Eastern Canada & USA - 2001

July - August 2001
A camping trip to the Canadian Maritimes and Eastern United States.

Saturday, August 18, 2001 - There are a few places in the world that still stand apart from the ordinary. Rising more than a mile high, surrounded by the gentle mist of low-hanging clouds, Mount Mitchell State Park is one of these extraordinary places. In the crest of the timeworn Black Mountains lies the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. For those who ascend this mighty peak, what looms in the horizon is a feast for the eyes—breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, rolling ridges and fertile valleys. Many of the trees of Mount Mitchell are dying. Scientists have determined that an insect, the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, is the primary cause of the destruction of these forests. Here Rudy rests after ascending to the top, 6684 feet above sea level.