ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS! WINTER 2019/20
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Discover the Joys of Winter . . . ...a wonderful read for 22 years!
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Winter is Better Here Located within five miles of two ski resorts, Banner Elk is North Carolina’s Ski Town. Ski all day at Beech Mountain or Sugar Mountain, then enjoy dining, lodging and nightlife in Banner Elk. Wineries and breweries, too!
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Photos Š Todd Bush
SUGAR MOUNTAIN
Your Home for All Seasons
Every year there’s something new at Sugar Mountain Resort, even though it’s not always visible to the naked eye. Improvements might include a new compressor line, or a water pump to deliver more powerful snowmaking to the south’s most dramatic and diverse ski terrain. But here lately the South’s flagship ski resort has delivered the eye-candy for all to see. The recent unveiling of Gunther’s Way, the most significant new ski slope addition in southern skiing in years, has attracted people’s attention. Opening to rave reviews, its generous width and ‘glade-like’ character evoke special sensations for avid ski and snowboard enthusiasts. With 700 feet of vertical drop packed into its half-mile length, Gunther’s Way adds over 10 acres of new alpine excitement at the home of the Flying Mile and Tom Terrific. A tough act to follow for sure, but the dedication of the resort’s glittering ‘Summit Express’ in 2015 exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. The new six-seat detachable chairlift, built by Austria’s Doppelmayr Company, replaced the old reliable mile-long two seater and slashes ride time to the summit from 15 minutes to just five. This season, beginner and intermediate skiers will find a new detachable QuadLift serving Easy Street, making this outstanding training
ground more user friendly than ever before. The building of Gunther’s Way, the Summit Express, and a new look for Easy Street, herald an unwavering commitment to excellence and enhancement of the customer experience at Sugar Mountain. Snowtubing, ice skating, and guided snowshoeing adventures round out the outdoor winter activities at Sugar Mountain. Indoors you’ll find great food, entertainment and hospitality in the main lodge. Surrounding the ski resort is the Village of Sugar Mountain, an incorporated municipality since 1988. The village is home to a large inventory of rental accommodations close to base and summit lifts. From chalets to luxury condominiums, Sugar Mountain makes for a fabulous holiday destination for families, groups, or the solo adventurer. Plan your mountain adventure at Sugar Mountain today. In any season, you’re going to have a ball. Close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the epicurean and cultural destination towns of Banner Elk, Boone, and Blowing Rock, as well as dramatic attractions like Grandfather Mountain with the “Mile-High” Swinging Bridge, Sugar Mountain is at the center of it all. The only thing missing is you.
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Cover Photograph Moses Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway by Sallie Woodring As a native of the mountains of Western North Carolina, photographer Sallie Woodring has always loved capturing the images of the beauty that surrounds us here in the mountains. “I travel the Blue Ridge Parkway and select back roads of the High Country to capture God’s beauty in nature,” says Woodring. Her work is currently installed for purchase in a gallery at Fred’s General Mercantile on Beech Mtn., Main Street Gallery in Blowing Rock and Back Alley Pickers in Newland NC. View her website at www.salliejwoodringphotography.zenfolio.com.
What’s Inside . . . 17.......... Regional Happenings & Featured Events CML Staff
22 ......... Hitting the Slopes in the High Country By Tom McAuliffe
32 ......... Winter Photo Essay By Skip Sickler
39 ......... Winter Family Fun By Kelly Melang
43 ......... Don’t Hibernate…Celebrate Winterfest By Harrison Herbst
45 ......... Ski & Snowshoe the Trails By Randy Johnson
49 ......... A Changing of the Guard at Barter By Keith Martin
50 ......... Steve Foote—Lineage, Life & Music By Steve York
57 ......... Avery Arts Education By Cindy Michaud
59 ......... A Wreath for All Seasons By Scottie Gilbert
65 ......... It Takes More than a Village By Nina Fischesser
66 ......... On My Honor
By Elizabeth Baird Hardy
71 ......... Students Form New Audubon Chapter By Karen Rieley
78 ......... The Electric Vehicle Has Arrived By Edwin Ansel
80 ......... Ski Industry Program at Lees-McRae By Sarah Rodriguez
81 ......... Where Are They Now? By Kim S. Davis
83 ......... Keeping the Fires Going By Pan McCaslin
98 ......... Up on Mystery Hill By Joe Tennis
99 ......... Jack Wiseman’s Linville Falls Winery By Steve York
winter! Cultural Calendar with Keith Martin…46 Book Review with Kim S. Davis…62 Blue Ridge Parkway Update…67 History on a Stick with Michael C. Hardy…68 Wisdom and Ways with Jim Casada…69 Birding with Curtis Smalling…73 Fishing with Andrew Corpening…75 Notes from Grandfather Mountain…77 Local Tidbits…84 Community and Local Business News…88 Personal Finance with Katherine S. Newton…91 Be Well with Samantha Steele…93 An Ounce of Prevention with Mike Teague…97 Wine with Ryan MacDonald & Erin Welch…101 Recipes from the CML Kitchen with Meagan Goheen…104
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Experience ART
Adventure into our galleries with free admission! Image Credit: (top) Pete Lupo. A Bit of Color (detail). Wood carving. Courtesy of the artist. (bottom) Hugh Morton, Wheat, Ashford (detail), in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, Copyright 1949, North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE A publication of Carolina Mountain Life, Inc. ©2019-2020 by Carolina Mountain Life Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher. Babette McAuliffe, Publisher & Editor in Chief Deborah Mayhall-Bradshaw, Design Director Kathy Griewisch, Account Manager Tamara Seymour, Editor Keith Martin, Cultural Arts Editor Jane Richardson, Assistant Editor Contributors: Edwin Ansel, Rebecca Cairns, Jim Casada, Nan Chase, Andrew Corpening, Kim S. Davis, Julie Farthing, Nina Fischesser, Brennan Ford, Morgan Ford, Scottie Gilbert, Koren Gillespie, Meagan Goheen, Elizabeth Baird Hardy, Michael C. Hardy, Harrison Herbst, Annie Hoskins, Randy Johnson, Rita Larkin, Ryan MacDonald, Pan McCaslin, Tom McAuliffe, Kelly Melang, Cindy Michaud, Loni Miller, Amy C. Millette, Sarah Mize, Katherine Newton, Karen Rieley, Sarah Rodriguez, Frank Ruggiero, Skip Sickler, Curtis Smalling, Samantha Steele, Mike Teague, Joe Tennis, Erin Welsh, and Steve York
Share us with a friend! CML is published 4 times a year and is available by subscription for $35.00 a year (continental US) Send check or money order to: Carolina Mountain Life, PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646
livingcarolina@bellsouth.net www.CMLmagazine.com 828-737-0771
Do you have a favorite story about your childhood? I believe we all have stories to share about our early years. Hopefully, they are joyful tales to remember and share with our loved ones. This past Thanksgiving, my daughter found one of our stacks of archived magazines dating back to 1997. At the time, we had all just finished round three of dishes and I was diligently trying to cut, sew, and assemble crafts for my granddaughters, when Meagan came upstairs with glistening eyes to say, “Mom, it felt like I took a walk through our childhood activities.” I stopped drawing gingerbread men with the girls to ask her why and she said that looking through back issues dating to her youth helped her reminisce about our family and all the activities that landed on the pages of CML. Meagan recalled helping make the masa harina tortillas by hand to shoot the recipe pictures in our dining room. She remembered tagging along to meet the WW II vet who helped create the bluebird trail in Valle Crucis, and then setting up a bluebird house in our backyard. She and her sibs loved when we did the story on local parks when they joined us at Watauga River to shoot a fly-fishing cover of her older brother and dad. Maybe seeing the 1998 cover of Meagan and her twin brother panning for gold in the back creek is why she had the flood of memories. She traveled back decades as the words and images on the pages brought emotions to the surface. I realized that the goal set almost 23 years ago—to tell the stories about the people and places that make this sacred place unique and special—had come true. I believe we all benefit from sharing our experiences in order to preserve these memories for generations to come. Her comments touched me, and now I see the circle coming around . . . of how important it is to share recipes, knowledge, and stories. Meagan now pens our recipes and, in this issue, showcases the little hands of her own children whose participation helps create both memories and future chefs. As you peruse our latest issue of CML, we hope you reflect back on fond winter memories and create new experiences that will be told for years to come. Here’s to the magic of winter, with cold noses and fingers that are warmed by the fire over a wonderful story. P.S. One of my favorite winter activities is to visit the Moses Cone Estate after a beautiful snowfall. Depending on the depth of the snow, I am inclined to take snowshoes, cross-country skis or just a great pair of waterproof boots to hike from the lake up and around the carriage trails to the manor. After a vigorous hike the reward is seeing the majesty of the Manor House in its quiet and everlasting setting. Thanks to Sallie Woodring who captured our cover. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 — 13
14 — CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20
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Christmas at Biltmore
Ashe Arts Center
Ashe County Trees with an Artistic Touch Any time you visit the “Coolest Corner of North Carolina,” you’re bound to find something happening. Visit Ashe County this season and check out the art of tree decorating at the Tree Fest Exhibit in the Ashe Arts Center through December 27. This exhibit features decorated trees, ornaments, holiday crafts, gifts and miniature paintings. The Ashe County Arts Council and Arts Center is located in Historic Downtown West Jefferson in a beautiful stone building constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. Originally housing a Community Center, the 1938 structure is now owned by the town of West Jefferson. Inside you’ll find a gallery shop that sells the work of over 100 artists and crafts artisans. Throughout the year, enjoy concerts, literary events, meetings, and more. For additional information about the Ashe Arts Center and their winter offerings, visit ashecountyarts.org or call 336-846-ARTS.
