Blooms and Snow Along West Prong

Wow, what a great day to spend part of in the mountains! The blooms along this trail are just increasing with more Flame Azalea, Trillium, and various other flowers and colors! Here are few that are new along this route to me anyway.
As I almost reached my halfway point, 3 mls, a frozen precipitation began to fall on me and it did not appear to be hail but rather sleet or a heavy wet snow. This was above 3000', late in the afternoon, and in the Smokey Mountains. I experienced this frozen moisture for a few minutes on top of Rich Mtn. and again briefly as I began my descent from campsite #5. Days like this are when I'm glad I was a Cub Scout and my brothers were Boy Scouts so I learned to "be prepared" because I had grabbed some work gloves out of my trunk and put on a jacket as I prepared to start the hike.










The jacket tucked under my shoulder strap of my bag and the gloves went in the jacket pockets when not in use. Though both items became very useful several times along this 6 ml. walk.
From what little I know about specific wildflowers I can say this with confidence and that is there will be blooms of various sorts along the West Prong for several weeks. Peace

Blooms and Bears

Todays afternoon walk which took me up the Rich Mtn. trail on a great day to be appreciating the wild life was altered just before the half way point. This mother and cub were on the trail just before the final turn bringing you to campsight #5. They didn't move except the cub started up the tree beside them a few times only to come back down after climbing up a few feet.
I saw only blooms and these bears along the trail. Peace

Walking in The Clouds on Tues. 4/14/09

Tuesday I left the house after checking the weather radar and it looked like the rain was through. Though becoming somewhat more aware of the micro-climate(s) here in these mountains I wore my rain suit over my poly's and it turned out to be a good decision.
After dropping some paperwork off at a friends on Rich Mtn. road I continued up to the trail head and walked the familiar trail in rain and cloud cover. At times my visibility was probably less than 30 yards. All these elements made for an interesting hike by making the familiar walk a new experience.
At and around site #5 I saw what appears to be damage from boars unlike I've seen before, which doesn't mean much as I've only been a "regular" here for the last 18 months, but whatever it was had torn up some soil. All indications of the damage indicated boar.
The visual field dimmed by the clouds sitting on the mountain and the noise level muted by the soft ground cover from the rain made it an almost suspenseful hike. As I walked the "flat affect" was broken by beautiful blooms and a ground hog which I startled going up and coming back down the trail. Great day for walk. Peace

Spring into Wild Life!

The weather is taking a step towards the warmer seasons, at least during the day. Small blooms are starting to emerge at different elevations so enjoy the vistas while you got 'em and prepare for the equally wondrous spectrum of colors just beginning. This walk along Rich Mtn. trail (Saturday 3/21), and a short part of Indian Grave Gap trail, over to the site of the former fire tower, was done so in partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 60's. The trail was in good shape and I encountered no one over the 5ml+ route I chose.
On the return trip, after carefully reviewing my maps, I dropped OTG about a quarter mile down from campsite #5, and into a Steep ravine which brought me to the stream shown on the map. I bushwacked fairly easily, keeping the stream close by for reference, out to the Rich mtn. rd, coming out of Cades Cove, where the stream crosses over the road. I went right at the road crossing about a 1/2 ml. to the parking area picking up empty cans and bottles along the way.

Along The Trail

Well OK, it's no big thing. I saw one Bear about 6 miles down the trail where I had seen the two noted on this blog, w/ pictures, July 19th. I was on the same route of that previous entry only at opposite ends of it and nearing the end of my 6 mile RT walk. Fresh and frequent bear scat was seen beginning about 1.5 mls up the trail from the parking area though the bear seen here was closer.

The trail was dusty and dry yet water was still flowing in the stream, what say, about a quarter of a mile before campsite #5. The water source at the campsite may have had water but I could not find it. I say "may have" because I'm still not sure if I'm looking in the right area where the sign points me. Maybe these Tropical storms and Hurricanes will spare our friends on the coastlines and bring us some moisture in the form of rain. I did find, and carry out, a crushed bud light can, a power bar wrapper, and some assorted plastic garbage. Including a sign warning of bear activity that had been torn off a tree and left in little pieces. Hmmm? Peace