You don’t have to pass through these rocks on the Appalachian trail in the Grayson Highlands, but its a lot more fun if you do.
Tag: Nature
Creek Crossing
Compared with some crossings in the area this bridge feels a little over-engineered. Not that I’m complaining about the fact that it has handrails on both sides.
Wolves
Members of a captive wolf pack at Bays Mountain in Kingsport, TN.
Smooth Water
When the water is too high the trail (pictured!) is impassible and it is necessary to take the high water trail. The trail is not impassible in this shot.
Wetland Bridge
The tranquility of the lake in Bays Mountain park just blows me away.
Reflective Reservoir
Bays Mountain in Northeast Tennessee is home to a large public park with a cool nature center, some pretty hiking trails, and a large reservoir. Sitting in a little bowl on the top of the mountain, and allowing only a single boat (a barge for showing guests around the lake) means that the water is often exceptionally smooth, leading to amazing reflections on days like these.
Flutterby
This one was hanging out on some prime real estate, quenching his thirst.
Laurel Falls
In order to get to Laurel Falls from Hampton, TN you need to inch along a narrow ledge above the river or, especially when the water’s high, take the high water route up and over. Definitely worth it.
Flooded Magic Island
When the water level rises in Stone Valley, the landscape gets odd, and impossible islands form where there were once minor changes in the landscape.
The water rushes through ferns and tree-roots and creates barriers in the landscape that redefine hiking for the day.
Forest Bridge
Captured on the hike on the AT from Hampton, TN to Laurel Falls, across Laurel Fork on one of several crossings. So peaceful in the morning!
Full River
Water levels in the Raquette River through Stone Valley (site of some excellent rocks) were quite high, leading to normally dry areas (like this one) overflowing with impromptu waterfalls. Surfaces and water levels in various areas didn’t want to match up, and made for a feeling like the whole river had been “assembled” out of order.
Waiting for the Island
As a youth, I read tales of “wandering islands” on the backs of giant sea creatures. As the fog burned off at Camp Canaras, I couldn’t shake the illusion that the island was drifting closer. (Of course, Saranac Lake might make for a disappointingly small range to wander.)
Foggy Infinity
Rainy, early-summer mornings in the Adirondacks seem to go on forever. That first step into tremendously cold water, on the other hand, is anything but foggy.
View from the top
It’s hard to adequately describe the view from the tops of the balds of Grassy Ridge. This particular vantage is from Jane Bald. While hiking along here it is immediately clear why people would want to hike the Appalachian trail.
Decaseconds 