Snow, Snow, and more SNOW!

Growing up as a kid here in the Tennessee River Valley of Knoxville, snow was a rare treat. We didn't get much, it never lasted long, and we had to make our snowmen and snow angels while it lasted. Playing in the snow was a good thing to do since snow on the ground usually meant snow and ice covered roads, which  was hazardous driving at best. You just stayed home! Of course as an adult, things were different. My university classes and hospital clinicals went on no matter the weather. Once I was working as a nurse I was expexted to get to the hospital and don't be late or the nurses on the outgoing shift would give you an evil stare that would kill faster than rifle fire! When my career took me to Utah I got used to living with snow. Things were very different in Utah, they had things like street crews with lots of snowplows and light powdery snow instead of the wet, sloppy ice-forming flakes typical in Tennessee.

We've had more snow in East Tennessee in the past month than we've had in the last 5+ years! Crazy! Rather than hibernate like a black bear I decided to take advantage of a good road day following a storm to head to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my camera and see what I could do with a simple mid-range camera. Needless to say I wish I owned a seriously good digital SLR but that's just not going to happen any time soon. I'm making do with what I have. The snow was mostly melted at the lower elevations of the park, Cades Cove and the Little River Road, but at the higher elevations it looked God had taken a giant sifter and dusted powdered sugar over everything! Whether I was standing in the snow or simply looking up at the snow-covered peaks, it was all gorgeous.

The snowy photos above were taken along Newfound Gap Road (US 441) at the Chimney Tops Picnic Area and above the Alum Cave Trailhead. The rest were taken in Cades Cove, my personal favorite location in the park. While traffic through the park was relatively light, most were there with cameras doing exactly what I was doing - marveling at the beauty of the Smokies on a snowy January day. Gorgeous!