Vernal Review

It's no secret that Appalachia is host to some of the best scenery America has to offer. From grand, mountainous vistas to pastoral settings that remind of us simpler times; from thick, lush forests to evening meadows with fog resting like pillows in the svelte curvature of rolling hills; from endemic flora and fauna to mountain folk whose bloodlines extend back to colonization; rural life and natural scenery are ingrained in Appalachia like a defiant eastern child who refuses to succumb to the glitz and glamour of The Big Apple.

This blog, sometimes radically and irreverantly, seeks to shed light on the shadowy ills that plague the Appalachian region. The stories are disheartening and often infuriating. Sometimes those who man the front lines want to drop their arms and flee. I've been told, often with a snide tone, "If you hate it so much, then leave." To those who fail to see the connection between passion and anger, I reply, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." That stock rebuttal is commonly attributed to Thomas Jefferson, even though the Monticello claims no evidence of his speaking or writing this exists. 

Between extractive industry and exploitative poverty, beauty flourishes here. As a native son of West Virginia and an avid outdoorsman, I have a deep love and affinity for the land that nourishes Appalachia's roots. I (sometimes selfishly) take every opportunity to immerse myself in its diverse ecosystems. A unique aspect of Appalachia lies in its acquaintance with all four seasons. There aren't many places in America where you can experience the intensity and biting cold of a heavy snow storm, the ethereal explosion of spring, the stifling heat of a long summer day, and the vivid brilliance of autumn leaves from the same rocking chair on an old covered porch. I feel this one of the most special and endearing qualities of the region - one that is often taken for granted.

 The following are my favorite photographs I've had the pleasure of capturing during the spring season throughout some of the most treasured landscapes in Appalachia. Click on the images to enlarge. 

Sprouting buds greet the sun on bare branches overlooking Foster Falls, Tennessee. 

Hemlock forest glows in afternoon light on an unknown stream in Tennessee. 

Intricate cairns peacefully stand next to crystal clear waters in Tennessee. 

Ice flows hang on to the last throes of winter along sandstone cliffs in Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area, West Virginia. 

The evening sky burns bright on Easter near Kentucky's Red River Gorge.

Ominous clouds and color streak Route 19 by the Meadow River Gorge in West Virginia. 

Evening light scatters over a calm pond in Coopers Rock State Forest, West Virginia. 

Spring imitates Ireland where my grandfather rests peacefully in Greene County, Pennsylvania. 

Spring rains swell the riffles at the start of the world-class Cheat Canyon whitewater run in Preston County, West Virginia. 

Neon green explodes around the Henry Clay Iron Furnace at Coopers Rock State Forest, West Virginia. 

Crisped rhododendron leaves and flower pedals contrast against charred earth after a recent fire burned along the rim of the New River Gorge in West Virginia. 

A tall cascade intersects the Butchers Branch section of the Kaymoor Miners Trail in the New River Gorge, West Virginia. 

An early spring thunderstorm casts a brilliant rainbow in its wake over Morgantown, West Virginia.

Gentle spring rains soak the Kentucky countryside while an overhang shelters the top of a rock climbing route in the Red River Gorge.