Table Rock Views

Saturday and Sunday Road Trip in the Appalachians
Top: Greens and grays before the sunset;
taken near Blowing Rock at about 3600 feet.
Next Three Down: Views of a rocky outcropping called
Table Rock; a " 3,909-foot summit that appears to be
as flat as the tabletop its name implies. But in fact, it is slightly
tilted, and the surface, irregular rather than smooth,
is a melding of huge boulders. The sandy, dry soil produced
from quartzite erosion is not nutrient rich,
but the hardy plants that take root at the rock's top,
including Allegheny sand myrtle, mountain
laurel, blueberry, pine, and various sedges,
use it to brace themselves against the heavy
gusts of wind that are an everyday part of cliff-dwelling life."
(Sherpa Guides)
To arrive at Table Rock, one must traverse
7 miles up a steep, narrow gravel road from the
Blue Ridge Parkway. The last several miles
to the park consist of a paved, single lane
ultra steep road with turnouts and many switchbacks
to arrive at your destination. There is a one mile hike from the
park itself to near
the summit.
(Click photos to enlarge.)
:)