Mar 27
The month of May marks a transition time in Central Appalachia's forests as the canopy's vibrant green cloak closes above the forest floor, and the spring ephemerals go dormant and fade away. The forest now belongs to the ferns, fungi, mosses, and lichens, which collectively drive nature's great recycling engine. The next great spectacle, just around the corner, is the mountain laurel bloom, with a few plants already busting out their colors.
Photos from two different weekend hikes around the Cheat River Canyon (which, along with Dolly Sods and the New River Gorge, has one of the best laurel blooms in Central Appalachia).
