sacred in the ordinary

 

The great lesson…is that the sacred in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's back yard.
--Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) American psychologist.

Above: Fern illuminated by early evening sun

Crabtree Falls

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.   

--John Muir (1838-1914) Naturalist and Conservationist.  

Above: Crabtree Falls on a rainy autumn day. One of the most beautiful waterfalls in our region, Crabtree Falls is found at mile 339 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (roughly midway between Linville Falls and Mount Mitchell). Click to enlarge and you'll see my friend, Peter, at the base of the falls - which puts this spectacular 70' waterfall in perspective. For more discussion and directions, click here.

healing nature

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. 
--John Muir (1838-1914) Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of conservation of U.S. wilderness.

Blue hasn't had many adventures since his knee went out last November playing frisbee. It's been a long, slow healing process. This was one of our first "long" treks since his surgery -- a hike up Round Bald down to Engine Gap and then back to Carver's Gap. He did great and enjoyed being out on the trail. :)

never enough nature

We need the tonic of wildness -- to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground. At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be infinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature. 

--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American author and philosopher.

Here are two hazy views from Unaka Mountain both looking southeast toward Mt. Mitchell in NC.  The one above was taken from Beauty Spot, the one to the left from Unaka Mountain Overlook.  Spring is coming to the mountains. :)

They've done a great deal of work on the 12 mile road that goes up and over Unaka, digging trenches and installing culverts. I still recommend a higher clearance vehicle. They've also opened up some views at Beauty Spot looking out to the east.  Click here for directions and descriptions of all there is to see and do on Unaka.

glorious green

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. 
--Martin Luther (1483-1546) German Theologian.

One of the first comments people visiting this area for the first time invariably make is, "It's so green!" It's green because our average annual precipitation is more than Portland or Seattle. :)  (Above: Buffalo Mountain Trail)

adventure

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.  
--Jawaharial Nehru (1889-1964) Prime Minister of India.

Above: On the Pinnacle Mountain Trail in Unicoi County, TN.

mountain remedy

Accidents in the mountains are less common than in the lowlands, and these mountain mansions are decent, delightful, even divine, places to die in, compared with the doleful chambers of civilization. Few places in this world are more dangerous than home. Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain-passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action. Even the sick should try these so-called dangerous passes, because for every unfortunate they kill, they cure a thousand.  
–John Muir (1838-1914) Naturalist and Conservationist.

Above: The view from Roan Mountain.

beauty within and without

Think of all the beauty that is still left in and around you and be happy.
--Anne Frank (1929-1945) writer and Holocaust victim.

Above: Red Fork Falls (taken Oct 19th) found on Unaka Mountain.

Little Hump Mountain

When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American writer and philosopher.

Here's the view from the top of Little Hump Mountain in the Roan Highlands. This beautiful grassy bald doesn't get nearly the visits that the other balds closer to Carvers Gap do.... which, is perhaps, its greatest allure. :) The day we visited we only saw two other people the entire time we were up on the mountain. It was a foggy, windy day and the 'feel' of the place was constantly changing -- alternating from brilliant sunshine to thick fog.  My edits to the top photo above are a bit over the top, but I wanted to convey the drama of being on this gorgeous summit. This expansive mountain-top meadow, filled with summer wildflowers, offers spectacular views in every direction. Little Hump Mountain is really a magical place.

Getting to this magic can be tough. This place is remote! You feel really isolated (in a good way) when you're standing on its 5440' summit. Of course, the AT through the Roan Highlands is wildly popular with section hikers, who often will be dropped off at Highway 19E near the TN/NC border, and then take two days to hike to Carvers Gap -- or if a longer section hike is desired, they hike until picked up at Uncle Johnny's Hostel next to the Nolichucky River in Erwin. (Read Hiking Bill's account of hiking from Carver's Gap to 19E). I've had many thru-hikers tell me that the section from Roan Mountain to Grayson Highlands in VA is their favorite section of the entire Appalachian Trail. The Roan Highlands are indeed spectacular.

See my post with directions to the Overmountain Shelter to see your options for getting here. To hike in from Carvers Gap or 19E is really too far and demanding for most day hikers. (Click here to read Hiking Bill's account of his one day, out-and-back 14.2 mile trek from 19E to Little Hump). We got there driving to the end of Roaring Creek Road on the NC side of the mountain. From there we hiked up to Yellow Mountain Gap (after peaking in on the Overmountain Shelter), turned right and headed north on the AT to Little Hump. It's a climb! Grueling at times - but always beautiful. Unfortunately we didn't make it all the way to Big Hump Mountain -- so that will have to be another day.  Click here for a topo Map of Little Hump and vicinity. The photo to the left was taken on our way back to Yellow Mountain Gap, if you click and enlarge it, look closely and you'll see the Overmountain Shelter in the distance.

insight

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. --Miriam Beard (1876-1958) American historian.

