ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605210014
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 24 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG
The New River Valley is a wildflower wilderness at this time of year. Try a hike at the Cascades in Giles County or at the Blacksburg arboretum at Nellies Cave Park, home to 100 species of plant life.
A hike in the woods often provides an unexpected treasure, said Dean Crane, head of outdoor programs for the Blacksburg Department of Parks and Recreation. "You go hiking and don't expect something, and all of a sudden, a deer runs across the path," he said. "The flowers change almost weekly. You can walk the same trail and you might see something on one walk and then it's gone until next year.
"Or you're out in the woods and you come across this really, beautiful vibrantly colored flower and its backdrop is brown and green. It's a diamond in the rough."
The bottom section of Angel's Rest, a popular hike in Giles County, also is a good place to hunt wildflowers, he said.
Tools for wildflower hunting?
Good walking shoes and a field guide, your lunch and some drinking water.
You don't have to be a fanatic to enjoy it, Crane said. And there's always time to learn.
For information on wildflower walks, tree identification trips or even rock-climbing respites, call Crane at 961-1133, or another recreation department near you.
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM. In June, Rhododendron Gap at Mount Rogers isby CNBspectacular. color.