TRANSYLVANIA
Chestnut Bald, 6025′
(#13/100 North Carolina highpoints)
“This is the forest primeval…”
The opening to the poem “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
My mom would often recite Longfellow when we were hiking through a particularly atmospheric stretch of wilderness.
Wilderness like this:
The trail to Transylvania County’s highpoint began at the parking lot to Devil’s Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Soon we left the touristy asphalt for the much more rugged MST.
….and then it clouded over.
At about 2 miles we left the MST and followed a way-trail up to the summit.
The top of Chestnut Bald was obvious and well-marked with a cairn…although placing it atop a rotting log is unusual…and temporary.
On the return we still had enough energy to do the short hike up to the top of Devil’s Courthouse.
With apologies to Longfellow, I’ll close this blogpost thusly:
“Still stands the forest primeval; but under the shade of its branches dwells another. . .”
My.Bird.Walks. 