Interlude: The Trail in Miniature

I’d like to start this post by thanking my good friend, Sarah Caldwell. During the time leading up to the trail, I was busy thinking about all the exciting places I was going to see, all the amazing people I was going to meet, and all the cool things I was going to do.

In the midst of all of this, Sarah encouraged me to stop and look for the small joys in the world around me. And in particular, all the wonders I might encounter along the trail. To that end, she lent me one of her books Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains by Rosalie Haizlett.

The author spent half a year traveling through the Appalachian Mountains exploring the region’s smallest creatures and plants. The resulting book is a compilation of her artwork, her thoughts, and her explorations.

I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book before I headed out on the trail. It reminded me to slow down and appreciate the beauty around me.

When I first started, I wondered what sort of life I might find. As many of you remember, I started the trail in early March, when winter still had a steady grasp on the mountains I walked through. But even when most things were brown and cold, life still found a way.

The earliest photos in my camera roll are a series of lichens and mosses, hardy rhododendron, and vibrant Galax Urceolata. The latter of which are particularly interesting, and something I’d never seen before. They’re an evergreen ground cover, and you can find them in every shade from emerald, to bronze, to wine red. They’ve been my faithful companions since that first chilly week.

Over time color began to return to the mountains. First came the wildflowers in their many hues. The first flower I saw on trail was a forget-me-not, and then a crocus, and then a triple daffodil. After that a riot of color came flooding into the world.

(Virginia spring beauty)

(Golden ragwort)

(Azalea)

Sound and movement also slowly crept (or flew) back to the ridges and valleys. At first, this came in the form of the songbirds of the mountain. The dark-eyed junco has been with me since day one. They’re migratory birds in much of North America, but they live year-round in a small strip of the Appalachian Mountains. They’re bold little creatures, attired in dark jackets with pale white shirts. It’s not uncommon to find them in the bushes and hopping around on the ground surrounding the shelters and campsites.

(Dark-eyed junco, courtesy of the Merlin bird app)

The Junco’s were slowly joined by a wide-range of other birds. I frequently hear eastern towhee’s, American robins, blue-headed vireo’s, and so many more. Sometimes at night while I’m lying in my tent, I hear dueting barred owls calling in the distance.

And recently, I’ve been seeing other animals in the forest. There’s life on the larger scale (deer, snakes, and rabbits to name a few - no black bears so far). But there’s also been life on a much smaller scale. I’ve seen a number of centipedes and butterflies and snails. I’ll admit, I feel a certain kinship with the snails who also carry their homes on their backs. Because I adore them, I stop to take many pictures of them.

But I’ve also begun to see millipedes and red efts!

The efts tend to come out on rainy days, and are often very unconcerned by the presence of the giants taking their pictures and stepping by them.

Another interesting piece of life I see on trail is green stain fungus. Before I started this journey I had no idea this fungi existed, and I actually learned about its existence from Tiny Worlds! I wasn’t expecting to see it on trail, but I see it every day.

To quote Rosalie Haizlett:

“This exquisitely tinted fungus, commonly called green stain fungus, spreads through decaying poplar, ash, aspen, and oak. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Italian woodworkers sometimes used the stained wood to create detailed green inlays.”

One of my friends asked me what my favorite parts of the trail were. After mulling it over I realized that while I loved the panoramic vistas and the amazing people of the trail, I also deeply appreciated the small wonders of the world waking up around me. There’s something amazing about seeing a flower bud nodding in the breeze, or seeing a millipede walk along the same path as me. Every day has been an adventure and a discovery, and I’m so grateful to be here experiencing it.

Until next time.

Good News

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If you’re interested in learning more about Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains or purchasing your own copy, you can find more information at the link below.

https://rosaliehaizlett.com/products/tiny-worlds-of-the-appalachian-mountains-autographed-book-by-rosalie-haizlett