On Wednesday, February 11, 2015, I witnessed an incredible phenomenon and a beautifully unique sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather forecast for the day called for perfectly clear skies so I was not that excited about the possibilities of a crazy colorful sunrise. Generally speaking there needs to be clouds in the sky for Mother Nature to work her colorful morning magic. I am an early riser and woke up around 5:30 a.m. on this particular morning. Usually the first thing I do when I get out of bed is step outside to check on the weather conditions. I proceeded with my morning ritual, looked up towards the sky and noticed I could not see any stars. I found that unusual considering what the forecast was calling for. I gathered my things, camera gear obviously included, got into my car and headed toward the BRP to see what I could see. On my drive I noticed that the valley in which I live was completely under what I call a fog down. Fog downs in the Blue Ridge are more rare in the winter simply because there is less moisture in the air. I hopped on the Parkway at the Highway 191 entrance near Asheville and headed south towards higher ground. As I started gaining elevation I noticed that it seemed to be getting less foggy. I quickly became excited. I came around a corner just past the Sleepy Gap Overlook at around 3000' and crested what was literally a sea of fog that was hovering over the Walnut Cove valley and pretty much all of Asheville. I looked to my left and saw a bright ball of yellow about to pop over the mesmerizing fog. I grabbed my camera gear as quick as I could and was lucky enough to capture these photos.
Starburst over the BRP.
The Chestnut Cover Overlook, south of Asheville.
An extraordinary sea of fog.
After taking some neat photos around the Chestnut Cove Overlook I wanted to see what was going on near the Bad Fork Valley Overlook which is just past the Pine Mountain Tunnel. This photo below shows the fog line.
Looking to the southeast near Bad Fork Valley.
Frosty sign on the BRP.
Shadows and clear skies over Bad Fork Valley.
The weather forecasters were correct. The sky was clear.... above 3000'. In the thirty minutes or so of time I spent capturing this beauty I did not see another person. I only heard the wind blowing through the trees and a few birds chirping welcoming the warmth of the morning sunlight. It is quite an empowering feeling to have the Blue Ridge Parkway to yourself when this magic is happening. I cannot help but feel that if more people took the time to appreciate the silence and beauty of nature, the world would be a much nicer place. Thanks for checking out my blog. Now that my website is mostly complete I look forward to sharing many more of my experiences with you!