Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Appalachian Trail Edition

It was my first full day in Shenandoah National Park when I came to the conclusion that I had been lied to – again.

Virginia is not flat, and I would not call the Shenandoahs easy. Some sections are better than others, but there is nothing about hiking the Appalachian Trail that fits the classification of “easy.” This particular day consisted of a twenty mile hike with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain. My pack was heavy due to the absurd amount of food I decided to carry out of the town of Waynesboro, and sweat ran like rivers from my face, arms, and legs. My friend, Hiawassee, was in rough shape due to an eye that was red and irritated, which we all assumed was a bad case of pink eye (jokes on us – it turned out to be a parasitic eye infection). To top it off, the day mostly consisted of a long, green tunnel. By far the highlight of my day was the close encounter I had with a rattlesnake (can you say adrenaline rush?).

To clarify, the Appalachian Trail is sometimes referred to as the “Green Tunnel” due to the fact that the trail is often enclosed by foliage, hindering the ability to see out into the surrounding landscape. While beautiful in its own way (more on that later), the green tunnel can be a bit frustrating — and monotonous. It is especially discouraging in Shenandoah National Park, where a highway called Skyline Drive runs alongside the trail for the majority of the section, meaning that while you walk in the tunnel, cars zip by with their windows rolled down, music blasting, enjoying all of the views that you actually can’t see.

As we got closer to our ending destination for the day, my other friend, Pierre, decided to zip ahead to make sure he made it to the campground store before it closed. I figured by the time we caught up to him he’d be posted up relaxing at camp.

We were dragging as we took the blue blaze Amphitheater trail towards the campground. My feet hurt bad, and Hiawassee was basically down an eyeball. We popped out of the woods at the end of the trail, and I saw an unexpected sight before me: Pierre situated on a bleacher at the campground amphitheater, surrounded by approximately fifteen elementary-school aged children, looking at him with wide, eager eyes.

“There’s my friend, Carly!” Pierre called, and all of the eyes then turned to me. I smiled and waved awkwardly as I made my way over, self-consciously thinking about how bad I smelled and how blunt children can be. Hiawassee immediately put his sunglasses on to hide his amoeba-infested eye.

It turns out the children were a part of a Virginia-based home-school group celebrating the end of the school year. They had started up a conversation with Pierre, who told them about our journey thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. I was immediately swarmed by a group of excited kids with many questions for me:

Where do you sleep?

How do you keep your food safe from bears?

What is your favorite mammal?

What kinds of butterflies have you seen?

The former teacher in my heart swelled. Pierre had just told them my rattlesnake story, so I showed them my pictures and videos. They climbed on top of each other to get a view of the rattle shaking. I showed them pictures of animals that I had seen, like the luna moths, salamanders, and deer. They “oohed and aahed,” and I could feel a big smile spreading across my face. They took turns trying to pick up our packs followed by exclamations such as, “That’s SO heavy!” and “I can’t even pick it up!” And to my surprise, not once did they even mention how bad I know we smelled.

As the kids departed for the campground store, I sat for a minute, trying to place this feeling that had come over me while talking to them. It was joy and excitement for getting to share what I love with children that showed such eagerness and genuineness, but it also felt nostalgic. I felt an overwhelming sense of childlike wonder, a renewed fascination growing in me from the things that I had seen on the Appalachian Trail. I thought to myself – this is why you came here – to see, to grow, to wonder, to ask questions to which I may or may not find the answers.

I saw a comment on a thread one time regarding the AT that said: “Where can I go to read about what happens on the trail without all the nature crap?” I still laugh thinking about that because the “nature crap” is what brought me to the trail to begin with. I know I’m not the only one. I saw it when I hiked with Bennett/“Magpie” and turned the corner to find him taking pictures of yet another flower. I saw it when I walked with Chris/“Pocket Hulk,” and he knew the names of literally every bird based on its song. I see it in myself, when I smile at the way a fern dances in the wind or a red eft crosses my path.

