A commitment is required to experience the quiet grandeur of a Smoky Mountains dawn such as this. With close to an hour drive from the Gatlinburg area, it’s a very early wake-up call. And it’s a gamble, since on any given day you may experience only dense fog at the mile-high elevation. But the rewards…
The photo above and below show how densely packed life in the Smoky Mountains is. No sooner does a big tree fall than the recycling begins. Moss and lichens, then ferns and little pine seedlings. Death becomes life, and the old is made new again. In the Smoky Mountains, nothing is “cleaned up” unless it…
I headed out to the northwest corner of the Smoky Mountains last week, looking for the wildflower Indian Pink. I found the flower, but also found a couple of reptiles that were not on my agenda! First, working my way up Ace Gap Trail, eyes glued to the ground to spot those tiny wildflower blooms,…
In April of every year the Smoky Mountains are showered with dogwood blooms like a late spring snowstorm. Everywhere you go … up in the Greenbrier, along the Little River or the lower elevations of the Newfound Gap Road … in Elkmont and Tremont … the dogwoods sprinkle their blooms like white notes on the…
Last week I headed over to Cades Cove with these deer in mind. In winter they tend to congregate in large groups in the central meadow of the Cove. I parked along the loop road and walked down into the field among the herd of young bucks. Don’t ask me where the doe or the…
I was walking along the road to the Ramsey Cascade trail in the Greenbrier section of the Smoky Mountains last week. Just out for a stroll, with my little GF1 attached to a monopod like it was a walking stick. Another photographer came out of the woods onto the road, and we exchanged a greeting….
If you drive into some of the less traveled areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, such as Greenbrier or Tremont, eventually the road turns to gravel, and in summer you will start to see large quantities of butterflies. So many that sometimes it’s hard to keep from running them over. The swallowtail above…
Blackberries are ripening along the Appalachian Trail in the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The image above was taken in the Clingman’s Dome area. Of course, the black bears love blackberries too! Please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten…
The picture above is from Mortons Overlook near the top of Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Looking down the valley towards Gatlinburg, you can see the Chimney Tops towards the upper left of the image. You can also see many dead fir trees. As many friends of the Smoky Mountains…
Something green for St. Patrick’s Day. Nothing greener in the Great Smoky Mountains than the moss-covered rocks of the Roaring Fork. Conditions on the north face of Mt. LeConte create an extremely wet environment and a rich lushness of plant life. There may be no better example than the amazing green rocks and boulders along…
I’ve noticed that lichens seem to come alive in the winter. In the Great Smoky Mountains, lichens are everywhere, on boulders and rocks and trees. Maybe they stand out in winter because they are not competing with the lush green foliage of summer. In any case, wandering the quiet winter trails, the lichens really jump…
I live in Gatlinburg TN, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Smokies are a very spiritual place, and I attempt to capture some of that spirit in each of my photographs.
If you are in Gatlinburg, please stop in at my gallery .
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