A foggy New Year’s Day hike in 2023 at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
A short while back I shared a series of photographs of the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in heavy fog on December 31st, 2022. Today I’m sharing a series of scenes from Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in the fog on January 1st, 2023, though it’s not nearly as thick.
The soft light of sunrise through the fog
It had rained recently so the ground was a bit soggy, some areas more than others. There was a light fog that let you see the way ahead but slightly obscured the distant trees in a hazy mist. The sun was rising while we hiked and though we couldn’t directly see the sun it did light up the fog in that direction. A couple photos show this.
Foggy sunrise at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
When we finally arrived at the observation platform the fog was far more visible, causing the distant wetlands to disappear. We couldn’t even make out the Potomac River. On a previous trip we’d seen tundra swans in the water beyond the tree, but this day the water level was too low, so the tundra swans were hidden out in the fog where the water was deep enough for them. We couldn’t see them but we could hear them.
Mason Neck wetlands in the fog
When we decided to head back I turned around and loved how the rising sun shone through the fog enough to light up the trees, which really set them off nicely against the darker wet leaves on the ground and the light mist in the distance. You can see a little blue in the sky as the fog slowly dissipated.
Sun-lit misty morning
All in all, it was a very pleasant first hike of the year. And as a side note, we weren’t the only ones wanting to spend the first morning of the year out in the woods. We ran across far more people on the trails than we were used to and when we returned to the parking area it was completely full, something I’d not seen before. I have very mixed emotions about things like that. I think it’s absolutely fantastic to see folks getting out and enjoying hiking in the woods. And yet I’ve never been comfortable in big crowds and I love hiking locations where we rarely run into anyone else, so I miss being able to do that. Thankfully, we returned a week or so later and things were back to normal.
Do you enjoy these posts?
Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.
I appreciate your support!
