10/27
update, 7:05 PM MT
Last evening, Doug Beezley joined me atop Clingmans Dome for sunset. A one-time Colorado resident for a number of years now living in Georgia, we've been exchanging emails the that past couple years on a regular basis, primarily about Colorado locations. Ironically, he spotted me on the Ohio Pass road near Crested Butte a few weeks back while he was out there and we had already made plans to meet while I was on my current trip. He treated me to a wonderful dinner last night (I ate way too much, but it was a nice change of pace from camp food), then lunch again today, and also left a few Georgian beers with me. Much obliged once again, Doug! We shot most of today together before he took off back for home in late afternoon.
The forecast was right for today as it was overcast. It actually started out clear at sunrise, but by late morning it was all clouded over, and the forests that had leaves yet came to life. I thought I was going to be able to come away with a few more shots today, but my best efforts are displayed below. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same, but with more rain, then clearing on Saturday morning. Hopefully, sunrise conditions will be favorable then. I will plan to leave the Smokies after Saturday's sunrise, then head for Georgia and South Carolina somewhere.
Additional thoughts about the Smokies:
It's free. Upon entering the park originally, I was surprised not having to stop at a pay booth. I didn't cross them at any other entry points. This is very un-government like! I suspect they just figured there would be no way they could keep up with all the visitors, for it is the highest-visited national park in the country, or they just feel sorry for all the visitors having to battle all the traffic. I mentioned previously that the traffic has been busy, but not unbearable, however, a couple of times it has been. What is up with people going ten under the speed limit and holding 30 cars up and not using pullouts—for 10+ mile stretches?! Unbelievable! Why I oughta . . .
From 10/26: Sunset from Clingmans Dome
From 10/27
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10/29
update, 6:30 PM MT
A second forecasted day of overcast in the Smokies yesterday was most welcome to get some more shooting in. I got what I could for fog shots in the morning along the Newfound Gap road before moving to the quieter eastern end of the park. This morning, I awoke to a trace of snow at 3,800 feet, then it was mostly blue skies by late morning. I headed out of the Smokies this afternoon to make my way to South Carolina and Georgia. Tomorrow, I'll take a scenic byway in northern South Carolina, then head for northern Georgia. I am quickly running out of ideas and think I'll be done in a day or two before I head for the Kansas City area where my sister and family recently moved to. Edit: after a phone call to my folks tonight, they had suggested I drive through the Ozarks, which is something I had not thought of and is a really good idea. That will give me some more scenic areas to travel through on my way back.
From 10/28
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From 10/29: I awoke to a trace of snow on the eastern end of Great Smoky Mountains NP
From 10/29: Whitewater Falls, North Carolina
From 10/29: Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, at the South Carolina border, and a few feet from my camp where I'm posting this update from.
One of my favorite meals during the last half of the trip. Mmm!
11/2
update, 11:00 AM MT
And here ends the main picture-taking portion of the trip. Yes, it's true. On the morning of 10/30, I headed over to Caesars Head State Park in South Carolina to see the view of Table Rock Mountain. I had just recently seen this view while searching online and had entertained thoughts of shooting it at sunset, but because it was only about 50 miles from my previous campsite, I decided I couldn't just sit for most of the day waiting, so I headed for Amicalola Falls in northern Georgia. It is said to have the largest total drop (I've seen figures as high as 700+ feet, but I would highly question that as it looked to be nowhere close to that) of any waterfall east of the Mississippi River. It wasn't all that impressive with minimal water flowing this time of year, nor all that photogenic. I thought Whitewater Falls was more impressive even though you see that one from a further distance as opposed to being right up on it. Since I stopped by there around sunset, I headed a bit further west out of Ellijay and found some national forest land to camp.
It was road trip day on 10/31 to cover some ground heading in a westerly direction and I headed toward the Ozarks in north-central Arkansas as I mentioned previously. I made it there by nightfall traveling back through Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi in the process. On 11/1, I headed for Overland Park, Kansas, to my sister's place. I will spend the next few days here before heading home on Saturday, 11/5. I will post one final update after I get home, so be sure to check back at least one more time for a few final snapshots and my closing thoughts on the trip with my impressions of an East Coast fall and topography from a Coloradan's perspective.
From 10/30: Table Rock Mountain from Caesars Head State Park, SC
From 10/30: a portion of Amicalola Falls, Georgia
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From 11/1: Just rolling through the states on this trip
25 states visited on the trip
11/6
update, 9:45 PM MT
And so the trip ends; 30 days, ~7,625 miles driven, and half of the states visited. Overall, the trip went about how I envisioned it. And now, my closing thoughts on what I saw.
