Ruralite Cafe: Published 08/08/02

By Lynn Hotaling - Associate Editor

County has almost 200 named summits

The answer - straight off the Internet - is 185 or so, depending on how well I counted late Tuesday night.

This information, which is free and available to anyone in cyberspace, came from the U.S. Geological Survey GNIS (sorry, the web declined to reveal what those initials signify) Database and was "extracted" in November 2000. Another note indicates the database is subject to "continuous change," so be forewarned that anyone who looks it up for themselves might discover different data.

It is obvious at a glance that the 911 folks weren't available when these peaks were christened, because a number of names identify more than one summit. Both Greens Creek and Tuckasegee quadrangles have a Black Mountain, with the Tuckasegee contender taller by almost 500 feet. Sticking with colors, we find Brown Mountains in both Glenville and Tuckasegee. Glenville's wins the height contest, 3,680 to 3,400. Our county has no peaks named blue, green or red, but 6,032-foot Yellow Face is the final entry on the list.

Our tallest mountain (as well as the highest point along the Blue Ridge Parkway) is Richland Balsam at 6,410 feet. Jackson County's other 6,000-plus summits are Waterrock Knob at 6,292 feet and Mount Lyn Lowry, 6,280.

Turning our attention to the girls' first names category, we find Jenny Knob (Sylva South, 2,939 feet), Lizzie Mountain (Big Ridge, 3,840 feet) and Polly Mountain (Cashiers, 3,040).

Guys' first names enjoy a similar level of popularity. A quick look at the list reveals three peaks with masculine monikers - Jacks Knob (Cashiers, 3,040), Joe Mountain (Sylva North, 3,478) and Jonas Fields (Sylva North, 4,700).

Animal-derived names are a contender in the most numerous category, and many of the more popular ones are duplicates. Alphabetically we find two Bears, two Bearpens, four Buck Knobs, Bull Pen, Buzzard Roost, Cow Mountain, Eagle Knob, Fox Knob, Goat Knob, Hogback, three Panther Knobs, two Rattlesnake Knobs, Rattlesnake Mountain, Raven Knob, Sheep Knob, Sheep Mountain, Sheepback Mountain, Terrapin Mountain, two Wolf Knobs and two Wolf Mountains.

Plant-inspired names are plentiful as well. We find, again according to the alphabet, Cedar Cliff, Cedar Cliff Mountain, Cherry Knob, Chestnut Knob, two Chestnut Mountains, Dryland Laurel, Fern Mountain, Grassy Knob, Grassy Top, Hickory Flat Knob, Hickory Flats, Hickory Mountain, two Laurel Knobs, Moss Knob, Pine Knob, Piney Cliff, Piney Knob, Piney Mountain, Piney Ridge Knob, Poplar Mountain, Potato Knob, Prickly Ash Mountain, Rye Mountain and two Sassafras Knobs.

Some appear to have been named according to their shape, size or other characteristics: Awl Knob, Big Knob, Big Mountain, Chimneytop Mountain, Coldsides Mountain, Cove Hill, Double Knob, Double Top, two Doubletop Mountains, Flat Mountain, two High Knobs, High Point, two High Tops, Lone Bald, Pinnacle, Pump Mountain, three Rocky Faces, Round Mountain, View Rock and Whiteside Mountain.

"Little" mountains are especially popular. We find Little Bald Rock Mountain, Little Cow Mountain, Little Green Mountain (I guess there is a green one after all), Little Hogback Mountain, Little Panther Knob, Little Pilot Mountain, Little Sheep Cliff and Little Terrapin Mountain.

Our mountains are mostly in the 4,000- to 5,000-foot range, but we do have nine below 3,000 feet. Thomas Rock and O'Dear Knob, both in Whittier, are the shortest at 2,200 feet.

The most intriguing name to me, I guess, is Tuckasegee's Lost Knob. How could anyone lose a mountain that stands 5,467 feet above sea level?

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