I’ve seen these a place or two before, these tiny ice curls that happen at when the temperatures are just right. This exact sighting was long the Appalachian Trail just west of Clingman’s Dome. According to the internet, they’re formed when groundwater near the surface freezes and forces its way out of holes in soil that contains a lot of clay.
Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL 18-200mm @ 81mm, 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 100
