Black Mountain Camp

I hope to get my last weeks trip all blogged out...I have one more after this

I didnt have good internet when I traveled and it was just too hot to worry with it so Im trying to blog from memory-its sketchy!

cooler tempts 

SO we left the OBX and took a motel for the night enjoyed a late night swim, then in the morning I made a few calls to check on campgrounds in the Pisgah Forest area of NC where it was cool, literally we were so happy to have the lower no humidity air! Called Mt. Mitchell State Park they were full, with only 9 sites I figured as much, but they gave me a tip so we drove west into the highlands of NC.

Many wild flowers were in bloom we were stopping and snapping through the van window...

Flame Azalea 

                                                                                     Firey Pink   

                                                                                 Oxeye Daisy

                                                                                                                   

Trumpet Honeysuckle

White Yarrow 

The steep windy hairpin road hwy 80,  brought us right alongside Lake Tohoma, a very picturesque lake with some McMansions around it...this is called the Casino, its a private members only rec center...

When the road turned to gravel we followed along the South Toe River to the Black Mountain CG! 

We got a nice spot by the bathhouse--we took this site so we had only one neighbor...SO cool we actually had a fire in our fire ring that evening and watched the movie "SKINS" on my 7 inch rechargable DVD player! 

Casey Approved, not panting, 

We set up the tent for my friend and the site had a nice separation from our neighbors..

You can't see it but there is a Roadtek right on the other side of those trees...I highly recommend this campground and I reviewed it on Campendium which I recommend as a great tool for finding camp spots. 

Nearby is Mt. Mitchell the highest peak east of the Mississippi River...so we went up and checked that out..not my first time up here but the weather was nice it can sock in real fast as the clouds move in and out...there is a summit hike of just over 6 miles one way and you can start that hike right here in the campground...so this is a great base camp for doing that.

                                  

there is some amazing views up there...  Unfortunately this little black weevil is killing the fir and spruce trees! 

                                                  new plantings, the beetle kills only old growth

                               

                   Very unfortunate...WE were covered in the little blighters as we walked around..

its such a shame as the tress are so beautiful..

 Blue Ridge Mtns, 

the views from the platform at top are awesome...

beetle damage

... slept snuggled up in our sleeping bags that night the temps were in the low 60's...

We spent one night then broke camp to head to my sisters house to spend the weekend and pick up Mom and the Girls!

We made a stop along the way and that's up next..

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.