Winter on Hatcher Mountain

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Bill

Beth asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday this February. Well, I said, there’s a forecast for 7 to 10 inches of snow up in the Smoky Mountains. Let’s go to our cabin for a few days! She granted my wish but, things didn’t turn out exactly as planed.

The big storm was going to be Saturday night so we drove up on Friday and stocked up on provisions Saturday morning. The good news is we got plenty of precipitation. The bad news is that it all came in the form of ice. LOTS of ice!

Everything in the area was coated with a thick and heavy layer of ice.

Usually in the South, ice and snow don’t linger. The weather warms up and it goes away.

Not this time. The temps dropped to the teens during the day and below zero at night.

Even though we’ve got a big 4×4 vehicle, it’s pretty useless on solid ice.

The roads were so slick and steep that I couldn’t even walk on the pavement. Our remote location is private so nobody salts or plows out here. We were on our own.

Oh well, we’ve got plenty of food and there’s nobody else up here. How nice!

Then we lost electricity. An ice loaded tree must have taken out the power lines somewhere. Oh great, no lights, no water, no heat and we can’t drive down the mountain.

Things weren’t totally bleak. I had planned that we might lose power and had filled a bathtub with water in case our well pump lost power. Also, I had made sure our gas grill had a full bottle of propane for cooking. In addition, the main level of our cabin has gas logs that work fine without electricity. Bring it on!

Immediately after we lost electricity I put in a trouble call to the local electric company. A little over 6 hours later we got power back. YAY!

We were lucky because many homes were without power for over a week.

Now we’re counting our blessings…

We have food, water, heat, lights and the beautiful serenity of the Smokies in winter.

But, we came up here for snow…not ice. Queue the snow!

What do you know. Another weather system came in and delivered my birthday snow.

Hurray! Now I can get some snow pictures. Maybe some in whiteout conditions. Cool.

I’m loving it. Running around like a crazy person snapping shots of everything. Even an artsy B&W image of the front porch on our neighbor’s cabin. Groovy.

Now that’s more like it! Heavy snow you can barely see through. THIS is winter in the Smokies by golly.

Once the snow had stopped it was time to hike around the mountain. Paddy, the wonder dog, and I are hot on the trail of 2 bears. The tracks are fresh and appear to be a mother and cub.

The ice was still everywhere but the snow actually added enough friction that I could somewhat walk on the roads without falling. After a while Paddy and I break off our hunt. We’re approaching a blind curve in the road and don’t want to round the corner and surprise the bears.

I love seeing how the birds stay warm by puffing out their feathers and finding a place out of the wind.

Speaking of wind, towards the end of our stay we got 50 mph sustained winds and 70 mph gusts. It was downright scary! I had to lash the grill to the side of our cabin to keep it from blowing through the deck railing.

I wanted to experience the full Smoky Mountain winter weather treatment and we certainly got it. Just like some reality TV show. At times it was a little too realistic though. Our short planned visit ended up being about 10 days until we could safely drive down the mountain. What a fantastic adventure and great birthday!

Eagles at Conowingo Dam

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Bill

Beth and I took our annual Christmas pilgrimage up to Hampton, VA to visit her Mom and sisters. While there, my brother-in-law, Frank, and I decided to jump in the car and make a quick side trip to Maryland.

Conowingo Dam is located on the lower Susquehanna River just north of Aberdeen, Maryland. Each year from late October until early January the area just below the dam is surrounded by 50 to 100 Bald Eagles.

The eagles are attracted by the fish that get disoriented after passing through the dam. Sometimes the fish are so messed up that they float flat on the surface of the water for some time.

Since the fish are so easy to come by, the eagles are pretty lazy. Their top-of-the-food-chain predator status means there’s little competition for food here. Basically, they sit around for hours until hungry and then saunter over to the river for some take-out.

They circle for a short while and then zero in on a tasty target. Swoop, snatch and off to a nearby tree to enjoy lunch. Yum!

This is my third trip up to Conowingo. The fishing pier shown here was built in 2010 and beats the heck out of standing on the rocks trying to shoot eagles without falling into the cold water. It’s a nice low-to-the-water location but, we prefer the area behind the fence a little further downstream.

This location is nice because there’s somewhat of a pinch point between the river bank and a small island in the middle of the river. It brings the eagles a little closer when they’re fishing so you can photograph them in action. You still need a LONG lens to capture anything but, that’s the deal. 400mm is pretty much as short as you can go.

While waiting for that “ultimate fishing shot” you can get some nice soaring flight shots.

The light is always behind you from the right in the AM to the left in the PM. On cloudless days the sun really reflects off of the mature eagle’s head. The high contrast between the dark body and white head is a challenge for most cameras. Partly cloudy conditions are best.

Sometimes you can capture the eagle a fraction of a second before he grabs the fish. Talons open and ready for business.

Here’s an immature bald eagle in full striking position.

