Afternoon River Ride

A recent late afternoon stop at the Bassett Access ramp found canoers Reid Harris and Greg Woods taking a break during a river ride from Philpott dam to Fieldale. Reid and Greg have done this section many times and they took advantage of the summer time late release schedule to hit the river for a late afternoon trip. They drove here from Danville and Reidsville, NC to enjoy the Smith.

 Reid Harris and Greg Woods

 A view upstream from the Tent Hill Bridge at the Bassett Canoe Access

Now Showing !!!

If you missed the March wildflower show along one of our local trails or preserves, don't you dare miss this months feature presentation:    
                                   Trilliums...
                                   (the Sequel)

March brings us the first wildflowers of the season including bloodroots, twin leaf and trout lilys, but April is not to be outdone and rewards the diligent observer  with spectacular treasures seeming to appear out of nowhere.  The trout lily booms are gone but the reticulated leaves of the plant are still visible on the forest floor. The Toadshapes are producing the last of their deep crimson swords but the dark green tri-leaved plant remains.

Mid April is that transition between browns and greens, the leaves on the trees fill out. the grasses sprout fresh and aromatic while the dogwood trees and fields of goldenrod begin to distract us form the real show along shaded streams in the secretive places. That's where treasure is to be found.

A recent outing to the upper Smith River near Woolwine revealed the trilliums had not only bloomed in full but most had even already been pollinated.  Closer to home, the Gravely Nature Preserve still holds many rewards of freshly blooming trilliums and other wildflowers to hiker who ventures down the rhododendron trail along the river.

Its not hard to spot the bright white tri-petal lobes of the Large -Flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflora), and the three large leaves that encirle the stalk below the blooms help identify the plant.  When you see the same bloom in a lavendar and purple, you know that one has been pollinated and will only last a few more days as a bloom.

Don't miss the Red, or Purple Trillium, (trillium erectum) hiding out on the cliff face along the trail.
In some areas, its possible to find both the red and the large flowered trillium sharing the same patch of ground near a stream.

Each one of these you spot is a new treat and you will want to bring your camera to catch thier fleeting beauty that will only last a few short weeks.

Don't forget to watch for the lacy purple and white blooms of the Crested Dwarf Iris (Iris cristata) that is found at Gravely as well.  These diminutive jewels are quite fascinating as you examine the intricate delicacies of this streamside beauty.

 The Solomn's Seal (Polygonatum canaliculatum) has not bloomed yet, but it wont be long.  They are recognized by thier hanging blooms down under the arching multi-leaved stem while the "false solomns seal" is very similar in its leaf structure it can be distinguished by its cluster of white flowers at the end of the stem.

 Ferns are everywhere at Gravley Nature Preserve and the" fiddle heads" of the Christmas fern are just begining to unfurl.  A few Maiden hair ferns are quickly leafing out and will soon cover the lower slopes of Jones  ridge with a bright green mini canopy over the forest floor.

The foamflowers are dressing up and getting into the act and so are the Great chick weed plants.  Watch for both along the Rhododendron  trail before you reach the river bottom.

But don't wait !
This special showing is for a limited time only.
It only comes around once a year but the photos you take and the memories of your discoveries
will last through the long and hot summer and dark cold winter.
Next year, you'll be the first in line to see the show !

(All photos were taken on the same trip at Gravley Nature Preserve on April 14, 2010 )

Springtime at Gravely

They're baaaaaack  !!!

         Trout Lily (erythronium americanum)
 

Yes, its finally springtime in Southern Virginia.
Digging out from under all that snow is a welcome relief from winters icy grip. The generous precipitation from flooding and snowfall will be long forgotten once the onslaught of summer highs arrive, but before that happens, the long days and warmer temps bring a much needed antidote for cabin fever with the arrival of the first wildflowers of spring.

 Trout Lily twins

These delicate forest jewels remind us of the resilience of nature, as they lay dormant through winters long freeze, to awaken in the early hours of spring, bringing rebirth to the woods as they push aside the leaf and straw and break the surface for a few brief days of growth and propagation. 
Its fitting that these most delicate flora arrive after the harshest pf conditions.  Its not the towering oaks and pines nor the hardy vines and thorn bushes that bloom first, its the diminutive and delicate jewels of the forest floor that are first to greet the warmth of the coming season.

     Toadshade (trillium sessile) 

 
Its always been part of the fascination of the annual changing of the seasons but also one that not many people ever experience to the fullest.  By the time some of us realize that springtime has actually arrived, the early wildflowers have already been pollinated and shed their blooms as they begin the cycle anew.

  Large-Flowered Trillium (trillium grandiflora)

That's why now is the perfect time to visit Gravely Nature Preserve or the Fieldale Trail.  Widlflowers !  They are popping up all over and rewarding the observant hiker with a rich tapestry of delicate beauty.

                   Trout lilys in the foreground as Linda Rachner hikes the Rhododendron trail with friends

Even though the forest may still seem all shades of brown and gray, the observant hiker only needs to walk slowly and watch the ground.  Most will walk right past some of these little gems of the forest as they often seem to blend in with the surroundings unless you are looking directly at a freshly opened bud.  The recent flooding has scoured the banks of dead leaves and regolith and the trout lilys and toadshades are much easier to spot now and they seem to be more numerous than in seasons past. Perhaps the rising waters brought additional plants or it may have opened up new opportunities for habitat that conducive to wildflower growth.

Linda finds a new patch of toadshade along the river on the Rhododendron Trail.  This group was not observed at this site in previous years so perhaps the trail or the flooding created new habitat ?

