Earlier in August, my hiking buddy Joan and I opted for higher elevations, and hopefully cooler weather in the Roan Mountain area. Our trek began near the Overmountain Victory trail at Yellow Mountain Gap, and joining the Appalachian trail towards Grassy Ridge. We covered 12 miles, and experienced a drop in temperatures as we approached 6,000 feet. The late summer wildflowers shared the limelight with the views, including Monkshood, Starry Campion, Catchfly and Michaux’s saxifrage.
This hike begins on an old forest service gated road leading to the junction of the Appalachian Trail. It passes by the Overmountain Shelter, which is a picturesque three story barn. Trail angels do a great job of maintaining the barn and grounds. Once on the AT, the trail winds steadily upwards, bordered on either side by wildflowers in various phases of bloom.
There were two different species of campion, Starry Campion (Silene stellata), with its distinctive green cup clasping the finely fringed petals, reminding one of a sea fan. The other campion, Catchfly (Silene ovata), is rarer. Weighted down by a showy panicle of flowers, Catchfly creates an eye-catching display. The campions are related to the strikingly beautiful Fire Pink (Silene virginica), which graces many a trail in our area in early summer. https://hikescape.org/a-bounty-of-native-orchids-and-wildflowers-big-ivy-in-june
In one small section of meadow interspersed between woods, Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) caught my eye. Some had only disc flowers remaining and some were still blooming with both disc and ray flowers.
The butterflies were out in full force, taking advantage of the many pollinator plants, including mountain mint (Pycnanthemum montanum) and bee balm (Monarda didyma).
The elusive Monkshood
The unusual and rare beauty of Monkshood (Aconitum uncinatum) brought the biggest celebration of the day. I have found the purple monkshood on only a few trails in our region, and in small numbers.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm91_054402.pdf
These monkshood were neatly tucked away in a section of the trail marked by dense growth on either side. Their wrinkly hoods make me think they are hiding, hoping to escape detection in the greenery.
Of course, I had to stop and capture these images, since I don’t know when I will see Monkshood again.
On Grassy Ridge
Ahead of us, billowing clouds raced through the sky, and the potential for rain lingered in the heavy clouds. The Filmy Angelica scattered through the open field reminds me of tiny versions of Truffula trees in Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax”.
Interspersed among the rocks was Saxifrage (Saxifraga michauxii), with their tiny petals buffered in the wind. This particular plant was sheltered by the large rock formations strewn about.
Putting on another layer, we ate lunch in a spot less exposed to the wind. Wispy layers of fog rolled by us, and the clean, sharp scent of red spruce heightened our senses as we took in the magnificent 360 degree views. Grassy Ridge is a place of special beauty and ecological diversity that is carefully tended by the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy. https://appalachian.org/grassy-ridge-success-40-years-in-the-making/
On our trek back to the car, we passed other folks trudging up the trail in the early afternoon, complaining about the heat. It was still summer, but to me, it felt like fall made an early debut while watching the clouds at 6,189 feet on Grassy Ridge.
Happy Trails and thanks for following! I logged more hikes that didn’t get posted in the excitement of preparing for our Scotland trip, so I hope you’ll join us for future adventures.
