The goal to reach the top of Craggy Pinnacle in the Great Craggy Mountains north of Asheville had already turned into a negotiation by the time the leading edge of a blustery August storm rolled in. What began as a promising Badger afternoon hike under scattered clouds quickly became a study in patience and local knowledge.

Alone on the summit, I watched the sky thicken, felt the wind shift, and began intuitively weighing the weather variables with the photo opportunities. The proverbial slippery slope could easily become an actual one if my timing on the descent was miscalculated. There have been countless adventures where Badger had to make a similar decision under similar circumstances: How long do I spend on the mountain, and when is it prudent to trek back to safety?

The massive shelf cloud that built over the ridges toward Tennessee looked almost painted – dense, sculpted, and full of questionable intent – while the green canopy below held its color against the sudden gloom. I’ve walked enough of these Blue Ridge trails to recognize the difference between a passing summer shower and something that demands more respect, like this one. Experience keeps me from rushing into the worst of it, and it also keeps me from turning back too soon.

 

Shelf cloud accompanies a summer storm in the Great Craggy Mountains

The storm moved through without completely blowing me off the peak, but alas, a wet Badger arrived back at the trailhead and my waiting vehicle, camera equipment stowed in my dry pack. My first thought was to hasten down the windswept, foggy Blue Ridge Parkway toward home. My second thought was to wait out the remnants of the storm to see if the clouds and fog would part. The second thought won out.

The reward arrived exactly where the Parkway offers its best seats. From a favorite Craggy Gardens overlook, the sun dropped into a suddenly clean horizon, eventually flooding the layered ridges with orange and violet hues while the residual mist still clung in the valleys. The same mountains that had been swallowed by the clouds moments earlier stood in sharp silhouette against a sky that now appeared theatrical.

Capturing images of raw power followed by quiet radiance is why the Badger keeps showing up with a camera in hand. While I can’t control the weather in these elevated Southern Appalachian ridgelines, I’ve been keen to learn how to wait it out, how to read the light, and how to gracefully revel in my calculated good fortune when both the storm and the sunset decide to reveal themselves on the same treasured evening.

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