a week in southeastern america

[ScarlotteDorian]

yeah, so i just got back from an awesome week hiking out in tennessee, south & north carolina, georgia, virginia and driving through all the other states in that area on the way during the peak of fall colors. it was so beautiful!
for anyone who might not know, i have a little hobby of climbing the highest points in each state. well, anyhow...here are some pictures from some of the highest points for anyone who might be interested.


my sister, my brother, me and my other brother at the highest point in north carolina, mt mitchell
it kind of resembled something out of a fairy tale enchanted forest with its stone tower rising up past the moss covered rocks, gnarled trees and fog. At the foot of the tower laid the tomb of Elisha Mitchell, completely encircled in an old cast iron fence and piled with stones that looked like they were pulled from hills in Scotland. Really, REALLY, kewl!


yours truely at highest point in virginia, mt rogers
It was a 4-1/2 mile hike from the trailhead to the summit. We were warned of wild ponies running around the trails. Kewl! But, we didn’t see any. Blow! The hike was never the less breathe-taking! We hiked through rolling green hills with mossy boulders and fat, fuzzy caterpillars crawling everywhere. Then the trail would slip into a forest of perfectly spaced white-trunked trees growing out of a ground carpeted with golden leaves that probably just fell last week. The trail would dip in and out of streams lazily trickling down the mountain side and pooling here and there to make little fountains in the middle of the woods. Towards the top we suddenly found ourselves in a thick forest of dark, gnarled trees, and a forest floor of black mud everywhere. Everything was dusted with ever-green moss and mushrooms. It reminded me of ‘the fire swamp’ in ‘The Prince’s Bride.’ There wasn’t any quicksand or flaming fire pockets randomly about though, and we definitely didn’t see any R.U.S.’s. lol At the top of the mountain there wasn’t much of a view, just forest, but we found the Geological Survey Marker on top of a boulder and took some pictures.


highest point in south carolina, mt sassafras
It wasn’t much to look at. Actually, it was kind of spooky. There was this crazy, thick fog that moved in right when we got there. All around the mountain there were burnt up old cars and beer bottles. The vegetation looked like it was out of a Tim Burton movie.


oh and even though not many people might see it out in the woods, i was sporting my TP patch the whole way.