Eno River
Looking upstream, along the Eno River. Most of the river looks similar to this.
mid-river
The rocks in the middle of the river often hosted several clumps of grass wherever they diverted the current.
trail
The trail. The river lies to the left, the hill to the right is the bank and side of the gorge. Still ooking upriver.
bottom feeder
Some species of pleco. Looked very similar to the tadpoles found later.
log in river
Several places along the river showed evidence of mid- to large-sized trees washing downstream as one log. Possibly from Hurricane Fran (1996).
downstream
You can definitely tell that you're in the South with scenes like this.
rocks
Very, very small rapids. The leaves in this shot are about 3 to 5 cm long.
Carolina Toad
Carolina Toad, more recently known as Fowler's Toad, Bufo woodhousii fowleri. Everywhere, just inside grasslines barely in the shade.
plant
Unidentifed plant. The roughly spherical nodule was about 1.5 cm across.
milkweed
Aphid farming on a milkweed plant.
plateau
Vaguely on flat land about 5 meters above the current waterline. Nice canopy far overhead, almost nothing but grasses as groundcover.
decayed log
Decaying log, with wood shavings removed by insects.
fern
A fern, growing from the side of a decaying log. Much of the meadow-like plateau had scattered decying logs home to a few species.
flowers
I really didn't take a better shot of these. Flowers are about 2 cm diameter.
path
Aaah. A well-worn dry path, with broad tire ruts. Enough of a grade to let you know you're hiking, but no more.
trail
Going back downhill at this point, from the earlier plateau. This is the trail behind. At a relatively low water level.
flowers
Maybe this is clover. It seems a bit spare, though.
river
Starting the trek up-river along the banks again, at least briefly.
portage
Some parts of the river aren't quite navigable for canoes. This is the water level, from one bank to the other. Keep in mind how low it seems.
snake
Northern water snake, Nerodia sepidon (non-poisonous). Color pattern is like a copperhead. Although you can distinguish based on the existence of a pit and the color of the back of their head, the practical way to determine they aren't the less-common copperhead is by behavior. Poke it with a stick; copperheads will become mad. Possibly saw several swimming across the river, although they're nearly impossible to identify while swimming.
tree bank
Tree roots forming the riverbank, looking upstream from the aforementioned snake.
wall
A stone wall, looking up-river. Maybe 3 meters above the current water level. Several of these were within 100 meters, most paralell to the shore and farther inland. All about the same age, perhaps antebellum.
trail
Those plants are roughly chest-height to me.
field
Field of plants, maybe 1m (between waist and chest) high. The ground is flat here, and seems to be roughly even with Fran's high-water mark.
across river
Another look at the water, slightly upstream and across the river.
fire pit
Previous visitors left a little more than footprints.
stones
Stone walls, again. There's a wall running across the field of view behind the treeline, from the top-most group toward the left.
up
Looking up-river, farther downstream. All shots from here forward are farther downstream, beyond at least one tributary. The river is noticeable wide and uniformly shallow.
vegetation
This vegetation covers much of the river bottom from this point and downstream.
vegetation across river
Really, vegetation suddenly covers the bottom across the river.
trail upstream
Looking back upstream. Just another reminder of the trail.
flowers
Different varieties of this species faded slowly to a nearly white color farther upstream. There was also a similar bright red flower, one flower roughly every 100 - 200m.
trail
Step carefully. I'm unsure what one does if it's rained in the past 24 hours.
upstream
Another upstream shot, from even farther down the river. Calmer, wider, and even more uniform in depth.
downstream
Same place on a rock in the middle of the river, but looking downstream.
grass
Grass started growing out of the water each spot that a rock provided shelter from the current. It was even larger downstream.
trail
The trail behind. Just a nice chest-high descent across the rock ledge. One of maybe a half-dozen.
trail
This really is the most convenient path.
purple flower
Another of the purple flowers. They seemed to grow in clusters.
tadpoles
Bullfrog tadpoles.
water
Some more very small rapids.
warer
Foam beginning to collect on the downstream side of rocks.
logjam
Pile of logs, in the center of the river where it divides around a small island. The pile of logs is braced against one tree, and looks to have been sent downstream during a single storm. A reasonable guess is Fran.
logjam
Another logjam, this one with a tree that caused it visible.
upstream
Looking upstream.
toad
Another toad. One of several. It started to make sense that I saw so many snakes.
red flower
A flower that did not want to come into focus.
tree
Uprooted tree on the river bank. Those are large rocks, about the side of cinder blocks, embedded in the roots.
sign
I could barely touch the top of that sign. My feet were easily 10 feet / 3m above the water level.