Our Visit to Purchase Knob

As we progressed up Hemphill Road towards Purchase Knob, the BRNN contingent broke through a layer of low clouds to discover a brilliant sunny day in the high mountains.  A total of 26 BRNN members joined at the top to hear a welcome and the history of the site from Paul Super of the National Park Service.  Then we broke into two groups, one ably led by our own Lou Dwarshuis and Marilyn Kolton, and the other by Randy Richardson.  

As usual, the meadow offered a gorgeous tableau of fall wildflowers dominated by a variety of asters, goldenrod, and mints visited by swarms of bees and butterflies.  Meadow highlights included Mountain Goldenrod, Bladder Campion, Ironweed, Stiff Gentian, Lady’s Tresses, and British Soldiers marching along the shingles atop the Ferguson Cabin.

But the wooded trails also did not disappoint.  This year’s woodland highlights included Striped Gentian, Featherbells, Beechdrops, Doll’s Eyes, Pinesap, and a wide variety of mushrooms ranging from huge shelf mushrooms to delicate corals.  The groups followed slightly different routes leading to different finds for each.

Once again this year this amazing site proved a popular fall destination for our gang.