2021/9/26 - FRYINGPAN FIRE TOWER, MOUNT PISGAH
DIRECTOR'S CUT EXTENDED EDITION

This is the Director's Cut Extended Edition for this album, meaning I have included many photos which don't meet my typical artistic standards because they hold special memories for me. If you are looking for a shorter and higher quality collection, or if you are not a fan of spiders, visit the curated Theatrical Cut at FRYINGPAN FIRE TOWER, MOUNT PISGAH - SPIDER FREE THEATRICAL RELEASE.

In September/October of 2021 I took a trip to Asheville, NC and walked my poor feet as much as they could take up and down the Appalachian mountains. I never planned very far ahead, so at 4:30 in the morning I thought, "Yeah Fryingpan sounds neat," and drove over on the lonely, pitch dark Blue Ridge Parkway. There was a lovely cloud sitting on the mountains which gave the woods a magical, spooky fairytale feeling. As I climbed out of that towards the fire tower, the wind was picking up in a fierce way. I only made it halfway up the steep stairs before my legs told me, in no uncertain terms, that they would not be continuing further. I looked up at the structure wobbling and trembling above me and chose not to argue.

I trekked back through the cloud for a while until I reached the Pisgah Inn, and decided on a whim that hiking another few miles up and down another mountain couldn't possibly be a bad idea. About a quarter mile down the next trail, I squeaked as I was startled by a large blur tumbling down the path away from me. Okay, it turns out that black bears are actually as timid as they say. I got lost down a side trail to nowhere for a while with another man who thought he was only going out for a short walk, and then finally ascended Mount Pisgah with its... scenic ...cell tower vista. It was a bad sign for the first day to have jelly legs as I descended, having hiked about a half marathon by the time I got back to my car.