Green Knob Trail-Reflections, Forest Bathing, Climate Change, and a New Order
First Fall Reflections, Sims Pond, Green Knob Trail
Two and a half weeks ago, I went on a wonderful hike in the Blue Ridge along Green Knob Trail with my new friend Marie, a fellow photographer who also loves writing (she was a former English professor) and who celebrates the spirit of these Blue Ridge Mountains in a deep and profound way. I could not have asked for a better companion on this special walk. The fall colors were just beginning and before we started on our way we came across Sim’s pond and these beautiful reflections.
Stream on the Green Knob
There is a lot of erosion in the Blue Ridge, especially as our rainfall levels have been increasing. The roots of the trees do their best to hold the landscape in place, but often the water levels increase to the point where trees topple into the waterways. The streams of the Blue Ridge feed the crystalline rock and undifferentiated sedimentary aquifers below and are an important source of water for the Southeast. Here’s in a link to an interesting article on the role of the Blue Ridge and the Piedmont in providing us with water: https://www.usgs.gov/news/groundwater-quality-east-piedmont-and-blue-ridge-crystalline-rock-aquifers.
Erosion in a Stream on the Green Knob
The image below really shows the importance of roots in holding the land in place.
Roots and Leaves, Green Knob Trail
In areas where the rhododendrons and other vegetation are plentiful, the stream is more sheltered and the erosion is somewhat less. The vegetation also serves to filter the runoff from cars and any other pollutants that might make their way into the streams. The water is pretty clean in this area, as I wrote in a previous posts, but sometimes the torrential rains bring e-coli and pollutants into the waterways,
Sheltered Part of the Stream, Green Knob
When I looked up and saw this magnificent canopy, I gave thanks to the trees for making it easier for me to breathe and for helping the planet. Trees are an excellent carbon sink and spending time in forests can also lift your spirits and improve your health. The Japanese call spending time in nature forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Developed in the 1980’s, this therapy was considered a good antidote for nature deficit disorder. After years of study, Japanese researcher and medical doctor Qing Li found “that spending time in a forest can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and anger; strengthen the immune system; improve cardiovascular and metabolic health; and boost overall well-being.” (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_forest_bathing_is_good_for_your_health)
After all we have been through lately, we should all be forest bathing regularly.
Canopy, Green Knob Trail
Below is the view from the open field we came out on partway through the hike. It is always so rewarding to arrive at these more open vistas after walking among the trees. It is like experiencing a sudden epiphany. Yet I was also reminded that the entire journey is valuable and that we learn from each step we take. The openness would not feel so expansive if it weren’t for the constricted views of the narrow trails. Life reveals its deepest truths through contrasts. The experience also made me realize that if we are able to regain our democracy and start building a new order, it will be critical for us to consider how we got to where we are now. We must analyze the obstacles and problems we have encountered these past four years, especially since many issues go back to before this country was even founded.
View from Green Knob
As we were leaving the trail, we encountered this spider weaving its web. Though there are blips and snags, the spider keeps working, making repairs as necessary, never giving up. The spider knows it is responsible for making its own home and that it weaves each web is critical for its ongoing survival. Many indigenous cultures tie creation stories to spiders. I hoped see this spider weaving was a good omen pointing to the formation of a better way of coexisting together, one based in unity instead of division.
Spider Weaving its Web