Tim the Wizard
Street Samurai
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2012
- Messages
- 3,787
My family had an opportunity to travel up to the Appalachian region of North Carolina last week. The purpose of this post is to share some imagery from our trip. We come from all parts around here, and I hope there is something below that brings you a sense of wonder for the region, or leads you to visit this beautiful part of the USA.
This shot is from our drive up. As a flat lander with an automatic vehicle, we almost never get to shift down while driving. However, using third or second gear provides engine braking that can save your brake pads from burning up. Second can also provide great power for pushing up a hill.
I love it when the sun rays burst through clouds onto a ridge like this one
We stayed in a small town just north of Asheville, in a very private yet modern house.
Every night, a few thousand fireflies came out to this field.
Behind the house, rolling hills and pastures. This one doesn't look like much of a climb, but it got my heart going trekking to the top.
My favorite part of the trip was relaxing in the morning with my wife and kids.
I also got to meet up with Tony, another forum member here. We had a great time and got to share stories about life.
I didn't bring any stones, so I honed this pocket knife on the bottom of a coffee cup.
Nearby, the French Broad River winds through the valleys.
With two small children around, some of the longer and exposed mountain trails are off limits. However, we drove up to Mt. Mitchell to see what the park had to offer.
The park is named after Elisha Mitchell, who passed away on the mountain from a fall while confirming its measurements as the highest point in the East of the country. They have him in a tomb at the summit.
Which is one of the best views around...
The geology in the park is fascinating, and several trail heads are marked up the path
We took the Balsam Nature Trail, which circles out down to the parking area. This part of the Appalachian region supports spruce-fir forests, named after the red spruce and the fraser fir, which only occur above 5,500' altitude. Although I have been hiking up here before, this was the first time I have explored this type of ecoregion. The temperature drops about 20 degrees at this altitude. Mid 80's at the bottom, low 60's at the top.
This is a wild berry that has yet to bear its fruit:
I had good company on the hike. My son declared himself "King of the Gray Wolves" and loped confidently through the forest.
The area is truly beautiful, and we feel gifted to have been able to visit. The trails are well developed and clearly marked.
But this is wild country. A hiker had gone missing in the area, failing to show 5 hours after he was supposed to meet his wife. We kept out eye out for him, but no luck. Later, I called out to the Sheriff's office to check up on the situation, and thankfully the rangers had found him alive. I don't know the story beyond that, but it brings us back to the reality that day hiking can be dangerous. In many ways, more so than dedicated hiking or camping, perhaps due to lack of preparedness or complacency with the environment. I am thankful he reunited with his wife after who knows what happened.
Although we packed light, I made a point to bring the Kephart up with me. I didn't choose the knife by accident. Many of you know that Horace Kephart is considered a father of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mt. Mitchell is up in the Pisgah National Forest on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This would have been part of Kephart's stomping ground and the land that he advocated for preserving. Although Andy's design is a new take on the pattern drawn out by Kephart, I have always appreciated his respect for Kephart's legacy. The name of this knife helped me unlock a treasure trove of woodlore information, and it was a gateway through which I have been able to learn more about the region and its people. This one is dressed with bog oak and came from Blade 2016.
We had food, water, first aid, and a few other kit pieces in a pack, but I only photographed what I had directly accessible. Even as a day hiker in a gentle climate, having the ability to shelter, communicate with the outside world, stay warm, and defend ourselves can provide a margin of error in terrain that could turn unforgiving with some bad luck.
At the bottom of the trail, a small spring emerged from the rocks.
We found exposed quartz which is of volcanic origin. It can be used to spark a fire. Due to its electromagnetic properties, quartz is also used in watches and clocks around the world to keep track of time.
There are literally thousands of trails up here. This is just one of them! The photographs fail to capture the depth of the experience. I encourage anyone reading this to visit the region, to respect the terrain and its wildlife, and of course to bring up a Kephart when you get one. Other photos or discussion about Appalachia are welcome here. Thank you for taking the time to check this out.
