After our great Virginia bluebell find last week, I was anxious to get to the Morgan-Monroe forest, where in years previous I’ve found the rare yellow lady-slipper. It was Sunday morning and we figured the highway would be pretty empty, so we headed out 10th St., and rode SR. 45 straight out to Tunnel Road, which we took to Shilo Rd, less than an hour of steady riding.
Shilo Rd. was repaved last year, and is still in great shape, a fine 3 mile ridgetop ride in the forest. We stopped for a break at Rust Rd., and has luck would have it Jason and Aaron Breeden came down the road, stopped and chatted for a few minutes. Jojo and I rode on to where Shilo ends on Anderson Rd., which we took over to Bean Blossom Rd. This road runs up the valley and then ascends nearly 300 feet over to the ridge which divides the White River from the Bean Blossom Valley.
After climbing the first long incline, there is a level stretch of ridge that drop steeply on each side. Right where we found them 2 years ago were the same 2 clusters of the elusive Yellow Lady Slipper. I took some pictures, they are here. We climbed to the top, and headed west on Forest Road, and to our surprise we saw several other clusters of Lady Slipper on the north side of the road.
As we rolled along enjoying the crisp green, forest air, we came on a clear-cut right along the roadside, with a sign that just flabbergasted me, I can’t believe they are so ignorant!
We rode Old 37 back to town, coming in through Cascades Park, about a 30 mile loop, really satisfying with just 2 big climbs, Bean Blossom and Firehouse hills. The weather was perfect, and the ephemeral wildflowers were at their peak.
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| From Mitch’s Bike Maps |
