If you would be interested in having a copy of one of the calendar pictures in a format suitable for framing, I’d be glad to print one off for you.  Jst let me know!  Best, Helen

December 2007
As much as I love geomorphology and rivers and mountains, it’s really hard to understand why it took me 31 years to realize I’d love to find the confluence of the north and south forks of the New River. My daughter and I set out one day with two maps in hand – a topo map and a local county map, as neither one alone was sufficient to find the confluence. We took several wrong turns but finally arrived. It’s a magnificent spot. I think it really should be a park area. Great spot for a picnic and for fishing, but a warning sign says there are undercurrents so be very careful entering the water. I probably wouldn’t let small children in the river at this point. Directions the easiest way to get here:

Take Hwy 16 north of Jefferson to just past the NC/Virginia line. Turn right on Grassy Creek Rd. Turn right on old Hwy 16. Turn left on Weaver’s Ford Rd.. When you see a bridge across the river on your right, continue straight a couple city-block’s distance and you’ll see the confluence on your right.

November 2007
Take the Blue Ridge Parkway to milepost 300. Park in the Boone Fork Parking Area. Take the access trail from the parking area up to the Tanawha trail. Turn right and head north on the trail. IN about 20 minutes you’ll come to this branch.

October 2007
Park at Trout Lake parking area. Walk down either of the two paths that lead from the parking area down to Trout Lake trail/carriage path. Turn left. Walk about 5 minutes and you’ll come to a bridge over a creek. Shortly after that, the trail forks. Take the right fork and walk about another 5 minutes

September 2007
On the Blue Ridge Parkway, part at Sims Pond Overlook, mp 295.7. Walk south on the Parkway a short distance [i.e., toward Price Picnic Area]. Turn right on a gravel road [Old John’s River Rd, though there is not a street sign] that has a gate across it. You’ll walk about one or one-1/2 mile when you’ll come to a beaver dam. I stood to the right of the road and the beaver lake to take this pictures.

August 2007
In August the temperatures are beginning to cool at night and the trails are often misty in the morning. There are many opportunities to see sunlight streaming through the forest and mist, but you’ll probably need to get out on the trail relatively early – 7 or 8 am, perhaps still at 9 am. This picture was taken on the one of the trails above Trout Lake. Follow the directions for May but hike past the pond. This location is about ½ mile past the pond.

July 2007
Park at the Cone Manor house, mp 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Walk down the steps by the Carriage House. Turn left on the trail. You’ll walk under the Parkway motorroad. Continue straight at the fork just after the underpass. Walk up the hill – look to you left to see a wonderful view of Grandfather Mountain. Continue up the hill. You’ll pass through pasture then enter woods. Come out of the woods, again into pasture. Continue straight [don’t turn left to the Cone Grave – at least not yet.]. Where the trail begins to curve to the left is about the spot I stood on to get this picture.

June 2007
Easiest directions to this waterfall: Park at Trout Lake parking area. Walk down either of the two paths that lead from the parking area down to Trout Lake trail/carriage path. Turn left. Walk about 5 minutes and you’ll come to a bridge over a creek. Look to your left to see this cascading waterfall.

May 2007
Easiest directions to this pond: Park at Trout Lake parking area. Walk down either of the two paths that lead from the parking area down to Trout Lake trail/carriage path. Turn left. Walk about 5 minutes and you’ll come to a bridge over a creek. Shortly after that, the trail forks. Go straight. Walk about 10-15 minutes and you’ll come to this pond.

April 2007
Take the Blue Ridge Parkway to mp 302.1, Raven Rock Overlook. Take the trail from the overlook up the hill. You’ll intersect with the Tanawha Trail. Turn right and walk about 20 minutes. You’ll come to a boulder field, which is where I took this picture. I sat down to eat a picnic breakfast and saw how interesting was the interplay of sunshine and shadow through the ferns and onto the rock