Public and privately owned Tuscarora sandstone cliff similar to Seneca and Nelson Rocks. Somewhat isolated with no public access. Although a climbers cache and social trail were discovered apon the aproach to the rocks. To the E ca. 1 mile is North Fork Mountain; To the W ca. 0.3 of a mile is th N Frk. S. Br. Potomac River. Beautiful views of the river valley and to the NW is Dolly Sods and to the SW is Spruce Knob. Adjacent to the plot to the W where the slope is less there is a pitch pine - seewt birch / huckleberry woodland with Paronychia argyrocoma.;Open and sunny expanse of sandstone cliff with an easterly exposure. The plot starts at the very top and stops at the ledge roughly 20 m from the top. The face is an even mix of foliose and crustose lichens. Plot has relatively low diversity but high cover by lichens. There are a few scattered Betula lenta, Pinus pungens and Gaylassacia baccata confined to cracks. They mostly occur on the flat ledges which this plot ignores. The plot is confined to the vertical cliff face. Old piton found in rock. No climbing bolts observed. Possble Peregrin falcon heard and observed from a distance. Cliff Characteristics; 100 m tall (one of the largest sheer faces in WV), 20% ledges, no overhang.
Representativeness
Large patch of lichen covered Tuscarora sandstone cliff similar to plots sampled at Seneca Rocks and Nelson Rocks. This differs from the other sites by having higher cover of umbilicate lichens. Likely due to the relative lack of visitation. The other sit
