What you might see on the trail

 

Geology – The East Lakeshore Trail lies in the Valley and Ridge section of Tennessee. Cambrian and Ordovician age limestone and dolomite of the Knox Group strata are present here. Weathering of the Knox Group rock produces the reddish-orange soil seen locally. Chemical erosion of limestone has led to formation of sinkholes, caves, and springs throughout this area. The trail does not cross any sinkholes, but they have been seen within sight distance of the trail (e.g., at the north end of the Davis Ferry Branch, and on the Glendale Branch about mile 9.4). Blankenship cave is on private property close to the East Lakeshore Trail. Coytee and Mizell springs at the bottom of bluffs overlooking the Little Tennessee River are now under the waters of Tellico Lake.

 

Forest Succession, Age, and Environments – Forest succession is the process where an open sunny area becomes a mature, old growth forest over a long period of time. The first trees to become established in a newly cleared area are the “pioneer species” that need full sun and grow relatively fast. Tulip (yellow) poplar, walnut, and sycamore are typical pioneer, early succession trees in East Tennessee. Eastern red cedar is also a pioneer tree, especially on former farm pastureland in areas of calcium-rich clay soils on bluffs and rock outcrops. Trees that can grow in the shade will eventually “shade out” the seedlings of the pioneer sun-loving species, to create a mature “climax” forest. American beech, white oak, and sugar maple are common climax forest trees in East Tennessee.

 

Along the East Lakeshore Trail, the hiker can note the difference between young and mature forest. Young forest is present on land that was previously farmed but recently allowed to regrow. All trees at these sites are about the same age. In contrast, on many of the steep and rocky slopes where farming was not practical, there are trees of many ages in a mature forest of tall white oak and hickory trees with a rich understory that includes dogwood, pawpaw, and blackgum trees, along with many shrubs. The Baker Hollow Branch close to the Mizell parking lot, as well as along the steep south side of Mizell Cove at about mile 2.6, are good examples of mature hardwood forest. Mature forest can also be seen on the Lotterdale Branch between miles 17 and 18, and along the Wildcat Ridge and spur trail.

 

Dry areas alongside the trail will often have a combination of pines, oak, and hickory trees, whereas low and wetter areas will have tupelo, sycamore, swamp chestnut oak, box elder, sweetgum and red maple trees. Soil pH (acidity) also determines what trees and plants will grow along the trail. When limestone is close to the surface, the soil is neutral to alkaline, and eastern red cedar and redbud trees grow readily in this environment. On the other hand, blueberries, pine trees, sourwood, and red maple prefer acidic soils.

 

Birds and Animals – Many different birds may be seen when hiking on the East Lakeshore Trail. Binoculars, a bird field guide (see item 10 in Recommended Reading), and an iPhone birding App (e.g., Merlin, iBird) are recommended to assist with bird identification using visual or auditory cues. Woodland birds rarely seen in areas of developed housing or at bird feeders (e.g., scarlet and summer tanagers, and various warblers) may be seen along the trail. Because the trail is usually close to water, ducks and other water birds are also commonly seen.

 

Animals commonly seen on the trail include raccoon, squirrels, rabbit, skunks, opossum, red fox, and deer. Less commonly seen are coyote, beaver, and muskrat. Dog walkers are advised to keep their dogs on a leash. Bears have not been reported on the trail but are likely to be present along in East Tennessee.

 

Reptiles and Amphibians – Reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles) and amphibians (salamanders, frogs, toads) may be seen when hiking the East Lakeshore Trail. Snakes are certainly present but appear to do their best to get off the trail when people are around. Among poisonous snakes, only the copperhead is likely to be found on the East Lakeshore Trail. Lizards that are likely to be seen include the common five-lined skink and the eastern fence lizard. Box turtles may be seen on the trial, and water turtles (e.g., Northern Map Turtle, Pond Slider) are often seen basking on tree trunks close to and in the water along the shoreline of the lake. Frogs and toads may be heard calling in spring and summer from wet areas along the trail (e.g., the pond at mile 24.9 of the Jackson Bend Branch). Salamanders are rarely seen on the trail but are present under logs, rocks, and leaf cover in moist and wet areas next to the trail.