When I walk through these woods, it’s more than just a green tunnel. It’s a gateway into a world that is the closest thing I’ve ever felt to magic. Every day that I see the creatures and plants that make up this landscape, it feels like I’m being granted a moment of beauty so special and just for me—like I’m being told a secret held by the oldest mountain range in the world.

The moment with the students inspired me to share some of this beauty, to show a glimpse into the life beneath the green tunnel. If you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail, the “nature crap” may not be the reason that brought you here, but it’s what you will see for hours every day. My word of advice is the learn to love it — to be grateful that you are able to experience it.

This one is for you, nature nerds (or future nature nerds, I hope). Just remember that this is only what I’ve seen on my northbound journey from Georgia to Maine so far, and what you may see depends heavily on the weather and season. To get the full experience, you’ll just have to hike the trail!

Let’s Start With Georgia

Starting in Georgia in late March is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to seeing plants and wildlife. Winter is still very present, meaning that the green tunnel has not yet emerged, so I was able to see views that I know now are more than likely obscured. However, because it’s still cold, wildlife and fauna are scarce. To see the most, you have to pay close attention to the forest floor.

I could see a whole world moving around beneath my feet—millipedes crawling on the trail, spiders darting among the leaves, and snails leisurely making their way across rocks. To my surprise, I actually spotted a salamander (although I’m not sure what species) and a Luna moth that must have emerged fairly early, as it’s short adult life span of one week had already come to an end. The vivid green and showy pattern on its wings make the Luna moth hard to miss. I believe the one pictured below is a male, as its antennae are very feather-like.

The creatures of the forest floor

By far the most eye-catching plant in this section were the trilliums. As Bennett pointed out to me, trilliums are actually fairly uncommon, but Georgia hosts more indigenous trillium species than any other state (approximately 22). These plants bloom early and fade as the weather gets hotter, giving AT hikers something nice to look at before the other flowers begin to come in the spring. Apparently it takes trilliums 5-9 years to bloom—meaning that these plants are actually pretty old. There’s even a rare species of trillium called Georgia Dwarf Toadshade, which I don’t believe I was lucky enough to see (or more than likely, able to identify).

A red trillium

The Great Smoky Mountains

There is a reason that Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. The variety of plant and animal life here is unmatched. I was quite unlucky to have some pretty poor weather in the Smokies which definitely contributed to what I did and didn’t see. Animals become scarce, and it’s hard to see much through fog and rain, although the old-growth forests made up of spruce firs and seas of moss looked more mysterious and eerie.

Once the days of rain cleared, I was able to spot more mammals than I had seen in Georgia (besides the crazy squirrels always wreaking havoc). Fun fact: red squirrels are actually very loud and chatty (well, this is more of my opinion). I even got to see some elk from the car after my dad picked me up to go to a wedding. Don’t be confused like my dad—these aren’t moose. Elk were reintroduced in 2001 after being hunted to extinction, and you’ll see collars on some of them as they are being tracked and studied by the park.

Elk, red squirrel, and deer in the Smokies

Somehow, I didn’t see a black bear. They must have had too much competition for my food by the plentiful mice that liked to scale my tent at night.

Signs of spring were still evident in the park, despite the lingering chilly temperatures. Fields of Spring Beauty, an early wildflower, lined the trail and made my heart oh-so-happy.

Fields of spring beauty

North Carolina

Yes – I know the Smoky Mountains are technically in NC and TN, but North Carolina deserves a shoutout in particular because this is the first time I saw what I call the Appalachian Trail mascot. Let me introduce you to the Eastern Red-Spotted Newt.

A red eft hiding amongst the leaves

I have seen these little guys all throughout the trail. They are particularly active on rainy, wet days when they emerge from the leaf litter. Thankfully they are small but easy to spot due to their bright orange color (at least in this juvenile terrestrial stage), indicating to predators that they are indeed poisonous. Though they won’t kill you if you pick one up, I would suggest not doing so, as amphibians are sensitive indicator species with permeable skin that can soak up all the nastiness in unwashed hiker hands. Their “reverse” life history (embryos, gilled larvae, and adults are aquatic, but juveniles are terrestrial) is super fascinating to me.

