Photo Essay: Winter Wonderland

Watauga Lake in Carter County, Tennessee, is the highest elevation lake on the TVA system and so it is no stranger to winter weather. From the photographer: “This is a beautiful place during all four seasons. This photo was taken on Christmas Day after a snowfall.

Recent snow fall and bitterly cold conditions at Roan Highlands, North Carolina, created a delightful winter wonderland scene, covering all plant life on the mountain with beautiful hoar frost, making this scene truly photogenic. From the photographer: “Roan Highlands has always instilled a sense of magic in me every time I visit. It is truly a special place.”

This image is on Shawnee Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina, just outside of Banner Elk. From the photographer: “This is titled Fire & Ice. I love this spot because the views are just incredible as it looks down on the little community of Cool Springs. The sunrises and sunsets are indescribable.”

This image was captured along the Jones River Trail in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, where a log crosses the river and icicles have grown as water from the cascade splashes onto the log.

A frosty view of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, located along the Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. From the photographer: “Temperatures that day hovered in the low 20s as mist and fog rolled in and out, creating the icy, mystical scene. I’ve shot many images along this classic river over the years, yet it always reveals something new and unique each time out. This February day was no exception.”

It’s Christmas Eve 2020 and that cold white powder began to fall from the sky, it helped to create this beautiful scene in the small town of Jasper, Georgia. From the photographer: “This was the first white Christmas the North Georgia Mountains had seen in 10 years. As I set up to capture the snowy cityscape, the snow and clouds gave way to this beautiful sunset. As you enter from the north end of the city you are given this view of the historic Woodbridge Inn and the bridge from which it gets its name. I really enjoy this location because it represents part of the vast history of this quaint little mountain town.”

A couple of horses “chill out” by grazing in a frost-covered field on a cold winter morning in Great Smoky Mountain’s Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. From the photographer: “Cades Cove never disappoints.”

At 93 feet tall, Overall Run Falls is the highest waterfall in Shenandoah National Park, and attracts lots of hikers in the summer. However, only when conditions are right in the winter will you see these beautiful pillars of ice hanging down with colorful ice climbers clinging to them.

The cliffs bordering the Meadow River in Nicolas County, West Virginia, and Sonnet Falls are best visited during warm spells in winter when creeks are full from snow melt. From the photographer: “I like this waterfall because it is a perfect example of the scenic treasures you can find by reading rock-climbing guidebooks."