Ski Resorts Ring in the New Year
Regional Happenings Winter 19-20 Buncombe County Celebrate Christmas at Biltmore Known for its monumental scale of traditional holiday décor and dazzling lights, Biltmore’s annual Christmas at Biltmore celebration now offers more than ever before. A yuletide feast for the senses, Christmas at Biltmore continues its celebration through January 5, 2020. During this time, the estate also welcomes Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, an immersive experience that celebrates the global hit television series and new feature film. Biltmore House interiors will shine with the sparkle of more than 50 handdecorated Christmas trees, ribbons and garlands measured by the mile, and thousands of lights. During Candlelight Christmas Evenings, candlelight, firelight, and live music will create a magical environment that elevates seasonal celebrations inside Biltmore House. A 55-foot Norway Spruce on the home’s front lawn lit with 55,000 lights will greet guests as they arrive to enter Biltmore House.
Downton Abbey: The Exhibition will feature interactive elements that connect fans to their favorite characters, fashions, locations, and historic events of the era. The exhibition pairs seamlessly with the real-life story of the Vanderbilt family at Biltmore. “This exhibition is a Downton Abbey fan’s dream come true,” said Travis Tatham, Biltmore’s director of entertainment and event programming. The exhibition will run through April 7, 2020. For more information, please visit www.biltmore.com.
Avery & Watauga Counties Resort Events Galore Known for some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the southeast, so much more is happening this season at our favorite slopes! Start by ringing in the New Year in style at Beech, Sugar or Appalachian Ski Mtn. Each resort offers a special lineup for the evening, so check out their websites for all the continued on next page
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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PHOTO BY RANDY JOHNSON
WINTER SPECIAL OLYMPICS
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT PRICE LAKE BEECH WINTERFEST
details: Appalachian Ski Mountain at www.appskimtn.com; Beech Mountain Resort at www.beechmountainresort. com; and Sugar Mountain Resort at www.skisugar.com. On January 11 from 5-9 p.m., Beech Mountain hosts its annual Winterfest Beer Festival. The festival features live music by The Harris Brothers and The Common Heart. This event benefits SmileOn ADG in memory of Adam Davis Galleher. “SmileOn ADG aims to enhance the quality of life in The High Country by awarding grants and scholarships to schools, students, and other charitable organizations.” More information is available at www.beechmountainresort.com. Music lovers will also want to mark their calendars for Sugar Mountain’s Winter Music Series, featuring 15 well known performers throughout the winter months. Visit www.skisugar.com for dates, times and artists. During President’s Day Family Weekend at Appalachian Ski Mtn. (February 14-17), enjoy four days of family fun! Special rates will be offered, and the weekend will feature fireworks
18 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
shows, moonlight ice skating, great food and more. See all the winter events happening at App Ski Mtn. by visiting www.appskimtn.com. 2020 Special Olympics This year’s Special Olympics, Southeast Winter Games, will take place at Appalachian Ski Mountain February 2-4, 2020, and will feature competition in Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding. The event, which began in 1978 by Jim Cottrell of the French Swiss Ski College, today draws more than 150 athletes from throughout the southeast. Volunteers help organize and run the games, and are always welcomed. You don’t have to be a skier or snowboarder to work with the athletes; there are many ways you can help! For more information and a complete calendar of this year’s state and regional competition events, visit the Special Olympics NC website at www.sonc.net. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Gracing the cover of our Winter issue is Flat Top Manor, also referred to as Moses Cone Manor, Moses Cone Estate, or just Flat Top. The luminous
white 20-room mansion (designed in the grand Colonial Revival style) was built in 1901 by Moses Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves the community with a wealth of recreational opportunities. While the Manor will not reopen to the public until early April, the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 294 or from Hwy 221 south of Blowing Rock, is well worth a visit this time of year. The land around the manor features 25 miles of carriage trails that flow through the forests and fields of the estate, which encompasses 3,500 acres. Hiking, horseback riding and even horse-drawn carriages are allowed on the trails. Winter beckons cross-country skiing enthusiasts to hit the trails when snow is on the ground. Moses Cone’s sensitivity for the natural environment and interest in conservation led him to plant extensive white pine forests and hemlock hedges, build several lakes stocked with bass
More Regional Happenings Winter 19-20
DRAPER, VIRGINIA
and trout, and plant a 10,000-tree apple orchard. In 2016, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation kicked off a three-year initiative to meet critical needs at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Gifts from individuals, community partners, grants, and funds raised at the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, The Denim Ball, have generated more than $3 million to rehabilitate the estate. One of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s most recent initiatives, the Trails & Views Forever Fund, will help revitalize the carriage paths at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Learn more about the initiative in this issue (page 67) or at www.brpfoundation.org. This season, visit the Park and catch glimpses of this grand manor from vantage points throughout the estate and from beautiful Bass Lake, also on the grounds of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Note: Weather on the Blue Ridge Parkway can change quickly, resulting in Parkway closures. Visit BRPWeather.com before your trip.
THE NEW RIVER IN GRAYSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Grayson County, Virginia A Laid-back Winter Wonderland in Virginia The colder the weather is outside, the warmer the welcome you’ll get in the small towns and countryside along the scenic New River in southwest Virginia, just across the state line from the North Carolina High Country. This region is already well known for summer pleasures: hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing and listening to live old-time music. Those same activities go on in the winter too, plus a host of seasonal events. The trails are yours to enjoy without crowds, and the locals will be glad to chat. Start with Grayson County and work downriver—northward—to plan a two- or three-day overnight vacation that’s got a bit of everything: nature, culture and friendly folks. The jewel of this area is the New River Trail State Park, nearly 58 miles of former railway grade that’s become an all-weather recreational resource for hikers, bikers and equestrians. The little town of Fries (pronounced Freeze) is
nicknamed “Where the trail begins.” The trail in winter offers easy access to unspoiled nature. There’s wonderful bird watching, with bald eagles established along the river. Dramatically situated below a 39-foot-tall dam on the New River, Fries was once a mill town; the mill is gone—and so is the railroad. But there’s great fishing, and every Thursday evening the town’s historic theater hosts old-time music jams that are free and open to the public; special dances, admission $6 per person, will be held there on December 13, January 10 and February 7 and 14. The dulcet tones of mandolin and fiddle draw visitors from around the world. The county seat of Grayson County, Independence, also holds weekly jams throughout the year on Wednesdays, in the historic 1908 courthouse. And in the bustling town of Galax—another terminus for the New River trail—the historic Rex Theater hosts live old-time music performances every Friday night, broadcast for radio. The Rex will be closed this December for restoration but reopens in January. Prices are modest. — By Nan K. Chase CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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SUGAR
Unlikely Giants Born of Southern Snow By Tom McAuliffe
H
ang around long enough in the same place and sure enough funny things are bound to happen. Early Saturday morning, November 23, as I’m sitting at App Ski Mountain congratulating Jim Cottrell for 50 years as the head of his French-Swiss Ski College, arguably the most influential ski and snowboard educational enterprise in the south, the rain is falling so heavily even the umbrellas are on strike. Adding to the irony, I’m flipping through the pages of the just released and updated book Southern Snow, author Randy Johnson’s unmatched historical record of the ski industry south of the MasonDixon line. “The South is the Rodney Dangerfield of ski regions,” Johnson opines as the snow base at App holds up quite nicely under the pelting rain.
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No one who has learned to ski at Sugar, Beech, or Appalachian Ski Mountain has escaped the condescension afforded so readily to southerners. Johnson, whose book first appeared in 1986, knows better than anybody. “Ridiculing southern skiing has been the norm for decades. Remember the ‘Banana Belt’ of skiing?” Johnson says, shaking his head. “Every word about skiing written over decades has debunked that stereotype. You know what, let’s declare victory. Look at Jim Cottrell— the guy created the ski programs for both the Special Olympics and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness! Stories like Jim’s have redeemed our region’s ski industry. And the rest of the country is finally awake. Who could’ve imagined years ago that today, southern ski resorts would be the nation’s biggest ‘feeder
market’ for new skiers? Or that the five southeastern states would have as many active skiers as nine New England states. Times have changed.” Given the $200 million annual economic impact winter sports brings to the southeastern United States you’d think defending such a sophisticated and successful industry would be a thing of the past. Cottrell’s ski and snowboard instructors, who numbered 85 men and women last winter, have long passed the million mark in students introduced to the snow.
The view from the top of Sugar Mountain’s 1,200 foot vertical drop is breathtaking!
