Andrew's Bald || Friday, June 15, 2007

Today, in the torrential downpour and hail storm, we were sitting around 6300 feet in elevation at Andrew's Bald, one of two grassy balds maintained by the park service. Our goal at the bald was to collect butterfly and dragonfly specimens for research as part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, but due to the weather there were none around (accordingly making us look really silly for carrying big ol' nets up the trail). On the way to the bald we found a neonatal Jordan's Salamander, a salamander found only in the Smokies. We also saw the destruction of the Balsam Woolly Adelgid and its impact on the spruce and fir trees at the higher elevations, a fate soon to come for the Hemlock as well. At the bald, Catawba Rhododendron and Flame Azaleas were in bloom. Eerie feeling on top of the bald as fog, mist, and clouds whirled above and around us. At the end of the day, we made our way up to the fire tower at Clingman's Dome, the highest elevation in Tennessee as well as on the Appalachian Trail. Due to the rain there are fewer pictures today, but here you go. We're looking for snakes in Cades Cove tomorrow, so hopefully there will be some better pictures tomorrow.