A View From the Top: Pilot Mountain

If you've ever driven through North Carolina, you've no doubt seen the giant rock sticking out of the ground known as Pilot Mountain, located near Mount Airy in the Western side of the state.  Pilot Mountain has always served - whether to modern tourists or pioneers heading west - as a point of navigation. Ever wondered what it's like at the top??? Well, we found out today when we hiked it...

 You might not realize it, but there are actually TWO peaks at Pilot Mountain.  The first is called the Small Pinnacle, and it is difficult to see from the car.  The view from up there is amazing!

 

We hiked 3 different trails at Pilot Mountain, and they are strenuous indeed.  But well worth the work.  The trails are almost entirely rock: your feet will hardly touch dirt.  And ever single step of the way, Pilot Mountain's hiker will find a breathtaking view.  On the small pinnacle we first hiked this trial:

Also on the Small Pinnacle we saw groups of rock climbers.  They were nice people.  And for some odd reason, they all seemed to have brought their dogs with them.  The dogs, however, did not climb the rocks. :)

Many times during the hike we found ourselves under HUGE rock cliffs which hung over our heads.  It was amazing, because if we looked closely - such as with this 75-foot rock overhang, there were rocks that looked like they were being held-up by absolutely nothing, and could fall at any time.  Colossians 1:17 -  "He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together."

Also on the Small Pinnacle we found LOTS of photo ops...

Next we were off to the Big Pinnacle, which is the one the driver can see from Highway 52:

From the Big Pinnacle you feel like you could see the entire state of North Carolina . That little city off in the distance is Winston-Salem.  Even further on the horizon (although the camera lense couldn't pick it up) we saw another city which was either Charlotte or Greensboro.

 From another vantage point on the Big Pinnacle we saw a road with which we were very familiar: Highway 52.  This is the road that took us to and from Rocky Mount.

52 was just about the only road we could see from up there.  Everything else was endless miles of scenic farmland.  I can't imagine a more calming and relaxing scene.  John enjoyed finding "ant cows," which is what he called the cows grazing in the fields...because they looked as small as ants from our high vista.

Oddly, one interesting sight we saw were LOTS of vultures! "Are they circling us???"  I asked.  No, they weren't.  In fact, a huge flock of vultures had made its perch atop the Big Pinnacle of Pilot Mountain.  Believe it or not, they were actually quite beautiful when they soared.  They looked a bit like eagles. 

 OK.  So in our six months since we came to Faith I've said of Grandfather Mountain, "That is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!"  But then we traveled to Crowder's Mountain and I said, "No, THAT is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!"  And today my expectations of Pilot Mountain were exceeded to the point that I am prepared to say, "Well, THAT is absolutely the most beautiful place I've ever seen!"  I must really be in love with the foothills and mountains of Western Carolina.

 Some of your best work, Lord. 

 -Kara