Zap Boooom!
Scouting the Blue Ridge with a camera is always a favorite for me and Linville Gorge is continually at the top of the list. I was here with friends, who also know the joys of the gorge, in the dead of night at Wiseman’s View to attempt a shot of the Brown Mountain Lights… we got a few more lights than we bargained for. This storm dumped a good bit of rain on us and shuffled off across the gorge. I got quite a few shots of lightning dancing across the ridge there at Table Rock, a mile and a quarter from where I was. I’ve always loved thunder and lightning… this storm did not disappoint, as there was no lag time between zap and boom!
I managed quite a few photos of strikes along the ridge, though this one is the most remarkable. It’s obviously a particularly hot one, ionizing the air around it noticeably as brilliant plasma. It blinded me for a few seconds, as it was about as dark as it gets there. I've never seen one quite like this before, but after years of exploring Linville Gorge, nothing surprises me anymore. The folks camping up there at the ridge that night, however, likely can’t make that statement. Neither can the bears of the Charmin clan up there, who probably used their entire supply afterward. I would have loved to have heard their stories the next morning, although being campers, they are not too far removed from fisherman and their antics... just the same, a well-stated tall tale is often much more entertaining than the truth. As for me, after a long day in the wilderness, I slept the sleep of the just that night at the Parkview Lodge. My stories the next morning had photos to back them up... ha!
Zap Boooom!
Scouting the Blue Ridge with a camera is always a favorite for me and Linville Gorge is continually at the top of the list. I was here with friends, who also know the joys of the gorge, in the dead of night at Wiseman’s View to attempt a shot of the Brown Mountain Lights… we got a few more lights than we bargained for. This storm dumped a good bit of rain on us and shuffled off across the gorge. I got quite a few shots of lightning dancing across the ridge there at Table Rock, a mile and a quarter from where I was. I’ve always loved thunder and lightning… this storm did not disappoint, as there was no lag time between zap and boom!
I managed quite a few photos of strikes along the ridge, though this one is the most remarkable. It’s obviously a particularly hot one, ionizing the air around it noticeably as brilliant plasma. It blinded me for a few seconds, as it was about as dark as it gets there. I've never seen one quite like this before, but after years of exploring Linville Gorge, nothing surprises me anymore. The folks camping up there at the ridge that night, however, likely can’t make that statement. Neither can the bears of the Charmin clan up there, who probably used their entire supply afterward. I would have loved to have heard their stories the next morning, although being campers, they are not too far removed from fisherman and their antics... just the same, a well-stated tall tale is often much more entertaining than the truth. As for me, after a long day in the wilderness, I slept the sleep of the just that night at the Parkview Lodge. My stories the next morning had photos to back them up... ha!