Ah, the mountains. Such glorious peaks formed by great forces at work inside our planet Earth. There is a certain magic present in the peaks and valleys of these majestic formations. I miss the Appalachians and the ‘Parkway’, especially this time of year. The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the United States National Park System. To think that for six years I was but a short twenty minute drive away!

The area around Boone, NC where I went to college is packed with sights and activities, including the Blue Ridge Trail, Linn Cove Viaduct, Mt. Mitchell, and Linville Gorge; as well as various spots for hiking, camping, mountain climbing, skiing/snowboarding, rafting, cliff diving and just about any other outdoor activity. If you are in the area, stop by sometime. I’m still trying to figure out why I left!
Taken on a recent trip with my little Nikon Coolpix. All work images copyright © 2009 Lucas Albrecht