Great Balsam Mountains
The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States.[1][2] The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The most famous peak in the Great Balsam range is Cold Mountain, which is the centerpiece of author Charles Frazier's bestselling novel Cold Mountain.
| Great Balsam Mountains | |
|---|---|
Great Balsam Mountains as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Richland Balsam |
| Elevation | 6,410 ft (1,950 m) |
| Coordinates | 35°22′N 82°59′W / 35.367°N 82.983°W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 21 mi (34 km) |
| Width | 18 mi (29 km) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Type of rock | gneiss |
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along its length and at Richland Balsam (milepost 431), the Parkway is at its highest point (6053 feet).
Peaks edit
- Richland Balsam – 6410 feet
- Black Balsam Knob – 6214 feet
- Mount Hardy – 6120 feet
- Reinhart Knob – 6080 feet
- Grassy Cove Top – 6040 feet
- Tennent Mountain – 6040 feet
- Sam Knob – 6040 feet
- Cold Mountain – 6030 feet
- Shining Rock – 6040 feet
- Chestnut Bald
("Mountain heights". Peakbagger.com.)
Other landmarks edit
- Balsam Gap
- Devil's Courthouse
- Judaculla Rock (see Tsul 'Kalu; photos[3])
- Tanasee Bald (see Tsul 'Kalu)
Flora edit
The area consists of a transition forest between the southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest (which resembles forest types found at northern latitudes) and the mixed deciduous forests of temperate America.[4]
Trees edit
The following trees are at higher elevations:
- Fraser fir[5] ("balsams" or "She balsams"). Forests of these trees appear black from a distance; however, these trees are declining due to the balsam woolly adelgid.[6]
- Red spruce[7] ("He balsams"). The red spruce is distinguished from the Fraser fir by having bark whose rosin cannot be milked (hence, "He balsams") and by having hanging cones.
Shrubs edit
See also edit
Sources edit
- ^ "Great Balsam Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Great Balsam Mountains". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
- ^ Sutton, Myron; Sutton, Ann (1985). Eastern forests (Audubon Society Nature Guides). New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-73126-3. p43
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Abies fraseri (Fraser fir)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ Frankenberg, Dirk (2000). Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-4851-4. p343
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Picea rubens (red spruce)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rhododendron calendulaceum (flame azalea)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 June 2022.