This shot is from our drive up. As a flat lander with an automatic vehicle, we almost never get to shift down while driving. However, using third or second gear provides engine braking that can save your brake pads from burning up. Second can also provide great power for pushing up a hill.
I love it when the sun rays burst through clouds onto a ridge like this one
We stayed in a small town just north of Asheville, in a very private yet modern house.
Every night, a few thousand fireflies came out to this field.
Behind the house, rolling hills and pastures. This one doesn't look like much of a climb, but it got my heart going trekking to the top.
My favorite part of the trip was relaxing in the morning with my wife and kids.
I also got to meet up with Tony, another forum member here. We had a great time and got to share stories about life.
I didn't bring any stones, so I honed this pocket knife on the bottom of a coffee cup.
Nearby, the French Broad River winds through the valleys.
With two small children around, some of the longer and exposed mountain trails are off limits. However, we drove up to Mt. Mitchell to see what the park had to offer.
The park is named after Elisha Mitchell, who passed away on the mountain from a fall while confirming its measurements as the highest point in the East of the country. They have him in a tomb at the summit.
Which is one of the best views around...
The geology in the park is fascinating, and several trail heads are marked up the path
We took the Balsam Nature Trail, which circles out down to the parking area. This part of the Appalachian region supports spruce-fir forests, named after the red spruce and the fraser fir, which only occur above 5,500' altitude. Although I have been hiking up here before, this was the first time I have explored this type of ecoregion. The temperature drops about 20 degrees at this altitude. Mid 80's at the bottom, low 60's at the top.
This is a wild berry that has yet to bear its fruit:
I had good company on the hike. My son declared himself "King of the Gray Wolves" and loped confidently through the forest.
The area is truly beautiful, and we feel gifted to have been able to visit. The trails are well developed and clearly marked.
But this is wild country. A hiker had gone missing in the area, failing to show 5 hours after he was supposed to meet his wife. We kept out eye out for him, but no luck. Later, I called out to the Sheriff's office to check up on the situation, and thankfully the rangers had found him alive. I don't know the story beyond that, but it brings us back to the reality that day hiking can be dangerous. In many ways, more so than dedicated hiking or camping, perhaps due to lack of preparedness or complacency with the environment. I am thankful he reunited with his wife after who knows what happened.
Although we packed light, I made a point to bring the Kephart up with me. I didn't choose the knife by accident. Many of you know that Horace Kephart is considered a father of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mt. Mitchell is up in the Pisgah National Forest on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This would have been part of Kephart's stomping ground and the land that he advocated for preserving. Although Andy's design is a new take on the pattern drawn out by Kephart, I have always appreciated his respect for Kephart's legacy. The name of this knife helped me unlock a treasure trove of woodlore information, and it was a gateway through which I have been able to learn more about the region and its people. This one is dressed with bog oak and came from Blade 2016.
We had food, water, first aid, and a few other kit pieces in a pack, but I only photographed what I had directly accessible. Even as a day hiker in a gentle climate, having the ability to shelter, communicate with the outside world, stay warm, and defend ourselves can provide a margin of error in terrain that could turn unforgiving with some bad luck.
At the bottom of the trail, a small spring emerged from the rocks.
We found exposed quartz which is of volcanic origin. It can be used to spark a fire. Due to its electromagnetic properties, quartz is also used in watches and clocks around the world to keep track of time.
There are literally thousands of trails up here. This is just one of them! The photographs fail to capture the depth of the experience. I encourage anyone reading this to visit the region, to respect the terrain and its wildlife, and of course to bring up a Kephart when you get one. Other photos or discussion about Appalachia are welcome here. Thank you for taking the time to check this out.
Last edited:
Great pics T! Thanks for sharing. Beautiful country out there! I like your bog oak Kephart, and your Ruger. Where you loaded for bear? 
