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| ('scenic overlook' in the misty morning fog and clouds- beautiful still, just another kind of lovely) |
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| (ice on the branches up at Craggy Dome) |
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| (icy, frosty firs atop Mt. Mitchell) |
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| (for a bit of perspective- that fall is approximately 800'!) |
Our Wednesday 'Forest Days' are (as I mentioned in the last homeschooling post) something I have so come to treasure. They are a dependable and much-needed pause in the middle of our week, sometimes slow and quiet, sometimes bursting with play with friends. Always, always good. I'm writing this just after finishing this week's hike up to the top of nearby Lookout Mountain just in time to feast our eyes on the glorious fall leaves right here in our town while they are at their peak. We were last up there three weeks ago and my what a difference these three weeks have made! This post, though (and all of these photos), is about last week's forest day. Claire and I drove an hour up the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway and met friends at the top of Mt. Mitchell, which happens to be the highest peak this side of the Mississippi. We started off down around 2,300' above sea level and drove up, up, and over and around. We drove through fog and mist and we were up in the clouds at some points along the way. There were ice and frost-covered trees and flurries on top of the mountain. It was a winter wonderland up there! Driving back down we were again in a bright and colorful fall world. What a beautiful morning it was.
So beautiful! What a wonderful way to spend a day. I'm seriously longing to move to the mountains. My family just sold a house in Lake Junaluska that we've visited several times a year since 1980. I so miss those hills and how much easier it is to breathe up there. I love seeing your perspective of the mountain region.
ReplyDeleteblessings
~*~
thank you :)
Deletethis particular place (Mt. Mitchell) is just an hour from us (though we can see it easily from atop a lookout that is very close by- it's just the getting there that takes a while), and I wish we made it more a priority to get up there more often. I've never been to Lake Junaluska, but I've heard it's pretty! I bet the selling of that place is a hard pill to swallow......
We were in the Smokies a few springs ago. It was 80 degrees down in the valley and we got snowed/hailed on at Newfound Gap on the pass. I love how elevation can throw you into a whole new season in an instant. Such pretty scenery you got to see. I wish the fall colors would stick around a little longer.
ReplyDeleteOh the Smokies...... we took Claire backpacking in the Cataloochee area of the Smokies a couple years ago and it was such fun- I'd love to go back. Hopefully soon. And yes it's wild what a bit of elevation can do so quickly!
DeleteThis past week for forest day we hiked to a local falls with friends and we were commenting on how different the forest looked versus a couple weeks ago- very grey and misty, just bits of color here and there. Really, it is gorgeous- that golden light of late fall and all that mist. But we did mention how there's just the tiniest bit of let down right after the big hurrah of the super saturated peak fall colors. I'm about ready to settle in for colder days though, and I do like to see the bones of the mountains.
how incredibly beautiful. we were reading a book about the leaves changing color the other night. in the back it listed various places all over the united states where you could view a beautiful fall color show. one of them was near you, i can't remember where exactly, but it was fun to think of you at the moment and now see this :)
ReplyDeletethank you, Jenny~
Deletethat's so fun! If you happen to read the book again, I'd love to know the title- it'd be fun to read, I'm sure. We definitely do get quite a pretty show around here- we lack the sheer volume of blazing sugar maples that New England has, but I think we make up for it with all of the red maples and bright red sourwoods, golden hickories, etc.