Another nice shot is to get the eagle just snatching the fish out of the river.

I’m usually not a fan of “bird butt” images but, Hey! He’s got a fish!

It’s interesting to watch them take all or part of their fish over to a tree and eat it.

If you’re really lucky the eagle will land nearby and sometimes give you an unobstructed view while enjoying a meal.

The turkey vulture on the right may be pushing his luck!

This one was “fill the frame” close when I made his picture. I thought he was bringing me that fish!

Nice light on this one with just a hint of clouds below.

One last flight shot before we depart Conowingo Dam.

Originally, Frank and I were planing to stop by Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the way back to Virginia. Our plans had to change when we got stuck in the heavy holiday traffic on I-95 South. We decided to swing by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge instead.

There was barely an hour of sunlight left in the day but, we found an eagle there, too!

You gotta love a nice flight shot in the waning golden light.

This is the same eagle settled in for the night on the Osprey platform behind the visitor’s center. The refuge has a TV camera rigged up to keep tabs on the occupants.

I swung around 180 degrees and made this final shot of the beautiful setting sun.

Ahhh. To be outdoors and surrounded by nature’s splendor.

We packed up our gear, jumped in the Sequoia and Frank piloted us safely back to Hampton, VA. What a nice vacation from a vacation.

Chimney Tops Hike

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Bill

The hike up to Chimney Tops has been on my “wish list” for quite some time. It’s one of the most popular day hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but, it’s difficult to schedule. The park’s Trails Forever team has been doing extensive maintenance there since 2012 due to severe water damage. Many of the steps and bridges needed to be rebuilt. As a result, the trail has been completely closed or only open on the weekends. Hopefully, all work will be completed by the end of 2014.

Lee and I got up early and arrived at the trailhead parking lot as the sun was just starting to come up. Even at that hour we were the second car there. All available parking fills up quickly so you have to get there early.

This is the bridge over the Walker Camp Prong of the Little Pigeon River at the trailhead. The parking lot is barely visible near the upper left region of this image.

The trail starts out moderately easy as you pass through a forest of Eastern hemlock, rhododendron and magnolia. The sound of the rushing water quickly drowns out any traffic noise from the park road.

This is the second of four total foot bridges along the way.

Although we were past the peak fall color there were still some impressive trees here and there.

The trail starts to get a little steeper before crossing the final bridge.

Here’s Lee standing next to one of the large old-growth trees along the trail. Notice how the roots have been exposed over time as the soil has washed away.

The final bridge is crossed about 0.9 mile from the trailhead.

Now the trail gets considerably steeper! It climbs nearly 1,500 feet over only 2 miles.

These are some of the wooden steps recently installed by Trails Forever.

Did I mention that the trail was steep? LOTS of steps!

…and MORE steps!

This hike is a great cardio workout. Our hiking poles were working our arms while our legs were negotiating all of the steps.

Yep, more steps.

These looked like they were just built.

I don’t want you to get the impression that the entire trial is just a bunch of steps. There are some nice sections in between with interesting trees and rocks.

Finally! The summit is within sight. From this point on it’s too steep and rocky to use hiking poles.

There’s a sign warning about the danger of climbing the slippery rocks. Evidently, hikers get badly injured here all the time. It’s pretty scary to be sure and not for anyone afraid of heights.

Here’s Lee near the top with the actual 4,753 foot summit just behind him. This photograph doesn’t really show how steep this area is.

This image looking somewhat easterly toward Mt. LeConte and Mt. Kephart shows how steep these rocks really are. It’s a sheer drop everywhere you look and takes your breath away. There are enough hand and foot holds to climb it without special equipment but, the climb down is worse than the climb up.

We decided the view was spectacular enough and the risks too great to climb the final few feet. While we sat there and ate our lunch we saw only one hiker bold enough to reach the summit. Most didn’t make it as high as we were.

This westerly view is toward Sugarland Mountain that’s rising out of frame on the right in this image.

The beautiful vistas in all directions make the effort of the hike worthwhile.

Wow! What a great hike! It was everything I had imagined and more.

Now, it’s time to start thinking about the next one. With over 800 miles of trails in the park it’s hard to decide. Maybe a section of the Appalachian trail out to Charlies Bunion? We’ll see…

Smokies Fall Colors

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Bill

Once again, Mother Nature did her Fall magic in the Smokies. Late October to early November was pretty spectacular. It’s funny how the peak colors only occur over a one to three day period. The exact date is difficult to predict with accuracy so, you just have to set aside some time and let things happen as they will.

Beth’s sister, Barb, and I got up early to visit Cades Cove in the golden morning light. The clouds were still low in the valley but, sunlight managed to find a hole to illuminate a few trees.

We drove halfway around the loop and decided to take a detour onto Parson Branch Road. It’s an eight mile one-way gravel road that leads out of the park towards “Tail of the Dragon”.

