SEPTEMBER 1999 V.63, N.11
| FEATURE | SEPTEMBER 1999 V.63, N.11 | | |
Bookshelf Photo Gallery Coming Attractions Send Comments Subscribe Online Shopping | |
Gaudineer Knob and Its Namesake
By Kenneth L. Carvell  In southern Randolph County, along U. S. Route 250 near the Pocahontas County line, is a Forest Service sign pointing out the road to Gaudineer Knob and the Virgin Spruce area. This road leads into some of the finest red spruce forests and to one of the most spectacular views in the Mountain State. Today the area around this Knob is covered by a dense stand of red spruce. This second-growth forest seeded-in after the virgin forests were logged early in this century. The unpaved road ends at a parking area with picnic tables and a pump for drinking water. Close examination indicates the exact spot where the former fire tower stood, right on the boundary line between Randolph and Pocahontas counties. It is interesting to speculate on just what factors caused spruce to return so magnificently to this area in spite of the hostile climate, of violent winter winds and deep snow.
Although the fire tower is no longer present, a spectacular view of the surrounding country is easily obtained by hiking a short trail to a clearing that gives a panoramic view of the high mountains, ridges and forests. Along this circular trail to the view site the forest floor is covered by a dense soft carpet of spruce needles. Here and there are ferns and lush green patches of mosses and liverworts covering decaying stumps and rotting logs. Although not evident to the eye, this area is the home of the endangered Cheat Mountain salamander, one of the rare and endemic species of the southern Appalachians. This small salamander, black with gold flecking, is found only in the Cheat Mountain Range. The view offered at the clearing looks south and southeast towards the Spruce Mountains with Spruce Knob, West Virginia's highest peak, visible on a clear day. The view is that of nearly continuous forest broken only occasionally by a man-made clearing. The lighter green foliage of the northern hardwood forest (beech, birches and maples) on the lower and mid-slopes gradually gives way to the dark green of the spruce in areas above 3,800 feet. Red spruce forms a broad cap on the tops of ridges and peaks. When bears were less common in West Virginia, nature enthusiasts often climbed this tower to the observation platform to watch for bear and other wildlife. It afforded a good view of the parking area and the straight road beyond. Many West Virginians saw their first bear from this tower platform. Different types of hare and the West Virginia flying squirrel also are found in these woods.  During the first two decades of this century the virgin spruce and hardwood forests of this area were cut over by West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company at Cass. How well spruce returns to heavily cut areas depends on the presence of a good spruce seed source and whether wildfire can be prevented and controlled. There was a 1,000-acre tract of uncut spruce and hardwoods left nearby at the time the Knob was logged. Spruce seed is light and well winged, and seed from these tall virgin trees reached the knob area in adequate amounts to reproduce the dense pure stand of red spruce that we see today. The decaying spruce litter made an adequate seedbed for the spruce seedlings and kept weedy growth from choking out the slow-growing spruce.
 For many years this Knob remained an unnamed peak in a vast wilderness. In the late 1930s it was named for Donald Gaudineer, a memorial to one of the U. S. Forest Service's colorful and dedicated early rangers. Don, as a young forester, was assigned to the Southern District of the recently established Monongahela National Forest. His headquarters, at that time, occupied the former Craig Lumber Company office at Thornwood. Don was an impressive 6 feet 6 inches New Englander who had recently graduated from the New York State Ranger School. During the years he was ranger for the Greenbrier District of the Monongahela, he busied himself with reforestation projects, building wood roads for better wildfire protection, erecting forest fire towers in his district and other routine forest management activities. In the mid-1930s Don was transferred to the Cheat District at Parsons, and on April 27, 1936, he died trying to rescue his children in a house fire. The U. S. Forest Service selected this scenic peak in his former ranger district as a memorial.
 The intersection of U. S. 250 and the Forest Service road to Gaudineer Knob is another interesting botanical location and warrants a stop. The spire-shaped, blue-green conifers, so abundant along Blister Run, are balsam firs. The early settlers called balsam "blister pine" due to the small resin pustules on the bark surface. Although balsam fir only occurred at scattered points in the West Virginia mountains, these can be located easily on old geodetic maps by looking for blister runs or blister swamps. Many of the original balsam stands have been rediscovered using these maps to indicate potential areas. These beautiful, fragrant trees have all the desirable characteristics that make good seedlings for Christmas tree growers, and their seed is in great demand today. The rare showy ladyslipper was once abundant in Blister Swamp, but many years ago these were dug up by nurserymen, and none have been seen in this area now for more than 60 years.
It is also interesting to note that in 1843 Asa Gray, famous New England botanist and author of Gray's Manual of Botany, traveled the old Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike, known today as U. S. Route 250. From his horse he was able to spot and make record of two rare plants: heart-leaved twayblade and lance-leaved buckthorn. It took botanists a hundred years and much searching, but they eventually rediscovered these plants and verified his records.  Shortly before turning into the old fire tower site, a road leads to the Virgin Spruce stand. Like other uncut timber stands, there is an interesting story as to why it was spared. Evidently, a surveyor's error led to an unclaimed wedge of 1,000 acres of timber. It appears that one of the surveyors failed to make a correction for declination. Usually when such errors occurred, the second logging company recognized that an error had been made and cut the unclaimed timber. For some reason, this time it did not happen. Later, the U. S. Forest Service was able to acquire this virgin tract, which is preserved today and much used for hiking, nature study and teaching.
The vegetation along these mountain roads is colorful in summer and fall. There is a profusion of red beebalm along the roadside. This is the same species that many grow in their gardens to attract humming birds. In addition, in summer there is a showy, silver dollar-sized bright yellow flower growing abundantly on the dry shaley road banks. This is the shale barren evening primrose, whose scientific name means "loving shale." In hardwood areas an interesting tree to look for is Fraser's magnolia, or, mountain magnolia. It can be easily distinguished from other large-leaved magnolias by the two protruding ears which extend down along the petiole. This feature gives rise to the common local name "ear leaf magnolia." Today, the Gaudineer area gives little evidence of past logging. Nature essentially has restored it to its original forest conditions and splendor. Located in the heart of West Virginia's spruce country, it offers visitors a picture of virgin forests that once covered the region.
CURRENT ISSUE HOME PAGE
Gaudineer Knob and Its Namesake | The Greenbrier Ghost Bookshelf| Photo Gallery| Coming Attractions| Send Comments| Subscribe Online Shopping Wonderful West Virginia Magazine West Virginia Division of Natural Resources 1-800-CALL-WVA comments@wonderfulwv.com ©1999 West Virginia DNR, All Rights Reserved | |
