You would think that in November, when the trees are stripped bare, and the mountains are gray with twiggy branches, and the ground is brown with dead leaves, you would think that the color green would be hard to find. At least, that’s what I thought, until with green on my mind for a photography project, I found it everywhere. We hiked the Cascades yesterday, an Appalachian waterfall about 30 minutes west of Blacksburg, and the stream-side trail was resplendent in winter greens. We saw mosses, lichens, rhododendron, hemlock – life, ever green, persisting beneath the naked skeletons of deciduous trees. We saw ferns, bridges and stone signs tinted green with algae, pools of green where the crashing down of waterfalls aerated the water, green M&Ms in our trail mix. And always at hand to capture words, my tiny green Moleskine, its lined pages scratched with haiku.
Water splashes
in sunlight –
scent of wet stone.
This is my entry for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Green.
Butterfly Mind 
7 responses to “Cascades of green in winter”
Lovely shots!
Thank you! This was a really fun challenge. I was pleasantly surprised how many subtle greens there were one the obvious greens of the summer canopy had fallen. The understory finally had its chance in the sun.
Cascades of green in winter. Quite a beautiful concept. The lovely images and the creative haiku all add up to make this post exciting. I love pictures but I have been much more attracted to writing recently, especially as I don’t require a camera to write.
Nice post, nice pictures, nice green…
Yes, writing is beautiful that way – it requires so little equipment 🙂
Yes! You just hit the nail on the head with your point. Keep up the good work. 🙂
Lovely shots Andrea! I love the green moss growing on the rocks. If you’ve got some great sunset shots too, we’ve got a sunset challenge going right now! http://www.letsbewild.com/photo-challenge/wild-weekly-photo-challenge-6-sunsets/
[…] Sunday was a beautiful day for a hike at the Cascades in Blacksburg, Virginia: high in the upper 30s after a fresh snow the night before. The kids packed snow balls along the way, threw them into the creek, and watched the slush drift downstream, taking it’s time to melt in the frigid water. We try to hike the Cascades during every season to witness its changes. For other photo essays from the Cascades waterfall, please see Waiting for Winter and Cascades of Green in Winter. […]