Springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains

It is mid-April and I have returned once again to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to savor springtime. The profusion of blooms there is overwhelming and my camera gets a workout. Dogwoods are at their peak, trillium carpet the forest floor and other small flowers and creatures have come alive after a long winter. 

This was my chance to sharpen my skills and to reconnect with a vibrant world. From my tent site  perched above the Little River, which was not so little after 4-5 inches of rain, I ventured out for five days to explore and capture the beauty of spring in the southern Appalachian mountains.

One of my favorites was the waterfall near the Middle Prong which appeared after the rainstorm. 

Rainfall Waterfall

 

And this nearby waterfall before the rains, which runs most of the time with the exception being extended dry periods.

Falling Waters

I decided that the most interesting thing about this chickweed flower was the contrast between the red stamens of the flower and the white petals.  This required getting very low and using a macro lens and extension tube. Quite striking indeed. 

Chickweed

A new area for photography near the park is now available. The Foothills Parkway has a new 8 mile section that just opened in November 2018. This beautiful parkway traverses the mountains near Townsend, TN. Also known as the "Missing Link", this road took 52 years to build due to financial and engineering issues. On Easter morning I captured this image of the dogwoods and mountains. There was even an Easter Sunday outdoor church service there and the scene was stunning. 

Foothills Vista

No trip to the Smokies is complete without a tour through Cades Cove, and spring in the cove is when bear cubs are just emerging from their dens to explore their world. Avoiding the bear jams, I just missed seeing one young family of bears, but there was much more to see and photograph in the cove. Such as this tranquil scene with just emerging leaves illuminated by late evening light. There is a small cemetery below these trees and the fence keeps the deer at bay.

Cades Cove Evening

 

With all of the blooming flowers there are many bees and other insects going about their daily chores. You have to appreciate the role that bees play in our environment. Without their pollinating work, many of the foods that we eat would not exist and many flowers depend on bees to spread their pollen. Again, this was a chance to work closely with the small world. 

A Bee's Work

As mentioned earlier, dogwoods were at their peak. Again shooting in the rain, this dogwood across the stream really caught my eye. It was getting quite dark and heavier rain was moving in when I captured this image. This tree is growing along the banks of the Middle Prong River and the swollen river was tugging at the now partially submerged branches. So, of course I had low light and motion in the tree. In order to freeze the motion, I needed a slightly faster shutter speed.  Thankfully, these new cameras give the option of using a much higher ISO.  This dogwood was just so majestic. 

Dogwood Blossoms

Of course spring does not last forever, and I could not stay much longer. So I headed north for another chance to watch spring arrive. Time to again watch the world come alive and to be thankful for the chance to savor the beauty we have in this world. 

 I will be back for another spring and perhaps as soon as next year at the NANPA Nature Photography Celebration in Asheville, North Carolina from April 19-22. There I will get to network with other photographers as we enjoy springtime in the Carolinas.