Pinhoti Challenge Hike!

On April 18th, the 6th installment of the Pinhoti Challenge was put in the books. Wildflowers were the highlight of this trip! Back in the fall of 2008 when these hikes were being planned, this section was specifically picked for a hike at this time to observe its wildflowers. It didn’t disappoint! Over 40 different species were seen, along with 2 black racers who lived up to their name!

The hike started on FS531 and involved meeting a troop of boy scouts headed the same direction. The trail quickly descends about 1.2 miles to the Lower Shoals shelter. This shelter has one of the prettiest settings anywhere – 2 streams in deep gorges come together right in front of the shelter, then flow away in a third. Cascades in one of the gorges can be heard from the shelter. After crossing the creek just beyond the shelter, the trail quickly climbs and meanders through open hardwoods for a couple of miles. Before long, it descends again into a nice lush, green, quiet, flat spot with another fairly large creek crossing. This looked like a good lunch spot to our lead group. It would make an excellent campsite!

The trail continues to follow creeks and streams with magnificent wildflowers at every turn all the way until you cross FS 531 again. At this point, the trail turns somewhat westward and hugs the shores of Highrock Lake – which looks like a giant swamp. From here the trail climbs to some high pine thickets before descending once more to Shoal Creek and cruising into the Pine Glen campground. The campground offers semi-primitive facilities for a small fee.

Wildflowers observed:
1. Nodding Trillium (Trillium cernuum)
2. Cateby’s Trillium (Trillium catesbaei)
3. Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
4. False Solomon’s Seal, aka Solomon’s Plume (Smilacina racemosa)
5. Large Flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
6. Yellow Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)
7. Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
8. White Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris sp.)
9. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain – we saw leaves only (Goodyera pubescens)
10. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
11. Shuttlesworth’s Ginger (Hexastylis shuttleworthii)
12. Giant Chickweed (Stellaria pubera)
13. False Rue Anemone (Isopyrum biturnatum)
14. Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)
15. Round-lobed liverleaf (Hepatica americana)
16. Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)
17. Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
18. Bloodroot – we saw leaves only (Sanguinaria canadensis)
19. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
20. Alumroot (Heuchera americana)
21. Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)
22. Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
23. Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
24. Bird’s Foot Violet (Viola pedata)
25. Wood Violet (Viola palmata)
26. Halberd-leaved Violet (Viola hastata)
27. Mountain Laurel – getting ready to bloom (Kalmia latifolia)
28. Trailing Arbutus – just finished flowering (Epigaea repens)
29. Galax (Galax aphylla)
30. Alabama Azalea (Rhododendron alabamense)
31. Piedmont Azalea (Rhodododendron canescens)
32. Silverbell (Halesia carolina)
33. Downy Phlox (Phlox pilosa)
34. Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis)
35. Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)
36. Small Bluets (Houstonia pusilla)
37. Lyre-leaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)
38. Mountain Mint – crushed leaves only (Pycnanthemum muticum)
39. White Daisy (Chrysanthemum sp.)
40. Dogwood (Cornus florida)

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