Round Valley

Before our tour of the Indoor Display Gardens at Duke Farms, we went for a hike at Round Valley. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky.


A bitterly cold wind kept our outing shorter than we would have liked. I love photographing trees in the winter. The lack of foliage allows you to see things that aren’t normally obvious. Like a lone pine tree in amongst all the deciduous trees.


This little tree positively glowed in contrast to the other leafless trees.


I wonder what caused this?


I am fascinated by the intricate patterns of branches. Doesn’t this look like veins?


Sometimes it’s the trunks that make a statement, like the strong verticals in these pictures.



If the landscape hadn’t been so barren, perhaps I would never have noticed and taken this picture:


A smooth transition from rock to water. Miraculous.

I’m looking forward to coming back to Round Valley to see it clothed in its summer finery, then in the fall for its rich colors. And I want to return again in winter to see more of its stark beauty.

You can see more pictures of Round Valley on Flickr.