mt mitchell

okay, okay, all of you who live out west, i know that is was just a crappy 6,684 feet -- and we drove all but 300 yards of it, but this was just a little weekend side trip. charlie and i went to chimney rock, nc to see where last of the mohicans was filmed. it was pretty cool-- but a bit tourist-y and consumer-based. after a suggestion about mt mitchell from a friend, we decided to quick check it out before heading home. it was by far the highlight of our day. it was foggy which made it difficult to see much at all from the top, but actually the fog was beautiful. and of course, we weren't prepared at all for the elevation; we were freezing. glad i actually did not hike any of it. if you look closely, that is a coffee in my hand. i thought God dropped down a special gift just for me when i saw a man selling coffee right before we headed up to the top. call me crazy, but all of my senses were in pure bliss. sight: you can imagine sound: wind blowing touch: okay, i was cold, and that wasn't so great smell: again, the outdoors, and trees that only grow in that elevation taste: YES! black coffee... ahh. can't say enough. below is a picture of what we walked to get to the top. if any of you are ever in the ashville, nc area-- i highly recommend taking the trip up to mt mitchell -- just my suggestion: fill your tank up in ashville BEFORE you start the incline.