Wet Day for a Hike

Wow, I slept so hard I didn't even hear the 2.7" of rain that fell last night. Apparently we are in for another round later this morning. If I were hiking up today, I would not take Rainbow Falls trail. Once again, with large amounts of rain, the trail tends to be impassable. We are currently experiencing heavy cloud coverage and a lot of wind. I am predicting a slow day around the lodge. The high yesterday was 63º with a low of 54º. The cooler temperatures seem to be settling in.

I had a couple of interesting conversations yesterday. It never ceases to amaze me how different the mountain top can be from season to season. I was commenting on the lack of turtlehead flowers and turk's cap lillies. I have not seen a single one around the lodge. The really interesting bit of information is that they could come back next year stronger than ever. The other conversation I had was with a guest about the absence of the bird called a Veery. I always sing back to them when I hear them and I don't recall hearing them at all this season. I wonder where they are? The other change I have noticed is the absence of the Indian Pipe flower on the flat section of Alum Cave trail. The forest, in that section,  has changed so much over the past few years that it is no longer a good host for these amazing little flowers. We have seen them on Trillium. There are still some perfect areas for them to thrive on the upper section.

Remember, if you are hiking up today, bring a rain jacket and a dry shirt. It is going to be a wet day for hiking. We will have plenty of hot chocolate waiting for you at the top.