The cover of A.T. Journeys has an image by Jeffrey Stoner of one of the wild ponies on Grayson Highlands.
Jeffrey Stoner moved to Kingsport, TN, to be within a short drive of the Highlands of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Stoner says, "Among the many things I am thankful for is the opportunity to experience the beauty found along the Appalachian Trail as it traverses these highlands."
"There is breathtaking beauty in every season [here]," says Stoner, who has an affinity for the wild Grayson Highland ponies that roam the area. He has also developed an attachment to the herd of angora goats who inhabit the highlands for four months each year; and, in 2008, began an ongoing series of images that features them. As part of the Baa-tany Goat Project, the goats browse at high elevations along a one-mile corridor of the A.T. to help restore native vegetation.
Stoner says, "The Appalachian Trail has always been a part of my life so I was delighted when the Appalachian Trail Conservancy contacted me about featuring my images in their Nov-Dec issue of A.T. Journeys. I grew up in Harrisburg, PA., and lived within a few miles of the Trail. Now in Tennessee, I am 60 miles away but spend a lot of time hiking and photographing on and around the Trail."
He continues, "Two of my favorite places to photograph along the Trail are Grayson Highlands in Southwest Virginia and the Roan Mountain Highlands on the border of Tennessee and western North Carolina. They are both over a mile in elevation, have stunning views, and beautiful wildflowers. Additionally, there are wild ponies that graze on the Grayson Highlands and Roan Mountain has angora goats that are part of the Baa-tany Goat Project."
The cover of A.T. Journeys has an image of one of the wild ponies on Grayson Highlands. In the photo essay within the magazine are additional images of the ponies, angora goats and views from both Grayson and Roan.
Visit www.JeffreyStonerPhotography.com for more of Stoner's work.
