Up to the Mountain

Yesterday, I went up to The Mountain; the mountain that has inspired this blog – 6,684 Feet. Mount Mitchell tops the Black Mountain range in central Western North Carolina. Sitting near the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains, the Black Mountains rise boldly from the North Carolina Piedmont with 14 peaks over 6,000 feet in elevation. And, Mitchell is the tallest at 6,684 feet.

Approaching the summit of Mount Mitchell.

The top of the Black Mountain range is rugged and sharp giving way to spectacular views on clear days. As you climb from the lower elevations to the upper reaches of the Black Mountains, the air turns cool and the hardwood forest transitions to a blanket of spruce and fir trees that give the range its name. It is a different world, a place of beauty and inspiration, a place to pause and reflect and a place to look out to what lies ahead.

It was a beautiful day, not perfectly clear, but the clouds against the blue sky made it it easy to reflect on the beauty our world has to offer. Check it out.

View looking north from the observation deck on the top of Mount Mitchell. Upper slopes of Mount Craig are peaking through the clouds on the right edge.

NNW View from the parking lot near the Mount Mitchell summit.

Forest floor beneath some evergreens near the summit of Mount Mitchell.