Know the difference between the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Mountains, and Great Smoky Mountains? I didn’t. Turns out they’re all a part of the Appalachian Mountain Chain, which includes all the East Coast mountain ranges stretching from Georgia to Canada. At nearly 280 million years old, it’s one of the oldest mountain chains on earth. When mountains first form, they grow tall and jagged – when the Appalachians first formed their height was said to have rivaled even that of the Himalayas – but over the centuries time and erosion helped smooth over those rough mountain edges, much as they do to rough and wild people. The Himalayas meanwhile, being one of the youngest mountain ranges on earth at 70 million years old, are still growing, and are still as rugged and wild as ever.
Though the Appalachian mountain chain may seem long, it was once far longer, a section of a giant super-continental mountain range called the Central Pangean Mountains. You see, young geographer, when the two minor supercontinents of Laurussia and Gondwana collided some 300 million years ago, their powers combined to form Captain Continent! or what “Sci-en-tists” call the super continent of Pangaea. This continental collision resulted in the upheaval of a giant mountain range that stretched across the entire width of the super continent. A few million years later Pangaea split, and so too did the Central Pangean Mountains. The Little Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the Highlands of Scotland, and Appalachian Mountains in North America are its remnants. But fear not, ye super geographical formation lovers. Tis' foretold that another continental gathering will be held roughly 250 million years from now, which will inevitably result in the formation of some super-awesome mountain ranges and yet another super continent, which “sci-en-tists” are calling Pangaea Ultima. I’m calling it Captain Continent Jr.
Pro Tip: Should one feel compelled to wander along the entire length of the Appalachian Mountains, the Appalachian Trail is your best bet – 2,200 meandering miles along most of the Appalachian Range all the way up to Maine. Too much? Try hiking a section of the AT. One of the most scenic is the 34 mile Virginia Triple Crown Loop, which includes McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs, and Dragons Tooth. Each portion of the loop can be done separately in a day, but for the ultimate weekend trip I'd try for all three over three consecutive days.