WV  vacation /Blackwater Falls   James Smith
  Jul 16, 2007 21:27 PDT 

I see I have many post to read! I'll do so tomorrow after I've recovered
from my trip.

We headed to West Virginia to visit some waterfalls and bag some peaks.
We camped in the Stuart Recreation Area (near Elkins) and hit various
parks and wild places from there. I saw no sign at all of hwa during the
entire five-day trip. I spent most of a day above and inside Blackwater
Canyon in Blackwater Falls State Park. If hwa is there, I didn't see it.
Every hemlock I saw was putting out new growth and were all healthy and
full and green. Same for the hemlocks in Otter Creek Wilderness, Dolly
Sods Wilderness (not a lot of hemlocks to see in that place, though),
Cheat River Canyon, Spruce Knob Area, etc.


Blackwater Falls - photo by Ed Frank

I will assume that hwa is in those places, but if it is, I didn't see
sign of it. I did see some hemlock mortality, but nothing out of what
I'd expect to see in any normal forest ecosystem.

I bushwhacked down into the bottom of Blackwater Canyon, and this was a
truly lung-bursting experience. I saw a lot of hemlocks there, but
nothing of extraordinary size. I'm told that there are some exceptional
trees in the newly protected areas above Lindy Point (rumors of a new
National Park continue), but getting down into the gorge would take some
major planning.

I'll try to post some photos and videos of shots I took in the forests
after I've recuperated from the trip.
Re: Return from vacation.   Edward Frank
  Jul 16, 2007 22:10 PDT 
James,

I look forward to your accounts. I have been to Blackwater Falls many times, and to the Dolly Sods. HWA is at Blackwater Falls, but not causing widespread death yet. Here is the summary from their naturalist:

"Blackwater Falls State Park is close to 2500 acres in size. Eastern hemlock trees are found throughout the park either in groves or scattered in northern hardwood sections. This area was logged beginning in the 1880's with logging operations coming to an end by 1930. Most eastern hemlocks on the park are second growth dating from the early 1900's to 1930, although there is a small section above the falls that was not logged. The largest eastern hemlock on the park would be no larger than two feet diameter dbh. The hemlock wooly adelgid was first observed by park personnel between 2000 and 2002. We have not as yet observed widespread decimation. Some trees are more heavily infested than others, but no pattern has been observed."

They do report some old-growth above the falls. I have not been to Lindey Point Area. Have you ever made it to Seneca Rocks? Another thing to check out in WV are The Sinks of Gandy - A river flows through a hill. You enter in one end and out the other side. It is an easy walk It floods shut, so you need to watch out for the weather.

Ed Frank