Sitting On Top of the World...With Cows

So far off the beaten path that it requires a serious four-wheel drive vehicle to reach it, this summit deep in Appalachia commands a view of three states. Though I was convinced that my mom style SUV could have made it up there, I have no regrets that our son drove us in his jeep. Pursuing this viewpoint is not for the faint of heart.The road to the top is unpaved, bumpy, slick after rainfall, steep, curvy, one lane and probably 2 miles long. Who needs amusement park rides? There were native rhododendron, buckeye trees, wild flowers and dense forest along the sides of the road. Known only by locals, it is also on private property. Those in the know claim that the owners don't mind if people go up there as long as they are respectful and remember to close the gate so the cows don't escape. As we braved the thrill ride on the ascent, we hoped this was true.

Once we reached Raven's Rock, as the locals call it, we were treated to a breathtaking view of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The road twisted so much that we weren't even sure which of the states we were in until our son found a NC survey plate in the ground.The Blue Ridge Mountains seemed to go on and on. Lush green valleys, Christmas tree farms, a tiny airstrip, a quarry, and very few houses were visible in the valleys below. The 360' view was incredible. Over the years our son has taken us to many viewpoints in western NC and this was definitely the best one yet. Pictures don't do it justice. Far away from any traffic, it was silent up there. The air was crisp. At that altitude, it was without the usual NC summer humidity. A nice breeze was blowing.

 A small herd of cows and calves grazed the long grass. My husband walked toward them, mooing. My son and I followed at a distance. Once we realized that they were not frightened or threatening, we were able to get pretty close to them. Suddenly, we noticed a white "cow" that looked more stout than the rest. It stared at us and moved a little closer. My son said to stare it down unless it is a bull. A quick look revealed that it indeed WAS a bull so we quickly turned and ran like our pants were on fire! The bull did not follow. It was probably laughing at us. He meandered over to another patch of grass and kept eating. That close encounter with a bull was enough to convince us to keep our distance. We retreated to some tall rocks and climbed up for an even better view.

As we gazed across the distant mountains and valleys, we noticed some rain clouds moving across. They weren't coming in our direction and since there was no lightning or thunder we sat and watched them move over the valley below. Little by little, a rainbow began to  form. The three of us witnessed it growing upward and becoming wider and brighter. Of course my phone battery had just died from searching for a signal, so I wasn't able to get a photo of the rainbow. Our son crept over closer to one of the cows and was able to get a great shot of her with the rainbow in the background. He retained a safe distance from the bull.

Finally, the dinner hour was approaching so we said our goodbyes to the cows and the view. We dared to stare at the bull from the moving jeep. On the way back down the long, slippery passage, we encountered a family heading to the summit on two 4 wheel ATV type vehicles. Because it was a one lane road, one of us had to move out of the way. Our son backed that jeep up along the pathway until we got to a spot wide enough to let them pass. I held on tight as the jeep strained to go backwards up the steep course. A little farther down the road, a truck was coming in our direction. Fortunately we were right at a spot that was safe to move over. At this point I was really glad that I wasn't driving my mom style SUV.  I was grateful that we had been up there all by ourselves to enjoy the peaceful view. It was truly off the beaten path, just the way I like it!