bearna gbaoithe- Irish for “wind gap in the mountains”
Robert Macfarlane- Landmarks
This hike includes sections through the Blue Wall Preserve within Nature Conservancy land (575 acres), as well as the Palmetto Trail. The Blue Wall Preserve is adjacent to 22,000 acres of protected watershed lands in South Carolina, perched along the Southern edge of the Blue Ridge escarpment. For more information on the Blue Wall Preserve and the Palmetto Trail, see www.nature.org; here is a link to the map: https://palmettoconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/blue-wall-section2_map.jpg
This hike can be accessed from a couple of different locations, but we began around mile 10.5, at the parking area off Dug Hill Road, elevation 1180 feet. This section of the trail is pretty flat- it is graded “moderate” and only becomes strenuous in the last 2 miles, where the uphill becomes constant and demanding. Our hike was about 8.6 miles in and out, from the parking area where the Blue Wall Preserve begins, up to Vaughn’s Gap at 2600 feet. This included a side loop to thirty foot cascade waterfall.
The first wildflower that we spotted was Trillium cuneatum, commonly referred to as Sweet Betsy or toadshade. This trillium is not found at higher elevations where we live, so it is always delight to see these beauties. The next find was Erythronium americanum or trout lily, aptly named for the speckled leaves. The ground was simply littered with trout lily in bloom! These can be a challenge to photograph with nodding blooms, but the recurved sepals and petals reveal a glimpse of the purple/maroon anthers.
We continued up the trail, finding violets (yellow Halberd leaved and common purple), along with spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) Unfortunately, it was too windy to get a decent picture of the tiny Spring Beauty.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) was in various bloom phases, with some flowers emerging from leaves clasped about them like protective hands, nurturing the immature flower. Others were in full and glorious bloom, waving in the wind.
Great Chickweed (Stellaria puberia) made an early showing, though it was not abundant this early in the season.
Just as we approached the steepest section of the trail, there was an old sawmill just off the trail, sitting rusted and unused for many years. It prompted me to think about who used it, when it was last used and any impact that it had on the surrounding lands. The wind was steady, with cooler temperatures as we climbed toward the gap.
Along the way, large boulders were strewn about either side of the stream as the terrain became steeper. However, the trail was well-maintained, with stones or wood providing easy crossing over the stream.
And finally, this unidentified wildflower; Ragwort, perhaps?
Hiking in the Blue Ridge escarpment brings the wildflower season forward a few weeks before the earliest wildflower bloom time in the higher elevations of western North Carolina. Tomorrow is the first day of a long-anticipated spring. So many trails, so little time!
