Thursday, August 12, 2021

Trip West - Blue Ridge Pkwy - Richland Balsam Loop Hike

 

Today we head up the Blue Ridge Parkway to hike the Richland Balsam Loop.  

The clouds are settled down in the Valley


The hike starts at the Haywood-Jackson Overlook



It is a 1.4 mile loop hike to the Summit - just over 1/2 mile now .  Tucson looks happy about that.  


It's a nice shady hike.     Which way do we go?  I chose counter clockwise.


The loop is only 1.5 miles total but is uphill


and a bit rocky in spots


Almost 1/2 way to the Summit


It's damp and not a lot of light filtering through the trees


Perfect environment for Mushrooms and other fungus

Some Indian Pipe


Some yellow ones

Even this Black Mushroom is growing mushrooms!


We are going the right way as the numbers are going up - we just don't know what they indicate as all the trail maps were gone. 


 I think 13 indicates a tree has fallen and blocked the trail - just our luck


but we find another way and it looks like we are approaching the summit





Finally some flowers


No view at the summit but we catch one on the way down





Another view


and we make it back to the truck


A nice little hike







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