"Tanawha"

The many wonders of the Appalachian’s will always be something that stops me cold in my tracks. These mountains are covered with the footsteps of our ancestors and while following these footsteps one will come to know where we have been and then have a better understanding of exactly where we are headed. It is at this point we then become responsible for the world around us. One such realization came to me this past weekend while camping on "Tanawha," the Cherokee name for Grandfather Mountain near Linville Nc. At an elevation of 5,964 feet, Grandfather is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge range.

It dropped to 27 degrees on camp night. Most folks are smart enough to stay inside and sleep in a nice warm bed on nights like this. I however do not fit into this category. Tent camping at the base of Grandfather Mountain at the peak of the fall color was just to tempting for me to resist. So the tent was pitched, the wood was gathered and the fire was blazing. This is living in the lap of luxury compared to those who came before us. After all, we don’t have to chase buffalo for food, clothing and shelter. We were about 4 miles from a perfectly well stocked grocery store. Hiking the Profile Trail to the top of GFM was to be the order of the next day. This trail will lead to the best view of the profile of the face in the rock that gives the mountain it’s name. Starting at the base and following the creek for about 10 minutes, the trail starts the accent by climbing log and rock steps. This is a prelude to many more steps to come. So no time is wasted getting the legs burning with this climb. There are only two “overlooks” to speak of on this trail that offer a place to catch your breath and enjoy the view. The first is Foscoe view which directly overlooks the valley. With the colors working overtime this weekend, the view was much more than could ever be imagined. The second is Profile view. Which is the real reason for being on this trail other than making the top after all. By the time we mad it all the way to the profile there was about an inch of snow left on the ground from a few days before. All this walking time does make for plenty of thinking time as well. There is something about thinner air at elevation that really causes the brain to be able to see things that can not ever be seen otherwise. You can find more pics from this expedition at www.onthetrailagin.webhop.net

So after a couple of hours on the trail…... thinking……walking……thinking…..thinking…….we made it to the profile view.I see the face in the rock, I see how it got its name, I see……Grandfather?No……wait a minute.
Maybe that’s what others want me to see. Try as I may….I ‘m not all that sure that I see a grandfathers face in that rock. It’s the same with clouds. Some people see a dog, while others looking at the same cloud see a school bus. I see……God in the rock. After spending a very cold night at the base of the mountain in a tent at 27 degrees, I wake the next morning and climb the mountain to find that God has been watching over us the whole time we were up there. God in the rock! I suppose there is no need to change the name of the mountain or anything like that. I know he’s there. That’s good enough for me.