Fog over the Shenandoah Valley

Cold air pools in the valleys below Skyline Drive most spring mornings, leaving the ridgelines to float free of the ground until the sun burns the fog off, usually within an hour of sunrise.

Why it matters

The fog layer shows the shape of the land underneath it — every ridge and draw becomes visible as a line of grey rather than a wall of green.

Getting the shot

I scouted this overlook the evening before to check it faced east, then arrived forty minutes before sunrise to set up before the light changed.