New York to Los Angeles

Record snowfall over the Appalachian mountains. The ridges of the mountain range can be seen covered with snow.

This map shows the topography of the United States: the green is low-lying ground, while the red is high mountainous regions. The Appalachians are clearly visible in the east.

Beautiful autumnal colours of the Appalachian forests of Pennsylvania.

The changing colour of the leaves in the Appalachian forests.

The stunning blue of the Appalachian Mountains caused by the chemical smog given off by the trees.

This satellite image shows off the ridges of the Appalachians. The green represents highland areas, and the purple is lowland.

The dense Appalachian forests made it very difficult for early colonists to travel across the mountains before tracks or roads were built.

The Gray's lily is one of the many species of plant that only exist in the Appalachian forests.

Snow falls on the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains in the bottom right of the image, with lowland areas to the top left already covered.

The folds and ridges of the Monongahela National Forest in Appalachia.

The blue of the Blue Ridge Mountains is caused by a chemical smog given off by the trees.

White paint on a tree marks out the Appalachian Trail route through the forest.

The 2,175 mile long Appalachian Trail reveals stunning views over the mountains.

1835 - James Longacre's portrait of Daniel Boone is quite different from the romanticised image of him in a coonskin hat.

1851 - George Caleb Bingham's painting of Daniel Boone escorting settlers through the mountain pass.

1763 - Map showing American colonies in pink, with westward expansion blocked by the Appalachians in grey.

1863 - Illustration of settlers making their way through an Appalachian mountain pass.

A statue of Daniel Boone on the campus of Appalachian State University.

Map of the Appalachian Development Highway System as of September 30, 2005. Highways and transport are crucial to the development of any region.

A highway cuts a winding path through the Blue Ridge Mountain forests.

A new highway snakes through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

A rough mountain road cutting through the dense forest.

The log cabin Mark Twain grew up in. This is typical of the houses frontiersmen lived in.

The New River Gorge Bridge, opened in 1977; crossing a valley that would have otherwise been partially, or even completely inaccessible to vehicles.

Without modern amenities, many Appalachian communities rely on old pumps to get their water.

Resourcefulness has historically been the norm for Appalachian people since they first moved to the mountains.

1910 - Coal mining was the main employment of Appalachian people in the early 20th century, until the industry moved further west in search of cleaner burning coal.

1936 - An Appalachian farmhouse in the winter.

A traditional Appalachian log home in the forest.

1936 - Interior of a typical mountain farmhouse.

1930 - Cabins were still used as houses well into the twentieth century, and many Appalachian people still live in them.

A river polluted with the run-off from an abandoned coal mine.

Migration to cities by the young population and low incomes in the Appalachian region results in houses being abandoned and falling into disrepair.