Home and rime-covered mountains
A fenced-in home sits in a clearing with rime-covered mountains in the background. This photograph was taken by “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area.
—Southern Appalachian Digital Collections
Last week we were talking about heavy frosts. I came across this amazing photo showing rime-covered mountain peaks surrounding an old homeplace. To see a much larger photo you can visit this link and click on the photo.
Once enlarged you can see amazing details like the corn stalks in the field and the individual trees and bushes on the ridges surrounding the house. Just to the right of the corn are two crosses. I wonder if they are grave markers or something else. The larger photo also gives a much better view of those high peaks that are clothed in frozen garments.
Tipper
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Tipper,
I never remember hearing the word “Rime” to describe this weather-related condition. I think it is what we always referred to as, “The mountain being frozen down.”
I did not have time to read every comment, and someone else might have mentioned frozen down as the old description of rime?
Sanford-No one else mentioned that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Rim ice is always beautiful
I forgot to include something in my original comment, I don’t think is phenomenon should be called frost at all. Some call it hard rime or rime ice. It’s not formed the same way frost it. Rime Ice is formed when water droplets freeze onto trees and other objects. Frozen water droplets such as those that are the composition of fog and clouds. I have actually seen it, been in it, and watched it form. I’ve stood at the top of a ridge and observed it covering one side and not the other. One side of the trees and not the other. It is amazing to look at from a distance. It’s more amazing to be within it as it happens.
I’m having trouble getting my fingers to type what I tell them to today!
Beautiful picture!
Tipper, my grandfather was from Bryson City (actually Needmore). I recall seeing frost on the mountains surrounding his home place. I think another term for the frost on the mountain is “hoar frost”. I do not know the etiology of the term but think it is an old yet common phrase still used.
Was your grandfather Robert Arthur Breedlove? Did you know Bill Burnett? Are you my 3rd cousin?
Yes Arthur was my grandfather, Bill was my 1st cousin. My mother was Helen Breedlove (Waldrop). I recall a Fred Ammons. Are you kin to him?
This photo takes me back to my Gramp’s place. He lived in a holler surrounded by mountains. He and Gran had a big old garden they loved. Their wish was to buried near the garden. None of their children took up at the old homeplace and eventually it was sold. The two grave stones for Gramps and Gran are still there I hear.
A beautiful photo, Tipper – I find it most inviting – thinking how great it would be to sit on the porch awhile and listen to the stories of those who once lived there. It also reminds me of my paternal grandparents homestead.
What a beautiful picture! I have never heard of rime-covered mountains before. I do see two crosses and what looks like an outhouse in the front yard. Odd that would be in the front yard not the back. The mountains in this picture are breath taking. Thank you for sharing such a lovely photo.
Recently a large tract of woods were clear cut near me. A abandoned home very similar to the one in the picture can now be seen. It does not have rooms or addition shown on the left side of the home like in today’s picture. I know the Bible says not to covet, but I sure do wish I had me a home like that. I would want it to have inside plumbing and bathroom, electricity, and heat/ac. I know I have been spoiled! I don’t see an outhouse in the picture so the home must have inside plumbing.
Oh, BRR!
I surely do hope and pray that those long ago people were able to stay warm – and that the people who inhabit present-day Appalachia are also protected from the beautiful yet deadly cold.
This made me think about how when I was little living in upstate SC (Piedmont area) I used to ask my daddy if we could go to the “blue” up in the mountains. I thought the Blue Ridge Mountains were actually blue and everything there was blue!
LaJuan, when you say Piedmont area, area you referring to the town of Piedmont? Many of my high school classmates were from Piedmont and the Moonville area. I know you can see the “blue” on the SC mountains from that area.
We have always called it Hoar Frost. Beautiful.
Tipper,
That is one of a couple dozen of the Kelly Bennett photos which I attempted to replicate in modern times. It was taken along old NC 10 above Sylva, between the Beta and Addie section. I believe – and maybe one of your Jackson County readers can straighten me out – that the section is called Foster. At any rate, you can see that image and my own on the 3rd slide pair here:
https://www.diagsol.com/Photos/Bennett/Matching_landscapes.pdf
(Maybe you can embed the link or maybe it will happen automatically; I don’t know).
At any rate, while I’m decent at identifying landscapes, and have spent untold hours doing so to support Hunter Library’s assembly of metadata for the Bennett and other photo collections, this is one which had me stumped. Creeden Kowal, Director of the Swain County Soil & Water District ID’d it for me. I may be mistaken, but I think she said that it was someone else she knew who recognized it. Maybe she can follow up and make sure credit goes where it belongs.
The range of mountains are, as the header to the photo indicates, part of the Plott Balsams. The peak at the left is Blackrock Mountain (5755 ft above mean sea level). Above and slightly to the right of the home is Yellow Face (6034 ft). What appear to be twin peaks at the right are on a lead which runs almost due south from Yellow Face.
I really needed to be on the opposite side of the fence to best replicate the angle, but at least the section of the Balsams is pretty decently matched.
Your readers might enjoy leafing through the others to see how things have changed over the course of about a century.
