May 11
Despite the dreary weekend weather in NC-WV (seems to be the pattern lately), I was able to hike a few more trails in the Quebec Run Wild Area, just over the state line in PA. Photos above are from the inersection of Hess and Rankin Trails, which converge at the namesake Quebec Run. Pink lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) is now at peak bloom in the local woods, while pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) is just starting to push. American cancer-root (Conopholis americana), a parasitic plant that grows from the roots of oak and beech trees, is also in bloom in May. The flowering stalks of the plant remind me of stubby corncobs sprouting from the earth. You can't walk three or four steps without seeing a patch.