Travel Appalachian Mountains. Location, History, Ghostly Stories & Wildlife Area.
Where can you hear the Haunting Chorus?
Introduction.
“The ancient Appalachian Mountains are North America’s oldest mountain formation. A celebrated chain that runs down the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico.” – The National Geographic Society
Here’s a look at two of the most beautiful regions in Appalachia for Travel: 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 Jean Bell Thomas, who became known as The Traipsin’ Woman as she researched the mountain folkways, music and history, “unlettered, content to wrest a meager living from the grudging soil, they built for themselves a nation within a nation.”
Jean goes on to explain, “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 the US. 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.”
There are stories told in these mountains. Stories of ghosts and witches. Spectral riders and shadowy creatures. Frightening, deformed cats and — deep in the forests — barren patches of pale earth where nothing will ever grow. The Devil’s Tramping Grounds.
Today, The Blue Ridge Mountain Area is a Natural Wonderland
(Travelog by Andrew Stratton)
“The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are a picturesque and charming place to relax and let go of all your cares,” explains Travel writer Andrew Stratton. “Watch the fireflies on the hot summer nights and sit among the great oaks. There are wildflowers everywhere, and spruce and red firs grow on the higher mountains nearby.”
One hot, sweltering day last summer in the flat lands of North Carolina, me and my biker buddy thought it was about time to plan for a weekend road trip.
We didn’t want to spend too much time getting there, but definitely wanted a change of scenery. And to escape the stifling summer heat, we decided to check out the Grandfather Mountain area in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountain Range, just about an hour and half drive from home in Mooresville N.C.
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.
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. A great number of 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.
Dedicated conservationists work hard to ensure that the local area remains in its pristine and natural state.
Assorted wild animals make their homes here such as salamanders, crayfish, and freshwater mussels.
Numerous streams and rivers, as well as the oaks that provide shade, result in the Hendersonville area not getting 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.
Whether by motorcycle, car, or truck, a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is a great way to beat the heat. The area surrounding Banner Elk and Grandfather Mountain is peppered with vacation homes of people from all over the south east, a large proportion escaping the hot, humid summers of Florida.
Outdoor activities abound all year round with skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and hiking, fishing, kayaking, white water rafting, tennis and golf, camping, or just plain cruising the roads in the spring, summer and fall.
Whatever your pleasure, Banner Elk and Grandfather Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great destination for the great American road trip.
TRAVEL APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS: Location, History, Haunted Stories & Wildlife Area
Mount Carleton Provincial Park – Highest Mountain in Canadian Northern Appalachian Mountains
(Travelog by Brian Alan Burhoe)
I’ve mentioned this before: I grew up mostly in the rolling Appalachian Hills of southern New Brunswick.
As I wrote in a tribute to my fave Western author, 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 darned hard, their own language and a real sense of fun and humour.”
Men who continued that mountain tradition 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 (a blend of northern evergreen and southern deciduous trees) at lower elevations to exposed alpine barrens (stunted, twisted trees and brush) 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 you about four hours to make the round trip. The climb is steady rather than technical. But the upper section crosses open rock and can be exposed to weather. You should bring layers, even in summer — conditions change quickly at elevation.
The Lost Fire Tower — Haunted?
The mountaintop lookout station 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 might not like the answer.
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? Not officially. Although some of the local older folks might tell you a different story — 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
Blue Ridge Mountains to Mount Carleton
For More See Working on the Highway – Memories of an Appalachian Mountains Highways Worker
HISTORIC NOTE: Once, the Appalachians were as high as the Alps and our Rockies. But Time and Cold wore them down. The Last Ice Age, which began about 115,000 years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago, completed that scouring. See top left drawing.
TEXT SOURCE:
- BLUE RIDGE COUNTRY by Jean Thomas.
- “Blue Ridge Mountains – a Natural Wonderland” by Travel writer Andrew Stratton. Further Reading Here.
- Mount Carleton Provincial Park – Discover Nature in New Brunswick.
- Appalachian Boyhood Memories by Brian Alan Burhoe – Creator of CivilizedBears.
IMAGE SOURCE: Mountain drawing upper left is from DrawingSkill.com. Photos from Travel and National Parks portals.
TAGS: Appalachian mountains haunted, Appalachian Mountain roads, New Brunswick, North Carolina, rock climbing, la Forêt Ancienne. Why is Appalachia so dangerous? Whats scary about Appalachian Mountains?
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