 

Interesting Insects and Millipedes – Many butterflies are likely to be seen when hiking on the East Lakeshore Trail, especially in the sunnier sections. Pipevine, spicebush, tiger, black, and zebra swallowtails are all rather large butterflies that can be seen all summer looking for nectar in flowers or laying eggs on plants that will be food for their growing caterpillars. An excellent guide to the many butterflies that may be seen on the trail is Butterflies of Tennessee, by author Rita Venable (Maywood Publishing, 2014). One millipede that is likely to be seen crawling slowly across the ground on many wooded trail sections is the black and gold flat millipede, Apheloria virginiensis. It is about 2” long, and each segment is black with bright yellow edges. When handled it can secrete a cyanide-like substance, which protects it from small mammals, so if you pick this millipede up, you will want to wash your hands soon afterward, and avoid touching your eyes. The millipede consumes dead and decomposing leaf litter and is commonly seen along the Jackson Bend branch of the trail.

 

Stinging and Biting Insects – Wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and bees may be encountered when hiking the East Lakeshore Trail. The hiker is reminded to keep watch for these, and to carry medication if needed to counteract the effects of, or allergies to, insect stings. Ticks are common in Tennessee in the warmer months. Contact of a hiker’s clothing with plants along the trail is a common way to acquire ticks. Lone star ticks (females have a white dot on their backside) appear to be the most common type of tick encountered on the trail. The hiker is advised to check for ticks on the body, and on his/her clothing, soon after returning from a hike. Ticks always climb up, but not down, the clothing and body. Chiggers are small biting insects and chigger bites can cause days of itching. Chiggers are found in low grasses such as non-native Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium), which is common in moist areas along the trail. The hiker is advised to avoid walking through moist areas with these grasses whenever possible.

 

Spiders – On warm and humid summer mornings spider webs may cross the trail, especially where there are many shrubs and trees at trailside to provide shade and “cover” during the day. Most of the webs are made by “orb-weaving” spiders. The most common of these on the East Lakeshore Trail is the triangulate orb weaver. This small spider is named for the easily seen white or yellow triangle that covers the back of the abdomen of the spider. This spider is not a threat to humans.

 

In open areas such as TVA powerline cuts, flowering plants grow tall quickly during the summer months. Many spiders are present in these areas in the summer and fall, including jumping spiders (Family Salticidae), wolf spiders that hunt on the ground (Family Lycosidae), and larger orb weaving spiders (Family Araneidae) such as the yellow garden spider.

 

Although all spiders have poison glands, in Tennessee only the Southern Black Widow and the Brown Recluse are extremely toxic to humans. Neither of these spiders is likely to be encountered while hiking on the East Lakeshore Trail, as both are most often found in or around human-built structures and woodpiles.

 

Poisonous Plants – Poison ivy is commonly seen in all branches of the East Lakeshore Trail. The hiker is strongly encouraged to learn to identify this plant. Poison ivy has compound leaves with 3 leaflets (“leaves of three”), unlike the common Virginia creeper that has compound leaves with 5 leaflets. Unfortunately, many other plants in East Tennessee also have “leaves of three”, including the relatively common boxelder tree that looks like poison ivy when it is small, and the invasive kudzu vine. Poison ivy is often found growing up the trunks of trees and through shrubs, or on the ground along the trail. Poison ivy vines that grow up trees have many hairy roots along the vine, unlike either kudzu or Virginia creeper that do not have “aerial roots”. Although some people are not allergic to poison ivy, most people are. If the hiker touches poison ivy, he/she is advised to wash hands as soon as possible, and to never use a hand that has touched poison ivy to touch any other body part until the hand is cleaned in water. Taking a shower soon after hiking on the trail is a good way to reduce the chance of getting a skin rash from poison ivy.

 

Ragweed is found in some sunny sections of the trail. Those with an allergy (“hay fever”) to ragweed pollen may wish to avoid hiking when ragweed is blooming in the summer months.

 

Invasive Non-native Plants – Many invasive non-native plants are present on land next to the trail. Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinensis), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), “heavenly bamboo” (Nandina domestica), kudzu vine (Pueraria montana), mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) are examples of non-native invasive plants that can be seen growing alongside the East Lakeshore Trail. Large autumn olive shrubs are common along the trail, and have colorful, edible fall berries. Leaves of autumn olive are darker colored on the top side than underneath, and both fruit and leaves have many tiny silver dots. However, autumn olive and other non-native plants are not used by local insects (such as caterpillars) as food, and insects are the major food needed by growing birds. Because non-native plants take over space that could be used by native plants that do sustain the local insects that birds feed upon, they should be removed where possible. More information on invasive plants in Tennessee can be found on the website of the Tennessee Invasive Plant Council. English ivy (Hedera helix), periwinkle (Vinca minor), mimosa, privet, multiflora rose, and heavenly bamboo are non-native plants that are commonly grown around houses for their flowers, hedge rows, or evergreen leaves. The presence of these plants in open woodlands may therefore indicate sites where homes existed in the past. The native Southern Magnolia tree is another potential indicator of a former home site.

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contributed by John Shryock