114 



SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 



tains. Seventy miles apart in North Carolina, they inclose 

 many other extensive rano-os between them. In (xeoi'oia 

 they approach within 30 miles of each otlier, and in lower 

 Vii •giiiia they coalesce. (PI. LXV.) 



Blue Ridge. '£\^q southeastern portion of the mountainous area is the 

 Blue Ridge, a sinuous divide which parts the waters of the 

 Atlantic and the Mississippi. The Blue Ridge stands 

 above 3,000 feet in height, except in a immber of deep 

 gaps and a short stretch at the head of Bi-oad River. Tiie 

 northern part of the Blue Ridge consists of ancient pla- 

 teaus, whose summits are broad and gently rolling- and rise 

 to similar heights for long distances. From place to place 

 these vary between 3,100 and 3,800 feet. Less regularit}^ 

 prevails in the southern part of the chain, upon which are 

 situated a few individual peaks and ridges of commanding 

 height. Chief of these are Grandfather Mountain. .5,964 

 feet. Pinnacle, 5,693 feet, and Standing Indian, .5,562 feet. 

 Four other points exceed 5,000 feet in height. South of the 

 Little Tennessee Basin the Blue Ridge becomes exceedingly 

 irregular, both in height and direction, and finally merges 

 into the Piedmont Plateau. The one feature which distin- 

 guishes the Blue Ridge from other Appalachian Mountains is 

 its steep slope on the southeast. This is so extreme as to be, in 

 places, precipitous, and it fronts the adjoining foothills and 

 the Piedmont Plateau like a rampart. (Pis. LVIU, LIX.) 



The unaka Roughly parallel to the Blue Ridge and bordering the 



Lountains. a l ^ to 



Great Valley of Tennessee and Virginia lie a series of high 

 mountains which have manj' features in common and arise 

 from the same causes, although they have separate names. 

 These begin at the southwest with the Unaka Mountains 

 and are continued in the Great Smoky, the Bald, the 

 Unaka, and the Iron mountains. This northwestern front 

 of the mountain mass is termed, collectively, the "L^naka 

 Mountains," a name which is also applied to two of its 

 parts. In the Smoky Mountains several points are but a 

 few feet less in altitude than Mount Mitchell — for instance. 

 Mount Guyot, 6,636 feet, and Clingmans Dome, 6,619 

 feet. From this maximum in the Smokies the Unakas 

 have progressive!}^ lower summits in all directions. Cut 

 apart as the segments of the chain are by the rivers, no 

 average elevations can be stated. South of Big Pigeon 

 River most of the summits are above 5,000 feet. North 

 of that river few exceed 5,000 feet, but man}' are over 

 4,000. In all, 125 of its summits rise above 5,000 feet, 

 and 10 exceed 6,000 feet. The body of high land in the 

 Smoky Mountains is the greatest in the Appalachians. 



