I'm so glad that I hit the Smokies and hike to as many hemlock groves as I could before the hwa killt them all. I got to see those old growth groves while they were still relatively healthy.
One of the most beautiful poplar groves I ever saw was when I was 15 years old on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. The grove was at a place called Liss Gap a bit south of Dick's Creek Gap. It has now been 37 years since I was there, and I feel certain that it's only become more impressive with the passage of those decades. I hope to hike back up there to see it one of these days.
