Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2022, Part II

A couple of hours into my hike to Charlies Bunion, and my longest trek of my road trip was going really well.  I felt strong at the midpoint, and I was making good time.

Alas, I was not to have exactly the dramatic vista I was hoping for at the overlook.  The Great Smoky Mountains were living up to their name this day, and the smoke was thick.

The bunion itself is an interesting landmark, rising starkly from the lush landscape.  There were many small, gray birds there looking for handouts, but none were interested in sitting still long enough for a picture.

The return hike was all about capturing the flowers.  The bright overcast conditions were perfect for photographing this Hollow Joe-Pye Weed ...

... and another Turk's-cap Lily ...

... and ANOTHER Turk's-cap Lily.  Seriously, they were really gorgeous.

Many of the blossoms stood out strikingly from their dark backgrounds, like this Cutleaf Coneflower.

I really wasn't familiar with Ghost Pipe before this hike.  I wasn't even sure if they were plants or fungus or what.  But they were creepy and compelling.

Speaking of creepy and compelling, the "smoke" had settled into some lower parts of the trail.  So an atmospheric shot was the proper response.

Great hike to end that phase of my road trip.  Eight miles in four hours -- perfect pacing.  A long drive to Memphis still awaited me, but I was recharged and ready for the rest of my summer.

Now it's been two months, and I need another hike!

Related Links:

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2022, Part I
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Grotto Falls

Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2022, Part I

On my summer road trip two years ago, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was easily the highlight.  It was unlike any place I'd ever seen, almost impossibly green and lush.  Its waterfalls were stunning.  Its giant rhododendrons were marvelous.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the chance to visit again.

I got in later than expected, playing cat-and-mouse with heavy rainstorms throughout the afternoon.  After checking in at my campground, I barely made it to the Clingmans Dome trailhead in time to start my planned hike to Andrews Bald in time to make it before sunset.

Alas, the storms meant clouds which meant that even though I reached Andrews Bald in time, there was no sunset to be seen.

I waited as twilight fell and the clouds became fog, then stumbled back to my car through the mist and darkness.  I had a headlamp, so I was safe.  Covered the three-and-a-half miles in less than an hour and a half.  But it was still plenty late by the time I got back to the campground and called it a night.

I had plans to make it to Memphis by the following evening, but not before I got in one last hike.  Charlies Bunion was the destination, Newfound Gap was the starting point, and conditions were absolutely gorgeous.

The morning sun was filtering through the trees just enough to spotlight these Ghost Pipe.

Soon enough the sun was doing more than just filtering, but the think trees and cool temperatures made me feel like I could hike all day.

The higher I climbed, the more Turk's-cap Lilies I came across.

AllTrails and MapMyWalk combined to give me perfect updates on my progress, and soon enough I was at the offshoot to Charlies Bunion.

More to come!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Clingmans Dome Sunrise

I knew exactly where I wanted to shoot sunrise in Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- Clingmans Dome.  The new photographer friend I made at Morton Overlook the previous night validated my decision.  He advised against making the half-mile walk to the top of the observation tower, recommending instead setting up at the far end of the parking lot.  So again, I followed his suggestion.

Like I said before, it's hard to go wrong when you follow the advice of a local.  I was there early enough to get the pre-dawn shot I'd visualized in my mind -- rows of shadowy mountain ridges against a colorful sky.

To the east, some of the area's namesake "smoke" was rolling up and over the mountains.

What I originally thought was a lake to the south turned out to also be "smoke" -- or rather, a valley full of fog.

The colors in the sky were not fading as quickly as I had thought they might.  Plenty of time for a more panoramic take on those ridges.

The actual sunrise came gently -- almost meekly.  This three-image HDR blend makes the sky much more vivid than it actually was in person.  I actually had to reduce the vibrance and saturation in Lightroom to something a little less "hyperreal."

I'd been fussing with my circular polarizer that morning and the previous evening, blaming it for unwanted lens flares in some of my shots. So I took it off when I left, but then pulled over to take another crack at the clouds that were continuing to pour in.  I did get less lens flare, but I also got some pretty bland color.  So after a thorough cleaning, back on the camera the polarizer went. :)

A rewarding half an hour to be sure.  I even got to see Comet Neowise, which I mistakenly thought was Venus until a nice stargazer gently corrected me.  All of this before 7 a.m., no less!