Sometimes it’s nice to get away from it all. It’s one of the things you have to do sometimes just to get a bigger view of things in your life and one of my favorite places to go is Roan Mountain, TN. It’s not that far from my house, maybe 45 minutes or so and although it’s not a majestic rocky crag like some of the mountain vistas out west, this cozy spot on the Tennessee border is a perfect getaway for a little self-therapy.
There are many memories from this peaceful geography about 6,000 feet above sea level from comets to bears, to full moons, meteors and more!
The grassy hilltops at Roan Mountain are carpeted with moss and ankle high vegetation and other than a ring of pines and a few scattered scrubby trees, there aren’t any trees on the top of these mountains and you’re treated to a complete view of the horizon.
The Appalachian Trail crosses over the trail at Roan Mountain and it’s only about a 20 minute hike to the top to experience a breath of air like no other and a stillness that is only interupted by the rush of your own blood. It’s a quiet place and when the sun sets, a parade of planets, stars and meteors are epic in the black night unobstructed by light pollution. It’s truly a cosmic experience.
This is a great place to be alone too and a beautiful spot to watch the stars and this particular Sunday was a full moon. My hike took me across three hillsides and back just in time to watch the September sunset. There are times during this part of the year when these bald mountains are covered in brillant, tall goldenroods, but our unusually dry three months at the end of summer was not enough to grow a large showing this year.
Nevertheless, I came back with photos that includes a new tree discovery, a conversation with a hawk and an unusual gathering of people watching the moon ascend in the Eastern sky into the dark hours of the night.
Here are the new photos in a slide show…
And photos here in a seperate web presentation…