Mackey Mountain backpack coming up...

[jamesrobertsmith]

Sounds logical. It certainly is noticeable from the every point. Wonder what they were up to?

[Josh Kelly]

On the subject of balds....

Most are being invaded by woody plants and require active management to maintain. Even the most "natural" example at Roan Mtn. It seems that extirpation of grazing mega-herbavores has tipped the balance on the balds towards woody plants. Fire has been tried and only seems to increase blackberry and rhododendron.

The "bald" discussed in the Asheville Watershed is probably a heli-spot with emergencies in mind. There are some amazing rock outcrops and glades in the watershed, though.

JRS, get with me next time you are going to Mackey. I know where the biguns are.

Josh

[jamesrobertsmith]

.
JRS, get with me next time you are going to Mackey. I know where the biguns are.

Josh

Will do!

Re: Balds. Someone was trying to push through restoring bison to Roan Mountain. Fat chance, considering the traffic it gets and the chances of human/bison negative interaction. I'd love to see them come back and keep the grass balds open. But I don't see the public allowing it to happen.

Since my teenage years I've watched some of the grass balds in the Smokies all but vanish.

[jamesrobertsmith]

One last interesting photo from Mackey Mountain. On the trail (before it vanished into the woods) we saw this tree that had been marked for some reason. I suspect it was some kind of surveyor's mark, but I don't know. Anyway, the neat thing about it is that the tree looks to have formed a partial heal over the mark, maybe by a branch growing out of the wound? Not sure.


Click on image to see its original size