Roan Mountain Field Trip Report
June 15, 2024
by Margaret Sirois
In my mind, I’ve been running through all the superlatives that could describe our day at Roan Mountain, led by Rick Huffman.
Thanks to tectonic plates that collided 300 million years ago, the volcanic intrusions resulting from that crash, and hundreds of millions of years of erosion, we now enjoy the beauty of this unique and ancient landscape.
The flame azaleas (Rhododendron calendulaceum) and Catawba rhododendrons (Rhododendron catawbiense) were in their full glory, and the weather and cooler temperatures were a welcome change from what most of us are accustomed to this time of year. The display of Gray’s lilies (Lilium grayi) was an especially rare and delightful treat.
We explored two distinct ecological areas. Starting up the trail from the Carvers Gap parking area, we quickly found ourselves in a spruce-fir forest. Fraser firs, often called Christmas trees (Abies fraseri), have soft, flat needles, in contrast to the rounded and sharp-tipped needles of red spruce (Picea rubens). Mountain ash (Sorbus americana) is also a common sight here.
As we continued up the trail, we emerged onto a grassy bald. Hair grass (Avenella flexuosa) dominates this ecosystem, and southern lady ferns (Athyrium asplenoides) are a frequent presence. Other species we observed included three-toothed cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata), thyme-leaf bluet (Houstonia serpyllifolia), New England ragwort (Packera schweinitziana), and velvet grass, also known as Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus). However, blackberry bushes (Rubus fruticosus) are rapidly encroaching and beginning to alter the landscape.
We enjoyed everything from sharing stories to attempting Latin pronunciations (with varying success) to imagining ourselves in The Sound of Music. It was truly a very special day!