Devil's Courthouse, Transylvania County (12-19-13)
Read MoreBlue Ridge Parkway -- 5,380'
469 of these little Mileposts mark your progress as you travel the Parkway. Mileages increase heading south meaning right here I was standing 423 miles from the Parkway's north terminus at Shenandoah National Park, VA and 46 miles north of its southern terminus at Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
Devil's Courthouse Tunnel -- 5,540'
The Devils Courthouse Tunnel is one of 26 such tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway. At 350' long its one of the shorter Parkway tunnels. Constructed in the early 1940's, this particular tunnel is unique in that it was the first to incorporate an inner concrete lining to reduce cave-ins and water seepage. This lining worked so well that it was eventually used in all Parkway Tunnels. Also, the fancy stonework you see at the entrances of this and other Parkway tunnels wasn't part of the original road design, they were added at a later date by Italian stonemasons...
Devil's Courthouse Tunnel -- 5,500'
OK, enough tunnel fun for now...let's get back to the trail... (Note the big mound of ice created by water seepage in the tunnel. Despite the sun and warm temperatures outside, in the shaded confines of the Parkway tunnels these major road hazards can persist all winter)
Devil's Courthouse -- 5,720'
A closer look at the peaks to the west. Beech Gap, where I started, sits on the far side of the rocky ridge in the foreground while beyond rises the spruce-speckled slopes of 6,110' Mt. Hardy. Peeking over the ridge to the right, the dark summit of Richland Balsam (at 6,410' it's the highest of the Great Balsams) can be seen...
kw
on January 12, 2014quite the interesting perspective on this hike--- especially hiking up the road and through/over the tunnels! Love it-- and just a bit jealous! I like how you've captured the beauty of the peaks/rocks, even in the midst of the 'dead' look of the trees/forests!