Dwarf Ginseng
It is the first day of Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage and I am hiking on the Gabes Mountain Trail - at "botany pace". It is only a 6 mile hike but took 9 hours and most of the group headed out early but I stuck with it. We started with 25 and ended with 8.
The day starts with a drive to Cosby and then a shuttle van to Maddron Bald trailhead. On the van I get to reacquaint with the DeLorean Doc, a local pediatrician. Doc got a reputation locally, because he would race to deliver babies at the hospital in his DeLorean. Local cops knew him and let him go but the NPS would always try to stop him. Without a flux capacitor, he could not outrun them.
The Maddron Bald trail is a gated road so walking is easy although uphill. We see lots of Silverbell blooming. This trail has its share of poison ivy too. Once we are on the Gabes Mountain Trail, it is single track hiking. We spot the usual suspects blooming along here.
Our group gets separated and it is past 1pm so we stop to eat. And it is past 2 before we regroup. Already, some escapees have fled the slow pace of this hike.
There is lots to see in the midsection of the hike. And lots of Silverbells blooming. Probably, at any point you could look up and see Silverbells blooming. So I should have a photo of them.
Late in the day we take the short spur to the waterfall and take a break. I've been here several times and it is always a pleasant place to sit for a bit.
It is late and we still a couple miles to go. We spot some pink Lady slippers in bloom - always exciting. This area suffered a lot of wind damage a couple years ago. One of the log bridges was taken out in one of the storms and the trail had to be rerouted due to massive tree blowdowns.
It is 6pm when we finally get to the parking area and head back. Due to the late finish, I miss the evening bat program.
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