I got to take a few hours off of work Wednesday, so what else would I do but head up to the Roan to see the snow that had fallen over the crazy three days of winter we had in March? 

I probably should've started this journal entry by saying that winter was rather dull this year. I was fortunate enough though to make it to the Roan several times this season so I'm pleased with the amount of snow hiking I did. 

This last visit was quite intense though, with temps hovering around 10 degrees and the windchill around -10 degrees. Still, I managed to hike up Roan High Knob and explore the forest, as well as hike up to Round Bald and play around up there for sunset. The wind was so strong that many of my images turned out blurry from camera shake. I did have several that I was happy with and the experience was unforgettable so I was happy all-around. 

Below are my favorite images from the trip, in no particular order. The second image is similar to this one I took last year (second image down). I realized this while composing the shot and thought it'd be funny to compare them when I finished editing this batch. Turns out they are quite different. Both were taken in the same forest yet have very different elements in them. 

The textures in the snowy trees, the colors in the sky, all made for an awesome last winter adventure. 

With all this said, I'd like to take a moment to thank the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for their tireless work protecting these lands around the Roan for the enjoyment of the public. I am proud to say I am a member of this wonderful organization and encourage anyone who loves WNC to join and take part in protecting our mountains for present and future generations. 

Cheers and many thanks, 

JD