Craggy Gardens
Blue Ridge Parkway, NC
Mile Marker 364
Friday, June 1st, 2012
Along the Craggy Pinnacle Trail
This past weekend I attended the annual Grandfather Mountain Nature Photography Weekend. Check in didn't start until 3:00pm on Friday, but I decided to take the whole day off from work and take a leasurly drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway making a few stops along the way.
There was a light misty rain most of the drive, and as I gained elevation I entered into the clouds and the thick fogged limited visibility to about 20 feet. I knew the fog would eliminate any of the awesome views from the Craggy Gardens Trail, but I thought it would still be pretty cool in the fog.
My Truck at the fogged in Craggy Gardens Trailhead
I parked at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, and as soon as I stepped out of my truck, I knew I had not come adequately prepared for the rain and much cooler weather than I was expecting! So I purchased a nice BRP waterproof windbreaker jacket at the Visitors Center before beginning the short hike along the Craggy Gardens Trail.
I was right! This is definitely a cool place to be during the fog! The Rhododendrons were a bit past peak, but still had plenty of nice blooms left. Here are a few shots from the Craggy Gardens Trail
Next up, I decided to hike up to Craggy Pinnacle. For some reason I have never hiked this short (0.7 mile) trail before. Rumor has it there are some awesome 360 degrees views from up top. It was still a very cool trail to hike in the fog, but I will have to come back during a clear day to check out the views!
Here are a few shots from the Craggy Pinnacle Trail
The complete set of Craggy Gardens Photos are posted here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/582911374Oaaqwv
3 comments:
Once again I miss the height of the rhododendron blooms in the high country of my own state. Every year I miss it! This year because I had committed to attending a science fiction convention as a guest. I wish I'd gone hiking instead.
Nice pictures. Craggy Gardens is on our list of places to visit. It looks as if it's worth the time and effort.
Gorgeous photos, Jack!! The fog really does add a lot of visual interest to a photo!! I especially love the second from the last photo on the blog post -- that vertical perspective of the rock face and rhodo bushes is gorgeous!!
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