I saw other salamanders too like the one pictured below called a Red Salamander, whose bright colors mimic the poisonous newts although it is actually not poisonous itself.

Red salamander after a rain

Another early plant to bloom is the Mayapple, which looks like a large umbrella and makes me feel like I’m in a Dr. Seuss movie. The forest floor was absolutely covered in them in some spots. I just learned while reading about them for this blog that almost every part of the Mayapple except its fruit is highly poisonous, so don’t be tempted to eat your greens just yet.

Mayapples

Tennessee

The many waterfalls and streams on the TN section before entering Virginia make it prime habitat to find salamanders. I would always take some time to really look in the streams and pools to see if I could find some. I’m not exactly sure myself what kind the one pictured below is, but my Seek app identified it as a black-bellied salamander.

A cute little salamander before sliding back into the water (poor thing had a little cut on his back)

If you don’t already know, Seek is an app made by iNaturalist that allows you to take pictures of both plants and wildlife and offers a species identification. The tool even works offline and once identified, more information is provided about the species, such as its scientific name, range map, taxonomy, and seasonality. Seek isn’t 100% right all the time (it once told me a picture of a Sandhill Crane was a reptile), and it definitely seems to work better if you take a picture of the plant or animal within the app itself. Seek helped me identify all the flowers in the picture below (that being said, if you find that I misidentified anything, please let me know in the comments).

From top left clockwise: Fire Pink, Yellow Wakerobin, Dwarf Iris, and Solomon’s Plume

Of course, I can’t forget the flame azaleas and rhododendrons—the famous flowers of the Roan Highlands. I missed prime blooming seasons (late May-early June), but they began to flower at the lower elevations in TN and NC. They are blamed as the culprits of the green tunnel, but there is no denying they are eye-catching and beautiful.

Beautiful blooming rhododendrons

Flame azaleas

Southern and Central Virginia

At some point when you turn 30, your hobbies go from late night drinks with friends at the bar to sitting on your front porch with a cup of coffee bird watching through your binoculars. Hiking the AT only exacerbated this for me. As I entered Virginia I also entered what I call my “Birding Era.”

Eastern Phoebe

I hardly ever walk with headphones in, so the sounds of the birds became my soundtrack. I hear the same calls over and over, and I wanted to know more. I was told by several people to download the Merlin app, and I was instantly hooked. The Merlin app taps into your surroundings to listen to calls and identifies the bird for you. It’s a great starting point if you’re attempting to ID a bird, since it can be really hard to ID based on a fleeting look alone. I found myself turning it on immediately when I woke up, and so many types of birds would pop up on my screen. I became so obsessed with it that I even accidentally hiked SOBO for 1.5 miles one day while listening to bird calls.

Wood thrush – or as Caster calls them, the “Beat Box bird” (their calls really do sound like robots)

The sounds I was hearing came to life. I learned the “drink-your-teaaa” trill of the Eastern Towhee, the slurred “pee-a-wee” call of the Eastern Wood Peewee, the cheery “zee-zee-zo-zo-zee” of the Black-Throated Green Warbler. I fall asleep to the “who-cooks-for-you?” hoot of the Barred Owl. Their calls feel like home to me now and it makes me so happy (except maybe the whip-poor-wills… if you know, you know).

A sassy looking Dark-eyed Junco

The herps (short for herptiles, which refers to the groups of both reptiles and amphibians) were still very present in Virginia. There was even one day that I counted 27 red efts in the span of only about 9 miles!

From top left clockwise: an American toad at Woods Hole, a box turtle, a red eft, and a green snake

As summer closed in the vegetation became greener and thicker. I think a lot of the Virginia Blues come from this transition to the green tunnel, but I find this type of forest to be enchanting. I particularly love the fields of cinnamon ferns (which I learned about from the Southern Cookie Lady) and letting my fingers brush against them as I walk. Pink Lady Slippers are also a popular Virginia flower and are easily spotted amongst the green surroundings.

