Reminded by that eastern hemlocks post earlier, because there at least were some right around there 10 years ago*–here’s one distinctive piece of the Blue Ridge.

A chunk of Staurolite-Garnet-Mica Schist, from just around Fairy Stone State Park in VA.
Happened by there just driving Mr. C around the last time I was home, stopped by the appropriately named Fairystone Pit Stop, and decided to drag him for a stroll up the mountain behind the gas station. Because that’s the kind of fun date I am.

This particular piece doesn’t have the super obvious staurolite inclusions that the couple of others I picked up did, but it feels good in the hand. The main reason I kept it. (This one actually looks a lot like this piece of Garnet-Mica Schist, but looking more closely you can see a few edges of staurolite crystals in the rock.)

I made a half-assed attempt at finding the couple of other pieces with more obvious staurolite, along with the few (irregular) loose twinned staurolites. But, I am a goblin who hoards interesting rocks on cluttered shelves and then can’t remember where I put them 🙄

The small mica flecks weren’t showing up very well in that light, but the sparkle is a little more visible in that last shot. Along with some pockmarks where the teeny little chunks of garnet came out at some point over the past several hundred million years.

* The situation may not be quite as bad as expected, at least: Eastern hemlocks that have survived insect infestation have a story to tell. They didn’t seem to be doing too badly then, in that area; no idea about more recently.