Shenandoah Spring

Captured on a spring morning at Big Meadows Campground, Shenandoah National Park.

Subject: Blue Ridge Forest Floor
Location: Big Meadows Campground, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Season: Spring

The Blue Ridge Mountains in early spring are in a state of becoming — bare branches giving way to the first flush of chartreuse leaves, the forest floor still covered in last autumn's leaves but dotted with new growth pushing through. The moss-covered boulders scattered across Shenandoah's woodland understory are remnants of the same ancient Appalachian geology that forms the ridgeline visible from the overlooks above. Up here at nearly 3,500 feet, spring arrives weeks later than in the valley below.

I found myself just as drawn to what was happening at ground level — the way the light was breaking through the canopy onto those moss-covered rocks felt just as worth stopping for.