May 29, 2026

​What a treat yesterday turned out to be, as we caught some much appreciated rays of sunshine.  And today is shaping up to be one of the nicest days we’ve experienced in some time now.  Hikers should get to enjoy mainly clear skies to start, with only a slight chance for storm-building late this afternoon.  And with the improved conditions, warming temps across the summit are also expected, as we could be basking in the mid 60s.  If you’ve been in town for the week and holding out hope to conquer the mountain when conditions are ideal, today would be the day.  For Saturday, it’s looking like the soak-fest resumes.  This steady dose of moisture certainly has the snails and salamanders happy, so keep an eye for the tiny residents of the forest floor.

Continuing the pattern of what we’ve seen since spring, the blooming trend for many a plant is to be ahead of the norm.  Already the purple flower clusters of the catawba rhododendron are peaking and across a rather lengthy elevation range.  The sun and rain have them a bit battered at exposed places like Inspiration Point, but from that point upward along Alum Cave Trail to within a mile from the Lodge, they are putting on a grand show.  The mountain laurel have opened up as well across the mid elevations, with the various heath balds surrounding the mountain being dotted in whites and pinks among a lush green pallet.  A friendly reminder to never pick the wildflowers inside the national park, as they are for all to enjoy as nature intended.