The View from Young’s Mountain

The eastern Blue Ridge Escarpment in North Carolina runs from South Carolina northeast into Virginia, and the mountains along this upslope average about 2,800 feet in elevation. The Piedmont Plateau, or “Foothills”, as they are called by the natives, averages about 900 feet in elevation. Just northeast of the tourist mecca called Lake Lure, sits 2,800 foot Young’s Mountain. Although the summit is not accessible by car, a road has been built to the 2,500 foot level so homes can be built to take advantage of the dramatic views to the west. The ridge of peaks along that impenetrable wall are over 1,000 feet higher than Young’s, and offer a breathtaking panorama of Nature’s awesome creation. Below is a full panorama of this impressive wall. Click on the image to see the larger version.

Mt. Shumont is the tallest peak at 4,000 feet, and a difficult hiking trail will take you to the summit.

This view toward the south and Lake Lure shows 3,900 foot Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance, with 2,800 foot Rumbling Bald Mountain, with its exposed granite face, to the right.

A closer inspection shows the 500 foot tall granite slab, along with smaller outctoppings. This area is popular among rock climbers, and at it’s base, the giant boulders that have tumbled down the slope offer challenging obstacles for devotees of another sport called Bouldering.

To the northwest are the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi, the Black Mountains, where the tallest peak, Mt. Mitchell, is shown here in the center.