While we're not offering tours this time of year, we still are out on the trails of the New River Gorge National Park whenever the opportunity presents itself. We've had a very snowy January and even though much of it is covered in a thick blanket of white, nature reveals itself in small and quiet ways this time of year. Here are just a few things we love about wintertime in The Gorge.
Marcescence is the withering and persistence of tree leaves. In our deciduous forest, most of the trees of course drop their leaves in autumn. But the American Beech as well as some species of oak trees will hang on to many of their leaves through the winter.
Biologists debate the reason for this, but after a light snow falls there is no debate as to how the remaining leaves covered on snow enhance the beauty of the wintertime forest.
Turkey Tail Mushrooms - Trametes versicolor, or True Turkey Tail, starts its growth while most fungi are hibernating. This small fruiting body takes advantage of the moist forest and seems to pay no attention to the temperature as it grows on dead and decaying wood. A close look at these mushrooms will reveal a colorful pattern on top and a pure white underbelly. Often harvested as a medicinal and used for tea or tincture, we think just appreciating the splashes of color in an otherwise bleak forest is medicine enough for our souls.
Waterfalls in winter are a special treat, and the New River Gorge is full of them!
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