Monday, April 2nd, 2007 - North Old Mac & Spicewood Trails
You should know that for me to hike the same trail three times in less
than a week must mean something special is happening with that trail. Watching hundreds of thousands of wildflowers
go thru their blooming process along Spicewood Branch trail in Frozen Head state
park is the big event that has lured me back for the natural version of "time lapse" photography. I've been totally
captivated by the experience. But I'm one trail ahead of myself.
Sniffing for trilliums...
North Old Mac trail was one of the first
trails I'd ever hiked at Frozen Head (several years ago). It made a big impression on me as great trail for wildflowers
and on Monday, April 2nd, 2007, I found it hadn't lost any of its appeal. I don't think I ever
noticed just how many hundreds of Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers there are along that trail. Ditto on all
of those wild ginger and large-flowered bellwort. Trillium heaven must be near here too because there are places where
you'd just like to pull up a log and plop down in the middle of the forest to admire them in all their glorious shapes and
colors. And aromas too: Trilliums often have very distinctive scents. Which term to use? Scents, aromas,
odors? Perhaps all three are needed. Just go sniffing of trilliums and you'll find banana popsicle, lemon meringue
pie, wet dog, musky mushroom and sometimes a blending of two or more of those. Some have no noticeable aroma at all.
It is fun--especially when hiking with someone who's never sniffed of one before!
Be patient when hiking North Old Mac trail because you'll be about
a mile into the hike before the wildflower show starts. Trust me, it will be there if you hike in the
month of April. Don't miss the side trail you'll see as you cross one of the ridges--it takes you a couple hundreds
yards down the ridge to a spectacular set of rocky cliffs where the valley views are grand.
Rockhouse at Panther Gap was stunning!
The North Old Mac trail ends at Panther Gap where it meets Tower
trail; look there for a sign pointing down a side trail to Panther Gap Rockhouse. We had lunch there while admiring
the extra large versions of trout lily and trilliums which apparently thrive near the warmer and wetter environment that the
rockhouse brings to its surroundings. What is a rockhouse? You'll have to experience one before you'll fully
understand. This one is a bit like a huge open-air cave with a view of the outdoors complete with tiny waterfalls cascading
over the overhung roof. The sporadic drizzle of the trickling water actually sounded to us like a bear crashing thru
the undergrowth--that was until we rounded the bend in the trail and could see the streams of water flowing over the roof
of the rockhouse. Yes, it was quiet enough for all those kind of sounds to be on the main sound stage. In this
park there were no roaring, unmuffled Harleys or even sounds of overflying airliners bound for Atlanta (sorry Smokies but
the naked truth must be known and, until the National Park Service bans these noisemakers, the natural sounds will continue
to share the stage with idiots on unmuffled motorcycles and noisy big jets that short-cut their routes while flying too
low over our national parks).
Our final leg of this hike was down Spicewood Branch trail. We'd
hiked it last Wednesday, 3/28 and I hiked it again Saturday, 3/31. Monday, 4/2, we found it even more captivating as
a wildflower trail. Everything was at peak bloom. Those large-flowered bellwort had an egg-yoke yellow color that
we'd never before noticed. There were so many wildflowers that you were almost never out of sight of 10 or more species
of wildflowers anyplace along the trail. Trilliums were as numerous and beautiful as any trail I've ever hiked.
Views and the almost constant companion of the sight and sounds of small springs and creeks make this hike a sensory
extravaganza you'll remember long after you've returned home.
You'd better go quick to see all of the early spring wildflowers.
Bloodroot and halberd-leaf violets are already gone and most other early spring wildflowers are already at or near peak bloom
stages. Of course we've got those lovely native orchids to look forward to in May, but that is a story for another hike...
Click here to see several photos from this hike. Hiked Monday, 4/2/2007. North Old Mac is 3.5 miles.
Spicewood is 2.5 miles. Connecting trails (Tower, Chimney Top) add another 3.1 miles. Total hike about 9.1 miles.
Moderate degree of difficulty. I recommend hiking UP North Old Mac and DOWN Spicewood.