Sugar Mountain: Sweet at Fifty
Last winter, Beech Mountain Resort celebrated its Golden Anniversary. App Ski Mountain will soon celebrate 60 years of skiing in the southern Appalachians. But you need look no further than Sugar Mountain and its 1,200 feet of vertical drop to truly appreciate the miracle that is skiing in Dixie. A young Gunther Jochl was an unlikely mountain manager when he arrived on the scene at Sugar Mountain in 1976 as the technical partner with Winston-Salem’s Dale Stancil, a pioneer and entrepreneur keen on revitalizing an industry decimated in the early seventies with the failure of Beech Mountain’s Carolina Caribbean Corporation and Sugar Mountain’s own collapse. He set a new tone in his inaugural year by opening Sugar Mountain on November 5, a move that startled an industry that customarily turned on the lifts in
mid-December. “They said we were crazy,” Jochl remembered. But that early opening would define skiing in the south, and Jochl’s drive to validate southern skiing’s legitimacy. The snow guns opened fire at Sugar Mountain this year November 9, although the first day of skiing would come a day later than the South’s oldest resort, Cataloochee, which sold the season’s first lift tickets, also nicking Killington, Vermont by a day. Competing with Sugar Mountain for the honor of the season’s first to the guns has become something of a cottage industry, as all the High Country resorts look to Sugar Mountain to open the season. Johnson’s Southern Snow attests that Cataloochee, in Maggie Valley, NC, comes by its Dixie ski roots honestly. “Tom Alexander brought skiing to North Carolina,” Johnson writes, “His cattle and guest ranch was then and still is as
popular as a warm weather equestrian resort.” Johnson goes on to recount, “The resort opened the weekend before Christmas in 1961, with a 1,000-foot slope and a 300-foot beginner area and three inches of natural snow. Austrian instructor Ludwig ‘Luggi’ Baer brought the European influence to Cataloochee.” Fellow Austrians would follow like Tony Krasovic at App Ski Mtn. and Willie Falger to Beech Mountain. Johnson’s book is rich with stories of skiing’s formative years in the South. “One day Alexander caught a photographer in the act of creating the ultimate unflattering image of Cataloochee,” Johnson recounts. He quotes Alexander: “Someone noticed he had gone into the pasture with my cattle and was trying to drive them over onto the slopes. He wanted me to let down the fence and drive my cattle onto the slopes, saying it continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
23
BEECH
would make a good photo for his magazine.” Alexander evicted the fellow. As years passed, and snowmaking capacities grew exponentially, along with cutting edge grooming techniques, skiing in the North Carolina High Country has proven itself viable. Of course, in any region, weather can be great, or sometimes not so great. Nevertheless, the local snow sports industry is thriving, and each year brings new capital investment—and of course, more snowmaking. To mark its 50th season, Sugar Mountain unveiled a new detachable quad to service Easy Street, the resort’s beginner-intermediate slope. And unlike previous years, Jochl and company opened the mountain with both Flying Mile from the summit and the new and improved version of the half-mile long Easy Street and its Magic Carpet training ground operational. “It’s really Easy Street now,” Jochl said. “We’ve cleared out a few trees and opened the whole slope up and removed that big bump that was ‘Fannie Hill’ for a
24 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
reason. Opening from the top with Easy Street, too, was our goal all along. You’d be surprised how many beginners are here on the first day of the season.” Last year Sugar Mountain posted 140 days of consecutive, uninterrupted skiing, the resort’s best since opening in 1969. The new quad comes on the heels of a series of significant upgrades since Jochl took sole control of Sugar Mountain Resort in 2014. The most significant slope addition in decades, Gunther’s Way (a million-dollar investment), preceded the installation of Sugar Mountain’s Summit Express, a six-seat detachable lift designed by Austrianbased Doppelmayr, makers of the new Quad now servicing Easy Street. Of course, snowmaking remains the lifeblood of any southern ski area, and no one does it better than the High Country resorts. At Sugar, new variable rate water delivery systems and a combination of airless and air driven snow guns can open the mountain from the top in less than 36 hours, given temperatures below 32
degrees. And the newest detachable lift additions have increased skier capacity to 11,270 users per hour. “New lifts don’t come cheap,” Jochl admits, “and we’ve made improvements you can’t see,” alluding to infrastructure upgrades. “But we didn’t hold back; the Summit Express can take the whole family to the top in one chair and you can’t believe the smiles. It’s a thing of beauty.”
Beech Mountain Resort
It’s time to pin the Ten-Year Service Award on Ryan Costin’s lapel for service to the High Country ski industry. The junior CEO among the triumvirate that run the neighborhood’s ski mountains is due the big “attaboy.” A decade ago, the Costin family handed the reins to a third generation, and in their eyes, their best hope—a freshly graduated Resort Management major from Western Colorado University. And with that, the fate of an underutilized, deteriorating four-season resort was in store for a makeover.
And boy did he deliver. With the patience of Job, Costin addressed the resort’s most fundamental needs. As is often the case, the first steps are unnoticed and out of sight, as the water and compressed air delivery systems are underground. Other steps were readily noticeable, as new siding and roof work revived the Bavarian themed village which decades earlier had enthralled the southern public so new to the winter sports scene. “We’re at 100 percent snowmaking capacity for the first time in 25 years,” Costin said after year two at the helm. “We have a five year and a ten-year plan,” he said, “and after that there’ll be a 20-year plan. There’s always something to do to be better.” Improving customer service was a priority and placing now retired Beech Mountain Ski Patrol head Gil Adams in charge of personnel and adopting the Disney model paid dividends. Season passholders grew in number as the resort plowed revenues back into the product. Last year, as if to welcome the 50th
anniversary of Beech Mountain Founder Grover Robbins’ four-season inspiration, the failing high-speed quad lift was mercifully replaced, as was the 1968 vintage two-seater, both serving the top of eastern America’s highest resort. In their place Doppelmayr installed twofixed chair quad lifts giving Beech an over 10,000 skier per hour capacity. And while the new lifts showed some firstyear hiccups, primarily tied to computer software, the bugs have been ironed out, vastly improving the skier experience. As snowmaking and grooming have been improved to more closely match the smooth-running machines at Sugar and App Ski Mountain, what Beech is adding to their overall attraction is making a lot of noise within the overall tourism industry. The Beech Mountain Brewery has proven a big success, whether at the summit’s 5,506’ Sky Bar, or the on-site brewery itself in the alpine village. Warm weather activities like mountain biking, equally popular at Sugar Mountain, a radical ridge line disc-golf course, and a hip live music schedule are further
elevating the mountain’s profile. “We’ve seen exponential growth in our summer traffic,” Costin says. “It’s almost becoming like a ski weekend. And that means more non-skiers are coming up to see what we’re up to. It’s growing the numbers of people visiting all of the High Country.” And since this is Ryan Costin’s show, and the core mandate for all of southern skiing, this year Beech Mountain is trotting out big improvements in snow making capacity. “We’ve torn our primary pump house down to the studs,” he says. “Pump sizes and motor sizes are larger with more uphill capacity. We’ve added over a mile of pipe and boosted snowmaking by 25 percent. This is just another stage of our buildup. We’ve spent the entire year moving our infrastructure in a new direction.” And wasn’t that the plan all along?
continued on next page
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
25
APPALACHIAN
Expert grooming has transformed southern skiing.
App Ski Mountain
Passing through the automatic sliding glass doors that welcome patrons to Appalachian Ski Mountain, visitors are quick to find just how special this resort is. That is testament to the late Grady Moretz, who along with wife Reba rescued the High Country’s first resort back in 1968 when a series of poor winters drove founder and entertainment entrepreneur Bill Thalheimer into receivership. Everything is in its place— and orderly—even the lift loading gates that operate like Churchill Downs. If you can’t find it, a courteous and welcoming staff member will find it for you. Brad Moretz has seamlessly maintained his father’s upward trajectory, with attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to customer service and of course, more snowmaking capacity. His sister Brenda oversees the ski and gift shops, her mother’s domain for decades, which today rival any found in southern skiing. The Moretz family has refined its business model to a tee, but like much that comprises skiing in the south, remains a curiosity to yankees and westerners. For
26 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
one, it’s closer to Woodlands Barbeque than it is to Steamboat Springs. They don’t offer alcohol on the premises. They trail their neighbors in skiable acres, but everything else about App Ski Mountain is huge. The place has an unmistakable swagger. Twenty years ago, they embraced the terrain park concept. Its in-house instruction arm, the French-Swiss Ski College, wrote the book on introducing southerners to alpine sports, which, like McDonald’s, boasts over a million served. And they can bury the mountain in man-made snow like no other resort in the world. Ten years ago, Brad Moretz summed up the mountain’s philosophy. “We’re prepared to make a world of snow,” he said then. The water system can deliver thousands of gallons of water per minute to its oversized snowmaking grid. Under ideal humidity and temperature conditions, Moretz figured they could lay 50 million pounds of snow on the mountain in 24 hours. And those figures were from a decade ago. Every year since they have enhanced that capability. If
there’s a thaw-proof mountain anywhere, it’s App Ski Mountain. And then there’s cutting edge operational innovation. The wildly popular “flex” ticket has enhanced the customer experience at App Ski Mountain for several years now; whether you arrive at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. your lift ticket is good for eight hours, crossing seamlessly through any session changes. When you book online you get an extra hour of slope time. And with the Midnight Blast sessions each Friday and Saturday night, there’s more value for riders. If you have to leave early (but why would you?), you’ll receive a prorated credit toward your next lift ticket. New computer terminals eliminate old paper contracts for rental equipment on site. Or better yet, fill out your specs online and again, add an hour to your slope time. “Just give us your name when you arrive and off you go,” Moretz says, understandably pleased with the mountain’s streamlined procedure. “A lot of thought has gone into this since last year,” he adds. “It simplifies your life.”
The terrain parks are a hit at App Ski Mtn and throughout the High Country
The lodge at App Ski Mtn is a family friendly destination. Skiing is a family affair and chances are these youngsters will bring their own kids to the slopes someday.
