Slip 'n Slide

Lower Pond Creek Trail follows a powerful creek as water rushes down the mountain from Lake Coffey above. The hike can be difficult when wet because the banks often pitch dramatically into the rushing creek. The creek itself follows a steep pitch as well and is really more a series of interconnected rapids and waterfalls than a creek. While many of the rapids look like inviting slip 'n slides, they are probably too treacherous — not to mention cold — to slide down. 

If you would like to hike Lower Pond Creek Trail, check out our rental mountain chalet, located right next to the ski village on Beech Mountain.

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Fawn

Just another day on Beech Mountain. The deer population here is off the charts and it's not uncommon to see a dozen in a day but it never gets old... Especially when they bring their babies out for a shaky walk around town. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

The Dove's Safe Space

I took this photograph at my daughter's birthday party last fall at the Charlotte Nature Museum (a really fast, fun museum for kids). This dove was perched atop its cage in the butterfly solarium. According to the note, she's in her safe space and if you have hands like Voldemort, you should leaver her alone. 

I think this image might have a lot of different meanings depending on who is looking at it.

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Polytrichum

We were out hiking and came across a giant bed of polytrichum. This stuff was as soft as it looked. It reminds me of a forest in Avatar. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Rhododendron & Fir

I took this photograph at the beginning of summer on Memorial Day. It seems fitting to post it as summer unofficially comes to a close with Labor Day. I hope you had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to the cooler weather and all of the festivals that fall bring our way!

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

Double Date

A little rain can't slow down the deer of Beech Mountain. The two bucks and two does appear to be on a double date. There are so many deer up on Beech Mountain that you are virtually guaranteed to see a handful on any given day. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Bass Lake Island

Bass Lake is just outside of Blowing Rock in the North Carolina High Country. There's a great hiking and running trail around the lake and right in the middle is this mysterious little island. I just had to check it out so I launched the drone to get a better view. I love the way the grayness of the water and lack of depth outside the island really plays with the scale of the photo.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.