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, suddenly about two feet off the ground was the snake in the photo above. Since then I’ve identified it as a common and harmless garter snake, but on that morning a snake coming into my field of vision at such a close range was quite startling! But not so nerve-wracking that I couldn’t stop and take a photo.
Then later, after the hike, with lots of good pictures of the Indian Pinks in the camera, I spotted the turtle in the photo below. He was crossing the road near where I parked the car. If looks could kill! He was not happy about being asked to stop and pose for a picture.
The William Britten Gallery along Glades Rd in Gatlinburg has the complete display of Smoky Mountains Photography. Please stop in for a visit during your trip to the Smokies. There may be a special photo to remember your trip.