Hiking in the Smokies

Six of us hiked Porters Creek this past week, and although it was a cold and overcast day, we weren't disappointed. We saw all of the early spring bloomers, save Bloodroot, as well as many others (see Photo Album). The hillsides were covered with fringed phacelia, although I estimated they were about 60% finished. The fact that Porters Creek was covered with snow the week before most certainly added to the early climax for the Phacelia. Trillium luteum, T. grandflorum, and T. erectum were all in full bloom, with many large displays of them. We saw just a few showy orchis, several in bud on the hike in that were open by the time we hiked out. Just a few dwarf crested iris blooming, but many buds.

I saw more dwarf ginseng than I ever remember - years ago when I first hiked Porters Creek, they were mostly in abundance on the trail just before Fern Falls, but now I saw them from start to finish all along the trail. I was surprised at how many wildflowers were blooming along the upper part of the trail past Fern Falls - it is up over 3000 feet, so we saw trout lily (finished at the lower elevations), rue anemone, one hepatica in bloom, and all the trilliums.

At Fern Falls, I saw the one lone jack-in-the-pulpit for the day. Looking a little cold. There were quite a few wood anemones also, but they never perked up and really opened.