A friend and fellow photographer and I had a vision of doing a session in the mountains so we placed a model call for it. Leslie and Jordan responded to the model call and we all hit it off right away!
We met at the bottom of Rough Ridge trail ready to hike 2 miles to the top. The hike was so much fun. Leslie and Jordan were such troopers! Leslie even wore her dress and flats the entire way up. And not once did she complain about her feet hurting! Meanwhile, I was hiking up in full hiking gear and sneakers and looking like a hot mess by the time we got to the top! But the views, ah, they were so worth it.
As soon as you get to the top this coolness just washed over us all and the cloud coverage was dramatic and beautiful. We spent a good amount of time at the top taking in the views before we started to head back down. The way down was much faster than on the way up! But it was so breezy and the perfect temperature to end the hike.
For the second part of the session we drove just 20 minutes away to an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is one of my most favorite spots I have ever photographed. The lush greenery wedged between the Appalachian Mountains was absolutely breathtaking. The sun was setting just behind the mountains washing the mountainside with the most beautiful golden glow. And another plus – no hiking was involved!
After the session my friend Ashley and I stopped at Taco Bell and enjoyed some taco pizzas on the way back to Charlotte. I gotta say, it was the perfect day and an amazing way to explore the Blue Ridge in North Carolina.
