Big Creek Wildflower Walk
A lovely, warm spring day welcomed our group of 27 BRNN Wildflower enthusiasts to our annual outing at Big Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our group featured some of the founders of the Blue Ridge Naturalist program – Jesse Wilder, Scott Dean, and Dan Lazar, as well as no fewer than three current and past presidents of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Network. Our gang divided into three groups, with Scott Dean and Jim Poling leading wildflower-intensive explorations, and Randy Richardson leading a group on a longer hike to Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls. While some of early spring wildflowers were past their prime, the Big Creek trails did not disappoint. Botanical highlights included Yellow Trillium, Fernleaf and Fringed Phacelias, Showy Orchis, Dwarf Crested Irises, and plenty of Fire Pinks. Selected photos from the event follow:
