Appalachian Adventures

[Geo]

Some pictures from the areas where my hosts were so kind to drive me to, offering a ton of stories and information on the way. And to put up with my love of hiking around.

1) and 2) A waterfall in a national park called Southern Mountains. Steep climb to the top, with lots of dogs and their persons trying to squeeze past on the way.
3) and 4) If I listened well, a typical Waldensian family house, relocated to a sort of heritage trail display. Waldensians came from an area near or at the French-Italian border a couple centuries ago, bringing their Alpine way of live with them when they settled this area in North Carolina.
5) A nice little waterfall next to a watermill (or the other way around ). Looks inviting enough to climb up the rocks when dry, or take a dive in the pool.

[Geo]

Some of the rugged terrain close to the Blue Ridge Pikeway.

1) Appalachian hillside. Pretty chill winds ln that spot. I'd go so far as to say it was freezing cold.
2) Now, is that another mountain slope, or a bank of clouds coming over the horizon?
3) River carving its way through the mountains.
4) Table Rock. We drove for sure three quarters of the region around this landmark.
5) A rocky slope along the Blue Ridge Pikeway.

[Buster's Uncle]

That there's some mighty fine countryside.

Eat yer heart out, Uno.

[Unorthodox]

Mighty fine little hills ya got there.   

Does remind me I haven't been up in our superior Rocky Mountain forests for a LONG time.  Lots of desert stuff in recent years. 

June.  Yellowstone. 

[Geo]

Now, no domestic infighting, boys. :nono:

Good to be back on the heimat.

[Geo]

And since there isn't a train for another 15 minutes:

1) Blue, misty mountains indeed.
2) These trees' branches are suspiciously tropically arranged (horizontal instead of wide/vertical).
3) More misty mountains.

[Unorthodox]

And since there isn't a train for another 15 minutes:

1) Blue, misty hills indeed.
2) These trees' branches are suspiciously tropically arranged (horizontal instead of wide/vertical).
3) More misty hills.

Fixed

[Unorthodox]

Now, no domestic infighting, boys. :nono:

Sorry, hard to take a "mountain range" seriously when I live at an altitude higher than it's best peaks and have a real mountain out my front door that is double that elevation, yet only rather average for the range. 

[Geo]

Now, no domestic infighting, boys. :nono:

Sorry, hard to take a "mountain range" seriously when I live at an altitude higher than it's best peaks and have a real mountain out my front door that is double that elevation, yet only rather average for the range.

No problem, I knew beforehand there would be some... discussion... about their size.
One part of the Blue Ridge Pikeway we passed by did have temperatures and wind gusts I associate with alpine weather.

[Buster's Uncle]

You live at over 4,400 ft, Uno?

[Unorthodox]

You live at over 4,400 ft, Uno?

4,600 and some change.  Hard to get the precise measurement for my specific house. 

[Unorthodox]

According to here: http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm

I'm at 4823.  Town average is 4600 and change. 

Mt Ogden behind me sits at 9570, which is rather pedestrian when peaks regularly top 11000 in the rockies.

[Unorthodox]

Interesting that link.  My little nature trail I like to walk drops 300ft down.  Wonder if they'll connect it to the new trail down there at 4400 ft...

[Unorthodox]

All joking aside, I really want to go see the hills in fall one of these years. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Here or there?  Geo posted the most rugged mountain terrain I know of in the region, but I'll put these hills up against anywhere for pretty when there's leaves on the trees.  A good autumn will blow your mind just driving down I-40 here in the valley at the eastern edge of the range.

I live at an altitude higher than it's best peaks

Mount Mitchell is close by and 6,684 ft.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mitchell

-Also, it's "its".  The possessive of "it" doesn't have an apostrophe.  You don't get to make mistakes while talking smack.