All the seasons pass so quickly, but mid to late June found us revisiting favorite orchid habitats in hopes of finding the utter perfection of Small Purple Fringed Orchid and Round Leaf Orchid. These days, our hikes are shorter, but the scenery is no less spectacular. On our way to Read more…
Since 2013, I have been a bit obsessed in the search for purple-fringed orchids, and other native orchids that hide amidst the herbaceous understory of the Southern Appalachians. Purple-fringed orchid, both large and small, are found in our beautiful mountains. Sometimes their locations are easily accessible and other times, you Read more…
I love native orchids; they exist right in front of us, but hide in plain sight. Catching them in bloom requires diligence and/or habit. There are times when I have rushed to see Showy Orchis, Pink Lady’s Slipper, or Yellow Lady’s Slipper in bloom, and found only stalks holding shriveled Read more…
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…
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…
In late June, I went to Tacoma, Washington to visit my daughter. I love this area. The stark, rugged profile of the Cascades is awe-inspiring. Mt. Rainier is a behemoth among mountains, dwarfing all the other peaks and showing off her ever-present dome of snow. In contrast, the Olympics remind Read more…
Just before the last week of June, we squeezed in 11.7 miles in three separate hikes. My goal was to find more native orchids and wildflowers before leaving for the Pacific Northwest to visit our daughter. The Round-Leaf Orchid (Platanthera orbiculata) is one of my favorites, and a tricky one Read more…
A few weeks ago, we re-visited Mt. Mitchell to enjoy the long-range views and show our out-of-town friends the highest peaks in the Eastern US. Upon arrival, it was in the high 40s and windy, but abundant sunshine and hiking would generate some heat. Our goal was to find more Read more…
This spring has handed us plenty of weather extremes over the past few weeks. Bernie and I left the house early on a Sunday morning, hoping to log a few miles and dodge the rain. We headed for a favorite trail, with a steady uphill climb that passes through a Read more…
Big Ivy trails are worth revisiting to capture the full spectrum of wildflowers blooming between early and late spring. Every section of this trail in the Appalachian Ranger District showcases wildflowers that are either winding down and setting seed, or beginning their transformation to full bloom. Finding native orchids is Read more…