Canaan Mountain

In terms of geologic structure Canaan Mountain occupies the southeastern limb of a syncline that borders the Canaan Valley anticline. Like Dolly Sods, it is a dissected tableland, but in contrast to the latter, its surface is more completely dominated by Pottsville Sandstone. Drainage of the mountain to the southwest is by Red Run (not to be confused with Red Creek of Dolly Sods) and to the north and east by tributaries of the Blackwater River. Elevations are somewhat lower than those of the eastern tableland, which includes Dolly Sods, but seemingly not enough to moderate the climate. Canaan Mountain seems to have suffered abuses of logging and fires in about the same measure as Canaan Valley and the eastern plateau. However much of the Mountain now consists of plantations not only of native Red Spruce but also of the alien Norway Spruce (Picea abies).

Access to the summit area has unfortunately been made easy by Forest Road 13 which runs southwest from State Route 32 at Canaan Heights. A spot inventory was done along FR-13 in an essentially level area about a mile southwest of the junction at an elevation of about 3800 ft (1160 meters) and in what appeared to be natural forest. This forest is quite young, with a canopy of Red Spruce, Canada Hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ), Red Maple, Yellow and Black Birch and Beech. Understory trees are Serviceberry (Amelanchier lævis?), Mountain Ash (Pyrus americana ), Striped Maple ( Acer pensylvanicum ) and Mountain Holly (Ilex montana. ). Shrubs noted are Mountain Laurel, Wild Raisin ( Viburnum cassinoides ), Great Rhododendron ( Rhododendron maximum ) and Sourtop ( Vaccinium myrtylloides ), Early Low ( V. angustifolium )and Upland Low ( V. pallidum ) Blueberries.

Ground cover under and among the trees was dominated by mosses represented by unidentified species of Sphagnum, Leucobryum and Hypnum and by Polytrichum juniperinum. Vascular plants included Canada Mayflower ( Maianthemum canadense ), Grounberry (Rubus hispidus ), Teaberry ( Gaultheria procumbens ), Creeping Five-leaf ( Potentilla canadensis/simplex ), a Willow Herb (probably Epilobium ciliatum), Northern Bugleweed ( Lycopus uniflorus ) Common Speedwell (Veronica officinalis ) Bog Goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa ), Spinulose Shield ( Dryopteris intermedia ), Cinnamon ( Osmunda cinnamomea ), Interrupted ( O. claytoniana )and Hay-scented ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula ) Ferns, and the Lycopods. Lycopodium lucidulum and L. annotinum. Species concentrated more in the open and along the road were Grass-leaved, Wrinkled-leaf and Old Field Goldenrods (Solidago graminifolia, S. rugosa and S. nemoralis), Calico Aster (Aster lateriflorus), Mountain Aster (A. acuminatus) and Flat-top White Aster (A. umbellatus), Fowl Managrass, the Sedge Carex debilis, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and a single small sickly-looking Christmas Fern ( Polystichum acrostichoides ). Characteristically for these high elevation habitats, there were few vines of any kind with only Common Greenbriar (Smilax rotundifolia) visible.

The next spot inventory was done near the junction of Flag Run Trail with FR-13 perhaps a mile southwest of the first station and at an elevation of about 3700 ft (1130 meters). Interest here is centered on a small (perhaps 30 square yards/meters) community with Large Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). The surrounding forest consists largely of Red Spruce with minor Yellow Birch and Red Maple. Seedlings and small saplings encroach on the cranberry community which occurred on and amidst colorful hummocks of reddish Sphagnum, yellowed Cinnamon Fern and the white heads of Cottonsedge( Eriophorum virginicum ), all punctuated by abundant ripe cranberries. Mosses other than Sphagnum included Philonotis sp. and Polytrichum juniperinum. Additional associates were Sourtop and Early Low Blueberries, Teaberry, Northern White Violet (Viola pallens ), the rushes Juncus effusus, J. brevicaudatus, J. subcaudatus and J. canadensis, the Beakrush (Rhynchospora capitellata), Rice Cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), Nodding Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes cernua), and a horsetail (Equisetum sp.). An additional attraction here was the elegant fungus Lactarius aquifluous , which on breaking, issues a clear liquid.

A nearby open meadow provided habitat for Rose Polygala (Polygala sanguinea) and Narrow-leaf Gentian (Gentiana linearis), both in bloom, as well as Canadian St. Johns-wort (Hypericum canadense), Dotted St. Johns-wort (H. punctatum), Northern Bugleweed and the Linear-leaved Willow-herb (Epilobium leptophyllum).

Since the spruce forest here is quite young it possesses even less diversity than is usual for this forest type. Typical ground cover is almost confined to mosses with very little of the leafy liverwort Bazzania trilobata which is usually common in this forest type. However a moist opening along the trail contained a colony of Water Pennywort (Hydrocotyle americana).

A third spot inventory was motivated by an interesting area encountered along FR-13 approximately 3/4 mile (1.2 km) southwest of the last station. The area, at about 3660 ft (1120 meters) elevation, is a level open heath which extends southeast to the edge of the tableland. The entire area, which is drained both by Red Run and a Blackwater River tributary, appears to be a blockfield of Pottsville Sandstone but with a rich blanket of heath vegetation. The area is striking in aspect at this season with the brilliant foliage of Red Maples, the dark green of spruce and pine and the varied yellows, reds and greens of lower shrubs and herbs. The boreal appearance is such that a Moose would not seem out of place in the field of view despite the likely absence of this animal since the Ice Age.

