I found this tree atop "Pinch-em-Tight Ridge" in Red River Gorge, KY. The gorge is a "mecca" for rock climbers and hikers and as both I am drawn to those places where the relatively soft vegetation meets the hard rock. I was just about to conclude a 7-mile hike when I stopped immediately after topping out on the ridge. I was relaxing against the roots and trunk when I noticed out the tree spread out like an octopus. As I stepped back to view it in the evening light, I was struck by how the thick roots "grabbed" the rock surface.

Canon T5, ISO 400, 55mm focal length, F 13