Virigina & West Virginia

Girst Mill Under The Stars

It took a few attempts to get everything lined up for this one. This is a beautiful area to enjoy nature.

Hidden Paradise

Perched on the precipice of the Eastern Continental Divide and high on the edge of the Allegheny Plateau sits the Bear Rocks Preserve. The wind-swept landscape with unpredictable and often severe weather lived up to its reputation when I visited. Thick clouds suddenly rolled in and the winds picked up easily to 50 mph.

Whisper of Nature

Thick clouds had shown up and the winds had picked up when I arrived at Dolly Sods. The clouds were low and thick enough that it seemed certain that there would not be any interesting light happening. I was in the process of packing up and heading back to my truck when some amazing light started to happen. Then it was a mad scramble to find some interesting foregrounds of which there was no shortage.

A Magical Place

Getting back to some of the MWs I took last year. Here is another one from somewhere in West Virginia.

A look above the Cerebellum

Douglas Falls is just a short drive from the majestic Blackwater Falls in West Virginia. The falls splash down into a unique emerald-colored pool, and the sandstone colored rocks create a landscape unlike any other.

Elemental

Another variation from Douglas Falls. Autumn leaves were moving slowly in the corner and a longer 30 second exposure created a nice swirl to add further ambiance to the image.

Just for a Dream

Here is a portrait image from Douglas Falls. This is another great waterfall near Blackwater Falls State Park. There are endless compositions to explore here.

The Mosaic

Another perspective of the lower Elakala Falls on Shays Run in West Virginia's Blackwater Falls State Park.

The Swirls of Elakala

The Elakala Falls are a series of four waterfalls of Shays Run as it descends into the Blackwater Canyon in West Virginia. They are within Blackwater Falls State Park and are quite popular among photographers, with the ease of access for the first waterfall, and the relatively low traffic of the other waterfalls in the series. The first of the series of waterfalls is 35 feet in height and is easily accessible from park trails

The Rush

I arrived at Mouse Creek Falls after a particularly good downpour and was treated to a rushing creek. Much as I wanted, it was definitely not safe to venture into the water and I had to contend with image captured standing at the edge.

Inner Sanctum

During our travels to the northeast, my truck broke down due to a fuel pump failure. This forced a two week stay in West Virginia as the truck was repaired. To make the best of a bad situation I took the opportunity to visit some local waterfalls. This is the Sandstone Falls located on the New River near the town of Hinton.

A New Beginning

We had the opportunity to make an unscheduled two week stop in West Virginia due to my truck breaking down and needing extensive repairs. It was a great opportunity to explore some of the beautiful waterfalls in the area. At Sandstone Falls, I had the place to myself after the few fisherman left for the evening. This is one of my favorites from the area.

The Swirl

Elakala Falls on Shays Run in West Virginia's Blackwater Falls State Park.

Flow

We visited West Virginia during the fall season in 2019 and got to experience some beautiful waterfalls in the Blackwater State Park area. This is the lower Elakala Falls on Shays Run.

The Lazy Swirl

I fell in love with this waterfall partly because of the challenge of getting there and also each time I visited, I had the place to myself to enjoy and appreciate. During this first visit the flow was low but it helped create these interesting swirls that I could not resist photographing.

Curves

I returned to these falls after a bigger rainfall event and was rewarded with much better flow which also made navigating the stream more interesting and challenging. Not surprisingly, the change in flow levels had also dramatically changed the look and feel of the falls.

A Poetic Place

During my second visit to the Upper Falls in West Virginia, I decided to venture down from the main falls. It had rained and the rocks were on the slippery side. After a few slips and slides I was able to get down and was treated to some real visual treats. I could have spent hours here exploring all the nooks and crannies but the setting sun hastened my departure.

A Poetic Place

This image was taken in Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray, a 12,000 ft. elevation alpine basin nestled in the mountains and accessed via a dicey 4WD road. This was my second attempt to visit this spot after chickening out the first time half way through the trip. For my second attempt, I used our Jeep Rubicon instead of the Chevy truck and that worked well except that I bent the tow bar in front. Anyway, the trip ended up being worthwhile as the evening drew to an end yielding this beautiful sunset by the falls.