Abrams Falls, Summer 2009 - Close Up

This is from the same hike I wrote about yesterday. One benefit of hiking "off-peak" is that it is easier to obtain good photographs from angles that would not otherwise be available. Sure, lots of folks walk to the edge of the flat rock and have their photo taken with the falls behind it. But setting up a camera on a tripod on a smallish and crowded rock isn't something I'll do. Folks come to Abrams Falls and the Smokies to see the beauty, not to watch out for guys with tripods.

I've always found the hike to Abrams Falls a bit of a downer. It isn't the view or the trail that is at fault. It is just that it is a short hike to a popular destination. On the "easy" trails, you come upon a lot of folks who act as if they still live in their insular "city" surroundings. Many don't acknowledge your existence, much less respond to a hello. Some are flat out rude, acting as if you are trespassing on their property.

One of the things I like about hiking the more demanding trails is that more folks will say hello, some will even stop and talk to you. It's kind-of an unwritten rule for the "serious hikers club." Another unwritten rule is to not let the rude hikers spoil the experience.

Before digital cameras were popularly available, I used to hike with a 4 x 5 field view camera, the kind you have to crawl under a cloth to compose and focus. Several photographs I've previously posted, of Anthony Creek, Mount LeConte, and Ramsey Cascade, were taken with it. It was a not just a great camera, fun to use, it sparked a number of nice conversations with serious hikers curious about the "old fashioned" camera. Some days I wish I had a digital camera that looks like a 4 x 5 field view.

This is another less than easy photo to create. It was digitally converted to black and white and then the contrast was enhanced. To get definition in the darker areas without losing luminosity in the falls, I had to give a little on the brightest parts of the falls. As a result, portions of the water are untextured white. I don't mind this as long as the white portions aren't too obtrusive.

Abrams Falls, Summer 2009

By late August 2009, most of the East Tennessee schools have started back causing the weekday crowds in the Smokies to lighten up. I took the opportunity to hike to Abrams Falls in Cades Cove. I tend to avoid Cades Cove but only because it is over-used and I run short on patience in traffic jams.

The hike to Abrams Falls, 2.5 miles (one way), is moderate only because there are several short climbs along the way. Most of the trail was flat, wide and well-worn. The Park closed this trail for several days earlier this summer due to bear activity. We did not see any bears while hiking but several other hikers reported seeing bears on the trial. We certainly saw signs of recent bear activity.

The falls are extremely popular especially when it is hot and I have, in past trips, had to wait a while before I could take a photograph that did not have a person standing next to the falls. If this hike was any indicator, the time when Abrams Falls is least populated (but still very popular) is mid to late morning. We didn't have the falls all to ourselves at any point but there were only a handful of folks there until just before we left. On the way out, we met a good number of hikers (many wearing swimsuits) so avoid the latter parts of the day if you hope to take unpopulated photographs of Abrams Falls.

I have to admit I've always found Abrams Falls to be a difficult subject. Aside from the crowds there have been times when fallen tree logs leaned into the falls. I find it difficult to derive a satisfactory balance between the light on the falls and the wooded area above the falls. This photograph was better than any others I have taken but I am still bothered by the bushes above the right side of the falls.

This photograph was taken from the trail side of the pool. I also tried taking several photographs standing in the pool of water down river from the falls. (Thank goodness the water was warm.) Perhaps next time I will try to take photographs on the far side of the pool.