Travel Appalachian Mountains. Location, History, Haunted Stories & Wildlife Area.
TRAVEL APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS: Location, History, Haunted Stories & Wildlife Area
The ancient Appalachian Mountains are North America’s oldest mountain formation. A great chain that runs down the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico.
Here’s a look at two of the most beautiful regions: the Blue Ridge Mountains and Mount Carleton…
Blue Ridge Mountains in History
High mountain walls and bridgeless streams marooned the people of the Blue Ridge for centuries, shut them off from the outside world so that they lost step with the onward march of civilization.” – Jean Thomas, BLUE RIDGE COUNTRY
“A forgotten people until yesterday,” wrote earlier historians, “unlettered, content to wrest a meager living from the grudging soil, they built for themselves a nation within a nation.”
By their very isolation, they have preserved much of the best that is America. They have held safe and unchanged the simple beauty of the song of their fathers, the unsullied speech, the simple ideals and traditions, staunch religious faith, love of freedom, courage and fearlessness. Above all they have maintained a spirit of independence and self-reliance that is unsurpassed anywhere in these United States of America. They are a hardy group. The wilderness, the pure air, the rugged outdoor life have made them so: a people in whom the Anglo-Saxon strain has retained its purest line.
Today, The Blue Ridge Mountains is a Natural Wonderland
The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are a picturesque and charming place to relax and let go of all your cares. Watch the fireflies on the hot summer nights and sit among the great oaks. There are many wildflowers everywhere, and spruce and red firs grow on the higher mountains nearby.
Western North Carolina is known to many as the Land of the Sky. The air is clear and you can see beautiful sunsets from the tops of the mountains. Many parcels of land that are offered by real estate agents in Hendersonville NC have great views of the surrounding mountains.
This area is known for its spectacular foliage, especially as the leaves of the trees change colors in the fall. It’s unbelievably beautiful … the changing of the leaves …
There are so many natural venues close to home for those who own real estate in Hendersonville NC. There are many places to go hiking here, as well as rivers to go whitewater rafting and campgrounds nearby. Hendersonville, the county seat, has about 10,000 people, so there is still a lot of undeveloped land nearby. Much of the county is not zoned for any construction so there will continue to be unspoiled access to the wilderness in the future.
There are many conservationists who work to ensure that the local area remains in its pristine and natural state.
Many wild animals make their homes here such as salamanders, crayfish, and freshwater mussels.
There are many streams and rivers here as well as the oaks to provide shade, so the Hendersonville area does not get as hot as the central parts of the state. The Westfeldt River park located in nearby Fletcherville offers a place to leisurely canoe along the river. There are local businesses that can build you your own kayak if you want to experience the rivers of Western North Carolina.
Some other places that you will want to explore are the caves and mountains nearby. Living in the area gives you the opportunity to try out some of the local attractions without driving for days for a vacation – such as rock climbing and cave exploration.
The Blue Ridge Mountains offer great views and if you are interested in mountain climbing, there are so many opportunities to get training and purchase equipment. There is a local school of rock climbing in Hendersonville. This school offers guide service to many locations near Hendersonville including Looking Glass, Cedar Rock, Whitesides, and Chimney Rock.
Hendersonville real estate agents can find you a property near these rock formations. If you would rather try spelunking, there is the Bat Cave Preserve, the largest fissure cave in North America. The local Nature Conservancy can make arrangements for you to visit this cave. This organization also helps preserve and protect the region so that local habitats are protected.
TRAVEL APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS: Location, History, Haunted Stories & Wildlife Area
Mount Carleton Provincial Park – Highest Mountain in Canadian Northern Appalachian Mountains
As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up mostly in the rolling Appalachian Hills of southern New Brunswick.
As I wrote in a tribute to my fave Western writer Tom West: “At that time, I was growing up in harness racing country of New Brunswick. In the rolling hills of the Northern Appalachians. Amid a mixed crew of old horsemen, blacksmiths, farmers, lumberjacks, highways workers, most of who were War Vets. Three things those guys had in common were a willingness to work damned hard, their own language and a real sense of fun and humour.”
Men who continued that mountain history of fierce independence.
Later, I got to travel further into the mountains, even the high ones in Cape Breton of Nova Scotia. And our own provincial and outstanding Mount Carleton!
Carleton rises to 820 metres (2690 feet). Which makes it the highest peak in the Canadian Maritimes and the centrepiece of New Brunswick’s most remote provincial park.
The landscape here shifts from Acadian forest at lower elevations to exposed alpine barrens near the summit. Where views stretch across millions of acres of unbroken forest.
The Mount Carleton Trail (9.6-kilometre loop – 6 miles) is the direct route to the summit. It takes about four hours round trip. The climb is steady rather than technical, but the upper section crosses open rock and can be exposed to weather. Bring layers, even in summer, as conditions change quickly at elevation.
The Lost Fire Tower — Haunted?
The mountaintop fire building on Mount Carleton is a retired, historic forest fire watchtower. It stands at the 820-meter summit, across from the Second Summit. Making it the highest point in the Canadian Maritime provinces. If you ask to stay in the Tower overnight, you will get a firm “Not allowed!”
That tower is now a steel and wood structure. In 1939, it was built to replace the all-wood tower previously there, which was destroyed in a powerful windstorm. Haunted? No. Some of the older folks might tell you differently — but only on the promise that you never write it down.
I might not be hiking the wilder trails these days…
“Live Free, Mon Ami!” – Brian Alan Burhoe
TRAVEL APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS: Location, History, Haunted Stories & Wildlife Area
For More See Working on the Highway – Memories of an Appalachian Mountains Highways Worker
SOURCE:
- BLUE RIDGE COUNTRY by Jean Thomas.
- “Blue Ridge Mountains – a Natural Wonderland” by Andrew Stratton – Guest Posting Services.
- Mount Carleton Provincial Park – Discover Nature in New Brunswick.
TAGS: Appalachian mountains haunted, New Brunswick, North Carolina, rock climbing, why is Appalachia so dangerous, whats scary about Appalachian Mountains.
DID YOU LIKE THIS APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS POST? PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY & FOLLOWERS!
