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Carolina Mountains --
Their Regional Names |
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igh Country Splendor -- About six years after establishing the Sierra Club in 1892,
John Muir visited Grandfather Mountain, where he was so overcome with what he called
"all Heaven come to earth" that he began to jump and sing.
It's a geniune reaction to one of North Carolina's most beautiful natural
attractions around, although today, it's much easier to follow in Muir's footsteps.
The recently refurbished mile-high bridge gives visitors a bird's-eye view of the mountain,
which remains much the same as when John Muir made his climb.
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randfather Mountain, highest peak in the Blue Ridge, is the only private park
in the world designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve.
Justifiably the region's focal point, Grandfather is home to wildlife and
plants of all kinds. Now, visitors can drive up to the crest, saving
their energies for hiking trails, sightseeing and picnics.
Around Grandfather Mountain are small towns that beckon world-weary
travelers to refresh their spirits.
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It's aptly named -- this
curved area of land on the southern side of the high peaks
of the Blue Ridge amid its deepest, shadowy valleys. The ribbons
that cut through the land include ancient rivers, trout-filled brooks,
old trails, and for those who care more about destination than journey,
Interstate 85. In every nook, you'll find artists' enclaves, shops,
galleries, coffeehouses and gourmet cafes - enough to suit every
taste and pocketbook.
This moon-shaped area with so much
activity is touted as the Carolina Crescent. The flow of warm air surrounding
this section of the Appalachian Mountains produces what some claim is the most
ideal four-season climate in the entire United States.
Each small town has its own brand of fiery advocates, some transplants and
others multi-generation landowners. Bound by the Blue Ridge on the northwest,
the Carolina Crescent includes Highlands, Cashiers,
Brevard, Hendersonville, Spartanburg, Greenville and Clemson.
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... asks Juliet. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
William Shakespeare -- Romeo and Juliet
Here's a little crib sheet to help decipher the myriad of mountain names in the
Carolinas:
~Appalachian Mountains
Chief mountain system of eastern North America, and oldest
U.S. mountains. They stretch from Quebec to central Alabama, forming a divide
between the rivers that flow into the Atlantic and those that flow into the Mexican
Gulf.
~Black Mountains
A range of mountains in North Carolina that includes Mt. Mitchell,
Mount Craig, and Balsam Cone, some of the highest peaks of the Appalachian Mountains.
Those mountains are a part of Pisgah National Forest, northeast of Asheville.
~Blue Ridge Mountains
Eastern ranges of the Appalachian Mountain System, extending
from southeastern Pennsylvania to Northern Georgia. In North Carolina, the Blue
Ridge forms the Eastern section of a mountain chain over 75 miles wide. Other
parts of this chain include the Black Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains.
The name comes from the blue tone of the forested slopes when seen at a distance.
~Great Smoky Mountains
Form the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina.
They got their name from the misty haze that often hovers.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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