Pine and Rhododendron

Dreams and shadows. Mirror images.


While climbing the gentle slopes of North Mountain in Pendleton County (West Virginia) today, I felt like I am still trekking in the Talle Valley photographing sugar pines and rhododendrons as I was doing last month. It is yellow pine here, though.

And pink rhododendrons!

In any corner of the world, Ziro never cease to haunt me.

Bamboos of Talle

Hiibiñ: Largest of the species in the area, but smaller than the Apatani bamboos at Ziro. Size of bije binyi. Larger ones can be flattened into yamyo, but not strong enough as poles.

Yana: Smallest one. Most abundant. Makes trekking very difficult as it 'creeps' on the ground.


Tader: Strongest. Its shoots are sprouting up now. As tasty as those of the Apatani bamboos at Ziro.

These are the bamboo species found in Talle Valley.

The Valley of Talle

Its green all around now. There are splashes of red and white on the green canvas. Rhododendrons. It is too early for the yellow ones and blue ones. They will bloom by next month, may be. This is Talle Valley again.

It is a pleasure to see and taste the talle after which the place is named. The leaves are broader than the talle found at Ziro. Taste is similar but milder. The plant is said to grow as tall as two feet.

The valley was once said to be full of these fresh plants. Not so now, sadly. No longer a valley of talle. I could find only some patches covered with talle. I advised the wildlife staffs to plant them in more places. Looking ahead with hope!!

Helipad at Talley Valley

First there were plans to establish the summer capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Then an attempt to build a helipad. Talley Valley has weaved many dreams, all unrealized till today. In fact, the plan to establish the summer capital, more than twenty years back, was carried out in real earnest. The road was built during that time, and it was actually the only time vehicles reached the valley. Some people were selected and encouraged to settle down in the valley, though all of them came back to Ziro one by one. The sites where their houses had once been and where they tried cultivation can still be seen in Talley Valley.


Some ten years back again, works were carried out to construct a helipad in Talley Valley. What remains today is a patch of clearing and stacks of stones. Bamboos have started closing on in the patch from the surrounding areas. Saplings of sugar pine (niiri piisa) have started sprouting up as well. It will not be long when this clearing will be engulfed in the wilderness.

Oh, yes, good for the animals!