It has been a treat to see these areas progress this month from bare, open woodlands with few early bloomers, to greenery that covered the forest floor, and most recently colors stretching from ground level up to the tree canopy.
I got off to an early morning start in an attempt to beat the crowds and catch the slopes of Chestnut Top before the sun doused the slopes of the popular wildflower half mile. The white erect trillium and violets that greeted me at the trailhead during prior trips had now faded and been replaced by lots of foamflower, purple phacelia, meadow parsnip, and false solomon's seal. With the periods of rain the entire day before, the majority of the delicate flowers were rain soaked and drooping. The most affected were the crested dwarf iris, though they were still a treat to see.
Aware that this next part of my hike is quite popular this time of year, I was worried about the limited parking spaces at the Schoolhouse Gap trailhead. Sure enough, there were plenty of early risers eager to check out the wildflower mecca, but luckily I got the very last spot without having to block somebody in. The first mile of the trail saw the arrival of foamflower and catesby's trillium this week, but one constant throughout the month has been the presence of white, yellow, and purple violets. Wasting no time, I made my way straight to the area adorned with blue phlox. Everywhere, the forest floor was blanketed with the blue of phlox and green overarching leaves of may apples.