The colors in the background are the focus, but the composition is deliberate here. The irony of the southern Appalachians is that it’s hard to photograph the trees, thanks to all the trees.
Whether you are hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Aprk, the Cohutta Wilderness of Georgia, or the Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, you’re probably going to run across some evidence of human civilization, even in deep forest that has been protected for 100+ years.
In the Cohutta Wilderness, the Jacks and Conasauga Rivers can rise fast after a rain. Due to a bit of poor planning, I woke up one morning to an uncrossable Jacks. Thankfully, this tall and otherwise healthy pine tree had fallen at just the right spot across the river. It provided a useful bridge and a bit of adventure.
Ruby Beach is an absolute gem (pun!) in Olympic National Park. It is a beach for sure, but it’s also a beach that does not want humans around. It is incredibly rugged, blustery, and powerful. There’s no swimming, but just being on the beach around the massive beach logs, rocky outcrops, and sea spray is invigorating.
I love seeing direct evidence of wildlife in the forest. This area had lots of evidence of beavers just working hard on their dams.
Hardman Farm State Historic Site is a very underrated Georgia State Historic Site. The house is this incredible bit of Italianate architecture built right around the Civil War. The entire property is lovely with well-preserved buildings that highlight the rapid economic succession of the Deep South from the antebellum era to the modern era.
Most years, I get to run either the full or the half marathon in Atlanta. It usually takes place early in the year, in late February or early March. It’s a great event with a great course, but it’s always funny just being part of such a giant crowd that is out to…run.
*like, sometimes I publish…a lot :O – though you can pick what categories you want.
Ahh…I see you’re up for some extra inconvenience. Some Type 2 Internet Fun, if you will. Well then! Follow me with your favorite Fediverse app or server (e.g., Threads, Mastodon, Pixelfed, etc).
I’m Nate Shivar from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I love nature, public lands, books, and the old-school Internet.
