If you have ever visited the Blue Ridge Mountains then you have probably quickly realized there is no secret to how unique these mountains truly are. The Blue Ridge Mountains stretch all the way from Northern Georgia to Pennsylvania. Some of the highest and most scenic areas can be found along the Western North Carolina region. This area is full of rich mountain treasures that will quickly warm any outdoor enthusiast with fiery passion such as the Natahala and Pisgah National forest, cascading rivers and waterfalls, rare plants, and abundant wildlife. I recently took one of the best camping trips with my husband to Black Balsam Knob.
This was a special trip to share an anniversary but also to celebrate my birthday- the beginning of a new decade. I had been longing to share this spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway with him for a long time because I experienced some truly inspirational and life-changing moments on this mountain watching the sunset and rise. We ventured up to the area in hopes of catching a sunset but soon realized with the clouds rolling in that it would be nearly impossible to catch any summit views. We decided it was best to go ahead and set up camp before any rain or dark. As we adapted our plans, we shared Packit Gourmet’s Moonshine Margaritas to celebrate and enjoyed some Tortilla soup. We stayed up late laughing and reminiscing on so many of our past adventures since we had met. It was delightful to enjoy some solitude without any other worldly distractions between us. We were able to focus on where we had been and also talked about goals and hopes of where our lives would lead us.
Once night fell we felt right at home all snuggled up in our cozy tent with intentions of waking up early before sunrise. If I was unable to show Justin the glory of how beautiful a BlackBalsam Knob sunset was, then I was determined we would make the sunrise. Our alarm went off early and soon we were sneaking out of the tent with it still dark to wander the trail. We made our way with headlamps up to a rocky ledge facing the east where we could overlook the mountainscape as the sun arose. Before we knew it, the sun started creeping up from behind the mountains. It began lighting the sky and mountains up with the most magnificent golden rays. Justin leaned in and shared that this was one of the most incredible and inspiring moments of his life. At this moment I felt so grateful for this experience. Not only was I able to take Justin on yet another outdoor adventure; I was also able to share the natural beauty of one of my favorite trails and collect timeless moments together.
