Lindsey Butler is captured at the very start of apple season.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
The record spring rain that prompted mudslides and evacuations in Henderson County apparently didn’t hurt the all-important apple crop at Sky Top Orchard, a family destination venue that sits at the top of a steep, scenic road where Flat Rock winds into Zirconia. “So far, it looks great,” Sky Top co-owner Lindsey Butler told Bold Life a few weeks ago. Butler offered a peek at everyone’s favorite early cultivar, Honeycrisp; specifically, a specimen ripening tantalizingly on a low branch. After revealing that glimpse, though, the Wizard of Apples became hard to reach. Presumably she’s preparing for the late summer/early fall hordes — apple pickers and cider-doughnut seekers from down the mountain and even from around the country. Repeat visitors like to measure their kids with the giant ruler provided, keeping the tradition growing for future generations.
Sky Top Orchard, 1193 Pinnacle Mountain Road, Flat Rock. Open 9am-6pm (except Thanksgiving Day) August through late November or early December, weather depending. Call 828-692-7930 or see skytoporchard.com for more information.