The Smokies got a short-lived winter snowstorm earlier this week. By lunchtime the weather turned warm and sunny, and the snow was but a memory. I was out early, hoping to get up to Newfound Gap while the scenery was still fresh, but the route over the mountains was closed. I spent an hour on Little River Rd. waiting for the road to open, and the photos from that area were posted a few days ago. It was a wonderful morning for winter Smoky Mtns photos.
Once the road opened, I stopped first at Campbell Overlook and took in the scene below. The sun was already beginning to warm the cold mists, and they were rising rapidly on the face of Balsam Point on the western side of Mt. LeConte. The calm and bright mountain contrasted with the frantic activity of tourists zipping into the parking area to grab a quick snapshot before zooming off to the lure of higher elevations and the promise of even more snow. I lingered a while, watching the movement of mist, and thinking of the many different moods and views that this overlook offers during the course of the seasons.
The drive on up to Newfound Gap was a wonderland of heavy wet snow on the tree branches. Unfortunately when I arrived at the top there was very little snow! So I headed back down to capture some of the scenes I’d passed by along the way. The photo above is one of them: the Chimneys glistening in ice and sunshine. It turned out that the best of the snowstorm had hit in the area of the Chimneys picnic area.
If you are visiting the Smokies during this quiet time of year, or any time, please consider stopping in to see my complete display of Smoky Mtns photos at the William Britten Gallery on Glades Rd. in Gatlinburg. I’ve got framed versions of all my Featured Photos, plus magnets, mugs and notecards.