One for The Ages
For the ageless, 74-year old Jim Cottrell and his French-Swiss Ski College, the industry has come a long way since he welcomed Olympic Gold Medal ski champion Jean-Claude Killy to Blowing Rock 50 years ago. Feeding the ‘poor cousin’ narrative hung on southern skiing, Cottrell and crew were forced to spread bales of straw over a wet and muddy slope to get Killy onto a small patch of snow to conduct his scheduled clinic. But the charismatic Frenchman and Cottrell would form a bond that lasts to this day, that unfortunate meeting a distant memory as Killy would later grace our local slopes during some of the snowiest High Country seasons on record. “It’s close by and exhilarating,” Cottrell says of the local ski industry he helped build. “The views are stunning and the camaraderie shared on the mountain includes a long list people who are parents now and bringing their children to ski. It’s a sport people love to be a part of and they come back year after year.” That’s a common refrain heard at what some might call the unlikeliest of recreational enterprises—winter sports in Dixie. “Good humored ribbing is fine,” Johnson writes. “But the streak of disdain for the South’s slopes defies logic, not to mention fairness…southerners love winter at its best, but like inspired ski regionalists everywhere, we’ve celebrated our lives as local skiers and found ourselves at home in ski areas all over the world.”
“Who could’ve imagined years ago that today, southern ski resorts would be the nation’s biggest ‘feeder market’ for new skiers? Or that the five southeastern states would have as many active skiers as nine New England states. Times have changed.” —Randy Johnson
Southern Snow: The New Guide to Winter Sports-from Maryland to the Southern Appalachians—By Randy Johnson and published by The University of North Carolina Press—Chapel Hill. A Southern Gateways Guide.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
27
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Sugar Mountain, NC CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
29
Pete Chamberlin at 65!
Gil Adams
Pete Chamberlin and Reggie Hassler
Michael Ohlson with daughter Amanda
Cheers to Years of Ski Patrol Service B
eech Mountain Resort hosted their yearly National Ski Patrol Refresher before the start of the 2019/2020 snow season. During that refresher, three patrollers received awards for years of service. Pete Chamberlin reached 65 years of service and is the 4th patroller of the national organization of 28,000 in longevity; Mike Ohlson and Gil Adams each celebrated 50 years of service. Carolina Mountain Life was able to sit down with these patrollers to talk about their service and dedication to the National Ski Patrol. Pete Chamberlin started his service in 1954. “I was 14 years old when I took my first-aid course as part of the Boy Scouts,” says Chamberlin. “My service started at Drumlins Golf Course. Drumlins had two rope tows on their ski hill with maybe 200 feet of vertical. I never looked back. Some joke that we join Ski Patrol for free skiing, but for me, it was working with the different resorts and helping people.” Mike Ohlson, a 50-year veteran, started with Beech Mountain Resort the day they opened. “It’s more of a family,” Ohlson shares. “The definitive care is an important part of things, but it’s worth it when you help someone, and they come back the next year to thank you, or you get a card in the mail.” His father started as an instructor at Blowing Rock Ski Lodge (now Appalachian Ski Mountain). “Within three years, we had three premier resorts in the area, so patrollers were running a little thin. My Dad’s friends at Blowing Rock Ski Lodge and Beech Mountain Resort
30 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
convinced me to join Ski Patrol; many mentored me. I moved over to Beech Mountain with my Dad when they opened. We even convinced my daughter to join the patrol, so we [now] have two generations here.” “Many of our patrollers in this area were relocations due to work,” Chamberlin explains. “I relocated from New York to North Carolina, and the first phone call I received was from the Section Chief asking me to join the Patrol. Next thing I knew, I was making splints for Sugar Mountain.” Gil Adams, celebrating 50 years with Patrol, started as a skier. “My family bought a lot from Carolina Caribbean Corporation, and the first year of skiing was complimentary. When we had to pay for the second year, we joined Ski Patrol,” quips Adams. Like the Ohlsons, the Adams family boasts six members in Ski Patrol. What brings them together? “I would have never met all the friends and family I have now without Ski Patrol,” says Adams. “We are a tight-knit family. I met my financial advisor and my lawyer through Ski Patrol,” says Chamberlin. “Why am I still here after 50 years? Because I get to hang out with these guys,” adds Ohlson. “We are first and foremost a family. . . things are strong. Ski Patrol has evolved with the times,” says Chamberlin. Adams explains, “In the beginning, first-aid training was the standard. Over the years, Ski Patrol developed an Outdoor Emergency Care manual that
By Kelly Melang
was an EMT training manual with emphasis on outdoor recreation accidents, not car wrecks. The summer Olympics in Atlanta adopted that manual for their first responders.” “Even the Army uses Ski Patrol’s OEC manual,” adds Ohlson. “All of us are on Ski Patrol because we like to ski. And southeastern skiing is unlike any other,” says Chamberlin. “We always say if you can ski here, you can ski anywhere. Powder, frozen granular, mud, grass, to freshly groomed slopes, take a southeastern Ski Patroller out west and you don’t have to worry about them keeping up.” Where do you see Ski Patrol in the future? “You can tell by the number of years just between the three of us that the future is strong,” says Ohlson. “The number of generations and families that serve together show it is growing. And it’s not for free skiing; it’s a way of life for us. I started off driving from Abingdon to Blowing Rock, then moved over to Beech when it opened as it doubled the size of the ski slope. Been here ever since.” “We are in the customer service business,” Adams affirms. “It’s our job to keep everyone safe and provide definitive care when needed, while making their stay fun. I think our customer service defines us. Whether it’s delivering a baby back in 1977, or telling some hotshot to slow down, to providing that first responder care, we are a team,” says Adams, “and customer service comes first.”
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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
31
O
h, how we waited, anxiously waited for that first snowfall
of the winter. The forests, already stark and barren, stood watch over the meadows and fields like sentries guarding the King’s treasure. Grey bulbous clouds grew more immense stoking our anticipation of the great transformation of everything we knew into a magic wonderland of joy, mystery and adventure.
Winter:
A Time for Renewal By Skip Sickler
Our imaginations would transport us to another place and time, and provided an escape from the daily routine of school. We asked with excitement: Will it snow tonight? Will we have a snow day tomorrow? Sleep did not come easily. I still look forward to the first snow of the season. As I have grown older, my snow day activities have changed. Now, I am more apt to wander the fields and forests, marveling in awe at the beauty of the natural world reshaped. A carpeting of frozen water, disguising and revealing texture, line and form in unique patterns. Even the most common of objects sparkle in their seasonal make over. Most importantly, it provides time to slow down and breathe; a necessary respite, like a school recess, from adult concerns and worries. I feel light and free. I am, once again, that child adventuring through the magic wonderland of long ago. Come with me. Take a walk with me and enjoy the magic, awe and wonder of winter. Marvel with me at the subtle beauty of a white world transformed. Reboot your soul.
32 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
“Thank goodness for the first snow, it was a reminder—no matter how old you became and how much you’d seen, things could still be new if you were willing to believe they still mattered.” -Candace Bushnell
Clearing Storm, Grandfather Mountain
After a night and day of gale-force winds, pelting snow and frigid temperatures, one might be tempted to curl up with a good book in a comfortable rocking chair, beside a crackling fire. But, now, as the clearing storm collides with the setting sun, might be the perfect time to be reminded that all things change, that nothing lasts forever. If one is lucky, the trailing edge of the cold front is just this side of the western horizon allowing the sun to peak beneath the clouds prior to setting. At such times, one can be treated to a sunset that illuminates the higher peaks, casting its warm glow as a promise of fair skies for the coming day.
Through the lens... CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
33
Snowy Road A ride along a forest road, blanketed deeply with snow, is an invitation for adventure. There is excitement, as the mystery of what is around the next corner unfolds. The bare branches of forest trees reaching out, embracing the road below, contrasted with a touch of young beech trees, which hold onto their leaves throughout the winter, and the occasional rhododendron, provide a welcome embrace to the winter sojourner.
“Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness.” -Mary Oliver
English Ivy
The symmetry of English Ivy veins draws one’s eye to look closely and to discover the rougher textures of the deeply furrowed tree trunk and the course crystals of gathered snow. The contrasts of winter can provide visual delight, as well as spark a thoughtful look inward.
34 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
The Swing The swing occupied a prominent place in the yard, next to the garden facing the old springhouse. Today, it sat vacant as the snow drifted slowly groundward. A moment of quietness, the swing was still, content in purpose. Yet, it offered the promise of exuberant energy at some point in the future. I was as content knowing I, too, could enjoy equally the moments of winter’s quiet introspection interleafed with the bustling nature of the rest of my life.
Birdhouse
Overall, a blanket of snow tends to mute the environment, creating a monotone palate of whites, greys and blacks. However, the colors of objects not covered can realize a prominence ordinarily unnoticed. The green lichens on this weathered birdhouse standing on its steel blue pole stand in stark contrast to the bramble of vines and briars along an overgrown fence line. On a silent, windless afternoon, one can dream of the coming spring, a bursting forth of new life and the bustling activity of new or returning inhabitants. But, for now, a season of rest is the order of the day.
Through the lens... CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
35
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For the past 25 years in a row, the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce has produced an annual commemorative ornament each year featuring a different iconic Blowing Rock area landmark. This year’s ornament features the historic Mayview Manor Hotel, which closed in 1966 and was devastatingly demolished in 1978. A grand resort boasted as “America’s Switzerland,” Mayview Manor drew some very notable names to their guest list. In 1924, Mayview started a gun club directed by sharp-shooting legend Annie Oakley, who came out of retirement for her last hurrah. Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and then-Vice President Richard Nixon stayed there in the 1950s. The Chamber’s nod to the historic importance of the property is forever commemorated by the ornament, as well as the “Mayview Plaza” streetscape at the entrance to Mayview on Laurel Lane, which was completed in 2019 through a public/private partnership between the Blowing Rock Chamber, the Blowing Rock Village Foundation, and the Town of Blowing Rock. The Chamber has a display in the Visitor Center (at 132 Park Avenue) of all 25 ornaments. New ornaments are $15 and older editions are $10 (limited availability). Call the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 828-295-7851.
