Category Archives: mountains

Dogwood Winter Strikes

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A glance out the window the other day was rewarded with the sight of the buds on the dogwoods starting to swell and burst open. Soon, the mountainsides will be spotted with the white blooms of the wild trees while the remainder of the flora is just hinting at the first of the green rush to come. Right on time, at least according to natures calendar which does not fit in neat little boxes, dogwood winter has arrived. While most are well acquainted with “Indian summer”, that last burst of warmth that precedes fall, dogwood winter is the springtime mountain counterpart.

Just as the days start to warm and for the first time the mercury climbs to the 70′s in the heat of a nice day, dogwood winter signals a last spasm of the fading grip of winters fingers on the landscape. Right around Easter, along comes one last burst of cold often accompanied by snow. Sunny and in the 70′s one day, then a coat of white on the ground, one last reminder that winter does not go easily into slumbering retirement.

Dogwood winter is typically a mild event. It can also be a wicked slap to the fresh face of spring with it’s new blooms and emerging growth. Last year saw a couple inches of snow on Easter Sunday. The plastic eggs missed by children who ruined their Sunday shoes in the wet surprise were opened weeks later by the lawnmower or spotted still hiding amongst leaves in the garden. At it’s worst, dogwood winter can bring an ice storm which snaps the branches off the pear, apple, and cherry trees laden with blooms and foil the early plantings of the farmers with a freeze.

This rite of passage has come, a signal from nature that it’s calendar progresses according to it’s own whim. The fluffy flakes of today will be gone tomorrow and we can now move into spring with this behind us.

PS – good riddance. Time to ride.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go to America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

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First Hint of Spring

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Finally, we’ve had a bubble of warmth settle over the mountains after the last dumping of snow. It didn’t take long for the bikes to appear. It was nice to not only get out, but have some warm and sunny weather to make it more enjoyable.
Everyone seems to be looking for spring and the signs of it are starting to appear. The first blooms are adding a little color, and the buds are growing fat on the trees. It’s not here yet, and we know there will be more of winter’s bite, but little by little brown will give way to a youthful green and a shower of blooms next month.
Along with spring comes a bloom of events to attract motorcyclists to the area and distract them from why they really came long enough to liberate a few dollars from their pockets. Mostly, it’s charity events right now, but the rallies that rotate from venue to venue will crank up soon for those that need an excuse other than riding to justify the trip. It’s a good year to come with Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrating it’s 75th anniversary and the sagging economy spawning discounts and package deals from the lodgers and merchants just to get you in the door. You’ll be welcomed and appreciated.
Start making your plans. The mountains are waiting for you with thousands of miles of fantastic roads to explore, more than anywhere else in the country. I know, I’ve been on most all of them. Come rediscover why you ride a motorcycle and what it’s meant to do for you. You deserve it. You need it. Now’s the time more than ever.

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