Some toad stranglers finally started hitting their mark late yesterday across East Tennessee. As anticipated, the Flood Watch has been extended into Thursday morning now. Aside from some lingering light rain and patchy clouds over the higher peaks, skies are much less turbulent to begin this Wednesday. But by this afternoon, the stormy action is set to resume with the potential of producing heavy rainfall. Until the next dry stretch appears in the forecast, the ground is going to remain saturated and creeks will be quicker to fill up after any decent rain. This edition of July sure has been a tale of two halves, feast or famine when it comes to the precip. We’ll see how August shakes out, as early indications show the return of the heat. If we happen to get any glimpses of sunshine today, that might coincide with us seeing temps near 70° again.
There is a great deal of color around the lodge now. The coneflower blooms have really shown out and the white snakeroot has started to fill in the gaps. The occasional red bee balm really jumps out and catches the eye when panning the landscape. Down the trail, some of the famous late summer flowers are starting to appear. A smattering of purple gentian and even some early grass of parnassus decided they were tired of waiting. Stopping to enjoy these tiny wonders makes for a good excuse to take a break during an ascent in this heat and humidity.
Have a great day.
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