October 1995

Carver's Gap on Roan Mountain

Here's how Round Bald looked the day John Waite, his son Brandon and I drove to the top of Roan Mountain. That's Carvers Gap from left to right with Roan High Knob (the tallest peak of Roan Mountain) behind us. Tennessee on the left, North Carolina on the right. You can see how the trees aren't growing on this bald, yet behind us is solidly covered with trees, even to the peak. The few little trees you see here get fewer and fewer the further up the bald you go until there is nothing but grass on top. This photo is kind of deceptive. It doesn't look very far to the top, but the curvature doesn't let you see the top. It's a long way up there. If you look closely on the left side of the photo just above the center, you might be able to make out a little patch of color. These are 2 hikers walking up the trail. They are a good ways away, but have really just started on a journey up the Bald. The thin air doen't help either, making you have to stop pretty often to catch your breath. This was the first time I had seen the top of the mountain, as it had always been covered in clouds or haze. But on this October afternoon, you could see from horizon to horizon without a cloud in the sky. But it was chilly and the wind was blowing like crazy. There must have been a constant 20 mph wind with a few higher gusts. The hills and mountains around this peak looked to me like dark green carpet that had been pulled up into peaks and valleys. More pictures follow.