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Family Fun in the High Country N
ot everyone is all about snowboarding and skiing when on vacation in the High Country. Known for the mountains and of course snow sports, there are plenty of other options for families besides hitting the slopes. Some indoors, some outdoors there’s always an adventure awaiting. Alpine Roller Coaster - Enjoy the thrill of riding 27MPH down the twists and turns of the new Wilderness Run Alpine Roller Coaster of Sugar Mountain. This unique attraction, one of only 20 in the U.S. and 250 worldwide, is a first to North Carolina. Wilderness Run is owned by a third generation veteran family, Eric Bechard, his wife Tara and their daughter Ashley Brown. The cars seat two but can be ridden individually if the rider is over 56 inches tall. Each ride is approximately seven minutes. Riders travel up more than 770 feet in elevation, then they’re in charge of how fast or slow they want to navigate the twists of the 2,100-foot track. Enjoy a hearty meal or cup of coffee at the restaurant, and visit their shop—there’s plenty to do inside for those who would rather watch than ride. Snow Tubing and Sledding - Snow tubing is available in many different areas of the High Country and is fun for the whole family! It’s also a great introduction for children who are not yet ready
By Kelly Melang
for the ski slopes. Both Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain have tubing available at the resort in addition to skiing and snowboarding. On the Sugar Mountain Golf Course, 700-ft long tubing lanes are serviced by a Magic Carpet lift. Snowmaking, lights for night tubing and regularly groomed lanes complete the facility. Sessions are just under two hours long and run from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. A snack shop and gift shop offer good food, warm clothing and souvenirs. “Not a skier, no problem,” says Talia Freeman of Beech Mountain Resort. “Our village has an abundance of amenities for the non-skier. We offer tubing, ice skating, Camp Coffee Roasters, shopping, and a brewery and restaurant. The Lodge offers a great view of the slopes and has a full restaurant and bar.” Next to Fred’s General Mercantile on Beech Mountain is a free sledding hill sponsored by the town. Enjoy a delicious deli lunch at Fred’s then go out and play. Fred’s also sells sleds and warm clothing for the family.
on the other. Sugar Mountain’s rink is located adjacent to the tubing park and includes a pro shop and cozy restaurant. Beech Mountain Resort’s rink is located in the middle of their Alpine Village. Each rink also has “skaters,” or walkerstyle help for those just learning how to skate. Rentals are available in most sizes; hockey skates are also available.
Ice Skating - Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Sugar Mountain have outdoor skating rinks located in close proximity to the slopes. Sessions run for an hour and are open to all ages. Find Appalachian’s ice rink situated with the ski slopes on one side and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Linville Caverns - Linville Caverns is an underground set of caverns perfect for a winter day visit. Temperatures stay at an even 52 degrees year round. The trip runs 45 minutes to an hour with a knowledgeable guide. Add a
Hiking - High Country weather constantly changes. A daily range of 32 to 60 degrees is not uncommon. Getting outdoors is the core of our communities. A bluebird sunny day means hitting the trails. The Grandfather Mountain attraction is open year round and is a great family adventure. In addition to hiking numerous trails, visitors can catch a glimpse of animals in their environmental habitats, or walk the Mile High Swinging Bridge. If you feel even more adventurous, venture out on the Grandfather Trail from the Swinging Bridge Parking Area to Calloway Peak. This is a strenuous trail with cables and ladders leading to incredible vistas.
Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
39
Crossnore Weavers - Engage in Southern Appalachian history with a visit to a working museum at Crossnore Weavers and Gallery. Watch the women keep the rich history of Appalachian hand weaving in the Weaving Room, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The museum also shows the history of the Crossnore School’s weaving program from the 1920s. The museum and retail store benefit The Crossnore School, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization providing residential foster care for children in crisis from North Carolina. After a visit to the museum and Weaving Room, walk over to E.H. Sloop Chapel. Built in 1956, the chapel has a fresco, Suffer The Little Children, by world-famous fresco artist Benjamin F. Long IV. Add to your adventure the Miracle Grounds coffee shop and the Blair Fraley thrift store, and you can easily enjoy a half day at Crossnore. Blowing Rock - The village of Blowing Rock was named after The Blowing Rock, a rock formation that offers a sweeping view of the Johns River Gorge. The Blowing Rock is an attraction open year round with some limited hours in the winter. Take a trip for the views and enjoy the enchanting story behind The Blowing Rock. Main Street in downtown Blowing Rock offers some of the best shopping and dining, along with a great park for the children. Take a
40 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Gem Mining - Most of the local gem mines in the High Country have an indoor area for mining. Doc’s Rocks in Blowing Rock has the largest indoor flume where families can pan for treasures. “Our flume is open seven days a week with the exception of Christmas,” says Hunter Gavaghan. “Not only do families enjoy the fun of gem mining, but our staff also educates about geology, especially North Carolina geology.” Along with gem mining, tour the Appalachian Geology Museum and have a cup of coffee in the coffee shop. Boone - Home to Appalachian State University, Boone is a vibrant college town full of quirky stores and top notch restaurants all within walking distance. Start your night off with a cocktail at the Horton Hotel Rooftop Lounge. Enjoy views of Appalachian State along with the surrounding mountains and the streets of Boone. End the night with a show at the recently renovated 1938 Appalachian Theatre, an eight year, ten million dollar project started in 2011 by the “Save the Appalachian Theater” task force that grew to over 500 volunteers, with thousands in the community giving time, talent and treasure. The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, a 1,673 seat multi-use auditorium, offers all types of entertainment year round; they typically book 150 events annually. There’s more to wintertime in the High Country than hitting the slopes with your skis or snowboard. Think about an out of the ordinary adventure with the family and create the memory that lasts forever, the memory of fun!
Seven galleries
Hui Chi Lee
scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway with access close to Blowing Rock.
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
visit to Famous Louise’s Rockhouse Restaurant close to the caverns and eat in three different High Country counties. Nearby Linville Falls Winery has an indoor tasting room, or stop and hike to Linville Falls and enjoy one of the High Country’s most iconic waterfalls.
l Contemporary
art
Changing exhibitions l Free admission
423 West King Street, Boone, NC
tvca.org
THE FINEST COLLECTION OF HANDMADE POTTERY FROM 16 LOCAL HIGH COUNTRY ARTISTS
Continued from previous page
BOB MEIER 828.264.1127 585 West King St., Suite D Boone NC 28607 Daily 10am-6pm www.DoeRidgePottery.com
42 years
The Perfect Weather for a Great Adventure—Guaranteed!
Inside A Mountain
Constant 52O year-round • Guided tours Photos Allowed • Bring jacket & camera!
Linville Caverns
19929 US 221 North, Marion, NC 28752 Between Linville & Marion, just 4 Miles South of the Blue Ridge Parkway
www.linvillecaverns.com 800-419-0540
Be sure NC to visit The Rock View from 4KBlowing above sea level
SANTA IS HERE: Saturdays, November 23 until Christmas, 1 to 3pm
“Enjoy the Legend”
NORTH CAROLINA’S OLDEST TRAVEL ATTRACTION, SINCE 1933 “Enjoy the Legend”
432Road, The Rock Road, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.7111 • Rock Blowing Rock NC • TheBlowingRock.com 828.295.7111, TheBlowingRock.com N o r t h C a r o l i n a’s O l d e s t Tr a v e l A t t r a c t i o n , S i n c e 1 9 3 3
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
41
The Village of
BLOWING ROCK
Where Blowing Rock began and the Legend continues... • Divide Tavern serving nightly • Chestnut Grille Restaurant
The Legend Lives On
Historic Hotels of America
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42 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
1121 Main St. Blowing Rock 828-295-3155 • sixpencepub.com
WinterFest!
Don’t Hibernate... Celebrate! By Harrison Herbst
E
njoy the fun side of winter at Blowing Rock’s 22nd annual WinterFest, January 23-26, 2020. The town of Blowing Rock has been celebrating the special joys of the season with a four-day long festival since 1998 with over 3,000 people in attendance annually. Blowing Rock is situated at 3,566 feet in elevation, the perfect mountain top town and winter wonderland. Ice sculptures will be placed in front of many of Blowing Rock’s downtown businesses and twinkle lights will illuminate the streets after dark. WinterFest is a popular event for locals and visitors alike. Annual events include WinterFeast, a WinterFashion show, snow making and ice carving demonstrations, the WinterFest Beer Garden, a Chili Cookoff and the Polar Bear Plunge, a favorite event for many. WinterFest is an important event in the community, held as a way to raise money for many local non-profits including Mountain Alliance, Partners! Canines, Western Youth Network, Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina, High Country Breast Cancer Foundation, and many more! With events spanning from Thursday through Sunday there is surely something for everyone. To assist with planning your weekend, here’s an overview of some of the events:
WinterFeast, a restaurant showcase, kicks off the weekend on Thursday at Chetola Resort. This event sells out year after year, so be sure to make your reservations at the WinterFest website and bring your appetite. Friday is the WinterFashion show; here you’ll see some of the latest trends from many of Main Street’s retailers. This is definitely the event to see and be seen! Saturday morning brings the Polar Bear Plunge, which takes place at Chetola Resort. Register online to participate if you dare, dress up and compete for the “Golden Plunger.” Saturday afternoon will bring a couple more signature events, including the WinterFest Beer Garden, and Wine Tasting and Auction. The WinterFest Beer Garden, sponsored by The Speckled Trout Restaurant and Bottle Shop, provides a chance to sample different brews and more from many local and regional breweries, all in one location (Park Avenue). The Wine Tasting and Auction, which takes place at the Historic Green Park Inn, offers the chance to sample both regional and international wines before bidding on some wonderful lots including experiential packages, wine and high-end glasswear, tickets to upcoming events and much more.
