Solitude in the Smokies:
Some would think that after two months of COVID lockdown, the last thing anyone would seek is isolation! In his essay, Nature, Emerson profoundly explains solitude in a simple line: "To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, page 37—published 1836). With that quote in mind, I set off for the Great Smoky Mountains to escape my chamber—with the added advantage of avoiding society too!
Those that have visited the Smoky Mountain can confirm that they certainly live up to their name! This beautiful mountain range reaches towering heights of nearly seven-thousand feet—often blanketed with a smoky blue haze created from the area's vegetation, which gives the region its magical quality. The Smoky Mountains offers landscape photography enthusiasts an impressive backdrop of vistas and mountains; there is always something to shoot—no matter what the weather brings.
The Sunset from Morton Overlook.
A view across Deep Creek, looking southeast into North Carolina, from the Clingmans Dome access road.
Sunrise at Newfound Gap
Looking south from Beech Flats across North Carolina towards Bryson City (North Carolina), 37-miles over a very rugged horizon.
Looking north into Tennessee. Each new clearing brings another ridge, and then another! Steep and difficult to climb due to the thick undergrowth. These mountains have changed little from the time these ridges and valleys were settled—tough to negotiate.
Thunderstorms roll in from Tennessee. Named after Ben A. Morton, a civic leader and conservationist of Knoxville, Tennessee, Morton Overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers stunning vistas for photography.
There are so many beautiful natural areas still maintained within the United States, but the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is one of those places that must rank high on the bucket list; It's a living museum—with a real connection to the past. Here you will find all you need to know about the natural history of the region; learn about the European settlers, homesteading, mountain living; the ecosystem, geology, trees, mammals, birds, other plants, and wildlife. Visitors are often rewarded with sights that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.