Rows of cinnamon ferns

Pink lady slippers

By far the most popular wildlife spotting in southern Virginia are the wild ponies in the Grayson Highlands. My heart literally soared when I saw them. I squealed as the baby ponies followed around their mothers. The ponies seem blissfully unbothered by humans and will come very close to you (although you have the resist the urge to pet)!

Northern Virginia

I know some of you are wondering—but what about the bears and the snakes? These are some of the most commonly talked about animals on the Appalachian Trail because they elicit the most fear. The funny thing is, I haven’t even seen a bear on trail. I did see one, however, when I rode back down to Shenandoah with my parents to drive some of Skyline Dr. The minute we crossed into the park, we passed a massive momma bear with two cubs climbing down from the trees. It’s weird to think that these bears just roam the woods with me. On trail we joke that usually when we do see a bear, it’s mostly just its butt as it runs away.

Momma bear protecting her cubs

My rattlesnake encounter was definitely a hit with the kids that I got to talk to in Shenandoah. I made it really mad, to say the least. Turns out rattlesnakes don’t like trekking poles coming down six inches from their bodies, which I never would have done if I had actually seen it. I believe it’s a Timber rattlesnake, although I’ve never seen one this dark. I asked several park officials but they couldn’t verify for me.

A dark Timber Rattlesnake

Northern Virginia felt like I was in a Disney movie. Does pranced around with their newborn spotted fawns. Mountain Laurel covered the trail, and when the white flowers fall, it feels like I’m walking down an aisle in a wedding. Rabbits and chipmunks darted across the trail. There was literally one point at a shelter where we had cottontail rabbits hopping around, a deer munching on grass, a ring necked snake curled up in the rocks by the fire, and mice scurrying through the grasses. Can you say Snow White?

The Snow White scenery

West Virginia / Maryland

These states are short, but offered some sweet surprises. Mayapples began to die, and new summer flowers started to bloom, such as one of my favorites—Milkweed. Despite its name, it’s actually not a weed. It attracts a host of pollinators which means I get to see lots of swallowtails, bees, and fritillaries (to name a few).

Milkweed

I also finally saw an elusive Scarlet Tanager. These birds are described as some of the most “blindingly gorgeous birds in an eastern forest in summer.” They are bright red, but they are still hard to see because they perch high up in the trees.

A poor picture of a Scarlet Tanager (Google it so you can see a better picture of its beauty!)

Pennsylvania

Oh Pennsylvania—you have my heart. I have a lot more to say about PA at a later date, but I have been so taken aback by the beauty of this state. It’s not just rocks and rattlesnakes, let’s just say that.

Live trail entertainment of a black snake devouring a mouse

Since I haven’t mentioned it yet, there are some really beautiful mushrooms growing all throughout the Appalachians. I don’t know much, but if you’re into foraging, this is your playground.

Chicken of the woods

Beef steak

Out in the farmlands and fields of PA, flowers bloom, wheat blows in the wind, and butterflies flutter around my feet. I even saw several groundhogs waddle away surprisingly fast enough that I wasn’t able to get a picture. Apparently there are porcupines here too, but I haven’t been lucky enough to see one of those yet (or maybe I’ve been lucky – they tend to chew on hiker’s trekking poles).

Pollinators loving some butterfly milkweed

It’s The Little Things

There is so much more that I have seen. There is so much more that I haven’t. For the sake of the length of this blog, I’ll just have to keep some of the forest’s secrets to myself.

It took a group of kids to remind me of the motto that I have been saying over and over again to myself out here, a line from a Mary Oliver poem called “Sometimes:”

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

I plan to keep my eyes and heart open as I continue my trek towards Katahdin, and I’ll take all of you nature nerds along the way with me.

Stay curious,

Newt