Mountain Scenes in Black & White

By admin | Published July 31, 2022

It’s no secret. I love black and white photographs. There is something special about them. Monochrome images are about differences in tone and texture. In some ways color can be distracting to the viewer. Grayscale removes that distraction and allows the viewer’s imagination to take over. So, without further adieu, here are some black and white images of my recent trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

This tree is quite possibly the best known and most photographed tree found along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a testimony to the fight for life. Many of its roots are exposed on top of the rock as they search out loose soil where they can find nutrients and life giving water. The tree is found along the Craggy Gardens Pinnacle trail near mile marker 667 along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina.
A small mountain stream flows through the forest on a misty morning. A small waterfall adds an additional touch of beauty to the scene. This creek is located on private property in the unincorporated town of Glenville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge mountains. The town is located along NC Highway 107 near the popular vacation towns of Cashiers and Highlands.
The last set of steps along the trail climbing up from the bottom of Hiag Falls near Glenville, North Carolina. This is one of the shortest and least steep rustic rock stairs along the trail. The trail is listed as “strenuous,” and it is an accurate description. The trailhead is locted next to Glen Lake. It starts its descent along a gravel road then narrows and steepens as it plunges down into the gorge. The waterfall is located downstream of the Duke Energy dam on Glen Lake. Several days a year the flow over the falls is quite significant as Duke power releases water from the lake. The rest of the year water flow is dependent upon local conditions and rainfall. A second, longer but flatter trail leads to High Falls from Shoal Creek Mountain Road just outside of Glenville.
A rickety old wooden foot bridge crosses a fast moving mountain stream in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Across the creek a trail leads through the dense forest to the top of the mountain. The local woodlands are home to Gray Squirrel as well as a rare white variant, Black Bear, Raccoon, Opossum, Whitetail Deer and a variety of birds. Located near Glenville, North Carolina, the area is famous for its waterfalls, hiking and trout fishing. Nearby Glen Lake provides additional watersports opportunities. The nearby towns of Cashiers and Highlands offer wonderful shopping opportunities as well. There’s a lot to see and much to do, so plan on spending several days should you choose to visit.
Outside of Cashiers, North Carolina there is a small waterfall known as Silver Run Falls. While only twenty-five feet tall it is very picturesque. There is a good size pool at the bottom of the falls that is perfect for a refreshing swim in the heat of summer.
High Falls is located in Jackson county near the mountain community of Glenville North Carolina. A few days a year the falls will have a very high flow due to the release of water from nearby Glen Lake. Most of the time, however, the flow is dictated by local rain conditions. There are two routes to the falls. One leading from a parking lot adjacent to the lake is quite steep and strenuous. The other trail if found just off of NC Highway 107 and while a much longer route it is also much flatter.
Here’s a small waterfall or cascade found along Shoal Mountain Road near Glenville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This mountain stream passes under the narrow, gravel road with the little falls on one side. Glenville, NC is located next to Glen lake. The lake has the distinction of being at the highest altitude of any lake east of the Mississippi river. The community is unincorporated and located a few miles outside of Cashiers on NC Highway 107.

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5 Comments

  1. bigrichpho July 31, 2022 at 4:22 pm #

    Bob,
    Great images!
    Rich

  2. Anne August 1, 2022 at 2:08 pm #

    Thanks for the reminder of how great black and white can be for landscape images. Somehow making them mono brings harmony to the pieces

  3. Steve Heap August 2, 2022 at 8:37 am #

    I do love a good waterfall! I visited Silver Run Falls as well and gave it a mystery night look by shifting the color temperature heavily towards blue https://www.pictorem.com/541265/Silver%20Run%20falls%20waterfall%20near%20Cashiers%20NC.html?iframe=1

    The tree in the first image is certainly dramatic although to my eye it sort of blends into the background, almost as if it is camouflaged. Nice capture though!

  4. jim hughes August 2, 2022 at 6:10 pm #

    That beautiful image of a tree could be a book cover. What a distraction color would be – the interest is all in the fantastic details.

  5. Louis Dallara August 8, 2022 at 2:20 pm #

    I Love the slow shutter black and white water falls shoots.

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