by Bill Hudson

Last month, Ellie and I enjoyed two weeks in Back Mountain, North Carolina. We were invited by my sister Kathy and brother-in-law Kermit who are familiar with the town, the area, and the prime times to visit. For sheer visual beauty, our timing was near perfect.

Black Mountain is a small country town of about 8,000 people, sitting at 2,405 feet elevation, 15 miles east of Asheville. The historic downtown attracts many tourists with pubs, live music, restaurants, shops, outdoor markets, art galleries, etc. For me, however, the real attraction is the neighboring Pisgah National Forest—rugged mountains, covered with 100+ species of hardwood, deciduous trees, divided by rivers, streams, brooks, creeks, and spectacular waterfalls everywhere. In the fall, Pisgah becomes a magical land in full autumn colors. And, according to locals, we had hit an exceptional year. I couldn’t take enough reference photographs. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails serve to reconnect with God’s magnificent creation. Appropriately, Mount Pisgah was named after the Biblical mountain that Moses stood on as he first gazed at “the promised land.”