FAVORITE PHOTOS - SOUTHEAST

Here's a quick look at some of my favorite photos from the Southeastern United States.  The highlighted red text links to the Destination for this hike, or you can click the photograph to enlarge it to 640 x 480 pixels:

I've been chased off the summit of Rabun Bald by a thunderstorm just about every time I've camped on it.  On this winter trip, however, we had perfect weather and I snapped this shot of the tower from the Bartram Trail. 

The hike to King Creek Falls is an easy one that follows the river southbound from the Burrells Ford Parking Area and picks up a spur trail that leads about 0.3 miles to the falls.  It drops 60-70 feet into a U-shaped cove that has a small beach at the base.  We hiked here in the summer of 2000 and took a long break at the falls to cool off. 

 

 

The Pixie and I were hiking back to the Cumberland Island Visitor's Center from Stafford Beach when we passed a herd of wild horses grazing along the Atlantic Ocean.  It made for a great picture, although the horses weren't exactly skiddish of hikers and backpackers.  Cumberland Island is a popular destination in Southern Georgia and most of the animals on the island are accustomed people and unafraid in their presence. 

I caught a lot of great sunsets from this ridge near Hanging Rock State Park.  On this occasion, I happened to have a camera and caught the sun dropping below the horizon just west of Pilot Mountain (and Pilot Mountain State Park.)   

Mt. Mitchell at 6684 feet is the highest peak in North Carolina and it is named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a professor of sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill.  He correctly deduced that the peak was the highest in the Black Mountain range.  There are spectacular views from a lookout tower at the summit of Mt. Mitchell and along the ridgeline which includes Mt. Craig (6647') and Big Tom (6580').  I shot this picture below the summit not far from Big Tom.  The Camel and I had just set up camp when the sunset and the sky took on a purple tint.

 

Summer can be brutally hot in North Georgia, but the Conasauga delivers some nice swimmin' and fishin' holes (as does the nearby Jacks River).  I shot this photo of Memphis, Deacon's dog, as it surfed a small waterfall along the Conasauga.  The Joker cheers on Memphis in the picture and I honestly think the dog had more fun on this trip than we did. 

The first time I witnessed a sunset and a moonrise occur simultaneously was on a backpacking trip in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Creek National Forest.  The Operator and I had just reached the rocky outcrop of Hangover when the sun fell behind the horizon at Stratton Bald.  Directly behind us was a full moon rising in the east.  There was low laying fog in the valley below us and the scene was epic.

Looking Glass Rock is named for the appearance of the mountain when water freezes on the exposed granite surface and reflects the sun like a mirror.  This shot doesn't show the dramatic cliffs that cover it's eastern face, but it is still one of my favorites.

 

I hiked this section of the Chattooga River in the middle of winter with CC, Sikle, and Smoky.  We had unseasonably warm temperatures on this trip when I snapped this shot of Sikle looking out at the river.  There were a surprising number of people on the trail this weekend, but we still managed to find a secluded spot along the Chattooga only a few miles from the trailhead. 

 

Sauratown Ridge is located about 20 miles north of Winston-Salem, North Carolina by Hanging Rock State Park.  It has excellent views of both Pilot and Sauratown Mountain and I snapped this shot of The Seeker on a rock outcrop facing Pilot Mountain to the west. 

Congaree Swamp rests on a floodplain of the Congaree River and is not a true swamp, but it is the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. I paddled it with Sikle and The Camel and shot this photo before we launched at Cedar Creek Landing.  If you like snakes, you'll like this place.  They're everywhere.

 

OTHER PHOTO LINKS

Appalachian Trail Favorites - This is a collection of my favorite photos from the AT, many of which were taken during my 1994 thru-hike.

Other Favorites - These pictures are mostly from the west coast and the Rockies. 

Top Ten Favorites - This is a collection of my ten most favorite photographs from the trail.