Autumn Arrives at Grandfather Mountain

A quick drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway just north of Linville Falls will bring you to Grandfather Mountain, and the earliest “peak” of the Fall colors in North Carolina. October 6th might seem early for using the “P” word, but after seeing the slopes below the mile high wonder today, I think you would have to agree. The banner at the top of this blog shows the wide angle view from the “Grandfather Mountain” overlook, with the infamous Sugartop condominium at Sugar ski mountain on the horizon in the upper left, and the rocky cliffs of Grandfather on the far right. That’s Grandmother Lake in the center. The yellows, oranges, and reds are unmistakable above 4,000 feet, and the presence of late season green in the woods makes for an even more dramatic scene. If you’re viewing this in your e-mail, you’ll need to click on the heading above to go directly to the web site to see the header photo. Below is a closer view of Grandfather from the same place.

Approaching the intersection of US 221 and the Parkway, the vibrancy of the color is electric.

The view up the Parkway is enough to make every driver pull off and grab their cameras.

The drive south to Linville Falls involves another stop to view the incredible “Cliffs” to the east. and the many mountain ridges in the direction of Morganton.