This is a view of the top of Blackwater Falls, the tallest and the most photographed waterfalls in West Virginia.  During the winter this area sees a lot of snow and the cold temperatures freeze over much of the falls. This past Saturday, an unexpected snow fall added a few more inches to the season accumulation total and also put a little coating of snow on the trees around the falls.

A steady snowfall continued throughout the day, making it a challenge to keep my camera lens dry and wiping off the front of the lens became a frequent chore. In the shot above of the rock face on the other side of the river, our guide Joe recommended using a high ISO to allow a faster shutter speed in order to stop the snowflakes in ‘mid-air’ which would help give the image a grainier look. Although it’s not easy to spot them, there are snowflakes throughout the image. Joe also pointed out the markings on the rock face in the lower left that are reminiscent of the human figures seen in petroglyphs in the Southwest U.S.

The small seam above exposes the only view of Shays Run as it winds its way to another set of frozen falls just past the large rock in the background.  This area of West Virginia receives between 60 and 130 inches of snowfall each year.