Which ones are the Catawba? I assume they're different from Mountain Laurel, which I see all over the place right now. Any good ideas for locations with water and Mountain Laurel and or rhodies the next couple of weeks?
Try Straight Fork, you can get there by crossing the Cherokee Reservation if you know the way, or you can come down the one-way road from Balsam Mountain off the Parkway. I don't know for sure if it will be good, but it looked promising on the scouting trips.
Rhododendron has large leaves and there are two kinds, catawba and rosebay. The catawba is bright purple magenta, and the rosebay is white. The rosebay blooms later (say end of June and into July) and is frequently found next to streams at lower elevations. Catawba lives right up at the highest elevations. Mountain laurel has small leaves.
I did Grayson Highlands this weekend and the rhodies are blooming on highway 58 going up to the Highlands, but nothing in the park yet except early spring flowers. Whitetop mountain has a lot of small yellow flowers in the fields which were photogenic. Early spring color on top, but the sarvis is still not very good. The woods look pretty good, seem to have recovered from the freeze nicely by now.
I also went to Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus which was a hoot, and got my hiking poles rebuilt for free by the Leki folks.
I'm sahamleyATyahooDOTcom. Not much more to say about it other than it looked pretty promising the last time I was there. It's low elevation so no catawbas or thay will be gone by now, more likely laurel and rosebay rhododendron.
Steve, I need to plan on June 15th or the 22nd to come up for a long weekend and shoot Roan and the parkway.
Any sense based on your records and what you see so far which weekend is more promising? I need to let my work know soon. . .
Posted by Steve Hamley on May 23, 2007 at 11:41 PM
Matthew,
Nope, every year is a crap shoot, especially this one given the Easter freeze. Nye thinks things are early based on rhodies blooming on the approach to Mitchell, but IMO these rhodies are always very early. I was surprised to see rhodies in full bloom on VA 58 below Grayson Highlands, but the top of GH was spring blush.
I'd guess they're on time and your dates are good, at least at this time.
Posted by Lori Kincaid on June 13, 2007 at 9:21 AM
I cruised the Parkway yesterday from Hwy 215 to Craggy Gardens. Graveyard Fields is well past peak, but still has some nice Mountain Laurel. Black Balsam is a hair past peak along the road, but still plenty of nice shrubs. I didn't check any trails as it was storming.
The area near the shelter at Craggy Gardens is at or just past peak, but it isn't a good bloom year there. Most shrubs have no blooms at all. I didn't go all the way to the Craggy Pinnacle but blooms look good along the lower part of the trail. They look like they won't last long though without some rain. That whole area was very smoky yesterday with very limited visibility due to forest fires in the Linville Gorge area and near Lake James. Leann, I hope you're breathing OK over there as bad as it was at Craggy.
I haven't been up to the Roan, but the way things are looking my guess is this weekend will be a little early for the actual Roan Gardens, but other areas on the Roan will be coming along.
Matthew, we've been getting scattered thunderstorms in the mountains for the last couple of weeks, but really not enough to amount to anything. It's still very dry with plants in some areas showing the stress.
Thanks Lori. Very helpful information. I'm more interested in the areas around Jane Bald etc. than the Roan gardens themselves, so I'm hoping the timing works out for this Friday-Sunday. . .
Janes Bald is right on, right now - higher elevations like the gardens and Grassy Ridge are probably a few days to a week away. The fence is full of big, beautiful blooms and its peak, as well.
I am headed up there tomorrow morning, but this info came from two very good sources.
Posted by Thomas Biggs on June 13, 2007 at 3:21 PM
Thanks for the info Richard!! I'm heading down that way tomorrow afternoon. Only going to be able to spend 1 day so I've got to make the best of it
Kerry and I got back tonight. Spent most of the time on Grassy bald, about 1 mile past Jane Bald (take the right fork when the AT splits).
Grassy is HAPPENING, especially the Grassy bald natural gardens at the end of the trail. Jane and the Roan gardens are also peaking w/ Catawba and Flame Azalea.
Driving down the parkway, there were some nice spots in Craggy but mostly it was past peak.
The Roan area is still rocking so anyone who hasn't made it yet get up there in the next couple days. And if you haven't been to Grassy bald, make that your preferred destination.
Discussion
23 repliesTime for a sticky post for the rhodies. Thanks,
Steve
The catawba rhododendron at 500 feet elevation were peaking last week. However they still look nice.
Seriously
Try Straight Fork, you can get there by crossing the Cherokee Reservation if you know the way, or you can come down the one-way road from Balsam Mountain off the Parkway. I don't know for sure if it will be good, but it looked promising on the scouting trips.
Rhododendron has large leaves and there are two kinds, catawba and rosebay. The catawba is bright purple magenta, and the rosebay is white. The rosebay blooms later (say end of June and into July) and is frequently found next to streams at lower elevations. Catawba lives right up at the highest elevations. Mountain laurel has small leaves.
Steve
I did Grayson Highlands this weekend and the rhodies are blooming on highway 58 going up to the Highlands, but nothing in the park yet except early spring flowers. Whitetop mountain has a lot of small yellow flowers in the fields which were photogenic. Early spring color on top, but the sarvis is still not very good. The woods look pretty good, seem to have recovered from the freeze nicely by now.
I also went to Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus which was a hoot, and got my hiking poles rebuilt for free by the Leki folks.
Steve
I'm sahamleyATyahooDOTcom. Not much more to say about it other than it looked pretty promising the last time I was there. It's low elevation so no catawbas or thay will be gone by now, more likely laurel and rosebay rhododendron.
Steve.
Any sense based on your records and what you see so far which weekend is more promising? I need to let my work know soon. . .
Nope, every year is a crap shoot, especially this one given the Easter freeze. Nye thinks things are early based on rhodies blooming on the approach to Mitchell, but IMO these rhodies are always very early. I was surprised to see rhodies in full bloom on VA 58 below Grayson Highlands, but the top of GH was spring blush.
I'd guess they're on time and your dates are good, at least at this time.
Good luck Matthew!
Steve
I've planned for the 15th - 17th. See you guys then if anyone is around.
The area near the shelter at Craggy Gardens is at or just past peak, but it isn't a good bloom year there. Most shrubs have no blooms at all. I didn't go all the way to the Craggy Pinnacle but blooms look good along the lower part of the trail. They look like they won't last long though without some rain. That whole area was very smoky yesterday with very limited visibility due to forest fires in the Linville Gorge area and near Lake James. Leann, I hope you're breathing OK over there as bad as it was at Craggy.
I haven't been up to the Roan, but the way things are looking my guess is this weekend will be a little early for the actual Roan Gardens, but other areas on the Roan will be coming along.
Matthew, we've been getting scattered thunderstorms in the mountains for the last couple of weeks, but really not enough to amount to anything. It's still very dry with plants in some areas showing the stress.
Hope this helps. Anybody have anything to add?
Lori
Janes Bald is right on, right now - higher elevations like the gardens and Grassy Ridge are probably a few days to a week away. The fence is full of big, beautiful blooms and its peak, as well.
I am headed up there tomorrow morning, but this info came from two very good sources.
Kerry and I got back tonight. Spent most of the time on Grassy bald, about 1 mile past Jane Bald (take the right fork when the AT splits).
Grassy is HAPPENING, especially the Grassy bald natural gardens at the end of the trail. Jane and the Roan gardens are also peaking w/ Catawba and Flame Azalea.
Driving down the parkway, there were some nice spots in Craggy but mostly it was past peak.
The Roan area is still rocking so anyone who hasn't made it yet get up there in the next couple days. And if you haven't been to Grassy bald, make that your preferred destination.