Thirty-nine years ago a group of us that
I’ve long called “The Naturalists” went botanizing below Rocky Ridge where plants
that are rare or non-existent in the area where we live grew in some abundance.
In the late 1990s our son-in-law and I
returned to Rocky Ridge to hike in the area where he’d spent time deer hunting
the previous fall. It was one of the last times we hiked together before his
heart failed him at a much too young age.
Recently, I decided to go back to Rocky
Ridge to find and photograph some of the plants we’d seen those many years ago.
I couldn’t find the obscure orchid called puttyroot which blooms in the spring,
but whose single leaf only emerges in late summer, then withers and dies during
the winter.
But I did locate some showy orchis, a
beautiful small orchid –
A second highlight of the trip was the hike
to the ridgetop which is occupied by the sandstone outcrops from which the ridge’s name is
derived.
A trail winds over and between the
outcrops –
At several spots clambering atop some of
the rocks affords views over Stone Valley and some of the many long ridges of
Pennsylvania’s Ridge and Valley region.
It wasn’t just the rocks and the views that
made this hike enjoyable; it was also the many flowers, among them, the
pinkster azalea –
Pink lady’s-slipper –
And perfoliate bellflower –
Rocky Ridge is a special area in so many ways;
I should visit it more often.
Looks like a special place! Neat flowers, great rocks, nice views and special memories!
ReplyDeleteThe orchids are lovely.
ReplyDeleteWonderful images. I love that top orchid, one i have never seen, so lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt's really impressive how creative the Nature is. So many different beautiful things. You are talanted to show this effect.
ReplyDelete