Great Smoky Mountains - Sugarlands

Ranger Travis, Blue Team Leader with the Alcoa Ridgrunners, is the top photographer in the group. His eyes are those of an eagle. He always finds magnificent vistas of the mountains, the glittering water of the streams, and the little creatures and plants of the forest. This shot was taken as the team left the Sugarlands at the end of a Saturday excursion to listen to mountain music at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In this single frame, he captures the early springtime beauty of the mountains we call home. This is a cropped edit of the original image, removing excess foreground clutter and creating a panoramic view of the deep blue sky above deep green woodlands.