I have been absent from posting for the last six months – due to some family health issues. Helping my mother navigate today’s medical system has been a daunting and emotionally draining undertaking – but more on that topic in a future post.
For today, I want to get back to capturing a small slice of what makes life in the North Carolina mountains so special. Lush mountain landscapes have always enveloped me with a sense of calm and comfort. And the High Country in western North Carolina really checks all the boxes for the perfect summer combination of cool temps, gorgeous scenery, and good potential wildlife spotting.
My husband and I chose to restart our usual summer Sunday adventures with a trip south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Chestoa View Trail. From the parking area (mile marker 320.8) you really can’t miss the steps leading down to the first overlook offering a scenic view across the gorge. The trailhead is not far away, taking hikers on an easy .6-mile loop. Unfortunately, the second overlook is overgrown. Still, we enjoyed the quiet, shady forest walk. Very few other visitors were around. We met one family when we arrived, and they pointed out the snakes just below the rocks at the first overlook (yes, apparently there were several). As we finished up, a cute fluffy white dog was leading her human down the path.
It’s a shame so many of the Parkway’s views are now obstructed. Untamed overgrowth has made it more and more difficult to see the vistas from the Parkway and it’s sad to see the state of disrepair to the road itself. I have read that funds have been allocated to do the needed maintenance, but I don’t see results. America’s most scenic and visited highway deserves more; and so do we.
