Mudhole Gap / Bear Wallow, VA

Photos by Michael Juskelis, 2005/06/04.

Little Passage Creek.

Hiking up Massanutten Trail.

View across Strasburg Reservoir. We climbed the ridge in the distance to get back to the cars.

View on Bear Wallow Trail as we descend.

The Mountain Laurel is coming on strong!

Whorled Loosestrife, (Lysimachia quadrifolia) along Mudhole Gap Trail.

False Solomon's Seal, (Smilacina racemosa) growing along Little Passage Creek.

Yellow Goat's-beard or Salsify (Tragopogon dubius). Note that the bracts are much longer than the petals, differentiating this from T. pratensis.

Unrelated to the one above, this Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) will be covered with minute creamy blossoms soon.

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea) lined parts of the Massanutten Trail.

Great/Large Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis grandis) was a bit more scarce than its cousin above.

We saw Yellow Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta) everywhere but this bouquet at our lunch spot along the Strasburg Reservoir was outstanding.

Saw quite a bit of Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), wherever it was damp.

A triple header: two Zebra Swallow Tails, a Silver-spotted Skipper and a Red-spotted Purple. We won't discuss what was attracting them but it definitely takes away from the romantic imagery associated with butterflies.

Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon canescens), growing along the rocks at the top of Bear Wallow Trail.

Fringe Tree or Old Man's Beard (Chionanthus virginicus). Very Fragrant.

Sierra Club Howard County Group: