Evening star., 1928-04-01
BALSAMS
o n Cling M am S
D O me-.


Photos ny Laura Thornborough and p & 4.
ThornhoroVh photos copy1ghted
Coast as far as northern Alabama, and
by the record Of the rocks they are
the oldest mountains on the continent
If not in the world.
The Great Smokes are not. as many
think, part Of the Blue Ridge. They
are a much higher and more massive
range. paTalleling 1t on the west. The
Blue Ridge. which is only 200 feet at
the Virginia line. extends into North
Carolina. where it fronts on the Pied
mont Plateau and reaches its highest
point in Grandfather Mountain, 1904
feet above sea level
The crest of the Great Smokes,
forming the boundary between Ten
nesSee and North Carolina for more
than 60 miles, has in this high central
ridge more than 10 peaks that rise
5000 feet in altitude, and in the entire
region as many as 40 approXinating
this altitude.
Here is the general picture. From
the Carolina coast the country grad
ually rises and swelis into the Piedmont
Plateau. then into the Blue Ridge,
range Of the Great Smokes. From the
Blue Ridge, leading up TO the Great
Smokes, are cross ranges which show
occasional elevations OF great height
Among the higher cross ranges are the
Plsgah Range, reaching its highest
point in lovely Mount Pisgah. with an
elevation of $3.50 feet: the Ba!sanns.
higher still; the Blacks, range Is
miles long boasting dozen peaks over
5000 feet. with Mount Mitchell king
Of all
This mountain country adjacent 10
AsheWlie Is one Of unusual beauty;
easily accessible and becoming nors
and more known TO Summer seekers
Of cool mountain breezes and inspiring
scenery.
West of the Great Smoky Divide IN
Tennessee is tangled mass Of
mountain ranges and ridges, wild, rug
ged, beautiful and practically unknown
because they have become accessible
only within the past few years Shut
In between the high mountains are
many coVes and valleys--Cades Cove,
Wears Valley. Tuckaleechee Cove,
Emerts Cove-~Which have become in
teresting mountain settlements.
The western slope Of the Great
Smokes with its sleeper ups and
deeper downs. It's milc-high. knife-edge
ridges, its pIunging valleys. has re-
nained unknown and uneyplored be-
cause Of It's iiaccesS.bilitv. Highways
nov afford views Of the Great Smokes
from both The Tennessee and Carolina
sides. and the m0torigt today flnds In
the Great Smoky region scenic drives
Of unrivalcd beauty
Eut there are stil sections Of the
/ Tennessee Smokes Wild, rough and
rugged with precipitous slopes lofty
! peaks, Jagged spurs and impeneJsble
! thicketg which are explored only by
hardy ones who venture horseback or
afoot. mostly afoot Though the
mountain horse can negotiate many a
seemingly impossible wet slippery.
( rocky trail, which would halt even the
western burto. there are places where
4 The intrepid mountain climber must use
arms az actively as legs IN scaling
cliffs or pushing his way through the
! dense thickets Of laurel, rh0d0dendr0n
and leaucothoe, appropriately called
do9n0bbie
The higher ranges taper down 10
/ lower ranges which front on the great
/ Appalachian Valley, represented by
! ChilhoWes and English Mountains
somewhat lower and less regular IN
crest are Clinch and Bay Mountains
TO the west of the great Appalachian
! Valley rises the Cumberland Plateau
with high elevations and ridges rising
AS mountains on the tablelsnd, stFik'
ingIy marked In it's plateau character
II we carry the picture on Into Ken
lucky and West Virginia we find tl1f
cumberlands and Alleghenies inter