Three Birds Orchids: Great Smoky Mountains & Rocky Fork

In early August, we revisited the trail to Buzzard Rock in Rocky Fork State Park, just outside of Flag Pond, TN. A few years ago, we celebrated New Year’s Eve here, logging 14 miles and fording streams laced with icicles on our journey. We followed up this hike with two Read more…

Yellow-fringed, cranefly and rattlesnake plantain orchids

Hey y’all, these two hikes in North Carolina and Tennessee national forests increased our orchid count in a year that has already surpassed expectations for orchid sightings. Over a two-week period with rain and extreme heat, we accumulated fewer miles, but there was always something unexpected on the trail. Our Read more…

Lilies and other summer wildflowers at Roan Mountain

To celebrate a steamy Independence Day, we went high in elevation to hike in the Roan Highlands. Our starting point was Hughes Gap, where the Appalachian Trail winds upwards through spruce-fir forest and crosses over Roan Mountain. Our total mileage was 10.2 miles. Our hike began in beauty, with Turk’s Read more…