May 3, 2011
| HIKERS – John Bellamy, June Bellamy, Phil Brownrigg, Greta Driggers, Jim Driggers, Pam Euliss, Dave Hinson, Bill Hunt, Jack Jacobi, Dick Metzgar, Jeanne O’Connor, Donna Presley, Tony Presley, Vic Robson, Dan Ross, David Whitaker, Geri Whitaker and Carole Wintle.
Trail Info: A very nice and not heavily used portion of the Bartram Trail. This area is a very rich wildflower habitat and the mountain views are very beautiful. The terrain is a bit challenging with a 2,000 ft elevation gain from the start to the turn around point. Today’s hike – 9 miles with large elevation changes – moderately strenuous. Directions: Take Highway 441 N. thru Clayton, GA and continue to Otto, NC. Turn right on Tessentee Rd. and go several miles and turn left onto Buckeye Branch Rd. (there is a Bartram Trail sign here) and drive this gravel road to the dead-end parking lot just before the Forest Service locked gate. Another great day for a hike! Mostly to partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 56 to 76 F. WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM: Mountain Laurel, Flame Azaleas, Pink Lady Slipper Orchid, Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid, Puttyroot Orchid, Showy Orchis, Catesby’s Trillium, Vasey’s Trillium, Large Flowered Trillium, Shooting Star, Spring Beauty, Rue Anemone,Wild Geraniums, Blue-eyed Grass, Yellow Star Grass, Wild Touch-me-not, Purple Phacelia, Golden Alexander, Heart-leaf Golden Alexander, May Apple, Cinnamon Fern, Maple-leaf Viburnum, Blackberry, Dewberry, Strawberry, Deerberry, Huckleberry, Fire Pink, Wild Quinine, Clintonia, Perfoliated Bellwort, Yellow Mandarin, Star Chickweed, Mouse-ear Chickweed, Bluet, Tall Bluet, Flowering Spurge, Purple Violet, Yellow Violet, Birdfoot Violet, Sweet White Violet, Hearts-a-Bursting, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Meadow Rue, Pussytoes, Spiderwort,Sweet Cicely, Bedstraw, Common Vetch, Mountain Vetch, Squawroot, Dutchman’s Pipe, Sasparilla, Fringe Tree, Blue Cohosh, White Baneberry, Hooked Buttercup, Ragwort, Rattlesnake Weed, Cinquefoil, Lyre-leaf Sage, Sweetshrub, Indian Physic, Oilnut, Four-leafed Milkweed, False Solomon’s Seal, Robin’s Plantain, Yellow Woodsorrel and Florabunda Rose. BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Red Eyed Vireo, Crow, Scarlet Tanager, Hooded Warbler, Oven Bird, Canada Goose, Tufted Titmouse, Black & White Warbler, Black Throated Green Warbler, Black Throated Blue Warbler, Grouse, Yellow Throated Vireo, Pileated Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Summer Tananger, Chestnut Sided Warbler, Nuthatch and Yellow-shafted Flicker. |
 Parking at the Buckeye Creek Trail-head.(Bartram Trail) |
 Another great day for a hike! |
 Like some of us, this old tree has had a tough life! |
 A nice little waterfall. |
 Not a common find on our hikes… Shooting Stars.(Dodecatheon meadia) |
 Most famous landmark on the trail – The old school bus. |
 Another rare find – Yellow Lady Slippers (Cypripedium calceolus) |
 Nice mountain views along the trail! |
 Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) |
 The view from Wolf Rock Overlook! |
 Lunchtime at Wolf Rock. |
 Another good day for wildflowers. Catesby’s Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) |
 The OFHC gang for today’s hike (l-r front) Vic Robson, Dan Ross, “Nugget”, Dave Hinson, David Whitaker and Tony Presley. (l-r back) Greta Driggers, Jack Jacobi, Phil Brownrigg, Dick Metzgar, Jim Driggers, Jeanne O’Connor, June Bellamy, Geri Whitaker, John Bellamy, Donna Presley, Carole Wintle, Pam Euliss and Bill Hunt. |