Canopy tree species in the surroundings and scattered over the open heath are Red Spruce, Hemlock, White Pine, Red Maple (very abundant), Yellow and Black Birches and Black Cherry. Small trees and shrubs include Serviceberry, Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), Nemopanthus mucronata, Glade St. Johns-wort ( Hypericum densiflorum ) Wild Raisin, Mtn. Laurel, Great Rhododendron and Sourtop Blueberry. The Chokeberry and Nemopanthus bore many fruits and even the Sourtop still retained a few berries.

A prominent feature of the heath is the heavy cover of mosses --Sphagnum, Polytrichum commune and others-- on the large sandstone blocks, providing a good illustration of soil building in such areas. Other species providing cover on and among the blocks are abundant Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), Cotton Sedge, Cinnamon and Bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum )Fern, Tree Clubmoss (Lycopodium obscurum ) and Stiff clubmoss ( L. annotinum ), Narrow-leaved Gentian, Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), Bog Goldenrod, a Willow-herb (probably Epilobium ciliatum), the rush Juncus subcaudatis, Dog Hair Spikerush (Eleocharis tenuous) and inconspicuous Yellow Bartonia (Bartonia virginica). Wirestem Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia frondosa) and Hairy Panic Grass (Panicum lanuginosum) occur mostly along the road as does Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata).

A few local prominences, the highest being Cooper Knob, rise as high as 300 feet (90 meters) above the heath and a narrow gap between them acts as an air spillway as well as a water drainage into the Canaan Valley. Conditions here are ideal for drainage/accumulation of air locally and into the Valley below. However since adiabatic warming results from descent of air into the valley, it is likely that the coldest climate occurs in the heath itself.

FR-13 follows the North Fork and eventually the mainstem of Red Run to lower elevations, where the streamside forest becomes gradually richer, with Canada Hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) and Great Rhododendron more prominent. However Yellow and Black Birch and Red Maple also continue abundant while Shining Clubmoss ( Lycopodium lucidulum ), Hay-scented Fern and Haircap Moss seem to dominate the ground cover. Finally, at somewhat below 3000 ft (910 meters), Tuliptree also enters as a component. Unfortunately time did not permit a more thorough inventory of this interesting forest which certainly deserves closer attention as a link between the upland and the valley below.

Our visit began with a faunal experience, namely the presence of a Black Bear, large but gaunt, beside the road, greeting the first of us to arrive by vehicle. Although the Bear soon vanished into cover, it had probably been attracted by the leavings of campers. The incident in the forenoon of 7-29-97, occurred near a familiar camping site near the intersection of Forest Road 13 and the Flag Run Trail ( reported on above ). The weather was cool for the season with few clouds and little or no wind.

We again observed the dominantly Red Spruce forest here, with most trees in the range of 10 inches ( 25 cm ) dbh. However, for the first time we became aware of the great variation in color of the Spruce, which ranged through many shades of green to nearly as blue as Colorado Blue Spruce. Next in frequency to Spruce appeared to be Red Maple, followed by Yellow Birch. Downy Serviceberry bearing delicious bluish-red fruit, was common in the understory, while Mountain Ash, usually an understory component of such forests, was noted only as seedlings.Other small trees and large shrubs included abundant Mountain Holly and Great Rhododendron in full bloom and scattered Nemopanthus mucronata and Mountain Laurel. Small shrubs were represented by Sourtop and Early Low Blueberry. Important species of the ground cover under Spruce were Tree Clubmoss ( Lycopodium obscurum ) and Common Clubmoss ( L. clavatum ), Creeping Five-leaf ( Potentilla simplex ), Canada Mayflower, Moccasin Flower ( Cypripedium acaule ) and Bracken Fern ( Pteridium aquilinum ). Ground Berry ( Rubus hispidus ) was common in moist areas as was Cinnamon Fern in openings. A pH measurement in surface soil under Rhododendron yielded a value of 4.5. Common mosses were species of Hypnum and Leucobryum and the Haircap Polytrichum juniperinum.

As reported earlier, a notable feature of this location is a small cranberry bog. On this visit the Large Cranberry were in full flower. An additional plant identified was the rush Juncus articulatus, a species near the southern limit of its distribution. The bog was also a center of faunal activity. Each night Spring Peepers ( Hyla crucifer ) called from it, and later in the evening of 7-30-97, were joined briefly by a Wood Frog ( Rana sylvatica ). During the sunny afternoons swarms of tiny insects danced over Great Rhododendron blossoms and were periodically blown away by puffs of wind. Lepidoptera were common and diverse, particularily over the bog, where mostly small fritillaries were accompanied by Wood Nymphs ( Cercyonis pegala ) and Yellows of unidentified species.

The early morning of 7-31-97 afforded numerous observations of birds. Seen over the bog and adjacent openings were American Robin ( Turdus migratorius ), Cedar Waxwings ( Bombycilla cedrorum ) mostly in treetops, Juncos (Junco hyemali ), Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Dendroica coronata ), Towhee ( Pipilo erythrophthalmus ), and the prize of the morning, a Common Yellow-throat ( Geothlypis trichas ), with a caterpillar in its beak, indicating nearby young. Also seen and heard in the adjacent spruce forest crowns, were small bands, likely family groups, of Red-breasted Nuthatch ( Sitta canadensis ).

Additionally, as we returned to camp on 7-29-97 an accipiter, either a female Sharpshin( Accipiter striatus) or a male Coopers ( A. cooperii ) flew across the road a mile to the east.

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