My purpose for today's hike was to hopefully see the catawba rhododendron, flame azalea, and mountain laurel display grace Spence Field and the slopes of Thunderhead Mountain in unison. They typically peak there this time of year, but the crazy blooming schedule had me feeling skeptical. It was a sight I really wanted to see. I've been there in early July when the white rosebay rhododendron are in bloom, and I was just there the first week of May to catch the serviceberry trees kick off the arrival of spring at high elevations. I also look to return to this spot in October to soak in some fall color. So as you can see, Spence Field / Rocky Top is one of my favorite destinations for several reasons across several seasons. It was recently my No. 2 on my all-time Smokies list of favorites, but got passed up by the spectacular trip out to Hemphill Bald via Cataloochee Divide. Today I would give it a chance to regain its stature, but much of that depended on the floral display.
There weren't many miles to be traveled today, but I still wanted an early start to beat the traffic and enjoy the afternoon back in town with my folks. My ascent would begin along the Lead Cove Trail, a route that is all up and somewhat rocky from what I remember, but nothing too strenuous. It's also the shortest way to the top, convenient for what I wanted to accomplish. This stretch isn't even two miles so it passed quickly at my pace. The highlight along the way was seeing the first of the crimson red bee balm and a relative flower I had never seen before...basil balm. It's a smaller, white variation of the bee balm and I actually foudn more of it than the more common red.
As I made my way up through Spence Field, I spotted two turkeys grazing off to my right. Typically when I come across the big bird the freak out and fly away in a fury, but these two were tranquil and patient, so I slowed it down as well. Luckily they didn't mind my presence and I was able to get a shot of one.