Spring Wildflowers at River Bluff Trail

 

above: single trout lily in bloom

 Spring Wildflowers at River Bluff Trail 

March 20, 2024

Dana Koogler 

3.2 miles Round Trip 

River Bluff Trail Photos Here 

River Bluff Trail and Norris Dam State Park Map

Directions:  From I-75 North heading from Knoxville take Exit 128 to Rocky Top.

Once at the end of the ramp turn LEFT upon Hwy 441 Norris Freeway and drive 4.4 miles to Norris Dam State Park.  Bear right onto Dabney Road then almost immediately turn LEFT onto the access road for the trailhead.   Parking is near the info kiosk and scattered around.  No facilities at the trailhead.    The trail begins and ends behind the kiosk.  It is a lollipop hike. You hike out and around the loop and the only place you cover the same ground is the 0.10 mile or so to the intersection of upper and lower trails . 

  I wanted to hike River Bluff Trail since it had been a great number of years since I hiked it. 

I have hiked it twice before in Spring. One year it was too late for most blooms and it was raining.  Another time it was very, very early and there was hardly anything out in bloom.

Today I had the benefit of belonging to a great Facebook group.  It is so helpful to have a true to life , current account of what is blooming and when.    I started seeing folks flower pictures and was going to give it a go.  

         

             I arrived to find parking very limited. Not because there were so many hikers, but for some unknown reason a big chunk of the parking was cordoned off behind a cable.  I  guess if I'd been thinking about it at the time I'd have got out and taken the cable down.  It might be that they only open that area up during peak times?   I found me a spot and set off.  Another lady with braids and glasses was getting herself ready to set off as I pulled up.   

     My original plans for the day were to hike River Bluff trail then move on to other things. 

I wanted to visit Savage Garden for the first time in many moons.  I also wanted to drive round to see the Lenoir museum and grist mill and hike some of the trails round that.   There is a waterfall that is wet weather and visible from Norris Highway. I hoped I could get a glimpse of that too.

      

  I had been told on that facebook wildflower group that the upper trail was worth hiking, but the guy is a dude.  Kris Light, who I know more about and who knows more of me shared that under the circumstances I'd be best off to hike the lower trail only as an out and back. I decided this was the approach I'd take. Lower Trail first and then see how I felt.  I could continue the loop if I felt okay.     

       It wasn't long until I started seeing trilliums in tight bud.  I also spotted some blood root open and Virginia pennywort popping up.  Next I started seeing a trout lily here and there.  I saw a couple blue violets, but they were not open real well.  

  I was hiking along taking my time and enjoying the trout lilies which were growing in number the further I went.     As I stood there a group of three hikers approached me coming the opposite direction.  Two ladies and one man.   The lady in front spoke to me and said "You're Dana Koogler."  I blinked and responded "Yes I am. How do you know me?"  She was Kim Brown and apparently I had communicated with her over wildflowers in the past.  I had only the vaguest recollection of it, but I was glad she spoke up.   They were very pleasant and having a good hike.

       I continued on my way.  The slopes began to green up more.  

AboveL at a certain point the banks above the trail became laden with too many trout lilies to count.   Between the sunshine coming down through the bare tree branches and the bright yellow forest floor covered in trout lilies the scene was very, very bright!

Below: a large specimen of trout lily.  

Below: more trout lilies and now some Spring Beauties are showing up! 

  The banks began to be punctuated by tiny pink and white polka dots amidst all those yellow trout lilies. Hepaticas and  spring beauties were out.  I was still seeing blood root now and then.

Blue cohosh was up, but not blooming.   Lots of pedicellate trilliums stood in tight bud.  I guessed they must be Southern Red Trillium, but that's all it was... a guess.   I did see a few yellow trilliums.    I only saw two bloomed out. 

Below: yellow trilliums opening

Below: the trail was well maintained and all blow downs cut out.   

Below: the prettiest group of Spring beauties I saw today. They were more colorful.

 I saw quite a few critters today.  I spotted a chubby ground hog near the parking lot.  He was high tailing it for his hole.    I saw a sea gull, a green heron in the river, a chickadee, a cardinal, 

Cabbage white moth, periwinkle moth, and several tiger swallowtail butterflies.  Toward the end of my day I got a good photo of a downy woodpecker.  This is a minor miracle since my bird photos are usually very blurry and very far away. 

Below are a couple shots of the slopes and green mossy boulders. 

Below:  a slope covered in yellow trout lilies! I am glad I've moved past the way I used to take photos.  If it wasn't a perfectly composed photo of an individual flower I didn't take the shot.  Readers of my trip reports sometimes complained.  I would describe the beauty, but wasn't even attempting to capture it.   They were right. You do miss all the shots you don't try. 

Below: the trout lilies went right down to the trail.  I was finding out today how difficult it was for me take photos the way I usually do.  I will lay down, squat down on my haunches, or sit down on my butt.. whatever I have to do to get low and get the shot.     Anything except mashing the surrounding flowers.   Today I dared not do that lest I not be able to get back up. 

