Forest Primeval : Otter Creek South

I don't think that the highlands of West Virginia are considered rainforest, but sometimes they look it.  Hiking Otter Creek this weekend, the forest was deep green with lush rhododendron, red spruce, and hemlock. This first panoramic is a two row HDR panoramic with five images across for a total of 30 exposures.  In these dark hemlock groves, the contrast between the shadows and the narrow beams of light that reach the floor can be quite dramatic.  

We parked at the south end of the Otter Creek trail.  Before starting our hike, we chatted up some gentlemen with their hunting dogs.  I asked one of them if he and his dogs were training because I didn't think any game was in season.  He proceeded to explain that bear wasn't in season, but that he didn't shoot bear, he just liked to track them with his hounds.  "Why would I shoot 'em?  If your game was football, you wouldn't stab a knife through the ball."  You can't argue with logic like that.

You might think this image looks to you like a stream or  a creek.  You'd be wrong.  This...in the highlands...is a trail.  Beautiful little wet trail-spots like this occur dozens of times in a mile.  As you can guess the rocks make for excellent obstacles due to their super-slippery, high-tech coating of algae and moss. So, if you find yourself being chased through the wilderness by a band of hillbilly zombies you should seek out one of these little obstacles to throw them off your trail. 

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