Saturday in Asheville, Part III

Now for the big hike.  We decided on taking the bass pond/waterfall trail which was listed as a third of a mile one way which seemed quite doable.  And it was...but it was a real hike.  A fair amount of up and down and we extended it at the end instead of turning around and coming back the exact same way and that made for a little extra up and down.  But I enjoyed it so much!  I told Chris as we parted this morning (Monday) that it made me think I should find places to just go hike occasionally.  Of course, it didn't hurt at all that even though everything seemed like it had been there forever, the entire landscape has grown out of the plans and designs of Frederick Law Olmsted, a noted landscape architect of that era.  So it is all "naturally" lovely.  And it's been long enough now that the trees especially and most likely some of the many, many different species of flowering bushes and such are quite old.  At any rate it is glorious.  Incidentally, Mr. Olmsted was respobnsible for hiring Chauncey Beadle, a young horticulturist, as his assitant.  Mr. Beadle ended up living on the Biltmore Estate in that lovely gardener's cottage with his wife I believe for the remainder of his life, overseeing the care of the landscape and gardens.

And having written more this time than in Part I, I'll now do the pictures the same way, mostly one after another with an interjection here and there.  There are really way too many, but it's hard for me to weed them out (although I did!)

I love this tree.  There are two of them, one at each end of a paved-road bridge and they appear to have been planted on the big rocks with their roots draped over going into the soil.  They are perfectly, absolutely straight.

 This was attractive and interesting - all sorts of new growth coming out of the trunk area and all along the big bough bending over the path.  And what's especially interesting is that it's called a Japanese Upright Yew!

 Another bridge picture - I hope I'm not repeating myself - they were scattered all around the areas where we walked...

 The boat house in a truly peaceful setting

 A bank full of beautiful rhodendrons

 The "waterfall" - kind of a cheater, but a very nice walk to get there.  And we had to climb down rocks and such which is always an adventure.

 Following the water down from the fall on our "new way back" hike, we came across this little rapid caused by the huge slab of rock in the stream.  It was almost completely hidden by the overhanging brush.  We heard it and then had to search to find it.

 Yep, another bridge!

Late afternoon found us at the lagoon looking across to the house.  I actually managed to get a shot that includes the reflection of the house in the water and was quite pleased with myself. :)

And, I guess there's going to be a Part IV because I've posted all this flora and need to post some fauna.  And report on another wonderful dinner. :)

Incidentally, I see that the setting I put on my camera is causing the date to print on each picture.  I thought it was just for printed photos and that it would be on the back of the photo.  I'm going to have to remember to change that cause I don't like it.  Wonder if there's a way to remove it???