As the snow melted in Asheville this weekend, the higher mountain ranges outside of town remained winter wonderlands. On Saturday, Jan. 15, a group of friends and I packed up our snowboards and sleds and trekked to the Roan Highlands in search of adventure.
The ridges are home to the world's largest natural rhododendron garden and the longest stretch of grassy balds in the Appalachians. On this day, the open meadows were buried under deep snow – waist deep drifts in some spots – and made ideal grounds for backcountry snowboarding, skiing and snow play. The area also serves as a hub for cross country skiing, and a group of devoted folks were out taking advantage of the fresh powder and sunny skies. Late in the afternoon, those skies burst into stunning rays of yellow and gold as we made our way down from Round Bald (elevation 5,826 feet). Here's a slide show of some of our photos from the day:
Photos by Jake Frankel and Maggie Ullman
We want to hear from you! Email us photos, videos and stories from your outdoor adventures: jfrankel@mountainx.com.
The ridges are home to the world's largest natural rhododendron garden and the longest stretch of grassy balds in the Appalachians. On this day, the open meadows were buried under deep snow – waist deep drifts in some spots – and made ideal grounds for backcountry snowboarding, skiing and snow play. The area also serves as a hub for cross country skiing, and a group of devoted folks were out taking advantage of the fresh powder and sunny skies. Late in the afternoon, those skies burst into stunning rays of yellow and gold as we made our way down from Round Bald (elevation 5,826 feet). Here's a slide show of some of our photos from the day:
Photos by Jake Frankel and Maggie Ullman
We want to hear from you! Email us photos, videos and stories from your outdoor adventures: jfrankel@mountainx.com.
Subscribe to XpressMail. Free Sneak Peek. Every Week.
Want to know what's coming out in Xpress this week before the paper even hits the stands?
We've got your free sneak peek, along with deals available in XpressMail, our weekly email newsletter. (It's the best we can do without time travel.)
-
Comments
-
Related Articles
-
Comments
Make a comment
Great shots. So beautiful! It's so great that you explore and share some of the beautiful places for winter fun and recreation around these mountains.
By maggie7
01/18/2011