I'm now on the Franklin Ridge Trail (elevation 1,800 feet) and you pass through this section with the beautiful ground cover. Also, this is where the heavy overgrowth starts and soaks you to the bone in wet weather (like it was on this hike). Utterly maddening when you hit those stretches. Never hike the Franklin Ridge Trail if it has rained in the past week or if there is the slightest risk that it might rain the day of your hike.