The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-06-21
THE LAND OF THE SKY.
Entertaining Letter From VIM. H. Byerly.
Mr.. MITCHELL, North Carolina,
June 4, 1895.


From The Press.
Having been requested by many OF
my friends in your city to give them a
description of some of these mountains
here in the south, will try to describe
the highest mountain in the United
States east of the Rockies, called Mt.
Mitchell, being 6,717 feet above sea level;
although there are forty-three mountains
in North Carolina over6 600 feetabove sea
level, and over seventy five that are be-
tween 5000 and 5000 feet above sea level.
We start from the base of the noun
tain in the morning before the sun has
peeped over the great shoulders of "Old
Greybeard." Filing past the "Sentinels"
two tall and mighty pines-which
mark the entrance to the late Senator
Vance's estate, we ford the crystal waters
of the North Fork, and soon find
ourselves winding along the lovely
little valley of the Swannanoa, its narrow
roadway overarched by tall rhododen-
drons and mountain ivy, its glades made
musical by the dashing waters of the
dancing little river. On either hand,
rising sheer and high, the steep slopes
of the lofty mountain all ahame with
the various colors of spring. while to the
northward frown forever the beetling
blows of the Great Black-alluring yet
forbidding in their grandeur! Dark, ma
jestic, pre-eminent
Undaunted by these bold and rugged
peaks whose heights we are about to
scale, accepting their menace rather as a
challenge, we press forward an enthusi-
astic party, filled with the spirit of the
undertaking before us, enraptured with
the beauty of this wild gorge; inspired,
intoxicated by the air, the atmosphere
and the glorious June day. We soon
leave the gentle level of the valley,
where the road in places has admitted of
two riding abreast, and gradually, al
most imperceptibly begin the ascent of
mountain from this point. We fall into
single file, the road dwindling to a mele
trail, so narrow, so rugged and in places
so steep that is with difficulty we main
tain our footing.
Some idea ofthis circuitous ascent may
be derived from the fact that whereas the
mountain is little more than a mile and
the "traiP'-a bride paths twelve
rounded by the rich growth and variety
of the primeval forest, giant oaks and
chestnuts, tall and symmetrical poplars,
rugged hemlocks and majestic pines, in
terspersed with the brilliancy OF ivy and
laurel blossoms, which grow in album
dance here; while on every side glistens
the silver bark of the birch.
The region of the balsam or the line of
demarcation here is so clearly defined
that the transition is Immediately felt,
and persons who are troubled with weak
lungs and heart trouble suffer much I'M
til they become accustomed to the rari-
fed air.
From here we pass from the brilliancy
OF MONDAY into soft yet luminous twi-
light. The spreading branches of frs in
terweave above us, forming canopy Of
emerald green through whose interstices
glance and flicker golden shafts of yag-
rant sunlight, shifting, dancing, on the
velvet carpet of moss beneath. Of this
moss, its denseness, its elasticity, its rich
beauty, no words can convey an adequate
idea. 1t is revelation of loveliness
which is worth trip to Black Mountain
to behold, forming as it does not only a
verdant carpet to the mountain but envel-
oping everything-fallen trunk, gnarled
roots, even the giant boulders-in its soft
embrace. 1t leaves nothing crude, bare or
unsightly iE the forest. 1t is said to be
peculiar to the region of the balsam,
fiourishing on these trackless heights
with rank luxuriance born of the rich
ILL., the perpetual moisture and the
dense shade. There is q delicate grace
about it which no other moss possesses.
Overgrown as it is with tiny ferns, it is
more like fairy forest of miniature palm
leaves than anything else to which it can
be likened.
The trail has now degenerated to what
seems to be the bed of dry mountain
torrent, rough and steep beyond descrip-
ton, strewn with loose rocks over which
we have to pick our way and spanned at
frequent intervals by the great trunks of
fallen trees wrested from their founda-
tons by the fury. of wintry gales, their
PROSTATE forms caught in their fall by
the outsretched arms of neighboring frs,
as if to make repAration for the ravages
OF the tempests.
Occasionally during the ascent we came
to "clearings" on the mountain side,
whence glimpses may be had of the mag
nifcent views awaiting us in the fullness
of their glory when we gain the summit.
Having crossed the mountain side of
"Clingman's Peak" we descend its north
ern slope to long, narrow ridge, itself
5000 feet high, which two miles further
on brings us to the base of Mitchell
While traversing this narrow trail, the
guide Ia mountain squatter) remarks,
pointing to rocky path leading down
the northern side of the mountain, "That
thar path is in Yancy county and leads
down the mountain to Big Toms" re-
nowned old mountaineer the fame OF
whose bravery and prowess has long since
passed into story.
An hour later, at 4 p M, after eight
hours of weary climbing we finally gain
the summit of Mt. Mitchell
Sunset from Mt. Mitchell Tired and
hungry though we are after our long
climb, our enjoyment seems in no way
diminished now we have reached our
goal. Indeed, the realization of the Won
derful scene spread out before us so far
exceeds anything we ever imagined that
language fails us. From this lofty emf
nence-pinnacle of all the East, we look
1nWn t1pon a houp1laco papoorop,o. he