Roan Mountain rhododendron blooms - Pisgah National Forest, NC

Рет қаралды 10,084

7 жыл бұрын

The crowds scared me away from Carvers Gap, so I drove to Hughes Gap to undertake a long day hike across Roan Mountain to bag two 6,000' peaks and see blooming rhododendrons. First the Appalachian Trail gradually ascends Beartown Mountain then drops into supergreen Ash Gap. From there the forest gradually changes from hardwood to boreal to southern Appalachian spruce-fir towards Toll House Gap. I did the out-and-back on the Cloudland Trail to Roan High Bluff, then the loop through the rhododendron gardens which weren't in full bloom. Next I hiked over Roan High Knob and continued to Carvers Gap and Round Bald. The rhodos were mostly in full bloom around Round Bald and the views as always were great. I was a little too tired and pressed for time to go out to Grassy Ridge, Round Bald was enough for the day.
Hike was 17.4 miles in 8 hours.
Hike location
goo.gl/maps/D1wdHUd86BUwbKsQ6
Hike report
www.hikingupward.com/PNF/Roan...

Пікірлер: 42

@roanmendoza3600 3 жыл бұрын

I just found out today that there is Roan Mountain. Thats my name! ❤❤❤

@bigzach322 3 жыл бұрын

Looks like you need to visit

@roanmendoza3600 3 жыл бұрын

@@bigzach322 I will! It looks beautifful ❤

@tammykirby6926 4 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad you chronicled your hikes. I'm heading here this weekend and love knowing a little about what I'm getting into beforehand.

@Beckyjeaned 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video with spot-on facts; your hike was well documented. I love how your video caught that incessant mountain top wind and a few bird calls. The mountain ID's are spot on; I'm a local, so it's fun for me to see what I know well narrated on film. Contrary to your critique, I thought you did a fine job on narration; :) I've not seen any of your other videos with which to compare it, though. That sea of grass under the trees is very unusual for this area (regionally, not specifically); it was fun to see them. Fyi's: - We locals pronounce "Unaka," as "YoonAYka," with the accent on the AY (as in hay) - The rhododendron blossoms at the summit of the gardens, usually peak around the solstice. - Believe it or not, that was not "super crowded" up at the Gardens/Carver's Gap/Round bald, since the blossoms weren't at peak. You lucked out!

@MaBelleone1 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing your hikes...These areas are so beautiful and precious to me and my family...Happy Hiking!

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

@young7321 6 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you very much.

@bigzach322 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

@Don-md6wn 7 жыл бұрын

You had some nice light and clouds for your pictures from Round Bald. Very nice. I was in the area a day before you, on Friday the 9th. I hiked to Laurel Falls, which is just off the AT 25 miles or so north of the Roan Highlands, in the morning, and from Carver's Gap to Grassy Ridge late in the afternoon, catching a sunset and the full moon. I ran into 5 AT thru hikers at Laurel Falls and 3 close to Jane Bald. Grassy Ridge was beautiful, had to be very close to peak bloom for the rhododendron.

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

It was about peak bloom, there were photographers everywhere on the balds. I could see their shiny equipment on Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald.

@BryanDeLay 7 жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful section of the AT and you did a great job with the video. I've hiked that section many times, but it's been awhile. Your video makes me want to go do that section again. The only down side is Carver's Gap is a people fest in the summer.

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks a bunch. It was incredibly crowded at Carvers Gap. At least 100 cars and large groups of people blocking the highway as they figure out which direction to walk.

@michaelcaraway2305 5 жыл бұрын

I grew up in this area and something happening with the rhododendron is with the changing climate they are blooming about 3 or 4 weeks earlier than they were 40 years ago due to the changing climate. To see them in bloom now you have to go in the middle of may or earlier on top of the mountain.

@bigzach322 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's tough to predict with the way our winters are now. I usually avoid peak bloom anyways because there are too many people for my liking.

@WayOffTheTrail 7 жыл бұрын

Not sure I've seen the catawbas, although they do grow in parts of WV where I'm from. They sure do seem more colorful than the generic ones. Nice views. Love walking theough spruce forests, and Ash Gap was awesome.

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

There are so many species of rhododendron, I'm not sure what you have in WV. If they had white flowers then they're probably rosebay rhododendron, which grow in wetter environments and usually are closer to streams.

@Don-md6wn 7 жыл бұрын

I did a little research on WV and read that the New River Gorge in the southern part of the state is the northern limit for catawba rhododendron. The most common rhododendron up there are rosebay, which is the state flower. The rosebays in western NC are more plentiful at lower elevations than catawbas and they bloom later. They were around peak bloom 2 or 3 days ago in Pisgah Forest and the surrounding areas in the 2000-3000 foot elevation range.

@WayOffTheTrail 7 жыл бұрын

Don Didn't realize there were so many varieties...here's what I usually find in wv...much lighter pink. wayoffthetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/rhododendrons.jpg Also we have mountain laurel with white flowers.

@Don-md6wn 7 жыл бұрын

WayOff, I think those are rosebays. In this area, they start off mostly bright pink as buds, are pink and white when they first flower and then most of them turn whiter. We have a lot of mountain laurel in western NC as well; it blooms from early May to mid June depending on elevation and is pretty much done now. I spent almost 3 weeks last Sept-Oct in WV; almost 2 weeks in the Potomac Highlands and a few days in the New River Gorge. Both are beautiful areas.

@WayOffTheTrail 7 жыл бұрын

Heading back to the Cranberry Wilderness again this fall....can't wait. That area also has a lot of beautiful red bee balm flowers in the spring. Tried to get them to grow here in Kansas to no avail, however...

@luckyotter623 2 жыл бұрын

What a beautiful place! I'm definitely doing this hike this coming spring/summer.

@bigzach322 2 жыл бұрын

I highly recommend doing it during the week because weekends can get packed.

@howdydoughty7634 7 жыл бұрын

I was wondering if you've considered doing carvers gap to 119 you could park at mountain harbor hostel and get them to shuttle you to carvers gap. I did this as an overnight in winter a few years ago was great little and big hump mountains had tremendous views.

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

I've already done that section multiple times.

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

Here are the links for my last hike on that section, it is too crowded in the summer for me to fully enjoy. www.hikingupward.com/PNF/RoanHighlands/ www.zacharyrobbins.net/roan-highlands-appalachian-trail-nc/

@TheKpickeral 7 жыл бұрын

Where are you headed next? Roan and Black Balsam Knob are two of my favorite spots!

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

I never know, it depends on what time I wake up honestly. I always have 10 hikes in mind.

@TheKpickeral 7 жыл бұрын

Zachary Robbins gotcha! A couple of friends and I have made a hiking bucket list of spots that aren't too far from Boone, Nc. Have you done Mt. LeConte?

@bigzach322 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, I have a video of it as well this February. It is very popular though, way too crowded during the summer.