1878;] In the Blue Ridge 



ticularly delightful because of its masses of out- 

 cropping white quartzite set against the "piney 

 woods" and for its heavy growth of Rhododendron, 

 Azalea, and Kalmia — the ''laurels" of the moun- 

 tain side. Of special interest to us, also, was the 

 Spanish Oak — ^ercus falcata — the most attrac- 

 tive of all the many forms of that genus, with its The 

 long, dagger-shaped leaves. On the road we straggled ^^°^°' 

 along in groups, the party in advance marking Trail 

 every fork with a branch of Rhododendron flowers, 

 and so laying out "the Rhododendron Trail." This 

 precaution was constantly necessary in a region 

 where all paths diverge and very few lead anywhere 

 in particular. Most of them, in fact, were like 

 Thoreau's "Old Marlborough Road," merely 



... a direction out there, 

 A bare possibility of going somewhere, 



finally "dwindling to a squirrel track and running 

 up a tree." 



Passing along the crest of the Blue Ridge, we 

 came upon many beautiful waterfalls which drop 

 from the plateau behind. 



Long Fall, High Fall, 

 Green Fall, Dry Fall, 

 Saluda and Conness — 



sang Smith, our topographical poet, omitting, how- 

 ever, the still more romantic Toxaway, which lies 

 beyond. One day we climbed the lofty bald summit 

 of "Caesar's Head," overlooking the picturesque 

 valley of "Walhalla"; one night we spent around 

 a campfire on Whitesides, a flat-topped quartzite 



: 167 : 



