Smoky Mountaineer

A local view at one of the most beautiful places on Earth

[ceppana-blog]

I like bears.

Markers and aquarelles, by me.

[i-am-fen-harel]

Jaclyn DeLyon

[dappermouth]

take care to walk in silence.

[smokymountaineer]

This is what I imagine deep in the Smoky Mountains after it snows

[thomas--bombadil]

What in the forest possesses higher form or more subtle beauty than the waxwing?  

To see one, is to see a perfect thing. 

[ostdrossel]

Bird pics are a bit like seasonal fruit. These are plentiful currently, so here’s another dose of Blue Jay.

[barelydreaming]

My week has been magical ✨

[eopederson]

Early Morning in the Southern Blue Ridge, Nantahala National Forest near Cullowhee, North Carolina, 1979.

[unfaction]

[mossyoakswampdonkey-deactivated]

“Woods are not like other spaces. To begin with, they are cubic. Their trees surround you, loom over you, press in from all sides. Woods choke off views and leave you muddled and without bearings. They make you feel small and confused and vulnerable like a small child lost in a crowd of strange legs. Stand in a desert or prairie and you know you are in a big space.Stand in a wood and you only sense it. They are a vast, featureless nowhere. And they are so alive.”

— A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

[vintagecamping]

Mrs. George Ketchem, has her son Charles, help adjust her 20lb backpack before a 10 mile hike. All in preparation for their attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Missouri, 1967 

[rabbitinthemeadow]

Stumbling across a demarcated, man-made landmark that I’ve never seen before in woods I’ve hiked countless times is such an uncanny and ethereal experience.

[americasgreatoutdoors]

Lace up your boots! The National Trails System Act of 1968 promoted the establishment of trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills and physical abilities. Winding through some of our nation’s most striking natural beauty, the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Coast Trail were the first trails added to this fantastic national system. Beyond recreation, other trails follow routes of travel of national historic significance including past paths of exploration, migration and military action. It’s exercise for mind, body and soul. Photo on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina courtesy of Joshua T. Moore.

[jamiemgreenart]

Some pages from my backpacking section hike on the AT.

[capturedphotos]

Mood.

Photographed by: Paolo Nacpil ( tumblr | instagram ) 

[samuelmrtn]

Thistles and weeds 

[trevtravel]

An icy sunrise at Clingmans Dome

[jamiemgreenart]

Some quick gouache paintings from my trip to North Georgia, hiking in the blue ridge mountains. Not all of them were successes but it was a great learning experience in plein air!