High Country Life

Seasonal patterns impact every aspect of our daily lives and nature. From wildlife behavior to human recreation, seasons impact how we use both static and mobile resources.

Seasons occur when Earth’s axis tilts closer or further from the sun, altering how much daylight each place receives.

Winter

As winter draws near, days become shorter and the landscape encased in white blankets of snow. Winter provides a stunning yet different perspective of the High Country that is equally breathtaking, yet quietly peaceful with only occasional noise coming from snowmobiles or footsteps clacking along snowy trails.

Winter’s beauty lies in its simplicity. The stark contrast between bright blue skies and deep crimson red trees such as mountain ash, American beech and maple creates an eye-catching scene right out of a fairy tale book.

Cold air has the added effect of making foliage fall, creating more open vistas and making colors seem even brighter. A layer of frost or snow adds a shimmery accent, and hiking along the Appalachian Trail in winter often reveals frozen waterfalls with stunning crystalline glow caused by sunlight reflecting off water surfaces.

Layers of green on the ground still provide beautiful hues beneath the canopy at mid to lower elevations, especially oak, hickory and sourwood trees which show color.

Due to dry conditions during early autumn, color change has come late this year; however, recent cooler temperatures and sunshine have expedited it considerably. Fall color should continue through most of this weekend in higher elevation areas before subsiding into November altogether.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge provides one of the ideal vantage points for witnessing autumn hues transition. Park’s daily Fall Color Rambles – which examine the science behind seasonal changes while offering advice for optimal photo opps – provide great photo opps here as well. Grandfather Mountain Summit provides another prime spot to capture autumn beauty; here pictured looking toward Linville and Morton Peaks from near its summit! For more information or a plan that can assist your journey visit park’s website today and start planning!

Spring

With the melting snow comes spring’s waterfalls and vibrant wildflower blooms. Wildlife becomes most active as they come out from hibernation; Tioga Pass also reopens, providing easy access to Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite from the east.

Spring in the Smokies is an incredible sight. Redbuds and dogwood bloom in early April, followed by an abundance of other blossoms that envelop every inch of forest floor – buttercups, wild peas, white candytuft and pink short-style onion are just a few species among many that grace its fields – creating one of North America’s most spectacular wildflower displays.

Spring wildflowers adorning the mountains from low elevations all the way up to their summits make an eye-catching display in the high country. Some bloom quickly while others, like this Lupine (Lupinus latifolius), continue their show well into summer.

Summer in the High Country brings with it warm, dry conditions and scorching temperatures, necessitating hikers to be extremely cautious with route selection, start times, clothing requirements, sun protection measures and hydration needs during this hotter part of the year.

This summer, drought has devastated ranchers’ hayfields across much of the United States. Ranchers depend on harvests from these fields for feeding their cattle over winter. Furthermore, drought conditions have contributed to wildfires across western states as well as being particularly extreme on plains regions with their long growing season fostering extreme fire conditions.

HCN’s Virginia Spencer Davis Fellow for rural communities, Brooke is passionate about covering conservation, agriculture and rural life in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Born and raised in New York’s Finger Lakes region before graduating from SUNY Potsdam and moving westward with her family after moving west. When not working she enjoys being outside hiking camping fishing swimming mountain streams. Brooke has been working at HCN since 2008 from Paonia with her husband and two children – working closely with our readers, donors and colleagues who help make HCN possible; she loves the company and all those who help make it possible!

Summer

Springtime in Yosemite has come to life! Waterfalls roar, wildflowers bloom and wildlife become active. Tioga Pass reopens for access to Yosemite’s High Country as well.

Summer brings warmth, sunshine and mountain biking season – and no one knows this more than those living in the High Country! They come from far and wide for its incredible landscape and views – you won’t find better mountain biking here than you will anywhere else in Colorado!

High Country residents were delighted to welcome a cool front that brought much-needed relief during the first week of June, providing much-needed relief from hot and humid conditions. Unfortunately, temperatures are expected to return back towards their seasonal range within days, preventing hikers and bikers from making use of this incredible mountain town.

This winter’s record cold has frozen lakes and rivers into solid sheets of ice. Ray’s Weather Center estimates that Boone may be experiencing one of its coldest Januaries since record keeping started sometime around 1930s.

In the West, drought conditions were severe, devastating crops and leaving ranchers struggling to provide for their animals. Furthermore, this situation was compounded by wildfires which forced many residents out of their homes and forced additional evacuations in the region.

The High Country offers plenty of things to see and do, from exploring historic mining towns to listening to live performances by local musicians. Check our calendar of events for more details!

Fall

At this time of year, mountains are transformed by an array of golds, yellows and reds. Bright gold hues from American beech, yellow birch and yellow buckeye contrast with vibrant yellow hues from yellow sassafras, tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and the big round leaves of witch-hobble (Arctium laciniatum). Red hues abound among mountain maple, pin cherry scarlet oak as well as among hickories sweetgums and red maples.

Peak fall color week generally falls between late September and early October, depending on weather conditions and types of deciduous trees in an area. Its stunning range of hues draws leaf peepers from across the region and southeast; check out the Appalachian Regional Ephemera Collection for postcards depicting this vibrant time of year in the High Country.

At higher elevations, autumn color can often be observed by mid-September. This year, colors have come on especially fast at some locations such as Grandfather Mountain; Linn Cove Viaduct in particular stands out for its impressive displays.

Now is an ideal time to take advantage of Grandfather Mountain’s trails for leaf-peeping; hiking enthusiasts can experience amazing autumn color displays from Table Rock, Upper Bearwallowt Trail and Black Rock Trail summits and beyond.

This week at the park’s daily Fall Color Rambles, participants will explore the science of autumn hue changes through naturalist guided walks. Discover more about this remarkable transformation of leaves and shrubs before becoming one with nature!

Price Lake provides an ideal spot for visitors looking for peace and reflection or taking in stunning autumn hues from its viewing platform or Mile High Swinging Bridge.