Becoming a full-time landscape photographer was a real thought at this point in my life (2014).  It was risky for me.  I had invested heavily–both time and finances–in my degrees and work experience within the construction industry.  Cutting the cord was going to be like jumping off a cliff.

On this particular morning, I set off from my apartment in Upstate South Carolina well before sunrise.  I hit Asheville, North Carolina with no issues and began climbing the Blue Ridge front.  Traveling up NC-261, a two-lane curvy road towards Carver’s Gap, is when I hit virgin snow.  Drifts of maybe a foot or so in places.  My truck was a 6.0L 2500HD GMC Sierra; hardly a lightweight.  The combination of elevation climb and snow drifts, however, caused my transmission to heat up.  Dash indicators were lighting up.  With no options, really, I shut the truck down right in the middle of the road (it was dark and I had seen no one for many miles).  After ten or fifteen minutes I would fire the truck back up and repeat the process until my dash indicators began to dance again.

I stepped out of the truck atop Carver’s Gap with every layer I could find and, under dark skies, began the trek along the Appalachian Trail north.  The front side of Round Bald was relatively easy.  The backside, however, was where the snow had drifted considerably.  There were spots that were routinely hitting my thighs.  The real challenge was the ascent to Jane’s Bald, however.  The morning light was coming on fast.  At this point, the Appalachian Trail underfoot becomes larger boulders, which on this morning were covered in snow.  My primary error:  I didn’t have crampons on my boots.  It was a shit show!  I basically had to crawl to the top (I’m glad no one witnessed this weird struggle!).

Things didn’t go much smoother up top either.  The extremely cold temperatures had sapped two of my batteries before I even used them.  I guess I should have kept them closer to my body during the hike out.  Finally, I found one that was strong and began firing frames.  I wish to this day that I had a better technical grasp on photography on this morning, as well as a more capable camera to capture the raw data.

When I returned to the truck after sunrise I had snow/snot/ice all over my beard.  It was like an episode of Life Below Zero on the Discovery Channel!  I tried to find the cell phone snaps I took on that morning for this post but they have since vanished into the ether.  It’s a morning I won’t forget, though.  I doubt I’ll ever have a truck that capable, nor the disregard for risk that only a younger version of myself could display!  I’m grateful still.

Camera:  Nikon D700
Lens:  Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 @ 17mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  January 22, 2014
Settings:  f16, 5.0 second, iso-100