5/8/2012 Buckeye Creek – Bartram Trail – NC

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 a little rain with temperatures ranging from 60 to 73 F.

WILDFLOWERS IN BLOOM: Bowman’s Root, Four Leafed Milkweed, White Milkweed, Galax, Rattlesnake Weed, American Euonymous, Yellow Stargrass, Catesby’s Trillium, Vasey’s Trillium, Flame Azalea, Tulip Poplar, Blackberry, Mt. Hydrangea, Shooting-star, Fire Pink, Purple Phacelia, Wood Geranium, Blue Phlox, Spiderwort, Yellow Lady’s-slipper, Beard-tongue, Tall Meadow Rue, Purple Violet, Lyre-leafed Sage, Mt. Laurel, Golden Ragwort, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Cinquefoil, Dutchman’s Pipe, Carolina Vetch, Yarrow, Solomon’s Seal, Solomon’s Plume, Sweet Shrub, Thyme-leafed Bluets, Woodland Bluets, Bedstraw, Meadow Parsnip, Flowering Spurge and Sourdock.

BIRDS IDENTIFIED: Blue Jay, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Pileated Woodpecker, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Hooded Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Pine Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo and Wild Turkey.

OTHER FAUNA: Red Eft (newt) .