almost heaven

[bobpbx]

Great views of a gorgeous area I long to see. I'm jealous.

Bill, I predict your photography will make you a legend someday (beyond our site, where you already are a living legend).

 

[manumuskin]

The open grasslands you're mentioning are the real eyecatchers from Bear Rocks on the Sods, PD. I did a little research on the open area and found this quote -- Bear Rocks' natural heathlands and open grass balds were originally recorded in 1746 by a survey party that included Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson -- from this link -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Rocks_Nature_Preserve

No clearcutting; just beautiful, extensive grasslands.

now i thought i read they were created from fires started by bombing the slash left over by loggers during world war 2.are you telling me that was clear back when the settlers found it?it may be caused by lightning or indian caused fires then.i had thought i read it was a virgin spruce forest.
alfie

 

[manumuskin]

Alfie did quite well answering your questions, Turtle. But it's that obvious geographical/geological layout you mention that keeps me going back. Here are three photos from a previous trip to Dolly Sods:

[Alfie ... let's pack again.

and can you believe all you see is at least 4300 years old

 

[grendel]

and can you believe all you see is at least 4300 years old

here we go.......where's Gabe?

 

[kayakmac]

Bill, Great pics, I especially liked the B/W and panoramic views.No need to worry about your buddy because Bars don't eat other Bars. All that would happen is a big old bruin would cuddle up with Al!

An "Alfie-Bar?????????

 

[oji]

Polar-bar, Brown-bar, Grizzly-bar, Alfie-bar and Snicker-bar!

 

[grendel]

Bill and Al,
I have heard that the plateaus in the area are some of the best places on the East coast for star gazing, because of the low light pollution and altitude. I had overcast for my whole trip. Did you guys get any clear nights?
Keith

 

[whippoorbill]

Bill and Al,
I have heard that the plateaus in the area are some of the best places on the East coast for star gazing, because of the low light pollution and altitude. I had overcast for my whole trip. Did you guys get any clear nights?
Keith

At dark, we were hunkered down in a valley during this trip, Keith ... and, admittedly, pretty beat up. One of the chilly evenings promised clear skies, but neither of us got out to view. There's a used wilderness campsite atop Roaring Plains that I pointed out during one of our hikes, which I'd love to use someday -- partly for the reason you mention; the stars. High-peak open meadow, view horizon-to-horizon.

Al and I rode all the way to the Sods one year simply to view the Perseid meteor shower and enjoy the dark sky in the process.

Maybe someday the three of us could get together on the Sods. I've mentioned to Alfie that you two guys are made-to-order kindred spirits.

Bill

 

[whippoorbill]

An "Alfie-Bar?????????

Then there's the Bar-Afie, who I photographed in such a state under a Flatrock Plains' waterfall. I'd post it, but the women here would go insane.

 

[grendel]

At dark, we were hunkered down in a valley during this trip, Keith ... and, admittedly, pretty beat up. One of the chilly evenings promised clear skies, but neither of us got out to view. There's a used wilderness campsite atop Roaring Plains that I pointed out during one of our hikes, which I'd love to use someday -- partly for the reason you mention; the stars. High-peak open meadow, view horizon-to-horizon.

Al and I rode all the way to the Sods one year simply to view the Perseid meteor shower and enjoy the dark sky in the process.

Maybe someday the three of us could get together on the Sods. I've mentioned to Alfie that you two guys are made-to-order kindred spirits.

Bill

Sounds great, just say when.

 

[manumuskin]

Sounds great, just say when.

Grendel,

I went to a night sky site last year to see where some good spots would be in this area and the spruce knob/dolly sodds area was rated number 1 in the east.the best areas in the east were up in north central Pa,heart of the adirondacks and northern maine.I'm sure the everglades would rate except for the high humidity down thre probably kept the rating down,that and miami.
the top rating was supposed to be a 6 which refers to naked eye limit in magnitude.the sodds were rated at 6 plus which is high as anything out west.Bill has been to NM and i think he rates it a little better out there.I have never been out west but the only place i can rate higher then the sodds would be saudi arabia,the only good thing i have to say about that area over there.The night skies were fabulous.The stars were visible down to the horizon and I mean right down to the flat horizon.it took the dust a half hour to settle after sundown because all wind stopped over there at sundown and after it settled (wasn't much dusk due to our proximity to the tropic of cancer) then the show began.I seen Canopus which isn't visible from our latitude.It's almost as bright as Sirius but yellow instead of blue
Bill has never taken his scopes to wv.The perseids he speaks of i actually missed most of the show because i had my face glues to a chart and in my binoculars because I was looking to add two new planets to my list.uranus and neptune which I found while Bill was screaming wildly about how awesome the meteors i was missing were.uranus was a blue/green gem whilst neptune was a barely visible grey dot.I wanted to find pluto as well but I guess it didn't matter because now i find out after all these years it's not even a planet.I guess eccentricity while tolerable amongst humans is not amongst planets.we find planets every year now out there but we kill them off in our own solar system.
Be glad to hit the night skies anytime Bill wants to dust off his scopes.he of course is the hardware man while you guessed it,I'm in it for the charts which by the way all my charts are online because ying yang would rather have a picture of comet hyukatake then win a tirion star atlas for his best Bud,but thats another story.Cartes du Ciel will have to supply my charts while Bill ogles his little picture of the comet.
Al