On Sunday, take a stroll over to the Blowing Rock School Gym with your furry friends for the WinterPaws Dog Show. Categories include: Best Dog Trick, Cutest Dog, Best Winter Wear and much more. There are many free and low-cost activities in which to participate. Some of the free activities include live entertainment at Chetola Resort, ice sculptures and demonstrations in Memorial Park, watching the K9 Keg Pull and Polar Plunge, and hayrides through historic downtown Blowing Rock. Some lowcost events include the Rotary Chili Cookoff, Arctic Art at Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, and the WinterPaws Dog Show. Shops will be open throughout town and there will even be a WinterCraft Outdoor Market at the Martin House on the corner of Main Street and Laurel Lane. Other details and additional WinterFest events can be found on the WinterFest website. Event tickets can also be purchased online at www.blowingrockwinterfest.com.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
43
Cross Country Ski Packages Fisher Packages Include:
Bring a Book, Take a Book
Desire my style ski w/AutoT3 NNN Binding
at the Historic Banner Elk School
Jupiter Control Ski w.auto T3 NNN binding
Pineola Inn “A Wonderful Lodge to stay in for your winter fun with over 50 Motel Rooms, Honey Moon Suites, & Cabins”
alpinA Packages
Solution Skis, T10 XC Boots T3 Auto Bindings and Poles
3085 Linville Falls Hwy. Us Hwy. 221 Pineola, NC 28662
Also, Fisher, Alpina Back Country, and Telemark packages available.
828-733-4979 • 828-733-2008
In our Rental Department: Cross Country Rentals.
www.PineolaInn.com
We offer books to swap, magazines, WiFi, puzzles, book discussion groups, lectures, music jams, and children’s programs throughout the year. Stop by and see us this season! Summer Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10-5 Saturday 1-4 (May-October) Winter Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10-4 (November –April)
For a full schedule of events, visit: www.bannerelkbookexchange.com
High Country Antiques
10543 Hwy 105, Unit No.4, Banner Elk 28604 / 828-963-5300
44 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Now’s the Time to Ski & Snowshoe By Randy Johnson
Cross country skiing on Roan Mountain
B
elieve it or not, the Snowsports Industries America trade organization says there are nearly as many active cross country skiers in the southeastern United States as there are from Pennsylvania up through New England. Just the five coastal states of the South have more Nordic skiers than the eight snowy states of the Rocky Mountains! No wonder there are always cross country skiers in sight when a snow storm strikes. That said, there are good reasons why you haven’t seen thousands of skiers clogging the great Nordic trails at Blowing Rock’s Moses Cone Park. The biggest explanation is that natural snow in our area comes and goes, so skiers need to strike while the snow is cold. That also means the supply of local cross country ski rentals has waned, which limits spontaneous ski trips for locals and visitors and sends many southern Nords out West and up North for the sport. Even a state as close as West Virginia gets more snow than we do and has a number of cross country centers with ample rental skis. One of those, Canaan Valley’s Whitegrass Ski Touring Center, is rated as one of the best in the country much less the East (whitegrass.com). That may sound like bad news, but don’t let Cone Park’s 30 inches of annual snow or the reported absence of local ski rentals bum you out. Look a little deeper and prospects brighten. Higher mountains dot our area, and a nearby peak like 6,300-foot Roan Mountain gets 130 inches of snow! That’s a lot more than Buffalo, New York. Add awesome trails and there’s no wonder my 1986 ski book Southern Snow—just republished in fall 2019— called Roan “Nordic nirvana.” Back then there was even an historic cross country ski center near the mountain with hundreds of rental skis. Luckily, if you know where
to look, skis can still be rented for use on Roan or any place you care to ski in the High Country. Back in the day, the ski shop at the Pineola Inn south of Linville rented Nordic skis and sold ski equipment—and luckily, it still does. Owner Troy Clark, one of the pioneers of local cross country, was surely the South’s only county commissioner trained as a cross country ski instructor or invited to join the National Guard’s biathlon team! Despite the modest supply of local gear, it’s easier than ever to be a Nordic skier, especially if you own your own ski equipment. Visit Troy at Pineola Inn. Or go online where modern equipment is also easily available (think, L.L.Bean, REI, Backcountry.com). Consider the kind of gear I recommend for the South—waxless Nordic skis suitable for light backcountry use, with ample sidecut (a modest hour-glass shape from tip to waist to tail), ankle-height boots, and click-in NNNstyle (for “New Nordic Norm”) bindings, both the latter with a “BC” designation (backcountry). Snowshoe, Too! If skiing on even flat ground sounds scary, you may be one of many folks ripe for a snowshoe experience. It’s easy to hike without these big feet when the snow is shallow but even with just six or so inches of snow underfoot, and especially when the going gets deep, snowshoes avoid the struggle of “post-holing” up a trail. Snowshoes have an ice cleat integrated into the binding, so they also handle ice as well as snow. A good pair of snowshoes can be had for less than $200, so, as with Nordic skis, it’s just as well to buy your gear and get it over with. It’s easy to give this sport a try. Up on Beech Mountain, the town’s Emerald Outback trail system has more than milehigh views of distant peaks and rime-ice frosted woods. The town recreation program based at Buckeye Recreation Center lends snowshoes free, in four-hour increments, when there’s at least four inches of snow on the ground. Recreation program
coordinator Marisa Sedlak urges borrowers to call ahead to reserve but adds, “We usually don’t run out because we have so many.” Sugar Mountain is another stellar option, especially when there’s not a lot of natural snow in the area. The ski resort is the only High Country ski area with its own snowshoe program that includes equipment and a guided one-hour tour of the ski area’s scenic and snowy slopeside woods. Hit the Trail The Blue Ridge Parkway has historically been a favorite ski spot when the High Country has general snowcover. When the road is gated, as it can be near Blowing Rock and Linville, skiers can just tour on the road. A classic ski on the Parkway leads north across the Linn Cove Viaduct (the only time pedestrians are permitted on the span). Park by the US 221 Parkway access just past the entrance to the Grandfather Mountain attraction. Moses Cone Park’s carriage trails are especially suitable for skiing, and so is the Price Lake Trail. All these paths are popular with walkers, so mid-week is best to avoid ski tracks tromped out by foot traffic. (Please hikers, don’t walk in ski tracks; start a separate path.) When the highest peaks have the best snow, Roan Mountain is great! Park at Carver’s Gap and the wide gated road to the summit makes easy ski touring. The Appalachian Trail and Cloudland Trail entice intermediates/experts. Also from the gap, the snowshoe tromp up Round Bald will take your breath away (literally!). Don’t forget Elk Knob and Grandfather Mountain State Parks. Both tempt snowshoers. If you decide to just hike, these parks at times require ice cleat traction devices. The High Country isn’t buried in snow for five months a year. But it’s possible to live a satisfying winter lifestyle in a region known more for sun than snow. To ski Roan with Randy Johnson, go to YouTube and type “cross country ski Roan Mountain” into the search bar. For more on Southern Snow: The New Guide to Winter Sports from Maryland to the Southern Appalachians, check out RandyJohnsonBooks.com. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
45
L. A. TheatreWorks, Photo by Rick Rose
The Color Purple, Photo by Jeremy Daniel
Cultural Calendar T
he winter season is perhaps my favorite time of year in the local performing arts scene because area groups program more cutting-edge fare, along with classics and new works that stretch the limits of their capabilities while challenging their audiences. Bravo to each and every one of them. While there are many old chestnuts sprinkled in the seasonal mix, here are the most interesting shows on the horizon from now through early spring, listed below by producing company. PLEASE NOTE that all of the performances, dates and times are subject to change; readers are strongly encouraged to contact the box office for the most current information. See you at the theatre! As chronicled in our last issue, the newly-renovated APPALACHIAN THEATRE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY opened to much fanfare in October 2019, and has sold out virtually every event taking place in the venerable Art Deco landmark in Boone. One upcoming event is the February 22 performance of the You and Me Tour: An Evening with Drew and Ellie Holcomb featuring the husband and wife Americana duo from Nashville. Many other events were to be announced at press time and can be found on their website at www.apptheatre.org. Although the BARTER THEATRE’S 2020 season is announced elsewhere in this issue, don’t miss Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama Driving
46— Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
By Keith Martin
Miss Daisy, with Mary Lucy Bivins in the title role, running from April 2 through 25. The unlikely bond that forms over a quarter century between an indomitable southern, Jewish matriarch and her proud but stubborn chauffer is one of the best depictions of America during the Civil Rights Era. It is paired from March 26 through April 18 with Macbeth, “the Scottish play” in a new adaptation by Katie Brown of Shakespeare’s classic tale of murder, power, lust, and greed when dark forces fuel a power couple’s sinister ambition for the crown and their horrifying descent into madness. Information is available at www. BarterTheatre.com or 276-628-3991. The ASHE COUNTY LITTLE THEATRE will present Mark Twain’s story Is He Dead? adapted for the stage by playwright David Ives. Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius, is in love with Marie Leroux but in debt to a villainous picture-dealer, Bastien Andre. Andre forecloses on Millet, threatening debtor’s prison unless Marie marries him. Millet realizes that the only way he can pay his debts and keep Marie from marrying Andre is to die, as it is only dead painters who achieve fame and fortune. Millet fakes his death and prospers, all while passing himself off as his own sister, the Widow Tillou. Now a rich “widow,” he must find a way to get out of a dress, return to life, and marry Marie. Postponed from last fall, performances
have been rescheduled for March 27 through 29 in the Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 336-846-2787. From February 13 through 15, BEANSTALK COMMUNITY THEATRE is staging Charlie Lovett’s Happily Forever After. Snow White, Cinderella, and Goldilocks all got their happy endings, but happily-ever-after isn’t quite what the ladies imagined it would be. It’s just a little too happy with all the helpfulness, charm, and generosity of their adoring princes, until the arrival of a new character, Princess Wallflower, gives the others a chance to get back to normal. The production takes place at Harvest House in Boone. For tickets and information, visit BeanStalkNC.com or call 828-312-0263. Those of us needing a Broadway musical theatre fix need look no further than the ambitious CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM (CoMMA). On February 27, the national tour of the 2016 Tony Award-winning “Best Revival of a Musical” The Color Purple stops in Burke County in a stunning adaptation by Marsha Norman of the Alice Walker novel and 1986 film about the journey of Celie, an indominable African-American woman in the American South from the early to mid-20th century. It is followed on March 20 by the stage version of the classic 1951 film An American in Paris. Winner of four Tony Awards for its 2015 Broadway debut, including a nod for Christopher Wheeldon’s outstanding
Appalachian Dance Ensemble, Photo by Lynn Willis
Abraham In Motion, Photo by Steven Schreiber
choreography, the musical incorporates over a dozen tunes from the songbook of George and Ira Gershwin with a book by Craig Lucas. Info at www.commaonline. org or 800-939-SHOW (7469). There are a couple of offerings worth viewing in the DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE at Appalachian State University. In Five Mile Lake, running February 26 through March 1, playwright Rachel Bonds has created a tender, realistic portrayal of relationships between those who leave their urban cities, those who stay home, and those who feel trapped in their surroundings. In addition, new works featuring original choreography are a hallmark of the popular Appalachian Dance Ensemble from March 25 through 28. This creative laboratory for faculty and students includes eight different premieres with movement ranging from abstract to expressionistic, and rhythmic works of sheer physical energy, each exuding the joy of dance. Info at www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu or 800-841-ARTS (2787).
