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Nowhere are the seasons
more dramatically different than in these mountains. Each season is
sufficiently long so that the coming of the next is always welcomed.
Even Winter can be looked forward to. It's then that all the details
of the surrounding beauty can best be seen.
Injun Creek in Greenbrier
Cove |
In Winter there’s the
obvious post card scenery of snowfalls. Everywhere you look
there’s an opportunity for recording extraordinary beauty
with whatever medium you choose. And, between the snows, the
ordinary dense foliage is reduced to a state that allows some
comprehension of its makeup. The evergreens dominate the scene
even though the extent of the deciduous growth is much greater.
The bare trunks and branches of those trees become the feature,
with an infinite variety of patterns and shapes. The holly trees,
hemlocks, pines and spruces have their day of recognition. Now,
the small leaf of the mountain laurel and the large leaf of
the rhododendron can be easily distinguished. The ground mosses
seem to glow with green luminescence. All this growth enhances
the hollows and ridges of the mountains so, that on those crystal
clear days, you feel the bones of the mountains themselves are
revealed.
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| Spring
seems to trickle in like the myriad of tiny springs and branches
around us. Yet the flow is up slope, slowly gaining elevation
as the air warms. The hard, sharp surfaces of winter yield to
the softness of the pastels of flower and tree buds and blooms.
An unbelievable variety of violets appear. Yellow, large and small
whites, and blue to deep violets. Larger white flags of bloodroot
and trilliums compete for attention. The buds of the maples wash
the ridges with a blush of rouge.
After the show
of white of the service berry and dogwood trees of March and April,
comes the exotic white blooms of the mountain laurel in May. By
June, the show of whites is further enhanced with the opening
of the blooms of the rhododendron. The warming temperatures prevent
any regret of the enclosing canopy of new leaf growth. Shadows
are welcomed during the heat of the day as they will be all summer
long. |
Mountain Laurel
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Middle Prong of the Little
Pigeon River |
Summer
comes with a rush of overwhelming growth. The competition for
light and space produces plant growth possessed with the energy
of the tropics. Still, blooming plants can be found in the growing
shadows. If you don’t see them first, you can hear the attention
they have drawn from the insects bent on their share of the sweets
they offer. Bird life too explodes as migrants return and begin
their competition for territory. The quietness of the two previous
seasons gives way to the lift of bird song and the constancy of
insect hum. “Lazy summer” has no meaning in this world.
This is the season when “smoky mountains” does have
meaning. Think of it as the smoke from an industry of plant and
animal activity. |
Mountain fall harvest
is a gathering of colors that come in waves, exploiting the
enormous variety of trees. First, there are the reds of the
dogwoods, sumacs, and the Blackgum. Then the yellows of the
birches, cherries, and poplars slide down the slopes. Next,
the splash of the reds and oranges of the maples take over.
Then the deep reds of the oaks are all around you. Finally,
that red yields to the deep wine of the white oaks. And it's
not just in the tree leaves, but flowers as well. The fruits
of the summer growth include an abundance of showy large flowering
plants such as Joe Pye Weed, New York Iron Weed, Cardinal Flower,
and numerous sunflowers. The bounty that is available is such
that every year there is much speculation as to whether the
upcoming harvest will equal that of previous years, and a listing
of all the reasons for a forecast one way or the other - testimony
to the attention such riches bring. The crisp cool nights seem
to match perfectly the crunch of the fallen leaves. Nighttime
fires are a must. Daytime visibility is superb so it’s
easy to see the march of color down the higher mountain slopes.
Rainfall is minimal so most every day seems near perfection.
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Maples on Webb Mountain
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