One of North Carolina's greatest ambassadors, D.G. Martin, has penned a wonderful column on North Carolina's mountain "lighthouses."
"Our mountains, beautiful as their rolling, forested peaks are, provide few landmarks as dramatic as Grandfather," he writes. "Even Mount Mitchell is masked by other nearby high peaks in the Black Mountain range.
"However, a few other North Carolina mountains or outcroppings stand out from their surroundings in ways that leave their viewers in awe.
"Stone Mountain (near North Wilkesboro), Pilot Mountain (near Winston Salem), Crowders Mountain (near Gastonia), and Chimney Rock (near Asheville), along with Grandfather, are among my favorites. Like the lighthouses that are symbols of our coast, these outcroppings are my mountain icons. ...
"Like our lighthouses, each of these mountain icons has its special story. 'Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston,' by UNC-Chapel Hill professor Kevin G. Stewart and Mary-Russell Roberson, persuades its readers that the geological story of the creation of each of these landmarks is almost as compelling asits visual impression. ..."
Hugh Morton's photo of the Charlotte skyline from Grandfather Mountain courtesy of Blue Ridge blog.
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