Veterans Day 2025 dawned crisp and clear in the Southern Appalachians. As I made my way along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville, the mountains whispered a surprise: a fresh dusting of snow crowning Mt. Pisgah like a premature winter cap. Pulling over at a vantage point on NC Highway 151, I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera to capture this magical blend of seasons – the peak’s frosty white contrasting sharply with the fiery oranges, reds, and golds of the autumn foliage below, all framed by that winding highway snaking through the trees.

Mt. Pisgah, rising to 5,721 feet in Pisgah National Forest just southwest of Asheville, has always been a favorite landmark above the Blue Ridge Parkway. Named after the biblical mount where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land, it’s got that same sense of revelation at the summit – panoramic views stretching to Cold Mountain and beyond, with the WLOS TV tower standing sentinel at the top.

The hike up is a solid 2.6-mile round-trip with about 750 feet of vertical gain, moderate enough for most but strenuous in spots, especially if you are lugging camera gear. Seeing the top of the peak blanketed in early snow while the valleys still cling to fall colors? That’s the kind of unpredictable beauty that keeps me coming back to photograph our fabulous mountain features.

This snowfall snuck in on a blast of arctic air overnight from November 10th into the 11th, catching even the locals off guard. Higher elevations got a higher accumulation, turning the forest into a winter wonderland ahead of schedule, while down in Hominy Valley, the trees held onto their vibrant hues like stubborn holdouts. It’s a reminder of the dramatic elevation shifts in Western North Carolina – one moment you’re in autumn’s glow, the next you’re brushing snow off your boots.

As the Honey Badger, my role is to chronicle these moments through my lens, raising awareness of the raw, resilient spirit of the Southern Appalachians. I hope that I did so here.

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