Old Walland Highway Wildflowers

Old Walland Highway Wildflowers

 4/2/2021

Dana Koogler

  I had wanted to get out today to go hiking in Cumberland County, but had to stick around close to home so I could take a telephone call with a lady.   I could have taken my cell phone with me of course, but I did not trust that where I was going I would be able to get a signal.    The day was mostly shot by the time that was over so I decided to make the best of the situation.  I got out and ran some errands in preparation for Easter Sunday.  Before I went to town I went down to Townsend and drove Old Walland Highway back.  I saw some spots I had never seen looking this way before!  Definitely worth a repeat visit.   

     It has been so cold the past few days.   It only got up to fifty degrees today. 

I noticed on the thermometer in my jeep it said forty nine at 2:30 p.m.   I hope it does not freeze the emerging wildflowers.   They have been oddly slow to emerge in many of the usual spots.   We're hiking Saturday and I am hopeful to see some pretty things then. 

 

Above: close up view of yellow trillium

Above: yellow trillium and purple phlox

Above and below: Forest full of phlox! 

above: across the road a lovely spot along crystal clear Little River. Its watershed begins on the slopes of Mt. Collins and flows down out of the Great Smoky Mountains all the way to the Little Tennessee River in Knoxville. 

Above and below: some type of tree with the prettiest pale green buds. I will have to work in figuring out what these are.  The leave shape was like a maple. 

Trail over to the river

Tiny red oak leaves in bud

Above and below: two examples of Fairy Saddle fungus. The top one is more colorful and is younger.  

above: toothwort still in bud

Fiddlehead on a fern

Mayapples on a slope

Another interesting looking fungus. I'd never seen one like this before

Above and below:  two different looks at Star chickweed