Along the route there are several water crossings and excellent photo opportunities. The park recommends only four wheel drive and high clearance vehicles attempt to take this road so we pretty much had it to ourselves.

We found numerous lovely spots to stop, appreciate the surroundings and make some images.

The following day we returned to Cades Cove and walked around the Cable Mill area.

This is one of the old barns with the mill flume in the foreground.

The flume continues a short distance until it reaches the John P. Cable grist mill.

My stepson, Lee, accompanied Barb and I up Rich Mountain Road. It’s another gravel road that leads from Cades Cove twelve miles over Rich Mountain and into Townsend, TN. A couple of miles into the trip there’s a nice panoramic view of the Cove. You can see the little Methodist Church built in 1902 on the left in this image.

The back-lit trees up on Rich Mountain were simply incredible. Deep reds and brilliant yellows all along the way.

The next day Barb, her husband Frank and I ventured over to the Foothills Parkway. It’s Tennessee’s version of the Blue Ridge Parkway and wanders over the ridge tops just outside but, overlooking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This image was shot near Look Rock.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Paddy, my able photographer’s assistant. She’s our Corgi/Jack Russell mix who loves to “help me” by jumping on rocks and pulling her leash while I try to photograph stuff. What a ham!

We really needn’t drive anywhere to enjoy the fall colors. Simply sitting in a rocking chair on the deck at our cabin was pretty amazing.

Only two days later the view changed dramatically! We got 4 to 5 inches of beautiful heavy snow.

This was shot at the top of Hatcher Mountain looking down on our cabin on the far right and three of the others in our little community. It’s unusual to see snow up here when the fall colors are still near peak.

Everyone had to get out and play in the snow. Here’s Beth’s mom, Mae, along with Barb.

Yes, Paddy enjoyed playing in the snow, too. (while “helping” me)

Just as soon as the road was re-opened, we were back in Cades Cove. This is the old Henry Whitehead place.

Fall snow isn’t common in this area and rarely lasts long in Cades Cove. Only the higher elevations are cold enough to hang onto it.

What can I say? We had great fellowship with close family and some beautiful sights. It was another memorable trip to one of may favorite places on earth.

ND Filter Fun

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Bill

Beth and I spent the last half of May back up at our cabin in the Smokies. I had several chores I wanted to accomplish on the property and mostly got them all done. Regardless, we managed to work in a little time for trips to the park and some photography.

During our previous visit my brother-in-law, Frank, loaned me his “Big Stopper” neutral density filter to try. I liked the results but, found it difficult to use. I decided to get a variable neutral density filter instead. The Tiffen shown here. It ranges from 2 to 8 stops vs the Big Stopper’s 10 stops. Not a big deal. I really like the ability to select 2 stops, lock focus and then adjust to more stops as needed to get the desired result. Easy peasy. The filter is relatively thin and has a wide outer ring so it works fine on my 17-35mm lens without vignetting.

We headed over to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to give the new filter a try. The back side of this trail has some really nice waterfalls and cascades. The smooth silky water is exactly the result I was expecting from the new filter. I like this shot.

We brought a picnic lunch and spent a pleasant afternoon in the cool shade of the forest with the soothing sounds of the water around us.

On another day I tested the filter at a waterfall that’s on the road to Cades Cove. Most photographers shoot waterfalls by pointing upstream. I decided to take this shot with the water moving from left to right. It’s interesting but, not as good as the Roaring Fork shot. The filter did its magic anyway.

Here’s a shot I took near the Tremont Institute on the middle prong of Little River. The shot is framed with the water moving diagonally from upper right to lower left. Also, I’m trying to isolate a small area by shooting low and using a wide angle lens. I like the result and it solves one of the issues resulting from long exposures. Any wind at all will cause leaves and grass to appear blurred. By isolating a small area I can somewhat control that.

I’m still learning how to get the best results from my new tool but, so far, I like it and am pleased with the addition to my kit.

One day Beth, Paddy and I decided to go exploring so we headed south on the Foothills Parkway along the western side of the park. At the end of the parkway we ended up taking a left onto US route 129. This leads to the famous “Tail of the Dragon”. This 11 mile road has 318 curves and is known worldwide by motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts. Here’s a snapshot of Beth and Paddy with their heads still swirling from all of those curves.

We brought a picnic lunch with us and ended up eating in a small campground in the shadow of Fontana Dam. After that we explored Fontana Village Resort and then decided to go through Bryson City and Cherokee, NC before taking US 441 back up through the park.

US 441 enters the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Oconoluftee Visitor Center. There’s an elk herd of about 15 head in that area. When we were approaching, we could see that the elk happened to be in a field just behind the visitor’s center. We couldn’t resist stopping and just watching them for a while. This bull is almost finished shedding his winter coat.

The past couple of weeks were simple, productive and relaxing. I got my projects around the cabin completed and we enjoyed the beauty of the park and surrounding area. Nice!