Your recent posts about frost flowers and now “rime frost” are within a category of all the shapes and appearances that ice can have. They are many and have quite a few different names according to the Wikipedia article on “frost flowers”. But the most beautiful I have ever seen is that formed by fog in the higher mountains freezing slowly, crystal by crystal into a wonderland of white and silver. Each tiny twig, each blade of grass are highlighted with tiny, delicate crystals as if an artist with a tiny brush had spent the night creating. When the sun shines on such a scene it turns magical. It is spellbinding and never to be forgotten. The most earthbound person would pause to wonder and marvel. Although it rapidly melts in the sun the marvel remains. I treasure the memory of the few times I have been within that magical creation. The Author of beauty shows His mastery.
I’m seeing a home and garden that has long been abandoned. The picket fence surrounded a rather large garden. I don’t think the wooden crosses would have been graves, not in the garden. Graves were most often found on the mountainside. When I first looked at the picture I thought of scarecrows, grave vines or clotheslines in that order.
To me the cornfield seems to be later than thing. As if the home had been abandoned but someone was still farming the land.
That’s just my impressions, I could be totally wrong. As far as the frost on the distant mountains, I’ve seen that scene numerous times before and never get tired of it. My parents had another name for it but I can’t recall it right now.
Hello Tipper,
Could the crosses have been supports for scarecrows? Just a thought.
Great word, rime! Living in the mountains of Appalachia I will remember and use this one often.
♥️
I have never heard of the term “rime covered” before, but it puts a name to one of my favorite memories. My husband and I attended ASU in Boone and make frequent trips to the area. One such trip was on a cold rainy day . Snow was not in the forecast but when we reached Banner Elk and started the descent toward Boone, the entire area around grandfather was covered in frozen frost….it was absolutely magical! it was actually prettier than any snow I have ever seen. There was no ice on the ground, but the trees looked like they had been dipped in sugar crystals. Now, my memory has a title.
The picture reminds me of my great-aunt and uncle’s house in Ky. Out in the field a little way from the cornfields they had buried one of their sons who died in a car accident. So, the crosses in this picture probably represent graves. Looking closely at the picture is what I think is an outhouse at the edge of the cornfield in front of the house. There is also a building on the side of the house facing the rime-covered mountains. I love the picture.
I said I didn’t see one, but I looked again and believe you are right.
Wonderful photo. Is rime another word for frost? I’ve not heard that term before.
Thank you for sharing this amazing photo which is worthy of framing. Doc Kelly was to Swain County as John Rice Irwin was to Anderson and surrounding counties here in Tennessee. All the photos in the link were fantastic!
Everyone have a great day!
Wow what a picture. It takes me back to memories forgotten. Thanks for today’s post. Prayers for Granny and her Dr’s appt. God’s Blessings on all you guys…and praying for your snow.
Lovely
Tipper–I was fortunate to have known Doc Kelly, as everyone called him, when I was growing up in Bryson City. His drug store was a gathering spot for teenagers, he was a pillar of the Presbyterian Church (where we were members), and omnipresent at ball games or indeed pretty much any public gathering. His photographs (brother Don and I played a small role in finding a perfect home for them at Western Carolina University), thousands of them, are a visual testament to life in the mountains of yesteryear. I devote a chapter to him in a forthcoming book, “Profiles in Mountain Character.”
As for the two crosses, I think it likely they were to hold support wires for pole beans. Another possibility would be clothes lines, but I think they are a bit too far from the house for that to be likely.
I remember Bennett’s Drugstore as the only place in the area where you could buy guitar strings!
I am a flat lander, so I have never saw rime covered mountains. After my small amount of snow and freezing rain Friday, everything Saturday morning was covered in ice and then there was a very heavy frost Sunday morning that would make you think we had a skiff of snow. So far this January has been the coldest I can remember in a long time. Some days next week are forecast to have nighttime temperatures in the teens and the day time temperatures in the 30’s. This reminds me of my teenage years of duck hunting with my best friend one very cold January evening near dark. We had to walk close to a mile to get back to the truck, I didn’t have the clothes I needed to stay warm and in all honesty was close to freezing before I could get to the truck, I prayed and promised God I would never duck hunt again if he would let me get to the truck and get warm. I have kept that promise, that is the last time I have ever duck hunted. I don’t remember ever being any colder in my life. I do think the nighttime temperatures at that time were in the single digits. Being older, I say I am not old, just high mileage, may have have something to with feeling so much colder nowadays.
Morning Miss Tipper. What a beautiful picture. I’d say the beauty of the black and white makes it seem more real to me. I’m guessing just because even with it being black and white it still comes through clear as all things God created. Thank you for showing all of us how wonderful the Appalachian experience is. Blessings to everyone and prayers to all those in need of them at this time due to all the tragic events that have been happening. May God give you all strength to handle all the things coming up before you.
Wow another word for my vocabulary. Beautiful scene. Thanks for sharing so regularly. A pleasure to read your blogs. Your cook book reminds me of how my mom used to cook. So happy I found you.
Old photographs are like time travel! A miraculous glimpse of the past.
That’s one incredible photograph! Just stick me right in that house hopefully a thousand miles from the nearest living human being! There’s something beautiful about frost on top of the mountain especially when it’s a blue sky right against it or a dark night that the light seems to put light in the sky. It’s also a wonderful CRUNCH sound under the boots while walking. As cold and miserable as it is, I have put out corn for the deer. I get a laugh that all my neighbors think somebody is outside their windows at night when it’s only deer walking about looking for a nibble… Stay warm and dry and especially to the poor folks of NC and TN still humped up in campers and tents with wind and elements whipping through. Survival in these frigid, frozen, icy hills ain’t for punks and sissies…God bless everyone without a home in this cold….