Fall in Appalachia

I took this in Western Maryland last fall.

I wanted to capture the essence of fall in the mountains of Western Maryland, but I didn't have time to go far off the beaten path. It's not a stunningly brilliant shot, but I had to work hard to get it.

I found this creek on the side of the road and after some recon, decided I needed to cross it to get the best shot. I had to do a 7 foot wide static jump across the raging rapids and land on a wet, moss covered rocky ledge. You can see the scale by referencing my foot.

Then I had to traverse a moss covered rock wall at about 3 feet above the water line to get the right angle. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal if I fell in, but I only had one pair of clothes for the whole trip so the stakes were high!

Another challenge was the appalling amount human debris in the area. It was riddled with trash and graffiti. This swimming hole was a good candidate, but the person who was inspired to leave a spray painted impressionistic rendition of their dog the rock ruined it me. You could argue that it accented it, but I guess that depends on your perspective.

Chris Carnage was not so creative in documenting his visit on October 15th, 2007. Perhaps it was only because he had a sharpie, or maybe we was trying to maintain some type of journalistic discipline and stay true to the printed form.