Virginia Master Naturalists Headwaters Chapter

Tag: travel

  • The Salamander Night Hike

    The Salamander Night Hike

    Slimy salamander, the only one we saw that evening. Photo by Jess Daddio.

    The salamander night hike was led by Billy Flint at JMU and provided a really great opportunity to get in the field with the leading expert on Cow Knob salamanders, which only live here on the high-elevation slopes of the Shenandoah and Great North mountains. We met at 9pm under a perfectly clear starlit sky, donned our headlamps, and took our time carefully walking among the leaf litter and talus slopes. It took about 20 minutes until someone’s headlamps reflected back off the eyes of the first salamander of the evening, a Shenandoah Mountain salamander. Once we knew what we were looking for, it became easier to spot the next salamanders, which were sometimes crawling about in the open but, more often, lay hidden in the mossy recesses of their rock homes. Part educational hike, part meditative forest walk, the outing was equal parts discussion and silence. I really enjoyed the opportunity to move quietly through the woods and to ask questions in real time. 

    Jess Daddio, Cohort 9

    Cow Knob salamander. Photo by Jess Daddio.

    Co9 naturalist-in-training Hannah Martin photographing a Shenandoah Mountain salamander. Photo by Jess Daddio.

    Co9 naturalists-in-training photographing a Shenandoah Mountain salamander. Photo by Jess Daddio.

    Cow Knob salamander. Photo by Jess Daddio.

    Shenandoah Mountain salamander. Photo by Jess Daddio.

  • Trail Maintenance

    Trail Maintenance

    Photos by Judy Barlett. Top from left to right, Michael Seth, Jean Stephens, and Jim Fye. Bottom left: American toad. Bottom right: Dogbane leaf beetle.

    On July 25, two Master Naturalists, Jean Stephens and Judy Bartlett, joined three other volunteers to clear a half-mile stretch of briars from the Crawford Knob Trail in the George Washington National Forest (GWNF). Under the direction of Lynn and Malcolm Cameron (another HMN!), about 40 maintainers tend to over 100 miles of trails in GWNF’s North River Ranger District; Lynn and Malcolm serve as North River’s District Managers for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC).

    PATC member, Jim Fye, is the trail maintainer for Crawford Knob (#487, see map below), a lovely 2.5-mile trail north of Buffalo Gap. He, and many others, have spent countless hours making this tucked-away trail more accessible and enjoyable. On this recent work trip, we saw lots (and lots) of bear scat, several native flowers (e.g., tall bellflower, southern harebell, wild columbine, nodding onion, Joe-pye-weed), an American toad, and a dogbane leaf beetle.

    Segment of National Geographic Trails Illustrated map “791 Staunton, Shenandoah Mountain”

    We hiked in (and mostly up) about 3.5 miles from SR 688 (Old Parkersburg Turnpike), enjoying the sites, sounds, and each other’s company and then got to work on the briar patch that was blocking the trail. Jim and Jean shared some of the secrets of the trail, including two springs and two hidden outlooks. We had a blast! If you’re interested in doing trail maintenance, which counts towards your HMN hours, reach out to Lynn (slynncameron@gmail.com).

    Judy Barlett, Projects Committee Chair