Over the past few weeks, hiking has taken a back seat to self-care and healing. Our weather has also been pretty fickle during this time, with delightful sunny, blue skies during the week, and rain arriving just in time for the weekend. But last weekend, I was anxious to hike and enjoy some spring weather and wildflowers. Our destination was Harmon Den, where we did a 7.5 mile trek in search of Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid and any other wildflowers in bloom.
Wanted: Native Orchids
Any hike is better than hanging around the house, longing to be on the trail. Harmon Den has an abundance of native orchids, and we had previously seen the distinctive leaves of the Pink Lady’s Slipper when we last hiked in this area. One of the very first orchids we spotted was a lovely clump of Showy Orchis. It was a bit surprising to see such a perfect blooms, as most of the other Showy’s were beyond their peak.
Revisiting Harmon Den
A few years ago, Harmon Den is where I came within a few steps of two rattlers pre-coitus, so I am always on high alert when in that area. Truth is, I am sure they were more interested in getting laid than biting me. But I surely didn’t want to piss them off by disrupting their awkward mating ritual.
The last time we were at Harmon Den, it was an extremely dry season and we were there in August. The online weather data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, headquartered right here in Asheville) shows nearly nine inches of rain in April, compared to a mean of almost 4.5 inches from 2000-2018. https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp. It has been an extremely rainy year thus far, and for 2018, we reached a cumulation of nearly 80 inches of rainfall. This is the highest annual rainfall since 2000. No one wants an overly dry season, but a bit more balance in weather is always welcomed.
Forgetfulness has it’s price…
As we began our hike, I pulled out my camera to photograph a False Solomon’s Seal in full bloom. BAM! My camera battery was dead. UGH- rather than berating myself for not checking the battery before we left, I trudged back to the truck to grab my iPhone. I decided to just appreciate the wildflowers, and get in as many miles as my body would allow. Sigh….
We were prepared to see Pink Lady’s Slipper; the unknown was what stage of bloom we would find. Would they be in their prime, or would we find withered pouches? They were absolutely glorious! We found nearly 40 Pink Lady’s in one small area, and many others scattered along the trail in groups. Their two leaves are basal, and very distinctive, with prominent veining on fleshy leaves. Their beauty is unmatched- the delicate web of capillary-like lines on the pouch and surrounded by the sepals and lateral petals. Depending on their phase of growth, the color ranges from white to a very pale pink, and a darker pink as the flower matures. Here are other images of Pink Lady’s Slipper: https://hikescape.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=1223&action=edit
Surprise!
I continued down the trail, looking for more Pink Lady’s Slipper. Noticing the pattern of the veined leaves, I headed off trail to check out the next clump of Lady Slippers. However, my eyes kept traveling up the stem, showing additional leaves rather than only basal leaves. Indeed- what a find! This is Yellow Lady’s Slipper- Cypripedium parviflorum, a much less frequently encountered native orchid. I shifted my focus to enjoying the moment and getting a few shots of this rare beauty, instead of dwelling on not having my camera!
I was on cloud nine for the remainder of the hike, as I have only seen Yellow Lady’s Slipper in a botanic garden or in one well-publicized area in Pisgah National Forest. This find was completely unexpected, as Pink Lady’s Slipper are typically (but not always) found in drier habitats of Pine-Oak- Heath plant communities. We also saw Flame Azalea in various stages of bloom, as well as Mountain Laurel- both members of the Heath family.
We saw many of the usual wildflowers on our hike, and thoroughly enjoyed our journey in the woods. I realized I had probably physically exceeded my limit. As we trekked back to our vehicle, the wind picked up and we hurried to avoid getting caught in the rain. My hair was windblown and full of detritus from the trees, but it was a memorable hike in so many ways and I was happy to be back out in the woods.
Presently you lose consciousness of your own separate existence: you blend with the landscape, and become part and parcel of nature.
John Muir, A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf
Here is a final image of the day. Happy Trails to you!
