Blue Ridge blog

The windmill on Howard's Knob c. 1983

This was the view of Howard's Knob during my college days at Appalachian State University. I dug these little gems out the other evening. Back then I used a pitiful Kodak 110 film camera. Here is a link to the Wiki which has a fantastic shot of the windmill which was taken down in 1983. In 1980, the Boone windmill was written up in Time Magazine and which referred to it as the not only the world's largest windmill, but the noisiest as well. I remember the windmill as my Boone compass/landmark. As I drove down old 421, there would be no mistaking which ridge was Howard's Knob. The majority of the time I remember the blades of the windmill locked. When ASU students weren't flocking down 321 towards The Rock for a drink at Holly's Tavern, Clyde's, or Mother Fletchers, they would head up to Howard's Knob to gander at the trailer sized office attached to the windmill. There was a fence built around the structure to prevent folks from 'riding' the blades. Dennis Scanlon, a professor at ASU has put together a PDF file which describes the Mountain Ridge Protection Act of 1983 as well other helpful info about wind and windmills in North Carolina.

Where the locals hang...

Says Steven 'Scrappy' Beach, "We call the ravens and other birds that mingle with us 'locals' and say that when the 'locals' fly, so must we."

I ventured on top of Tater Hill this afternoon to watch human men and women fling themselves off the side of a mountain wearing nothing more than strings attached to mega yards of see-thru material. Then I watched as they rode thermals above Cove Creek, Mabel and Zionville...

I am trying to make a photo album this evening, but Typepad is being a turtle...so if not tonight, then tomorrow, for sure. Sitting on top of Tater Hill (approx 5000 ft) clinging to boulders, I felt local...if'n you ever get the chance...I recommend the experience, y'all.

You can read all about the sport at Paraglider Magazine. Hopefully they are covering the Tater Hill competition.

**Update** I added a little photo album of yesterday's trek up Tater Hill. Enjoy the view! For results and much more information about the Tater Hill Paragliding Competition, please visit Fly Tater Hill .