Clingmans Dome is now Kuwohi

[Puma concolor]

The highest point on the Appalachian Trail has a new name.

Official Name Change - Clingmans Dome becomes Kuwohi

 

[TEO]

From the article linked above:

The mountain became known as Clingmans Dome following an 1859 survey by geographer Arnold Guyot [Ed. emphasis added], named for Thomas Lanier Clingman who was a lawyer, U.S. Representative and Senator from North Carolina, and Confederate Brigadier General.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Fine with me. That's a horrible summit anyway.

 

[Puma concolor]

That's a horrible summit anyway.

Agreed. But not really any different than any peak with a road to near the summit. Last time I was there (last summer), I heard some complaints that the hike from the parking lot was too long. LOL.

Anyway, the 7.9 mile one way hike on the AT from Newfound Gap is real nice. Had pretty much a solo backcountry experience until I emerged at the mall at Christmastime energy on the summit. Much like Mount Washington in that regard.

 

[B the Hiker]

I have posted this before. It's a Dirtbag Diary episode on the politics of changing mountain names. Simply brilliant! Nuanced, great story telling. Absolutely worth the listen.

"Two Mountains"

https://dirtbagdiaries.com/two-mountains/

 

[NH2112]

A Confederate general in 1859?

 

[Peppersass]

Fine with me. That's a horrible summit anyway.

 

[Peppersass]

Not the worst state high point I’ve visited. Before they “modernized” Mt Sassafras SC, we were met with a cell tower lying next to the USGS marker. PA had graffiti and a damaged summit spike; MS and KY we’re equally unimpressive.

 

[Grey J]

The concrete structure on top of what is now called Kuwohi is an abomination intended for tourists. You can do a relatively easy 3.6 mile round trip hike from that summit area to Andrews Bald which is a nice open viewpoint and much less crowded than the former Dome. I think the Flame Azaleas (bright orange) bloom in June.

 

[SpencerVT]

I agree. Clingman’s Dome isn’t that great. Mount LeConte in Tennessee is so awesome and substantially better than Clingman’s.

 

[OnAClearDay]

Note that the correct spelling is Kuwohi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwohi

 

[Puma concolor]

Derp!

Thank you. Spelling has been corrected in thread title and OP!

 

[Grey J]

Thanks. Corrected.

 

[B the Hiker]

A Confederate general in 1859?

No, a surveyor in 1859. A general later on.

 

[Grey J]

For the Confederacy.

 

[JoshandBaron]

No, a surveyor in 1859. A general later on.

And a slavey-supporting typical moral-less politician from the south in the game only for status and connections. He always supported slavery and supported the union until it became obvious NC would secede. At which point he gladly jumped ship, choosing slavery over unification. As early as the early 1850s he was making speeches singing the virtues of slavery and claiming the North would be crazy to pick that fight due to the manpower provided by slavery. The man had no moral compass of his own and never did anything to deserve the honor of Clingmans Dome.

 

[maineguy]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentism

 

[Grey J]

Do you really think the concept of presentism applies to slavery? I can see other issues where it might apply but slavery seems a stretch. It is not just in retrospect that we now, in the 21st C, realize that slavery was wrong. Slaveholders knew it was wrong, but it was a source of great wealth. Read some of Jefferson's writings on slavery. He knew the truth, and yet he kept his slaves until his death when most of them were sold as part of his estate to pay his debts.

 

[JoshandBaron]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentism

You don't have to use present-day attitudes to determine he was a moral failure. The idea of it being morally wrong was prevalent enough at the time that they fought a war over it. Britain had thought to abolish it some 50 years prior. The movement had been active even prior to the nation's founding. It was already illegal in most of the country in 1859.

 

[NH2112]

The Union was fine with slavery if it meant keeping Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri out of the Confederacy.