Mt. Laconte Lodge

[singlepic id=1409 w=480 float=left] The Mt. Laconte Lodge at, you can probably guess, the top of Mt. Laconte.  You can rent cabins there for an overnight stay at the top of the mountain, which, with a little additional planning can be made into a small through hike with light packs… Continue reading

Smoky Mountains 2015 – Day 1

[singlepic id=1336 w=480 float=right] Smoky Mountains Day 1 itinerary: 9:30pm (CT) – depart Chicago (Midlothian) Drove through the night 8:30am – arrive in the Smoky Mountains Stopped at Sugarlands visitor center Headed to Ramsey Falls (+ coffee) 10:20 – started hike 12:15 – arrived at the fall 1:15 – start… Continue reading

Chimneys Trail

[singlepic id=1329 h=480 float=left] The trail up to the Chimneys in the Smoky Mountains.  There is supposedly a gorgeous panoramic view at the top.  It was white for 360 degrees, but we kind of anticipated that given the fog on the trail which was pretty cool in and of itself…. Continue reading

Stinking Benjamin

[singlepic id=1328 w=480 float=left] The rare, and much sought after, Stinking Benjamin!  A red variety of trillium that we were keeping an eye out for the entire trip.  From Wikipedia: “The flowers have the smell of rotting meat, as they are pollinated by flies.” Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL… Continue reading

Gray Heron

[singlepic id=1327 h=480 float=left] Followed this gray heron for a while – I’m not sure if I was bothering it, it was on the other side of a river and I was shooting with a 420mm lens, but I’m not familiar with herons roosting in trees either. Picture taken with… Continue reading

Creepy Crawly

[singlepic id=1326 w=480 float=left] Here’s a creepy crawly (millipede) that we came across because, when you’re in the woods and you see a bug, you aught photograph that bug.  Found on the trail to Rainbow Falls. Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL 18-200mm lens @165mm, 1/60 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600

Spider Web

[singlepic id=1324 w=480 float=left] A spider web, on a fence, by a restroom, that was open at 7AM…  I was trying to keep the background in focus, thus the f/18, but apparently that wasn’t going to get quite enough DOF.  Calculator says I only had about 3″ of depth behind… Continue reading

Cable Grist Mill

[singlepic id=1323 w=480 float=left] The historic Cable Grist Mill in Cades Cove.  Took many, many pictures trying to decide just how I wanted the wheel to look.  It wasn’t spinning when we first arrived, but an attendant came and enabled it. Pictures taken with Canon 60D, EF-S 10-22mm lens @… Continue reading