A Changing of the Seasons in Western North Carolina

A little over a year ago, I moved from a remote village in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco to Asheville, North Carolina. Living in Asheville is the best of both worlds: a thriving small city with access to remote mountain escapes. Asheville is nestled in the land of waterfalls to the south and neighbored by Pisgah National Forest and the Black Mountain ranges to the east.

Winter

The Art Loeb Trail in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC. The leaves cover trails well into winter. Some mountain bikers call this leaf surfing season.
A quiet Carrier Park overlooking the French Broad in West Asheville, NC.
Overlook of the northern Black Mountains range near Montreat, NC.

Spring

Sunrise near Craven Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Turkey Knob near Laurel Mountain with a view of Pisgah National Forest.
A sunny run in East Asheville, NC,
Sprouting Bear Corn near Craven Gap.

Summer

View from Mount Pisgah off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Summer rain on neighborhood flowers in West Asheville.
Triple Falls, Dupont State Forest in Transylvania County, NC.
View from Johns Rock toward Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest.

Autumn

A peak marker in the Black Mountain range near Burnsville, NC.
Trail leading to Mount LeCont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rare Old Growth Forest can be found near the peak.
Pretty decay on Graybeard Mountain near Black Mountain, NC.
Cedar Rock Lookout in Dupont National Forest.
Laurel Mountain/Turkey Knob view of Pisgah National Forest. Same spot as the first photo in the story.

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Alena Klimas is a trail and outdoor recreation enthusiast and writer based in western North Carolina. Klimas is a trail runner and mountain biker. She is a cofounder of expatalachians.

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