A foggy late autumn morning on the road to 5,342 foot Wayah Bald, located along the Appalachian and Bartram Trails near Franklin, North Carolina. The low light and windy conditions required the use of a tripod to keep the camera still. Higher ISO speed (800) allowed quickening of shutter speed, keeping the blowing foliage from blurring. Photo by Robert Stephens Above: Clingmans Dome was shrouded in a cloak of hoar frost that literally covered everything. It was bone-chilling cold as a hardy backpacker started off on his trek along Forney Ridge Trail. The photographer was struck by the array of colors the backpacker provided on this drab gray day. Photo by Bill Lea Left: This late-day photo is at the Carter Shields Cabin in Cades Cove of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It had been cloudy and cold all day and the last light of day placed a warm glow on the trees above the cozy little cabin wrapped in its blanket of snow. Photo by Bill Lea November/December 2017 39