Gatlinburg, TN

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great place to visit during any season of the year, but winter offers special opportunities not available during the other three seasons.

Due to the fact that the leaves are off of the trees, views are enhanced from nearly every vantage point, and on a clear day in winter you can see an exceptionally long way!

However, if you plan to visit the park in the winter, please be aware that many of the secondary roads are closed during cold weather.

The roads that are seasonally closed include Clingman’s Dome Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Roundbottom/Straight Fork Road, Rich Mountain Roada and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

The roads that are open all year (weather permitting) are the Newfound Gap road (U.S. 441,) Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road and the Cades Cove Loop Road.

Most roads reopen in late April or early May for the busy summer and fall seasons.

If you plan on visiting the park before then, you might want to consider getting out of the car and hiking. The trails are less crowed and offer a unique beauty in the winter that is unlike any other time of the year.

But don’t plan on seeing any black bears, as they are denning during the winter and will not emerge until the onset of warmer weather!

The flame upon the candlewick
On draughts aflutter pirouette
And waltz and reel to tempo quick
Then lay in wait for Winter’s breath.

R Weisser Oct. 2009

As another Autumn foliage season comes to a close, I begin to look back to all of the falls of my past with fond remembrance. It’s always been my favorite season.

Full of color, and football, and the smell of leaves and the tastes of apples and pumpkins! It’s the last hurrah of temperate weather before winter sets it, a time of warm days and cool, crisp evenings. A most pleasant time of year for both dreaming and reflection!

Each fall is different with it's own personality, and presents it's own special touches. As for me, I am going to observe, and taste and savor each offering of the season.

And enjoying every moment of it!

Flutter and flurry and winter's chill
Toss fire-hued petals aloft until
The caress of earth, then lay in place
For one last show of nature's grace!

R. Weisser 2009

The one question that comes up the most this time of year is this: "Will it be a good leaf season?"

There are many scientific factors that affect leaf color. The amount of sunlight, recent rainfall, temperature and elevation can all affect leaf color.

But if there is one thing that I have learned over all of the years that I have been taking fall foliage photos is this: There is always good leaf color somewhere!

And like any good treasure hunter, I seek to find the caches of color wherever they may be!

It's a ritual of autumn that I have repeated every year for more than I care to remember.

And it's what I look forward to every year!

There is always a lot of confusion about how to correctly spell the word "smoky." Or is it "Smokey?" You see it spelled both ways so often because it is actually the correct spelling of the word either way!

But if you are referring to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is only one official way to spell the word, and that is with no "E" included. Now you can call them the the Smokey Mountains, as do many of the locals, especially on the North Carolina side.

But the more prevalent Tennessee spelling is "Smoky" and was chosen as the official adjective of the park!

Perhaps it was a cost saving measure. The elimination of all of those "E's" over all those years must have saved a small fortune on signage and printing costs. I mean, that could be millions of "E's" saved over all of the years since the park was dedicated.

And when you think about it, it's not smoke at all. It's mist, or fog, or ozone and other greenhouse gases being emitted from the foliage. But the Cherokee named the range Shaconage which roughly translates to the place of blue smoke.

Or it could be equally translate as the place of blue mist, or blue greenhouse gases. Who knows, but it sure is a beautiful place!

Photos courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com, but if you type "smokeyphotos.com it will work just fine!

In mid to late October, the fall foliage colors will peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Nearly two million visitors will travel to the Park to experience the most colorful season of the year!

In addition to autumn leaf color, fall is also a great time for wildlife viewing. Visitors are treated to deer, bear and elk in their natural habitats. A lucky few will see wolves, coyotes or bobcats too.

And although the park is crowded, there are still quiet places to get away from all of the hustle and bustle of the myriad of tourists. There are many less traveled trails and nature paths that can bring you face to face with the beauty of creation.

It's my favorite place in the world. It renews my spirit and revitalizes my soul!

Fall foliage photos in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com