May 4, 2017

Finding Trilliums

For a number of years I've heard about the display of trilliums in the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area. A photographer mentioned recently that the season for these wildflowers would be over soon, so on Tuesday I drove out I-66 to Route 55 in Linden to visit the place. It's not far from Front Royal and I have passed it a few times while going other places.

There was a sign to it near the Linden Post Office so I turned onto Freezeland Road and went up the mountain. Since the road is not very familiar to me and I was watching for signs, I wasn't driving very fast and soon a pickup truck was right behind me. Since I don't like holding up local drivers who are in a hurry but I didn't want to speed, I looked for a place to turn off and let him go by. I spotted a wide turn-off and swung into it. The truck driver honked in annoyance and sped past.

I noticed that I was at the entrance to a monastery.

I've read about this place in the local paper. It is home to a small group of Dominican Nuns. Curious, I drove down the lane. The monastery building was bigger than I expected.


It is situated on top of a hill, and the view is spectacular!

Sharing with Fences Around the World
After taking a few pictures of the mountain view, I returned to the main road and continued until I saw a sign for the Wildlife Management Area (WMA). I parked in the first parking lot and it turned out to be surrounded by wildflowers. 


A sign says you need a hunting license or fishing license to enter the WMA, but my understanding is that you can hike or take pictures without a problem. I wouldn't hold a party there or pick the flowers though.

The flower with three petals and three leaves is a trillium. A hiker told me that a week ago the forest was carpeted with these blossoms! They still looked pretty special. There were plenty of other wildflowers too.




10 comments:

  1. This is very interesting Linda. I enjoyed the tour you took us on, stunning scenery, interesting about the monastery and those wildflowers are beautiful! Enjoy your Friday and a great weekend :)

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  2. A venerable monastery building and nice plants. We haven't Trillium here, but rare there are other plants from Germer-family.
    Enjoy your weekend

    Weekend Green is back and will continous working now...

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  3. ...they are blooming here, what a joy!

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  4. Trilliums are blooming here in Oregon too, but ours are only white.

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  5. Trilliums are our provincial flower, actually. They bloom so brief a time, but they really brighten things up.

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  6. I have white, red and yellow on my place

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  7. I love trilliums and always wanted to pick in the woods growing up. have you come across any red trillium? I understand that one smells horrible. Would love to see one of those.
    Enjoyed reading your post.
    Betsy

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  8. ... yes, that view is magnificent!
    Good to read your post and enjoy your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  9. Beautiful view from the monastery there. In a park in a town we used to live in, every spring trillium would cover the ground under the tall trees. They were so pretty to see each year.

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  10. That was quite a monastery building. Lovely area to hike and th Trillim is so pretty.

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