AT-Benton MacKaye Springer Mtn Loop

This hike has been on our upcoming list for a long time. However, it was not too difficult to get to the trailhead, just a long, slow drive on Forest Service Roads that are in fairly good shape. Other than a section of the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) being blocked by a recent large blowdown, both the AT and BMT are well marked and maintained. The initial, but not terribly steep, climb and rocky approach path to Springer Mountain make this a moderately difficult hike. There were two very nice viewpoints, one from Owen's Overlook and the other from Springer Mountain. There were a few wildflowers along the way. One of the more memorable sights today was the "eating away" of the hardwood canopy on a section of Ball Mountain by the Contracted Datana Moth caterpillar. Jim Sullivan, the naturalist and skilled botanist at the Tugaloo Bend Heritage Site provided the identification of this caterpillar and further noted, "They are a native moth and periodically explode in population, mostly very localized. The caterpillars in the photo are young and will get rows of bristles down their side as they mature. Gypsy moth are very bristly right from the start. These are great food for all the birds that migrate here for the summer. Warblers, cuckoos, vireos especially. These birds keep these infestation from doing much damage. Imagine how out of balance it would be without those birds!" TODAY'S HIKERS: Heather & Toby, Shelia Getman, Beth Hawkins, Rich Brown, Lynn Steele, Jane Brown & Squirt, Pam Hembree & Mike Bell