     Red Trillium (trillium erectum)

Although the Grandiflora and the red trillium will not bloom till late April, their tri-leafed stalks are just beginning to surface in clumps along the rocky outcrops and the floor of the Rhododendron trail.

A fascinating thing to watch for now at Gravely are the areas along the river that have been scoured by the flood.  The removal of dead leaf material has opened up the bare ground and now the trout lilys can be easily observed by the hundreds !

Ellen Jesse points out trout lilys along the trail in the river bottom

Many other varieties are beginning to bloom and will continue from now all the way through late summer and early fall, each change in season bringing a different color, shape and size.   

What can you find in the coming weeks ?  

Lets take a look at a few favorites that are easy to spot and recognize

    Trout Lily (erythronium americanum)

 

The Trout Lilies will still be in bloom for a few more weeks.  Watch for their pointed petal blooms with shades of yellow and purple while their large base leaves are mottled greens and purples.

  Bloodroot (sanguinaria candensis) 

The Bloodroots are easy to spot with their brilliant white "teacups" teatering on light green stalks then opening 

 and spreading to a full star-shaped bloom

Bloodroot bloom

Don't confuse them with the Twin-Leaf which also appears at the same time and often in the same habitat. Both plants have similar sized white star-shaped blooms but as the name implies, the Twin leaf can easily be identified by it's namesake, the twin shaped leafs of the stalk. Note the rounded petals as opposed to the more pointed ones of the bloodroot

  Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)

And of course the toadshape, its tri-leafed  shape making it an obvious member of the trillium family, the mottled green and purples support a deep scarlet bloom 

   Toadshape trillium.

As April approaches and gives way to May and we say goodbye to some of the first wildflowers of the season, its not time to slack off.  Watch for Mayapples, Trilliums, ladyslippers, foamflowers, bellworts and get ready for woodland orchids like Putty Root, rattlesnake plantain and showy orchis!

If you got o Gravely and forget your field guide, just take a quick glance at the kiosk before heading off on the trail and see what all can be found...a wildflower wilderness in the heart of Henry County.
   

 

 The Wildflower ID photos at the Gravely kiosk

Don't forget to bring your camera !
Take only photographs, leave only footprints

  Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis)

Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale)

Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens )

May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum)

March Rainbows and Browns

A recent turn of warm weather had us all scramblin to get outside and on the river to see what the trout were up too.  The VDGIF had also recently stocked a pile of rainbows in the Bassett area, and these guys bite just about anything, pile up in groups more than browns, and like the colder temps.  The browns are not too aggressive yet and are still a bit sluggish from the frigid winter.  Browns don;t really like to feed too aggressively until the water temps reach above 46 degrees, and this past weekend recorded water temps from 43-45, but the stocked rainbows don;t mind.  They are hungry and readily devour anything drifted past them.  In fact, once you find a hole with rainbows you can bet they are stacked up in there like cord wood.  All you habe to do is find the hole and be in the right spot for a good drift.

That was the case on Saturday when Darrin Doss found a pack of hungry "stockies"
A few browns did react to his nymphs as well but for the most part it was a rainbow explosion.  All these guys were released so they may still be out there for the next fisherman to enjoy.


A rainbow/brown collage by Darrin Doss  http://www.dossphoto.com/

Smith River Biologist to address TU meeting

Smith River Trout Unlimited will meet at Rania's Restaurant in uptown Martinsville, on Thursday, March 18, 2010, at 6:30pm. The program for the evening  will feature Virginia DGIF Fisheries Biologist Scott Smith who will present recommendations to improve the Smith River trout fishery.  We anticipate these recommendations will include proposals from DGIF for regulations changes on how trout are managed along the entire river. These regulation changes, if approved, would go into effect January 1, 2011. (This is a continuation of the December meeting where he presented findings based on recent sampling and studies)

You do not have to be a member of TU to attend our meetings.(You must be a member in order to vote on chapter business).   Anyone who has an interest in the Smith River Fishery is encouraged to attend.

Rania's provides us with a meeting space with the expectation that the majority of attendees will purchase a meal. (Good food, moderate prices).  Address is 147 E. Main St., Martinsville, VA  24112. It is in the historic district of Martinsville known as uptown as it sits on a hill.

For information contact Chapter Pres Shane Pinkston shane@southprintinc.com   Secy Al Kittredge, (910) 868-6235 aakitt@earthlink.net or check our website for more details and directions.  www.smithrivertu.com

Philpott Dam Flood Gates Opened

Recent flooding in Southern Virginia has prompted the ACE at Philpott Dam to open the flood gates
bypassing the generators and creating a monstrous 3500 cf /sec of flow down the Smith River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj-fFbBhJBM

Snow Paddle trip on the Smith River

We got socked with a winter snow storm in late December here in SOutherne Virginia, just in time to get us all in the mood for Christmas. 9 inches accumulated in Henry County, or at least that is what I measured on my back porch on the morning of the 19th. The roads were covered over so we had to make do with some "snow-yaking" down our driveways and street. This was great fun but we wanted to get on the Smith River as soon as possible to enjoy the wintery white banks and quiet peace of a snow-covered paddled. Sunday December the 19th found 4 hardy souls ready to make the journey from Marrowbone creek to Mitchell Bridge. Trent Fentress, Andy and Barbara Parker and me (Brian Williams). We set shuttle at 11am, no problems on the roads as long as you drove slowly. We slipped into the chilly waters of Marrowbone creek and made our way through a winter wonderland of frosted hillsides and snow capped rocks as we enjoyed the quiet beauty of a different world.
You can see a short video of the trip highlights here: