Monday, July 25, 2011

Misty Monday - Cool Mountain Air

Mists in the Balsam Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


Mists in the mountains, Mother Nature's natural air conditioning, are a sure way to alleviate the heat of midsummer. On our recent road trip, we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway, through its highest elevation, near Richland Balsam mountain (6410 ft.), where we encountered lowering clouds of cooling mist and rain. These mists enveloped the ridges of the spruce-fir forest, moving in and out of the trees like apparitions. The sight of these ancient mountains shrouded by clouds never ceases to amaze me, to leave me in awe of an event seemingly as timeless as the earth itself. The refreshment from the sweltering heat was so invigorating that it lifted our spirits. We danced a jig, ate some granola bars, and called it a good moment to be alive.

My daughter was kind enough to hold an umbrella over my head while I snapped this image of fog in the firs.

28 comments:

  1. Doug what a gorgeous image! Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. YAY for the mists, YAY for the refreshing coolness, YAY for the dancing jig and granola bars, YAY for the daughter!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful blue coulor. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, I can feel it! Fantastic colors!

    ReplyDelete
  5. One needs one's patient assistants.

    This is like a magical, mystical forest. I'm half expecting to see King Arthur.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like very much the mystic side of this photo and the tones of blue and green in perfect harmony. It is very attractive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. give that daughter of yours an extra granola bar. this is a wondrous image.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So beautiful--the mist creates such wonderful layering in the shot and I couldn't agree more about its refreshing characteristics. Great shot Doug!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So misty and mystic.
    I thought I saw a flying lemur (see bottom right)! Ha!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A joy to view the balsam forest and it's heavy fresh sweet scent.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The reduced visibility back across the image makes this one spectacular to me. Fine capture of this atmospheric condition.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this shot man. I have an odd passion about fog. So mysterious and such.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Amazing landscape, mist gives the image an essence of mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Muy buena, Doug!!!...tiene profundidad y transmite sensación de paz mezclada con aires de leyenda.

    Buen trabajo...un abrazo!!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Such a picture can induce only one reaction - wow! It's so beautiful, mysterious, and well-captured.

    ReplyDelete
  16. A refreshing image!
    I like it!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Really gorgeous. I was thinking what a great tinge of blue before I read your description that it was in the Blude Ridge Parkway!

    ReplyDelete
  18. great picture. I feel like I am in the forest. thank you for this emotion. hugs

    ReplyDelete
  19. The cool blue mixing with and obscuring the evergreen foilage makes an attractive image, especially on these hot summer days we are suffering through.

    ReplyDelete
  20. so glad to see we share the same aspects of beauty on earth, doug! mist in the smokies, mist in the alps - equally grand, equally photogenic! a glorious capture of the less appreciated facets of nature!

    ReplyDelete
  21. beautiful setting, love the layers.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Exactly how I feel when in the presence of Mother nature's natural wonders back home in BC. This is a killer frame that breally captures the layers through the mist, the stunning beauty of those majestic giants and the peacefulness of that vast wilderness.

    Away from people, up close and personal with Mother nature, a jig, granola bars and the feeling that this moment is so very special..... it does not get much better.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is so gorgeous. Very peaceful

    ReplyDelete
  24. terrific atmosphere catching, really nice different levels in presentation

    ReplyDelete
  25. i can almost feel the cool air

    ReplyDelete
  26. sounds like a good time
    fond memories
    and dreamy place to be

    ReplyDelete
  27. That is a wonderful landscape, I love how you managed to capture the beauty of the fog and those beautiful cold hues. Bravo!

    ReplyDelete
  28. i just like how it fades to blue like that.. well done.. :)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...