Mountain West vs. East Coast fall colors
And the winner is . . . I actually don't think of this as an us versus them thing, but merely to offer my perspective. I have seen a multitude of comments over the years from others who are from the likes of Michigan or the East Coast stating how their states have all the colors and how Colorado just has the predominant yellow hue, therefore the eastern states are far more colorful. Well, I can say that I was not overwhelmed with any of the foliage I saw that stretched from Maine to Georgia. In fact, I was expecting far more vibrant reds of the maples. The Vermont hillsides were a darker overall shade than I would've expected, a slightly muted crimson; and while virtually every place in the state was dressed in this color, I wouldn't call it striking. A lot of easterners (heck, even westerners for that matter) do not realize the same colors can be found in mass in the Wasatch Range out of Salt Lake City and other areas nearby, so the folks on this side of the country don't have to travel as far to see the reds of maples if they wish not to. I know Vermont really markets its fall colors, but New York, New Hampshire and Maine offer the exact same thing. Further south, Shenandoah National Park had an overall golden-brown hue, while the Smokies were predominantly yellow with some red accents thrown in. There were a few hills/mountains covered the same Vermont reddish hue in North Carolina along the Cherohala Skyway.
For me, yellow is a more striking color on trees than red (unless it's scarlet red) simply because it is brighter. Not only that, but growing up as a kid, and even still today, I have always been attracted to the white aspen boles. Couple the white bark with yellow leaves and you have a brighter, more inviting forest when you're in it. I was expecting to run into some birch forests, but unfortunately, all of the birches I ran into were always very much isolated. Anyway, as for one being better than the other, based on what I saw, I would honestly consider it a virtual wash. Colorado does have the advantage of nicer backdrops, generally speaking, and remember that we, too, get some oranges and reds in some spots.
Colorado Rockies vs. the Appalachians
I had a guy ask me on the slopes Whiteface Mountain in New York how their mountains compared to Colorado's mountains. I didn't answer his question directly, rather I stated that I like anything with topography. I told him the mountains in the Lake Placid area specifically, such as looking off to the Mt. Marcy group from the summit was especially nice as the others in the area were far more tame. This area, the Mt. Washington area, the high vistas of the Smokies and along the Blue Ridge Mountains were the most impressive with the multiple ridges; Mt. Washington and its immediate neighbors are the most impressive in terms of vertical relief and most like what you'd find in Colorado. As I mentioned earlier, this is not an us versus them situation, rather I like to enjoy and celebrate the unique characteristics of a given place.
That all being said, I definitely have a gripe—one that I figured would come into play going into the trip, and one that I mentioned on one of my daily entries: the lack of public land. With my particular interests of roaming around and camping, this is of significant fundamental importance. Though I've been to the East Coast on a couple family trips earlier in my life, this was my first trip out on my own to visit some of the natural settings. I now have a stronger appreciation why the settlers moved west because I very much felt the cramped space, with the exception of central Maine that I noted previously, which was wonderful. National forest land was minimal, and what there was had even more limited access roads than what I am accustomed to. This isn't a big deal to most travelers because they stay in motels; even if I were retired, dispersed camping is hard-wired into me at this point that there's no turning around. Right now, I just want to take a trip out to Utah and get lost in silence overlooking some canyons and spread my wings a little bit. I wish I could've kept driving west on my way home, but I guess I need to go work some more for my next trip out.
That all being said, I did enjoy my travels and seeing what the land had to offer; I always enjoy seeing new locations. It wasn't all that productive on the picture-taking front, but I have some pictures that I am happy with. Ultimately, I set out to do what I wanted going into the trip: to see new land and bring home some pictures. I didn't necessarily have a great time due to the population and public land factor, but it was a refreshing break from work and it was a road trip, so it couldn't possibly have been all that bad! I can say that I gave it a good try, but for right now, the western states (and provinces) have everything that makes me feel at home.
As an aside, now home on my calibrated monitor, it looks like all of the non-snapshots off my SLR are a bit dark; the one at the top of this page is the most notable. I'll correct that one at some point, but apologize for the subpar look on most.
Oh yeah!
Ånd my new free matching hat I picked up at our Colorado welcome center in Burlington on the way in
A great Front Range sunset to welcome me home just outside of Denver
The foothills were washed in a golden glow and the new snow was glistening in the reflected light. This was the only good shot of the Denver skyline coming in; it's hard taking a sharp shot out the passenger window in low light at 55 MPH with bumps in the road and paying attention to traffic!
The end