Hiking in the Smokies

Last week, Wednesday March 18, we hiked Scott Mountain trail in the Smoky's from it's junction with Schoolhouse Gap (2000 ft) to it's junction with Crooked Arm (3400 ft), and back. We saw some early wildflowers blooming, but none in profusion. We saw bloodroot, spring beauty, toothwort, hepatica, and trailing arbutus. This past week, March 25, I walked up the first 1/4 mile of Chestnut Top trail, and saw the above as well as chickweed blooming, and yellow trillium, T. grandiflorum, phacelia, and stonecrop in bud. In this next week, if it doesn't get too cold this weekend, there should be lots of wildflowers popping out, especially below 2500 ft. Look at the photo album for Scott Mountain to see the early bloomers we saw on that hike last week.