This week end I met my pal Hal up in Bakersville. Some of his relatives have a place we could crash. The plan was to do some shooting up at Roan Mountain. Peak Catawba Rhododendron and Flame Azalea bloom was last week end, but I was hoping for some residuals. We didn't get to Carvers Gap until about 10:30 and the people were already swarming. I figured we would just do a shorter day at the Rhododendron Gardens today and get back up here early Sunday morning for the trail to Grassy Ridge.

Today's weather was decent - mostly cloudy, but some sun and blue skies. We paid the $3 and headed to the parking area. The Gardens is mostly a series of loop trails - easy hiking through rhodo and spruce/fir forest. Most of the rhodo blooms were past peak, but this was a nice group.