Below: some pink looking hepaticas

Above: I saw quite a bit of early meadow rue. I love this little flower's bloom and leaves.  

Below: sunshiney yellow trout lilies

Below: as I hiked along I saw on the river side of the trail a large beech tree with people's initials carved in it. I am very much against this practice. I usually won't do anything to draw attention to it, but I couldn't help being impressed with the effort put forth.   The entwined hearts and the crown are a nice touch. I hope J.S. and R.M. are still together today. 

 Below: is the first of only two Trillium sulcatum I saw open today.    You can see another beside it in loose bud.  I decided to climb up into some loose rocks above the trail to get a closer shot of this beautiful trillium.    I got it, but I had reckoned without one thing.  I climbed UP into the loose rocks. Now I was going to have to navigate back DOWN the loose rocks.  I very carefully began picking my way down the slope trying to remain upright.  I saw another lady approaching with eyes big as saucers.  She asked me "Are you ok?!"  I assured her I was. I also reassured her that I saw the folly of what I had done, and there would be no repeat performances.    She relaxed and went her way. 

   I finally came to a spot that was a bit more level and had room to get safely off the trail. It had some cut sections of log to sit on.  I would stop here to eat lunch.   The flowers here were very pretty, and the terrain a bit more forgiving. I'd try to get some close compositions of flowers while I was out of everyone's way.  That was another point I did not care for on this trail.   Today it was pretty heavily traveled. There is little place to pass much less squat down to take photos.   It is inconsiderate of other hikers to block the trail with photography efforts so I did not do any of that.    Just a lot of point and click.  

Below is a better view of the river below Norris Dam.   This was near my lunch spot.  

Below is what to me is the prettiest photo I took all day of trout lilies.  I sat down on the ground and got low for this one.   I did not have much trouble getting up as I thought I would! 

Below are some fiddleheads I saw today on my hike. The ferns are opening up.

Below is a look at a pretty log that is covered in moss.   I saw a lot of scenery like this along the hike.   I love the green of moss. 

Below: I saw lots of Bishops cap today.  The image below is not great, but it was decent enough to show up close what the blooms are like.   

Below: a mossy group of boulders I saw. 

  One point along the hike I looked up and there were massive rock formations towering above me.  I knew I should be getting close to River Bluff Arch.   

 Before long I could see the arch.  According to Tennessee Landforms it is not a true arch, but  two rock formations joined by a keystone.   It sits about 250 feet above the lower trail.  

  I hiked down the trail all the way to the end.  I did not even consider trying to complete the hike by the upper loop.   I was very fatigued.  I had to make it back out of here.  The upper trail I could not recall how difficult it would be for me? It had been too many years between visits to remember.   When in doubt I try to stick by a known quantity.  The trail I had just hiked out was not that difficult. I knew with care and taking my time I would make it back.   My left calf began to hurt a lot.   I knew something was different and wrong.    Nothing for it.    I just eased along toward the trail head bit by bit.   I stopped to rest once.  I sat down on a log by the trail.  I looked up and could see my second open red trillium of the day!   

 Below: Beautiful Trillium sulcatum.. second of the season for me. 

Below:  a cluster of delicate trout lilies by a tree trunk.

  I sat there having a drink of water and cooling off.   I heard a rapping sound.  A downy woodpecker was sitting in a tree across from me.  I managed to snap  a photo of him!

While I sat there resting a lady came hiking by with a frisky Boston terrier on a leash.  I greeted them and asked what was the dog's name?  Her name was Gigi.    She was adorable.  She was just full of piss and vinegar today.   She leaped up and kissed me on the face.   What a sweet pup!

   I managed to hike the remaining way out after my rest. As I approached the point along the trail where I could see the paved road below me... I heard and saw a great crash!  A massive tree came down! I was mighty glad I wasn't close to it.  Three times in my life I have witnessed trees falling while I hiked.   It was great to see the jeep.   I changed into a different shirt and sat resting.  I knew something was off with my left leg.   I later learned that the popliteal cyst had ruptured and the fluid it contained drained down into my calf.  It gives you symptoms similar to a blood clot.   I could later see the irregular way the space behind my knee looked.   That was part of the trouble.   I was far too tired to do a single thing else.  

I was going to be doing good to drive home.     

  Back at home I measured my track and found that my out and back was exactly 3.2 miles just as if I had done the loop.     I  greatly underestimated my distance. I figured I hiked around 2 miles total.   I over did it.    A ruptured cyst was my payment.   I had to take it easy to let it absorb and mend.    I managed to get out for the day and that is good.   

A list of things I did not do that I could go back and do later:

Savage Garden

Lower Clear Creek Trail 

the Lenoir Museum and mill 

Hammers of Clinton 

Below is a short video I made of the flowers and scenery.  I am trying to remember that just because it isn't a waterfall doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a video.    It helps to preserve the memories of the hike.