The Balds

A bald is a unique mountain ecosystem, usually found on or near mountain tops, that are mostly covered with grasses and other low growing shrubs and hedges. I've made it a point to see several of these, and once you make it to the top of one, you won't soon forget. The following photographs were taken from Andrews Bald and Gregorys Bald, both of which are located in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and Max Patch. Andrews and Gregorys are special in that they are covered in flame azaleas that bloom in late June. Max Patch is a grass bald with some great views. Whether they have mostly shrubbery or grass depends mostly on whether the Park Service maintains them by clearing or fire.

Andrews Bald

Gregory's Bald, overlooking Cades Cove. In the last photo, though hazy, you can see the cove in the distance. This bald can only be reached by hiking 6 miles, straight up. A grueling hike for sure, but worth it, as you can see. The flame azaleas can be found in several colors, and even hybridize to create new colors (see third photo).

Max Patch. Note the small footpath that winds up and over the mountain. That's the Appalachian Trail.

Jason
1/6/08

Mount Leconte

I've made this hike twice. This is a short photojournal of my second time up, Jessica's first. Mount Leconte is one of the highest peaks in Eastern North America. At the top sits a lodge that can only be reached by trail. Supplies for the lodge are carried up by a pack of llamas. Reservations for one of the many small cabins have to be made years in advance. Most people hike up, stay the night, then hike down the next day. Some of the more hardcore types, like us, make it a day trip. We took the Alum Cave Trail......the shortest, but steepest, of the many trails that lead to the top. The first time I hiked it, in 1999, I made it up and down in four hours, in a new pair of hiking boots that left bloody blisters the size of half-dollars on both of my ankles. On the way down I ran into an older gentleman by the name of Ed Wright. Mr. Wright developed a fondness for the Alum Cave trail, and starting in 1991, the year of his retirement, hiked to Mt. Leconte over 1300 times. In 2007, he finally had to give it up because of knee problem (go figure). He has written a book and created a website devoted to the mountain and trail: http://www.mtleconte.com/. He kept a log of every hike and on the day I spoke with him, he took my name and added me to the list.

The trail starts low and meanders beside a peaceful creek for a while. A few miles up is the trail namesake, Alum Cave(below). There used to be a mining operation here, where alum was mined for use in epsom salts.

Past the cave, the views become spectacular and the trail is so narrow and rocky in places, cables are bolted in to the side of the mountain for hiker safety.

The views disappear and its straight up to the top. I'm out of breath just thinking about it.

Near the top, the trails converge.

Made it! The cabins appear through the mist.

The lodge. Only the paying overnight guests get to eat at the lodge. The smell of that food cooking was just too much for us to handle, having just hiked uphill for almost 6 miles, and facing a downhill hike of the same distance with only cheap snacks in our backpacks. We didn't stay long.....there is a KFC a few miles from the trailhead.

Jason

All photos © 1992-2008

1/7/08

The Smoky Mountians

Been many times......hopefully, will go again many more times.

Why do they call them smoky, anyway?






The place to be in late October.














Barn in Cades Cove.



A rainbow spans a valley in Cades Cove. Luck was with me that day.



Brrrrrr........but still beautiful.



The balsam wooly adelgid has destroyed a large percentage of the fir trees at high altitudes.



Tower at Clingman's Dome, on a bad day.



Tower at Clingman's Dome, on a good day.



Jason
All photos © 1992-2008
1/6/08

Waterfalls of the Smokies

I've spent a great deal of time in Great Smoky Mountain National Park and have always had a fondness for shooting running water, be it one of the major waterfalls, like Laurel or Grotto, or just a small trickling stream along the roadside. I've accumulated quite a collection of photographs of these waterfalls and it'll taking some time to scan them all, so i'll be updating this particular post on a regular basis. Here are just a few to start:

Jason
All photos © 1992-2008
1/6/08