| « Previous | Home | Next » | Blue Ridge #1 Saturday, August 27, 2005 |
 For the next couple of days I will be posting pictures from the Shenandoah National Park. The Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains hold a very special place in my heart. First, I grew up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge and spent many a Saturday and Sunday up and down the hills going on family picnics at places like Humpback Rocks, Loft Mountain, Peaks of Otter, and others. Later, as I entered my prime years as a student archaeologist at the University of Virginia, I was a member of a team studying human adaptation to mountain environments. Funded by the National Park Service, we spent several years studying the hollows, ridges, gaps, and meadows of the Blue Ridge. I did my Master's Thesis on the prehistory of the Shenandoah National Park and, had I actually finished it, I was poised for my dissertation in that area as well. I have spent many days combing the deep hollows of these mountains. I have camped in places most people never see. I have discovered wonderful places hidden from the hordes of tourists that pass along the Skyline Drive. On this trip, however, I was no more than one of the horde! This shot is from one of the many overlooks. For those who may not be familiar with the Blue Ridge, now maybe you can understand why they have such a colorful name. When the conditions are right, it can appear (as it does in this shot) that the mountains fade into the sky with the blue sky and blue ridges blending together in the haze. Addendum Saturday Morning: You should check out this link for an amazing series of pictures of a collapsing road during a storm. | |
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Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Landscapes, Nature, Places |
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