Venture
to Roan Mountain
June 28, 2005
When we met in Weaverville the rain was falling and the sky was leaden and grey. But, being the hardy bunch we are we said "damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead!" The full steam lasted the better part of thirty minutes until we hit the traffic pile up just this side of Burnsville. Fortunately we were only delayed about twenty five minutes or so while the wreck was cleared from the road. We were all hoping that no one was hurt.
As we were climbing Round Bald the clouds dissipated and the sun broke through. With the mist still visible down in the valleys, lots of Gray's Lily, spectacular bloom on the Flame Azalea in particular we were rewarded for staying the course earlier. I even got sunburned a bit.
Scott Dean
| Plants: |
| Alder, Mountain /Green Alder - Alnus crispa |
| Angelica - Angelica spp. |
| Ash, American Mountain - Sorbus americana |
| Avens, Spreading - Geum peckii |
| Azalea, Flame - R. calendulaceum |
| Blueberry - Vaccinium spp |
| Bluets - Houstonia serpyllifolia. |
| Bluebead Lily/Yellow Clintonia - Clintonia borealis. |
| Buttercup - Ranunculus spp |
| Catalpa, Southern - Catalpa bignonioides |
| Chicory - Cichorium intybus* |
| Elderberry - Sambucus canadensis |
| Canada May Flower - Maianthemium canadense |
| Cinquefoil, Three Toothed - Potentilla tridentata |
| Dame’s Rocket - Hesperis matronalis* |
| False Bugbane - Trautvetteria caroliniensis (a weird little Buttercup, thanks to Dave and Jenny for keying it out!) |
| False Hellebore/Indian Poke- eratum viride. |
| Fir, Frasier - Abies fraseri |
| Fleabane, Common - Erigeron philadelphicus (Really stunted at this elevation!) |
| Foam Flower - Tiarella cordifolia |
| Gray Beardtongue - Penstemon canescens* |
| Gray’s Lily/Roan Lily - Lilium grayi |
| Hawkweed - Heiracium spp. |
| Hawthorns - Crataegus spp |
| Hemlock, Eastern - Tsuga canadensis |
| Hobblebush - Viburnum alnifolium |
| Hydrangea - Hydrangea arborescens* |
| Jack-in-the-pulpit - Arisaema triphyllum |
| Japanese Honeysuckle - Lonicera japonica* |
| Jewelweed/Touch-me-not - Impatiens spp* |
| May Apple /American Mandrake - Podophyllym peltatum. |
| Mountain Laurel - Kalmia latifolia* |
| Mustard, Wormseed - Erysimum cheiranthoides, |
| Oxeye Daisy - Chrysanthemum leucanthemum* |
| Queen Anne’s Lace/Wild carrot - Daucus carota* |
| Ragwort, Robbin’s /Robbin’s Butterwort - Senecio robinsii |
| Raspberry, Flowering - Rubus odoratus* |
| Rhododendron, Catawba - Rhododendron catawbiense |
| Saxifrage, Michaux’s- Saxifraga michauxii |
| Scouring Rush - Equisetum hyemale* |
| Spiderwort - Tradescantia subaspera* |
| Spruce, Red - Picea rubens |
| Wood, Sorrel - Oxalis spp |
| Yarrow - Achillea millefolium |
|
Birds: |
| Pileated Woodpecker* |
| Indigo Bunting* |
| Great Blue Heron * |
| Turkey Vulture |
| Mourning Dove |
| Eastern Phoebe * |
| Barn Swallow |
| Blue Jay |
| Common Raven |
| Chickadee |
| Red-Breasted Nuthatch - Heard |
| House Wren - Heard |
| Winter Wren - Heard |
| Golden Crowned-Kinglet |
| Veery - HBNS |
| American Robin |
| Brown Thrasher |
| Chestnut-Sided Warbler - Heard |
| Scarlet Tanager * |
| Eastern Towhee |
| Dark-Eyed Junco |
| Rough-winged Swallow |
| Catbird |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Feeding on a partially opened Gray’s Lily!!!) |
| Cedar Waxwing |
| Rufous Towhee |
| Tufted Titmouse |
| Hermit Thrush - Heard |
| *roadside sightings |