Roan Mountain recently held their annual Fall Naturalist Rally, and I had the pleasure of leading a few hikes for them. Came early to check out the trails, and found a typical high country foggy dawn.




Here's another view of the early morning light.




And some sunshine burning through the fog...





Thick fog in the lowlands made the peaks look like islands in a misty sea.





This Dusky Salamander was certainly designed for damp soggy places. He sure looks pleased with the morning mist!







Early morning light really brings out the textures of the rocky places.







And all that moisture is perfect for many mountain plants. Here are some Roan Mt Goldenrods around a small pool.





And here's a rather unusual little orchid. Still working to confirm the identification, but it looks like a rare species of Lady's Tresses - Spiranthes ochroleuca. These were thought to be extirpated in our region, but a local botanist recently found a population at Unaka Mt. These Roan Mt plants look a lot like them, but it will take a better botanist than me to confirm this... (Hope to have time this weekend to check out the Unaka Mt population).







But it doesn't take an expert to know that soggy forests are perfect for mushrooms! The photo of the smaller, younger one was an experiment - using an old Asahi Pentax close-up lens on the DA 21.






Hope you enjoyed the foggy mountain glimpses, and that you'll share your critique and suggestions!

[CreationBear]

Excellent sets! In this one, I think the last two especially are most evocative, but the 21mm plus close-up filter seems like a stroke of genius...I really do love the "soundstage" backdrops it provides...a less-than-rich-man's Zeiss 25mm, perhaps?

[Cee Cee]

an enjoyable series, some great shots there, thanks for sharing

[mole]

CreationBear- Thanks for the kind and specific comments. Hope these will encourage you to go hiking on the Roan sometime soon. 21mm plus was really an accidental success. Could not focus quite close enough to get enough of the mushroom in the picture, so decided to try the old close-up "filter." Results were much better than I had hoped! (PS - was down in your neck of the woods recently for a conference at Tremont. Not much time for photos, but will try to post a few of the GSMNP snapshots soon...)

Cee Cee - And thanks for taking time to comment!

[Bob Harris]

Really enjoyed all of your hike Ranger, but those mushroom shots are some of the best I've seen. I'm not an early person so thanks for sharing what I often miss.

[Dewman]

I make it a habit to seek out your photos. They are most impressive, indeed. I have yet to find a soft one. Always very crisp and sharp with the perfect amount of PP. You have a good eye. Very refreshing.


Dewman
SW Idaho, USA

[Sagitta]

This makes me miss living in North Carolina. I lived way down at the NC/GA/TN border area. Gorgeous countryside down there.