Driving Miss Daisy, Barter Theatre.
among others, in a romantic evening of classic gems from the American songbook. The Appalachian Wind Ensemble will perform on February 14 during the Northwest District Band Clinic Concert in a program that includes two pieces by Australian-born composer Percy Grainger, “Children’s March” and “Lincolnshire Posy.” For more information, visit https://music.appstate.edu/ news-events.
Barter Theatre’s 2020 Season
Over at SCHAEFER PRESENTS, dance takes center stage on February 5 when A.I.M (Abraham in Motion) brings their evocative interdisciplinary body of work to Boone. Born into hip-hop culture in the late 1970s, the company entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on sound, human behavior and all things visual. On February 22, Trinity Irish Dance Company presents a fusion of Ireland’s vibrant and longstanding dance form and elements of American innovation, using hard-driving percussive power, lightningfast agility, and aerial grace. They are followed on March 22 by L.A. Theatre Works’ production of “Seven,” a riveting documentary play by seven female writers based on personal interviews with remarkable women who faced lifethreatening obstacles before bringing heroic changes to their home countries of Pakistan, Nigeria, Ireland, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Russia, and Cambodia. Info at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or www.theschaefercenter.org.
The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church by Bo Wilson
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry Shakespeare’s Macbeth adapted by Katy Brown Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical Grace and Glorie by Tom Ziegler The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Winter Wheat by Catherine Bush and Ben Mackel
t heatre!
Over in the HAYES SCHOOL OF MUSIC, a trio of events is “noteworthy” over the coming months, including a February 4 concert entitled Faculty Potpourri highlighting the talented and diverse faculty performing solo and collaborative works that span a wide variety of musical eras, genres, and styles. On February 12, Todd Wright and Friends present their annual Valentine’s Concert featuring special guest pianist Michael Stevens,
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Country Girls by Stephen Brown
We’ll Meet Again by James Harris
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adapted by Richard Rose
Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben
For additional details, visit bartertheatre.com or contact the box office at 276-628-3991.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
47
BARTER THEATRE PRESENTS
SEASON PREVIEW
2020
D o ll y Par t o n’s
9 TO 5: MUSTHI CE A L THE
WIZ ARD OF OZ M ar y S h e ll e y’s
FRANKENSTEIN A CHRIS TMAS CA ROL AND MORE! 2020 Season Subscriptions Now Available Learn more at bartertheatre.com/2020 or call our box office at 276.628.3991 *All shows subject to change due to availability of rights
SCHAEFER CENTERPRESENTS THE
...
2020 SEASON
Saturday, February 1 LYLE LOVETT & HIS ACOUSTIC GROUP
7pm, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
Wednesday, February 5 A.I.M
7pm, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, February 22 TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY 7pm, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
Tuesday, March 24 L.A. THEATRE WORKS: “SEVEN”
7pm, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, April 4 ROSANNE CASH SHE REMEMBERS EVERYTHING
EAT, DRINK, BE SOCIAL...
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
128 Pecan Street Abingdon, Virginia (276)698-3159
7pm, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5
800-841-ARTS(2787) • 828-262-4046 TheSchaeferCenter.org
48 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Lunch • Dinner • Full Bar Tues-Sat, 11am-9pm
A Changing of the Guard at Barter Theatre By Keith Martin AMANDA ALDRIDGE AND RICHARD ROSE CONCLUDE 27 YEAR TENURE
W
e knew it was coming; they told us years ago that they were soon moving on. Still, the reality of the announcement has taken a while to sink in. Barter Theatre Producing Director Richard Rose and his lifelong collaborative partner, wife Amanda Aldridge, the Barter’s resident choreographer and costume designer, announced their retirement after 27 years at “The State Theatre of Virginia,” concluding their remarkable tenures on December 31, 2019. Their decision was made public in conjunction with the unveiling of Barter Theatre’s 2020 season (see page 47 for a full listing of productions). As expected by those of us who have had the privilege of knowing this talented power couple in the American theatre, the succession plans have been years in the making to provide for the smoothest possible transition. We can all take comfort in knowing that the reins of this venerable institution are being handed over to the most capable of successors in Katy Brown and Ashley Campos, respectively, both of whom are longtime fixtures at the Barter who will continue the organizational culture established by their predecessors, while adding a personal flair that is uniquely their own. Rose produced 703 plays, musicals, and new works at the Barter during his time at the esteemed theatre with Aldridge serving as costume designer and/or choreographer on 253 shows, and they worked together as collaborators on roughly seventy percent of 147 productions that Rose directed. “We do work well together and enjoy our artistic collaboration,” said
Rose. “I willingly say that Amanda is far more talented and creative than I could ever hope to be. I trust her opinion and her artistic sensibility.” “To date,” Rose said, “we have performed to 3,750,277 audience members here in Abingdon, not including the current Christmas season of performances. From 1993, our first season here at Barter, to the present, we have performed to another one and a half million people on tour. In the past 27 years, we have performed to more patrons here in Abingdon than Barter performed to during its first 60 years, including tours.” “It is hard to accurately portray what Rick Rose has meant to Barter Theatre, or how great of an impact he has had on the arts in our region,” said Kyle Macione, president of the Board of Trustees. “Anyone who knows Rick understands his deep, unwavering love of Barter Theatre, and on behalf of the Board of Trustees, we sincerely thank him for his many years of leadership and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.” Aldridge is known for her elaborate costume designs and appropriate accessories. Her creations for Singin’ in the Rain included 1,517 individual items. Campos says that, “Amanda oversaw the costume shop’s expansion, leading to today’s incredible crew, a stable of designers, crafts artisans, wig designer, draper, first hands, and stitchers, all corralled by the shop manager to give you the incredible costumes you see on stage today. “Amanda’s generosity of spirit allows her to celebrate and elevate the people
around her,” said Campos. “She and Rick have an innate ability to recognize potential in people, and then give them the opportunity and space to explore it, and we are all better for it.” The couple is looking forward to retirement after having worked a very busy and active schedule for decades with few vacations, months upon months with not even a day off, and an average workweek of 60 hours or more per week. Aldridge said, “The thing that will be most exciting about retiring is not trying to decide every day whether we will have dinner before or after the curtain speech.” It has been calculated that Rose did over 8,500 of those vintage curtain speeches, or an average of 315 per season; he ended each one by quoting “the words of our founder Robert Porterfield: ‘If you like us, talk about us; if you don’t… just keep your mouth shut!’” They are planning to stay in Abingdon, but only as long as they don’t cast a shadow in any way upon the new artistic leadership. “We love our home, which we have put a lot of time and effort in renovating and landscaping, said Rose, “And we have a lot of dear friends here with whom we will now have time to spend.” Travel plans are definitely in the works, as they both have and like to explore the world. Rose has been teaching courses at Emory and Henry University, particularly on the business side of the show biz equation, primarily upper level instruction about understanding the model of the for-profit and non-profit theatre. Peggy Baggett, retired executive director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, told CML that, “Rick did an outstanding job as producing artistic director of a historic theatre, preserving the rich tradition dating back to the ‘30s while introducing audiences to exciting and contemporary new works. In addition to artistic duties, Rick made sure that elected officials, both locally and statewide, understood the economic impact of the arts in southwest Virginia. Rick was generous in sharing his expertise with the entire cultural community in the Commonwealth, giving presentations at state and national conferences. While Rick will be greatly missed, we’ll look forward to seeing him in the audience at Barter shows for years to come.” CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
49
Sound Upon Sound: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.”
