Western N.C. Mountain Dreamin'

It was a beautiful, clear late winter afternoon in central North Carolina. My friend's mom came up to visit her and we took the opportunity to explore the local William B. Umstead State Park, just northwest of downtown Raleigh. The visit to the state park was a much-needed respite from the life of living on N.C. State's urban campus. It's about as close to mountainous as I can get this far east in North Carolina and beggars can't be choosers.

The drive in to the visitor's center was reminiscent of driving the mountains of the foothills closer to where I am from in the western part of the state. They drowned out the bustle of busy Glenwood Avenue and only occasionally would the planes taking off from the nearby Raleigh-Durham Airport break the silence of the forest. It was a busy day in the park, but there was enough space to have moments to yourself.

There was plenty to see, even on a late winter's day. Check it out the photos below and the North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database!

Links for more reading:

Ecological Succession- Piedmont Forest History from N.C. State Forestry Professor, Duke Forest Succession
Fagus grandifolia- Wikipedia, USDA Plants Database entry
Lycopodium dendroideum- Wikipedia, USDA Plants Database entry
Lichen- Fun Fact about Lichen, Eastern Lichen Network out of the NYBG, Lichens of North America Information, Lichen Research, Cetradonia linearis (the only species of lichen Federally-listed in N.C.)