Blake and I headed up into the mountains yesterday to make the most of a glorious spring day, which was cool and illuminated by a beautful, flooding sunlight. At this time of year, there is still significant variation in the progression of the spring forests from the valleys to the summits, often with a temperature differential of from 5 to 10 degrees. Down on Gandy Creek, the fly fisherman were out in force after a trout stocking, but Blake's fly-fishing gear is out of commission right now, so he could only watch in envy. He's a great salamander hunter, however, and he did catch a gorgeous northern two-lined salamader (Eurycea bislineata), which reaches its southern-most range around these parts.



















