This weeks phenology post is located on a hiking trail off of the blue ridge parkway in Asheville, North Carolina.

This spot is definitely very different from my phenology spot in Burlington. Differing from my regular location on the Champlain waterfront in Vermont, this spot is a wooded hiking path in the mountains in the Blue Ridge Parkway. I noticed many different types of vegetation that is used to the climate of Asheville that would not thrive in the climate of Burlington. Also on this hike that there were many rhododendron, mountain laurel, chestnut oak, beetleweed and a lot more moss covering the ground. These are native to the area and love this climate because of the humidity. The temperature is much warmer down here then up in Vermont this time of year. Here there were many twisty vines scattered in the forest that grew around trees, branches, and anything in their path. Other observations from this fun hike is an Eastern Box turtle that was hidden in the leaves and some mushrooms growing off the trees.

We spotted an Eastern Box turtle hiding in the fallen leaves on the side of the path

360 View of hiking trail / phenology site