Blue Ridge blog

Going above and beyond...

It was a relatively calm day on Grandfather Mountain. Wind gusts were only 35-45 mph. It was spitting snow. A group of Grandfather Mountain employees decided the time was just right to install a new anemometer atop the Mile High Swinging Bridge. In a couple of days, everybody in the whole wide world will be able to see what the weather is like on Grandfather Mountain's Mile High Bridge. Hopefully. The technology in such extreme conditions is a work in progress--so check back often.
Me?
I was happily planted terra firma hoping I would not be forced to document a bizarre tragedy--especially because these guys were not only particularly nice but it was righteously cold up there despite the temperate February weather. These guys are rock stars! There is no possible way I would climb that ladder. Ok, I might, but not without every single one of those dudes at the base holding on. Even then, I would be nervous and someone would need to dangle a cold beer, like a carrot, nearby. Truly, the only way it would work for me is to guarantee an excellent shot (of the photographic variety) could be taken from that vantage point...

Notes: To even out the highlights and shadows of this photo, I took liberal advantage of the 'curves' in Photoshop. Additionally, I did use a high-powered flash to better capture the humans against the sun and clouds....

Today on top of Grandfather Mountain....

My face may be wind-burned and my legs are weary, but to quote the late James Brown, "I feel good."
Such is a winter day in the High Country.
I did go snowshoeing on Sugar Mountain this afternoon which is basically climbing up the ski slopes and using cut through trails. It was a short trip and not nearly as tough as I wanted it to be, but I learned I value a good pair of cleats on the snow/ice. Next time I have a ski/snowboarding gig I will ask for a pair of snowshoes instead of using skis. And, it is really a hoot to run down a mountain. Cleats the size of bear claws are good things.
Afterward I visited Grandfather Mountain. I had hoped to catch some rime ice photos, but the photogenic trails were closed. I'm glad they were because man, it was some kinda cold up there. This photo (above) looking southeast was not easy to take. The wind was relentless as it sliced through my body.  I used my Jeep as a windshield. I realize the horizon is off-kilter in the photo, but really, this was not ideal conditions to be shooting in (winds gusting 45-60 mph) and I was lucky to get anything. I used my 300mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter. Oh and, I was able to see the Charlotte skyline about 100 miles away. Again, it isn't a great shot and certainly is not as good as Hugh Morton's posted here but still, it was cool to know the sky was clear enough to see (not with the naked eye) the big city. I wish I had a polarizer filter to fit my 300mm lens, some extension tubes and morning light. Sigh. It is a live and learn photographer's life....

And Google this. Google comes to Lenoir. Will there be a brain-drain from Watauga County?

Looking towards Hickory and Morganton...

And so my day started with a 4 a.m. trip to Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory is a lovely little city which sits at the feet of the Blue Ridge mountains. Only one tiny problem I could find with Hickory, NC...the downtown area is a complete and utter nightmare to read on a map in the middle of the freakin' night! Seriously, the city planners used no recognizable logic when naming the streets. There is no downtown grid pattern to the streets which by the way have cute little names like 3rd Ave SW which intersects 3rd St. NE. In any case, my husband and I escaped the Hickory gauntlet without divorcing. Upon returning home at 9 a.m., I could see the snow capped Grandfather Mountain and announced to my husband my intentions of going to get a look-see as soon as I returned home.This is just one of the photos I took looking south from Grandfather today. Maybe more later...I'm really tired and a wee bit grouchy.

But before I lay me down to sleep, want some snarky local headline links with your daily cup of coffee? Check out what the anonymous BooneWeb Blogger has to say.

They are in Wilkesboro now...

Ok, this image is for all three of you who aren't in the Blue Ridge Mountains today enjoying the scenery. Don't fret though. Today's weather looks just like this pretty photo I took on top of Rough Ridge yesterday. But we all know looks can be deceiving. Right now the weather outside is windy and the high temp may reach 50 degrees. So those of you not up here can smirk a little knowing you once again fooled Mother Nature by staying away. Oh, and if you are looking for fall foilage, you'ns may want to run down to Lenoir or Wilkesboro 'cause I think that is where the leaves blew during last night's windstorm. Sorry.

Falling...

Just for you, I drove up and over Grandfather Mountain and north upon the Blue Ridge Parkway to test the fall colors. If'n you were gonna go for a hike today, I would recommend Rough Ridge near the viaduct. Gorgeous red colors! This maple tree found in the McCrae Meadows of Grandfather is at it's peak while most of the other nearby trees are only hinting at change.

Gradual changes...

For those who want to know, the color is slowly appearing up here in the hills. I took this photo of Camp Broadstone on Sunday morning. My 'eyes' on Grandfather Mountain sent me an email this morning informing me, "I post a new image on our website each day in October, so you may want to keep an eye on that to see how much color I am finding where." Indeed a fabulous way to get my daily dose of eye candy and save money on gas.

An evening with Grandfather

The low evening sun illuminates the wild heather and wind-knarled trees on top of Grandfather Mountain. My husband and I walked the ridges of  Grandfather Mountain yesterday while waiting for my eldest daughter to run The Bear. She did it! She's crazy, but she did it. I will be spending a large portion of Saturday on the mountain as well when I cover the Highland Games .

And a few little nuggets here:

First, if you want to catch a glimpse of me in action (really, it isn't all that exciting) check out the Mountain Times 4th of July video on the sidebar of the page. Or, just look at me here:

See. I told you it wasn't all that special...but it is proof that I exist--or so I claim.

Next: A co-worker of mine that I dubbed "Nate the Great" has a blog appropriately titled Byte Me . He is our computer whiz/nerd/genius/freak. He is well versed in speaking both Mac and PC. I don't even pretend to understand him, but you might. He did capture an awesome shot of lightning over Boone. It is well worth the click to see it. Please tell him I sent you, it may help me get a better computer at work ;-)

Give a man a camera and a mountain....

Let me first say that I Did Not take this photo. Or the one below either. Hugh Morton did. Hugh Morton passed away yesterday. Mr. Morton is a famous North Carolinian who championed the preservation of the Tarheel State's scenic beauty through his photography . It helped that he owned a mountain as grand as Grandfather.

I once heard Hugh Morton say that this photo of the hummingbird flirting with a bee balm blossom was the image of which he was most proud. We were at a Boone Chamber function and he was presenting a slide show of photography. The crowd like it, but they seemed more impressed by his blazing autumnal vistas. I believe that I was perhaps the only person in the room who understood the effort and patience that was necessary for Mr. Morton to capture this fleeting moment. I guess it is one of those 'photographer things' but sometimes it is the story behind the photo that makes an image that much sweeter to those of us who press the shutter.

My favorite Hugh Morton image is this one:

I was attending a camera clinic up at the Grandfather Mountain Nature Center and heard Hugh Morton talk about how he captured the image of the Charlotte skyline from the top of the mountain. He said that it was an unusually clear, unpolluted morning and one of his employees called him on the phone and told him that he thought he could see Charlotte. Hugh grabbed his camera gear and headed up top. I can't remember the focal length of the lens he used, but it was massive and he also had to use a tele-extender to reach the city. A print of this scene hangs in the Nature Center and I return to view it every single time I visit.
I'll always remember Hugh Morton as a photographer's photographer. He understood the needs of a working photojournalist and went out of his way to make the job easier for us. Hugh Morton was a visionary who possessed a God given talent for capturing the soul of our North Carolina mountains on film and then promoting their beauty throughout the land. Rest in peace, Hugh. Your life's portfolio shows, without a shadow of doubt, that you were proud to call North Carolina home.