Graveyard Fields

With the rain stopped and the Blue Ridge Parkway open again, I set out for a hike in the Graveyard Fields area and to check out fall color progress.

The rain has really slowed things down. Originally on course to be a very early autumn, things appear to be on a more normal pattern. The mountains are still mostly green with splotches of color here and there.

Graveyard Fields is the exception, mostly changed. From my last visit a week and a half ago I was disappointed. A lot of the early reds are gone, beaten by the rain and wind. A flatlander would be blown away by the color present, but as one who has seen the area at its brilliant best, I felt let down. Still, there is quite a bit of green there, so things may yet improve.

I hiked to the Upper Falls through bits and pieces of good color and lots of mud. There was more water on the Upper Falls than I have ever seen. It was impressive, but the extra water flow made the falls less photogenic.

On the way back some incredibly interesting clouds were forming, so I took some sky photos and tried to incorporate some color in them. Overall the color was nice though a bit subpar, and the water levels were better than they've been for some time. There is potential for some improvement, so I will revisit in a week or so.