Its been years since I've been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (I live in the West). I still remember the ghostly conifer forests up high on Clingman's Dome, ravaged by some infestation years ago. But the conifers below say 5000' were generally in good condition. I believe most of them were hemlocks.
Now I'm hearing of the wooly adelgid (spelling?) and what its doing to hemlocks throughout the East. When I visit GSMNP and environs later this month, what can I expect to see? Eg at Newfound Gap and Deep Creek Overlook and Morton Overlook and other "iconic views" of GSMNP - are all the hemlocks dead?
It's hit and miss, Scott. Some stands and individual trees are being treated, but most are going downhill quick. Enjoy (and photograph) them while you can because in 5 years there wont be any.
Posted by Jerry Greer on October 15, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Scott,
They'll all be dead in less than 3 years now! It's really sad that we've totally wiped out another species of trees with our fascination with Asian ornamental trees. Lets hope that they can rebuild the species down the road as they are now doing with the American chestnut.
Now that I'm back from my trip, I thought I'd come back here and answer my own question, for others' benefit.
In a word, I was shocked. Heartsick. On my last visit in the 1990's all the conifers along the Newfound Gap Road (US 441) both north and south of the pass were pretty green and healthy. Now, I would estimate that 90% to 100% of the conifers down in the Deep Creek Valley and neighboring ridges, visible from the overlooks on US 441, are dead. At Newfound Gap itself the majority of the conifers are green and healthy; I suspect they are spruce not hemlock. At Morton Overlook and neighboring overlooks along US 441 north of the pass, I would estimate about 50% of the visible conifers are dead. Its horrible and frustrating, seeing what happened with the Fraser firs back in the 50's and 60's now happening again with the hemlocks in the 21st century!
Photographically, these landscapes are generally ruined, at least for the present, to my taste. Backlit views at sunrise (eg Newfound Gap) and sunset (eg Morton Overlook) still work, since at those angles you can't make out the individual trees anyway. Wintertime scenics when all the trees are draped with snow and the hardwoods are all bare anyway, would work. And certain tight shots of areas either containing the few remaining healthy conifers, or devoid of conifers to begin with, still work.
But the days of photographing the wide landscape from these overlooks, under front or side light, in spring, summer, or fall, are over for the next 20 years, in my opinion. There are just too many dead gray conifers. In 20 years, they'll have dropped enough of their branches and weathered into acceptable snags, like the Fraser firs up on Clingmans Dome have done. But for now, pleasing photography at these overlooks is, to my taste, very difficult, especially considering all the excellent work done by others at these locations when the hemlocks were healthy.
Discussion
3 repliesNow I'm hearing of the wooly adelgid (spelling?) and what its doing to hemlocks throughout the East. When I visit GSMNP and environs later this month, what can I expect to see? Eg at Newfound Gap and Deep Creek Overlook and Morton Overlook and other "iconic views" of GSMNP - are all the hemlocks dead?
Thanks for your observations,
Scott
They'll all be dead in less than 3 years now! It's really sad that we've totally wiped out another species of trees with our fascination with Asian ornamental trees. Lets hope that they can rebuild the species down the road as they are now doing with the American chestnut.
In a word, I was shocked. Heartsick. On my last visit in the 1990's all the conifers along the Newfound Gap Road (US 441) both north and south of the pass were pretty green and healthy. Now, I would estimate that 90% to 100% of the conifers down in the Deep Creek Valley and neighboring ridges, visible from the overlooks on US 441, are dead. At Newfound Gap itself the majority of the conifers are green and healthy; I suspect they are spruce not hemlock. At Morton Overlook and neighboring overlooks along US 441 north of the pass, I would estimate about 50% of the visible conifers are dead. Its horrible and frustrating, seeing what happened with the Fraser firs back in the 50's and 60's now happening again with the hemlocks in the 21st century!
Photographically, these landscapes are generally ruined, at least for the present, to my taste. Backlit views at sunrise (eg Newfound Gap) and sunset (eg Morton Overlook) still work, since at those angles you can't make out the individual trees anyway. Wintertime scenics when all the trees are draped with snow and the hardwoods are all bare anyway, would work. And certain tight shots of areas either containing the few remaining healthy conifers, or devoid of conifers to begin with, still work.
But the days of photographing the wide landscape from these overlooks, under front or side light, in spring, summer, or fall, are over for the next 20 years, in my opinion. There are just too many dead gray conifers. In 20 years, they'll have dropped enough of their branches and weathered into acceptable snags, like the Fraser firs up on Clingmans Dome have done. But for now, pleasing photography at these overlooks is, to my taste, very difficult, especially considering all the excellent work done by others at these locations when the hemlocks were healthy.
What a tragedy.