock Moth caterpillar

Boneset, goldenrod and asters

I really enjoyed the rich wetland from the comfort of the well-kept boardwalk, and have so many ideas for paintings from these photos, it may take me years to do some of them. But, this definitely wasn't the Big Run Bog we'd set out to find. We took off again in search of it, heading north on Rte 32 towards Thomas.

To be continued in Part 2.

Wildflowers in Shenandoah National Park

 

Turk's Cap lilies (Lilium superbum)

Already midsummer, and so busy I hadn't had a chance to visit Shenandoah National Park all year. Living so close to the north entrance, I like to go up there in the spring to enjoy the panoply of wildflowers at that time of the year. However, there are so many beautiful wildflowers in the park at all seasons except winter, that I decided to go up there with a friend in late July, to see what was blooming.

 

Fairy Candles (Actaea racemosa)

 

All along Skyline Drive there were so many Fairy Candles, as the blooms of Black Cohosh are known around here, that we had to stop at one of the overlooks to photograph them. Bees were buzzing everywhere, and yellow Jewelweed was blooming close to the parking area. You can see leaves of a native Clematis curling around the stems in the photo below, but without flowers, it would be hard to identify the Clematis.

 

Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)

 

Our next stop was the Hemlock Springs overlook, where we found a profusion of wildflowers. The day was cloudy and we drove through few showers on the way down--merciful in July's heat--we couldn't have asked for better weather for our walk!

 

Hemlock Springs overlook

 

In the shady, moist environment at this area we found Joe-Pye weed, Purple-flowering raspberry, and white Bergamot by the side of the road.

 

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

Purple Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus)

Close-up of Purple Flowering raspberry

White Bergamot (Monarda clinopodia)

 

Farther down, by a rock wall, there was Alum Root, its flower heads going to seed. Wild hydrangeas were in bud, and the Goldenrod was starting to bloom--so early! There are so many varieties of Goldenrod in this area that without a closer examination  I couldn't begin to identify the species, but I'd guess it's Solidago canadensis.

 

Alum root (Heuchera americana) with Purple Flowering Raspberry

 

Wild hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) and Goldenrod  (Solidago canadensis?)

 

 

Back by the parking area, we saw one flower I haven't been able to identify-- my photo isn't very good, could it be a very late-blooming Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)? Correction: this is Tall Thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana.

 

Tall Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana).

 

From there we drove on to Big Meadows to stop at the Visitor's Center, where there was a planter full of native plants, nicely labeled. The Bunchflowers (Melianthium virginicus) here were enormous, although others we saw scattered through the meadows weren't so tall. Yellow Coneflowers and wild Bergamot bloom beyond.

 

Planter at Big Meadows Visitor Center

Bunchflowers in the meadow.

We hiked on the Story of the Forest Trail, where we encountered some Poke Milkweed, more Fairy Candles and a variety of ferns. We missed a turn and ended up at a campsite, and had to backtrack to reach the Visitor's Center, where we ate our lunch.

 

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)

 

After lunch we set out on the open meadow, hoping to find the white fringed orchids that another friend had told me about. We looked and looked, but never found it--so many lovely flowers instead! The ordinary milkweed was luscious, but nary a Monarch butterfly was to be seen. I've never seen such deep orange Butterfly weed--amazing color!

 

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) with Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

 

Close-up of Yellow Toadflax

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)

Canada thistle (Circium arvense)

 

We wandered through the meadow all afternoon, coming across lots of gorgeous Turk's cap lilies, wild rose, yarrow and Interrupted Fern growing along a seep. I've never seen this fern growing in such a sunny location, but I guess it happens. 

 

Turk's cap lilies (Lilium superbum)

 

Turk's Cap lilies

Wild rose (Rosa silvestris) with yarrow leaves.

Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana)

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum?)

Starry Campion (Silene stellata)

As we were leaving the meadow, we walked by some yellow indigo shrubs.

Yellow Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)

The afternoon had slipped by and all too soon it was time to head back home. What a wonderful day, filled with the beauty of nature!