The rhododendron and flame azalea are nearly in full bloom at Carver's Gap and on the balds in the Roan Highlands. This weekend would be the perfect time to hike out to Jane Bald to see them in all their glory. I didn't make it up to the gardens, but it's usually a week or so behind. This year's Rhododendron Festivals are on June 21-22nd in Roan Mountain, TN and June 20-21st in Bakersville, NC.

wild country

We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope. 
--Wallace Stegner (1909-1993) American historian, author and environmentalist

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks contain groves of massive giant sequoia trees estimated to be 1,800 and 3,000 years old. These are some of the largest and oldest living things on the planet. It's bewildering to walk among them and make sense of such an incredible scene.

In terms of photography, I found it difficult to capture and communicate their immense size. It really is something that needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate. Visitors are so completely dwarfed by these gigantic trees! I loved the smell of the sequoia - very different from the pine scented mountains found here in Appalachia, these had a redwood aroma, think of it as a giant, redwood lined sauna. :)

Speaking of redwoods, the Giant Sequoia are different than Redwoods, both found in California. Although related, Sequoia grow inland and are thicker and not as tall; by volume they are the largest trees in the world. Redwoods are coastal, and although immense, are thinner than the Giant Sequoias; they are the tallest trees in the world.

I'll continue posting more of my journey through California tomorrow -- and then we'll return to Appalachia!

Yosemite

Half Dome

Getty Museum

No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied - it speaks in silence to the very core of your being.  
--Ansel Adams (1902-1984) photographer.

I ventured out west at the end of May to visit family and explore as much of California as I could in 10 days. And there was so much to explore... Los Angeles, Yosemite, Sequoia, San Francisco, the Pacific Coast Highway.... If you'll indulge me, I'd like to take a break from my Appalachian adventures and share some photos from my trip during the next few days. 

Yosemite Falls

Within the sprawling and magnificent Getty Museum in Los Angeles (above left) was a small, temporary exhibit of some of Ansel Adam's best work. I was familiar with most of the images. But had never seen any of his actual prints, just reproductions. Seeing them in person, I was blown away. They are bold, with over-the-top punchy contrast and dramatic light. And yet, in the midst of this drama, there are subtle, gentle details and a sense of quiet power. While I expected them to be fun to see, I didn't expect them to be breathtaking. 

El Capitan

So driving into Yosemite, I was inspired. But we drove in around 10:30, with bright sun and blue skies. A pretty day to be sure, but not the dramatic light or interesting atmospherics found in Adams' work. Fortunately we arrived before most of the throngs of visitors, so that helped. Given our demanding schedule in California, I didn't get to hike very much or see everything within Yosemite. But what I saw that day was magical. The Yosemite Valley surrounds you with imposing, mammoth granite walls. I wasn't prepared for the sheer scope of everything. It's all so monumental. I'll share more California images tomorrow.

Rafting on the Merced River

late bloomer

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. 
--John Muir (1838-1914) Naturalist and Conservationist.

Above: A late-blooming May Apple found on Iron Mountain.

rest

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
--John Lubbock (1834-1913) English Biologist and Politician.

spiritual nature

By confronting us with irreducible mysteries that stretch our daily vision to include infinity, nature opens an inviting and guiding path toward a spiritual life.
--St. Thomas More (1478-1535) English lawyer, statesman and martyr.

Above: The Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain.

blue + green

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.
--Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-1681) Dramatist and poet.

"Blue" in the midst of the brilliant green of the Appalachian Trail in spring.

the grand show

The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls. 
--John Muir

harmony

Nothing exists without music, for the universe itself is said to have been framed by a kind of harmony of sounds, and heaven itself revolves under the tones of that harmony.
--Isidore of Seville (c. 568-636 AD) Archbishop and saint.

Above: The first glimpse of autumn color along the shores of Watauga Lake.

adventure

Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to. 
--J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) English Author. 

Above: Late summer wildflowers adorn the Appalachian Trail as it twists and climbs Unaka Mountain. Today we welcome fall! :)

worlds apart

It is the mind which creates the world around us, and even though we stand side by side in the same meadow, my eyes will never see what is beheld by yours, my heart will never stir to the emotions with which yours is touched. 
--George Gissing (1857-1903) English novelist.