Shannon Mahan Photography

Nature, Landscapes, and Abstracts: 1998-Current

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Shannondoah ( My West Virginia Mountain Home)

Purchased in September 2004, "Shannondoah" is my home away from home in the mountains of West Virginia. "Shannondoah" is located apprx. 3 hrs from the Washington, D.C. area and consists of a 11-acre, private natural preserve, a 1000 sq. foot log-sided cabin, and a one-of-a-kind view. It's a place to go to relax, to work, and to get away from the Rat Race of Washington, D.C. A special kind of therapy. Off the Grid. I will use this section on my website to share photos of the area and home with interested friends and family.
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For the past couple of years I have spent an entire week (alone) at the cabin during the month of October. I usually try to arrive at the beginning of the peak foliage season. The colors were somewhat subdued and peaked rather late in 2007. I took this photo during that week, and on that one particular day, I witnessed some of the most intense evening light I've ever seen anywhere. There were quite a few awesome photographs that are products of that great light.
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For the past couple of years I have spent an entire week (alone) at the cabin during the month of October. I usually try to arrive at the beginning of the peak foliage season. The colors were somewhat subdued and peaked rather late in 2007. I took this photo during that week, and on that one particular day, I witnessed some of the most intense evening light I've ever seen anywhere. There were quite a few awesome photographs that are products of that great light.

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  • The timeframe between late September to mid-October is the best time to catch an early morning sunrise at the cabin. The humidity/cluods gets trapped in the valley during the cool night, creating a classic early morning "Smoky Mountain View".
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  • My cousin Kevin has visited the cabin a couple of times over the past several years. In February 2006, he visited with his family (Jennifer, Matthew, Sarah, and Julia) during the coldest weekend I've ever experienced on the mountain. This time--in August 2007--he came to work, and work he did! I truly appreciate Keb's work during the installation of my floor. We had a great time playing old tunes, drinking Leinenkugels, and making a trip down to town. I should also note that Kevin's 2007 visit was during the hottest weekend I've ever experienced on the mountain!
  • A special thanks to my cousin Kevin and uncles Mickey and Tom for assisting me with installing a wood floor in the cabin in early August 2007. These guys endured a 3-4 hr. drive without air conditioning during one the hottest days of the year to bust their butts helping me! Talk about love and family! Mickey traveled 5 hrs to help out and also helped me during a project in June 2006. Tom has done countless things for me at the cabin and always enjoys his visit to the woods. One day he'll visit and we will not work! Kevin spent a weekend away from his lovely family and ended up with a few blisters and bruised fingernails after working with the hammer. While we didn't complete the project 100% on this particular weekend, we knocked out 90% of it and the floors look great. Thanks again!
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  • The small soft-sided hot tub I added to the deck in the summer of 2006 is a good place to relax after walking the steep grades on the mountain, or it can simply be a great place to take in the mountain view from the deck. It's a favorite of the guests and is filled for most of the year. It's best enjoyed during a mountain snowstorm!
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  • For the past couple of years I have spent an entire week (alone) at the cabin during the month of October. I usually try to arrive at the beginning of the peak foliage season. The colors were somewhat subdued and peaked rather late in 2007. I took this photo during that week, and on that one particular day, I witnessed some of the most intense evening light I've ever seen anywhere. There were quite a few awesome photographs that are products of that great light.
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  • A couple of weeks after this photograph was taken in Oct. 2007, Jay would injure both arms (breaking one) during a basketball game. Unfortunately, Jay didn't catch this huge fish (and neither did I), but we couldn't help resist staging it as if he did. Don't mind the fancy bear coffee mug.
  • This photo was taken at the top of Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia at 4,861 ft. This view allows for a 360-degree vista and my Jeep loves the trek!
  • The Juengst family visited the cabin again during September 2007. As always, we all had a great time. Some of the fun included bean bag toss, a campfire, and a made-from-scratch peach pie! Wow!
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  • The Blair family (Jay, April, Olivia, and Charlotte) visited during October 2007. Some of the highlights included a day trip to Monterey, VA for a great little fall festival. We were able to find some great deals on some great books at the annual library book sale. The highlight of the day, however, was the 30-minute drive south of Monterey to score some fresh Maple doughnuts from a sugar maple farm. The wait for the dougnuts was as twice as long as the drive, but oh my--it was worth the wait! Note to Memory: Maple doughnuts aren't very good a few hours after they are made. Ya gotta eat 'em hot and fresh. I also took some portraits of the family, and I particularly liked this spontaneous shot of Charlotte and daddy Jay. It was Charlotte's first visit to the Mountains.
  • Mike Carpenter, a good friend and coworker, made the 3-hr trek from Loudoun Cnty, VA to the cabin in Oct. 2007. He and his wife Sharon had previously visited in Sept. 2005. We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed a great campfire and some favorite tunes and stories.
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