Glorious April in Big Ivy

No spring is complete without several April hikes in Big Ivy area of Pisgah National Forest in order to embrace the incredible diversity and abundance of spring ephemerals. Big Ivy has it all: rich coves, pine-oak-heath forest, rocky streamsides and chestnut oak forests. The catch? Most trails have recently been Read more…

Early April wildflowers: Appalachian Ranger District

We revisited the Appalachian Ranger district to camp and hike the first weekend in April in an area where there were no trail closures. It was quite cold, and the presence of early April wildflowers was highly dependent on the orientation of slopes and elevation. Some south-facing crags displayed a Read more…

I Like Big Blooms: They’ve Sprung at Big Ivy

The blooms in the Big Ivy area have SPRUNG! We took a short 4 mile hike after work to check out this ever-evolving wildflower haven. The bright blue skies and warm temperatures over the past few days mean that the forest understory is greening up with spring ephemerals. Some wildflowers Read more…