Craggy Pennicle, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Do you have a favorite location you like to photograph or collect specimens? Share these locations with your fellow members by submitting each location as a topic.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Craggy Pennicle, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Post by Ken Ramos »

In a recent post I said that I did not get to travel the parkway as much as I used to, with the price of fuel so high. Seems as though I may have lied, this is the second time in a month that I have been around the mile high limit of our mountains. :lol:

Craggy Pennicle and Craggy Gardens, along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, North Carolina is a favorite place of mine to visit. Not to far from Mount Mitchell, it offers scenic views and a diversity of life that can only be experienced at the mile high range, of course that is in my opinion.

Image

Today was more like early winter than late spring. The temperatures here were around, guessing, the upper 50's, mabye topping 60° F. and it was more like a winters walk with the quiet and only the sounds of the wind and maybe a bird or two. As you can see from the signs, life here is fragile and it is so tempting to leave the beaten and trodden trail to go off and try to photograph those things that are beyond your reach, when no one is looking. :lol: Yet we abstain, knowing that our obediance will ensure that these lovely and precious forms of life will remain, to continue in their environment.

Image

Top image, here I am about halfway up the summit. The mountains in a haze from the smoke of Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, which once again is on fire. This time it looks to be quite large and very serious. The plume of rising smoke can be seen from the parkway where I am at. I used to hike the gorge a lot every summer but I suppose I am getting old. The trip down the gorge is easy but the coming out...well is another story. The bottom image is that of me looking over the edge of the trail. There was a large flat rock that allowed me to move off the trail and take a look. Though this is really not adviseable to do. Many have fell to their deaths doing stuff like this and keeping that in mind, I did not get very close to it, the edge that is. :roll:

Image

The top image is that of the trails end, the summit. I am almost out of breath and at the top. Well not really out of breath, though the air is sort of thin but I am getting quite tired. Now the bottom photograph is just that, the bottom. Me looking down over the rock safety barrier at the parkway below and the visitors center.

Image

Now looking out over the vista of the Asheville Watershed, we see the citys water supply. Needless to say no boating, fishing, or other tomfoolery is allowed on that lake. The parkway skirts that lake and there are signs warning motorist, "not to stop" in the area along the parkway and they mean it. Park Rangers to my understanding are Federal Officers and can pretty much make your day quite miserable, though the ones I have met, I have met under favorable circumstances and they can also be quite friendly and very helpful. Really nice guys and gals if you let them. :wink:

beetleman
Posts: 3578
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Beautiful photos Ken. Looks like a wonderful place to hike.
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic