CASHIERS - For most of the day, motorists on US64 will drive past the small viewpoint on the side of the road, and enjoy the scenery as they go by.
But for a few weeks in the fall and spring, those in the know will pull over in the late afternoon and wander out to the "Rhodes Big View Overlook" and bring whatever photographic devices they have with them, be it a professional grade camera and tripod, a small digital camera, or even an iPhone. Because at 5:30, nature's shadow show will begin.
It is called "The Shadow Of The Bear", and for a few weeks a year, it marvels thousands of people who know when and where to look for it. The shadow forms when the late day sun sets just right behind Whiteside Mountain, a 4,930 behemoth that boasts some of the highest sheer rock cliffs in the Eastern US.
On this bright sunny day in October, a small crowd has already gathered at the overlook by the time the dark spot at the bottom of the valley begins to take shape. Everyone marvels as the small blob evolves into a turtle shape, then a cat, then a floppy-eared dog, and finally into "The Bear". Finally, as the evening shadows lengthen the creature's nose, some say they see a rat. In any case, they've enjoyed the menagerie, and head back to their cars with a great glimpse of a natural phenomenon and a camera-load of pictures.
The video above is a time-lapse (30:1) of the Bear making his appearance on October 20, 2010. If you want to see it for yourself, the viewpoint is at the Jackson/Macon county line on US64, exactly 4.3 miles west of the traffic light in Cashiers. The shadow appears between mid-October and early November in the fall, and also between mid-February and early March.
Enjoy!
1 comments:
Cashiers is a truly spectacular area and we certainly understand why so many out of towners like buying or building homes in the Cashiers/highlands areas.
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