Highlands 2021 Semester In Review

With our semester winding to a close and only a month left until final exams, I decided to reflect on our time at the field site so far. There were a lot of firsts for us, with some people going on their first hike ever, kayaking for the first time, and catching a salamander for the first time. Most of the new experiences we had this semester were on our group field trips. I’ll be reviewing and rating the four most memorable field trips we went on to give an inside look at our adventures this semester.

First Field Trip: Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove- 5/10

We left for our first field trip of the semester just one day after moving in. We had heard news of Tropical Storm Fred, but doubted that we would be in its path. The morning we left, we drove to the visitors center and to our hiking trailhead in torrential rain. As we exited the vans at Clingmans Dome and took notice of the rough conditions at the top of the mountain, we all changed into warmer and supposedly waterproof clothes (We later found out they were NOT waterproof when we had to wring them out at the peak.) As we embarked on our hike, we were met with pouring rain and a mini river flooding our trail. The hike was moderate, but we were sorely unprepared. The constant uphill, over slippery rocks and steep stairs, combined with our NON-waterproof gear made for a soggy and sweaty hike. To make matters worse, when we got to the peak, we could barely see 100 feet in front of us! It was ridiculously foggy, so our view of the mountain ridge was completely obstructed. We made it to the top of the tower at Clingman's Dome and squeezed as much water as we could out of our clothes. We had to hide from the whipping wind while eating our soggy lunches, so needless to say morale was low. Luckily, the rest of the hike was downhill, after which we all rushed to change into dry clothes! We ended the night with dinner in Gatlinburg, then we headed to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. The next day, we woke up before sunrise and headed to Cades Cove where we would be biking the 11 mile road that encircled the valley. The weather was glorious, a complete 180 from the previous day. We explored and saw caves, snakes, salamanders, and a mama bear and her cubs. We ended our day at Cades Cove with ice cream, which was the cherry on top of a great day.

Second Trip: Kayaking- 8/10

We had been looking forward to this field trip ever since we saw it on our syllabus, so when the day came and we piled into the vans to drive to the access point on the Chattooga River, everyone was bouncing with excitement. We unloaded the kayaks, packed our belongings in dry bags, and played a game Chloe taught us called rock hand to pass the time. We loaded into the river at 11:30, with the more experienced kayakers in the front and the beginners in the back. We hooped and hollered as we set off, ecstatic to finally be on the water. As our first rapid approached, I felt my stomach drop. I had no idea what to expect, so my nerves went haywire. I conquered it easily, since it wasn't as bad as I was imagining. We went over more rapids, then took a break for lunch and poetry journaling. We were all wet already from the rapids, so we decided to dunk ourselves in the frigid water before setting off again. We submerged and were shocked by the cold, coming up for air gasping and shivering. We set off, and luckily the sun and the paddling warmed us right back up. We saw a heron while admiring the landscape around us, and our instructor found a huge newt. We made it to the take out point and managed to drag our boats out and drain them. After loading them onto their racks, we changed and finished our day with some delicious pizza in Clayton, Georgia.

Third Trip: Purchase Knob- 7/10

We were initially under the impression that this trip wouldn't even happen, with a government shutdown looming and threatening to shut down Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Thankfully, everything worked out and we headed to Purchase Knob bright and early. We unpacked, visited a log cabin, and picked apples! Afterwards, we surveyed land plots to find salamanders under tree cookies. We found some awesome salamanders then departed for a hike on the ridge to the Swag hotel. We identified some maple trees and mushrooms, and relaxed in the lounge chairs at the Swag at the halfway point in our hike. We headed back then had some delicious spaghetti at the house. The next day, we got ready for our hike and made lunch then talked with a Park Ranger about his job and elk research. We embarked on our hike prepared for a slippery, downhill trek. After merging onto Boogerman Loop, we ventured through the dense forest to the world's largest tulip poplar (by biomass)! We made it back to the trail and filled our water bottles at a stream using a water filtration device. By the end of the hike, everyone's feet hurt and all our butts were muddy from slipping and falling, but we had seen some incredible trees, fungi, and ferns. After getting picked up, we got the treat of seeing some elks, then went home and had some yummy tacos and played spades.

Fourth Trip: Gray Fossil Site and Roan Mountain- 9/10

This trip was our last, and we had no idea what to expect. We loaded up the vans and left early for Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. We ate lunch then toured the museum section of the fossil site. We met our tour guide and started with an explanation of the type of flora and fauna that would be found at the Gray Fossil Site in the Early Pliocene era. We had the privilege of being able to go to the dig site and meet the archaeologists digging up a mastodon. We headed to the lab where skeletons are reassembled, then explored the archived fossils section. We asked copious amounts of questions about anything and everything, then departed for Roan Mountain. We checked into our cabins and got ready for a hike up to the Rhododendron Gardens. It was way colder than we expected, and the fog made the road we were hiking on look extra spooky in the dark. We saw some humongous rhododendron interspersed with spruce and fir trees, and got to use our headlamps on the hike back. The next day, we prepped for our Roan Mountain hike with a quick briefing from Dr. Costa while we were making our lunches and packing our daypacks. We all dressed warmly, prepared for wet and cold weather, but ended up shedding our layers since the weather was incredible on the balds. We got onto the Appalachian Trail, and after a short hike through a lush spruce fir forest, ended up at Round Bald, our first bald of the day. We had a panoramic view as we sat for lunch, and we pondered the mystery of the balds as we ate. No one really knows how these balds came to be, and how they are still around today! After sleuthing, we set off for Jane Bald, and scaled a steep rocky uphill to get there. We admired the sights while catching our breath, then headed to our last bald, Grassy Ridge Bald. At the peak, we laid down on some cool rocks, snacked, and found some interesting flora. We embarked after our break with an extra pep in our step knowing we were already halfway done. We split up on the hike back so everyone could go at their own pace and admire the views. After making it back to the vans, we went salamandering and hit the jackpot when we found at least 10 Blue Ridge Two Lined salamanders under a single rock. We returned and warmed up with dinner and card games by the fire.