Posts filed under ‘Season Compare’

Season Compare: Dead Tree on Chestnut Ridge Trail

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Season Compare! Here’s one from our Bull Run Mountains Conservancy hikes. On the Chestnut Ridge Trail, between the Mountain Trail and the Quarry Trail, there is a dead tree. Here’s that dead tree in September of 2012 and then again November of 2013. Enjoy!

Bull Run Mountain - Trail (Portrait) (By Ryan Somma)
Chestnut Ridge Trail – September 9, 2012

Bull Run Mountain - Dead Tree Season Compare 2
Chestnut Ridge Trail – November 2, 2013

April 16, 2014 at 2:00 pm Leave a comment

“Penn Compare”: Falls Ridge

One of my favorite hiking buddies is my friend’s son, Penn. He has been accompanying me on outings for six years now! Penn and his family now live about 11 hours from me, but we got to have a little hiking reunion this past weekend.

We chose to hike to the Nature Conservancy’s Falls Ridge Preserve near Blacksburg, Virginia. Penn had been there twice before. In fact, I had pictures documenting his previous visits. So it is with great pleasure I get share young Penn in front of the same waterfall on three seperate occassions— Age 2, Age 5 and now Age 8.


Two year old Penn at Falls – June 2004


Five year old Penn at Falls – May 2007

Falls Ridge - Penn at Age 8
Eight year old Penn at Falls – June 2010

The falls look pretty much the same, but Penn has definitely grown!

Falls Ridge Preserve

Length: You can make it as long or as short as you want

Elevation Gain: Flat, except for a hill to the top of the falls.

Driving and Parking: The final approach to the preserve is a flat gravel road. There is plenty of parking.

Directions from Blacksburg, VA
From Main Street, turn on Ellett Road.
Turn left on Jennelle Road and cross over railroad tracks
Turn right on Den Hill Road
Turn left on Northfork
Turn right on Falls Ridge Rd.
Turn left immediately after the railroad tracks and follow the gravel road to the preserve.

June 29, 2010 at 10:41 am 2 comments

“Tide Compare” – Hopewell Rocks

The entrance fee for Hopewell Rocks at the Bay of Fundy is good for two consecutive days to allow visitors to see the rocks in both high and low tide. There are a number of potential “Tide Compare” combinations on Flickr, but I’ll share just one. This comparison is courtesy of Jim Loftus, who visited the park in 2005.


Hopewell Flower Pots: Low Tide and High Tide
(Photo courtesy of Jim Loftus)

July 29, 2009 at 5:00 am 6 comments

Season Compare: Camden Causeway Park

I’ve been in Elizabeth City, North Carolina for eight months now. That means I now have an eight month stockpile of shots… that I can team up with new shots to make season compares! 🙂 Here’s a compare from Causeway Park:

Camden Causeway Park - Fence and Tree
Fence and Tree, April 2009

Camden Causeway Park - Season Compare 3
Fence and Tree, June 2009

July 16, 2009 at 1:25 pm 1 comment

Season Compare: Mountain Lake by Richard Cobb (Spring 2009)

Last October, I posted a link to some dramatic Before and After shots of Mountain Lake by Richard Cobb.  They depicted the extent of the lake’s water loss.  Cobb has a new Mountain Lake Before and After combo on his website now.  This one compares a shot from May 21, 2009 with one from September 21, 2008.  It’s a more uplifting comparison– a spring is raising the lake level!

(Hat Tip, Tony Airaghi)

June 8, 2009 at 10:47 am Leave a comment

Season Compare: Hertford Tree Memorial

I’ve been keeping an eye on the Tree Memorial in Hertford, North Carolina, hoping to catch all the cherry blooms. I was there most recently on Easter Sunday. Redbuds and some of the dogwoods were out, but the cherries had yet to show their full glory. Nonetheless, I still snagged a few shots to make a season compare.

Tree Park
Hertford Tree Memorial – December 7, 2008

Hertford Tree Memorial - Spring View
Hertford Tree Memorial – April 12, 2009

More pictures of the Hertford Tree Memorial in December and in April can be found on my Flickr site.

April 30, 2009 at 8:03 am 1 comment

Season Compare: The Ellipse

When reading about the state tree of Colorado and our National Christmas Tree, I stumbled upon some historic photographs of The Ellipse that are close to a Creative Commons image on Flickr.


The Ellipse in early 1900s (Photograph from Wikimedia and the Library of Congress)


The Ellipse, undated, from the Norfolk and Western Historic Photograph Collection (Photograph courtesy of Norfolk Southern)


The Ellipse in November 2008 (Photograph by vladeb)

April 21, 2009 at 1:20 pm 1 comment

Need [More] “Season Compares”?

Periodically on this blog, I post hiking Season Compares. In February, I highlighted the community-based, sometimes centuries old, comparisons occurring in the Library of Congress’ PhotoStream. And now, I’ve found another supplier on Flickr.

The Seasonal Differences Group!!!

It’s a pool where photographers, just like myself, post the same view over a period of time.

Here’s a taste of some of the comparisons other photographers have uploaded:



Beach House Park Worthing West Sussex (Photographs by chrissieco)

Seasonal Differences - Mccraylori's Favorite Tree
Lori McCray’s Favorite Tree (Photos by Lori McCray)



Kruger National Park (Photos by Piet Grobler)

For more comparisons and hopefully some comparisons of your own, be sure to visit the Seasonal Differences Flickr group!

April 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm Leave a comment

Season Compare: Wye Oak

When a tree is designated as a champion, is the honorary symbol of an entire state and lives for over 450 years, it is bound to show up in a few pictures here and there. The Library of Congress’s Digital Collection includes a Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record. In it, a 1936 picture of the Wye Oak by E. H. Pinkering . It matches up nicely to a picture by Flickr user Leon Reed.

If you look closely at the latter shot, you’ll notice the missing limb on the bottom right of the tree. There are a number of support wires attached to the tree as well.

Wye Oak 1936
Photograph by E. H. Pinkering, 1936


Photograph Courtesy of Leon Reed

For more pictures of the Wye Oak, I recommend Leon Reed’s PhotoStream. He has numerous images of the Wye Oak over the years, including what’s left today.

April 1, 2009 at 10:00 am 8 comments

Season Compare: Sinking Creek Mountain

Here are a few season compares of Sinking Creek Mountain, starring pictures from my 33rd Birthday Hike and a trip back up the mountain last October. Enjoy!

Sinking Creek Mountain - Slanty Rocks (Cropped)
Three Trees on Slanted Rock Face – March 18, 2008

Sinking Creek Mountain - Trees on Slanty Slope
Three Trees on Slanted Rock Face – October 19, 2008

Sinking Creek Mountain - Wind Mangled Tree (Heading Northbound)
Twisty Tree at Top – October 19, 2008

Sinking Creek Mountain - Top - Wind Mangled Tree (Cropped)
Twisty Tree at Top – October 19, 2008

Sinking Creek Mountain - Jimmie and View (Cropped and Adjusted)
View – March 18, 2008

Sinking Creek Mountain - Top -  Changing Leaves in Valley (Cropped)
View – October 19, 2008

More pictures of Sinking Creek Mountain in March and Sinking Creek Mountain in October are available on my Flickr site.

March 20, 2009 at 6:00 am 2 comments

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