Gnarly and wizened, she can’t compete with Crater Lake’s impossibly blue beauty. Nor does she try as she stubbornly clings to life at the edge of the caldera. They quietly call her the Grandmother Tree but don’t mark the spot where she stands with her name or story.

While crews are making progress in coping with the impacts Tropical Storm Helene had on Great Smoky Mountains National Park, some areas of the park remain closed due to damage from the storm.

The National Park Service-maintained Beartooth Highway will close for the season October 15.

Nearly 200 miles of the Blue Ridge Park that rolls through Virginia will reopen at 8 a.m. ET on Friday following a week spent clearing debris left behind by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.