T
hese classic Christian hymn lyrics were originally penned in 1763 by an English pastor named Augustus Toplady. Legends tell of Augustus being caught in a fierce storm while traveling the English countryside and finding safety and shelter beneath a giant overhanging rock within a rugged gorge. It was there he was inspired to write the poignant lyrics to what was to become a standard in Christian church hymnals around the world. But it was the Connecticut born Thomas Hastings who eventually composed the hymn in 1883, putting Toplady’s words to the popular melody that has endured ever since. Hastings, who lived from 1784 until 1872, moved to New York City as a child and became a world-renowned musician, music teacher, music composer and publisher of spiritual music. And, as it turns out, that same Thomas Hastings just happens to be the great-great-great grandfather of Stephen Hastings Foote, another prolific musician, composer and songwriter who, after moving from Florida in 2005, happily calls Avery County his home. Steve lives in a rustic reclaimed log and barnwood cabin near the top of
50 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
a mountain rise on the Grandfather/ Linville side of the county. It’s a somewhat steep and wicked trek up a narrow gravel road of treacherous switchbacks to reach his house. So, you have to really want to visit Steve Foote to visit Steve Foote. Just so happens, I did. “Well, hello there. Come in,” Steve said, warmly welcoming me into his home. A slender man with a kind, youthful face, sporting a long, black ponytail and head scarf, and neatly dressed in a dark plaid shirt and khaki trousers, he hardly seemed his 75 years of age. Immediately upon stepping into the cabin, I was amazed by what I saw. Everywhere I looked, there was wall-towall music stuff. Music books, countless CDs, audio mixers, turntables, old reel-toreel tape recorders and sheet music. And, surrounding the room were an old upright piano, a string of side-by-side electronic keyboards with built-in recording and mixing capabilities, microphones, musical instruments, more sheet music and more keyboards. This was surround-sound in its most low-tech, organic form. And, this was just the living room. The upstairs landing was packed with a complete electronic drum set and the lower level was home to a vast collection of old LP albums, a mini-moog synthesizer,
an organ, several musical instruments from brass to guitars to woodwinds, more recording equipment and an electronic Wurlitzer keyboard. “Hey, Steve, how many keyboards including pianos do you actually have?” I asked, somewhat bewildered. “Well, let’s see. One, two, three…uh about seven or eight here in the living room. And then there are the ones downstairs. I guess, all together, about twelve or so,” he counted aloud. “Some are in disrepair and need some work. But I have plenty for what I’ve been doing.” And, what has he been doing? “I’m compiling many of the 200 or so pieces of music I’ve written over the years in preparation to get them out to the public,” he noted. Stephen Hastings Foote was born in 1943 and comes from a uniquely musical family background even beyond the Thomas Hastings connection. His mother, Madelaine, played classical piano on a family baby grand and started teaching Steve at age four. His father, Hastings, was in advertising but also played a mean jazz piano on the side. After his parents divorced, his mother married a man who, coincidentally, had been Steve’s music teacher in elementary school prior to the couple’s marriage. Later, his stepmother, Felicity, had the musically
The Lineage, Life and Music of Steve Foote gifted Steve write and perform original piano compositions for her Greenwich, Connecticut Ballet Workshop School of Dance. By age seven, Steve was also playing clarinet in elementary school and, over the following school years, added drums and guitar to his skillset and even built his own hand-made electric guitar. After graduating with a BA degree in Music Teaching from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and mastering almost every musical instrument, he spent a few years as music teacher and band leader for schools in both Iowa and Connecticut. From 1969 through 1972, Steve adopted that generation’s free-spirited, counter-culture musician’s lifestyle crossing the country in a funky livein van/music recording studio packed with keyboards, horns, drums, guitars and you name it. During that time, he joined a well-known band called Chirco and played keyboard on their hit album titled Visitation. Since then, he’s moved about, lived on an abandoned 100-acre Connecticut farm, had a one-man jazz band, performed for club and wedding gigs with several jazz fusion, classic rock and pop cover bands, got married and divorced twice and managed to help raise four children.
Of special note, Steve played keyboard on an album in 1996 for the famous female Delta-style country blues/R&B singer and guitarist, Rory Block. Steve was among several “who’s who” contemporary musicians including Stevie Wonder, Taj Mahal and John Sebastian who also contributed to the album. Rory was impressed enough with Steve’s skills to have him compose the arrangement charts of her Tornado CD for her performance with Paul Shafer and Will Lee of David Letterman’s band. Perhaps flowing from his Thomas Hastings lineage, most of Steve’s own personal compositions since 1978 might be termed as progressive spiritual fusion. But the sound is hard to label. In any one piece it can sound like a mix of Chicago, Steely Dan, classical, contemporaryreligious, soft rock and so on. “I write as I play…it’s a very tactile way of composing,” he said as he sat down at one of the keyboards and started improvising. “I just put my fingers on the keys and start composing. The lyrics are often an after-thought. I’m not sure what to call this kind of music. I just think of it as something meant to be both spiritually and emotionally uplifting,” he added. It was a real treat to watch as Steve spontaneously began playing and
By Steve York
singing. The large living room with a floor-to-cathedral ceiling fireplace was instantly filled with sound-upon-sound as he moved from keyboard to keyboard, bringing in the blending of multiple instruments, percussion and harmonizing vocals. It almost seemed like listening to a full orchestra in a concert hall. Hard to conceive that all that music was coming from just one person! With all his music credentials, Steve Foote could have easily sought his fortune as a high profile recording and performing artist. But he’s chosen a different path. He’s quiet and unpretentious. In fact, he was baffled that anyone would make the rugged trek up to his remote mountain cabin for a magazine interview. Though he rarely performs in public anymore, there are those few in-theknow fans who might encourage Steve to revive his one-man-band someday. However, for now, his priority is to assemble his compositions into an audio format that can be distributed free online. “I just mainly want to share all this music in hopes it may also inspire and uplift others,” he noted. Given that sentiment, one would have to believe that the renowned spiritual music composer, Thomas Hastings, would be quite pleased with his great, great, great grandson. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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REGISTRATION OPEN
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52— Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Ola Belle Reed Songwriting Retreat Returns to the High Country By Sarah Mize
N
ext spring, the hills will resonate with the sounds of traditional music as the fourth annual Ola Belle Reed Songwriting Retreat begins April 17, 2020. Ashe County Arts Council created the retreat to promote and support the traditional music of the Appalachian Mountain region. The retreat offers jam sessions and workshops, as well as student and teacher concerts. The workshops provide the songwriters a chance to have their work critiqued and shared with the other participants and teachers. This year boasts an extensive and award-winning group of instructors. Master musicians Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer start off the list as two-time GRAMMY Award Winners, and acquaintances of Ola Belle Reed herself. International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Distinguished Achievement Award winner, Alice Gerrard, is a master of rhythm guitar, banjo, and the fiddle. Tom Paxton earned three Lifetime Achievement Awards from the BBC, Recording Academy, and American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Jon Weisberger, a prominent bass player, IBMA’s first Songwriter of the Year, and now an adjunct professor with East Tennessee State University, rounds out the impressive list of instructors. The retreat aims to build community among the artists and teach them the art that is songwriting through Ola Belle Reed’s music. Ashe County Arts Council program director, Rebecca Williams, said, “The idea of creating an event that
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer
not only celebrated her music but her as a songwriter was a brilliant way to honor her.” The event helps to continue Reed’s work and encourage musicians everywhere to keep making music. When asked how Reed will be used in the retreat, Cathy Fink said, “We use some of Ola Belle Reed’s songs as templates for understanding the elements of a good song. We also incorporate her humanist views into our methodology.” But who is Ola Belle Reed and why has she made such an impact on the bluegrass community? Born Ola Belle Campbell in Lansing, North Carolina in 1916, Reed is a folk legend and a National Heritage Award Winner for songwriting. She is credited with influencing many folk, bluegrass, and country artists, and her songs have been recorded by hundreds of musicians, including Country star Marty Stewart and Bluegrass musician Tim O’Brien. She has blessed the world with songs such as “Undone in Sorrow,” “I’ve Endured,” and “High on a Mountain.” “High on a Mountain” is one of the most frequently recorded bluegrass songs in history. Ola Belle came from a large family of musicians and learned many instruments at a very young age. She is most notably known for her banjo playing, but she was also a talented guitar and fiddle player. In her early years, she teamed up with her brother, Alex Campbell, to record a series of long-running radio performances, broadcast throughout the country. At 33, Ola Belle Campbell married Bud Reed,
another amazing musician, and took his name, giving her the name that people continue to remember her by. The Reeds and Alex Campbell teamed up to create the New River Boys and Girls, playing in music parks and performing for 26 years at Sunset Park, West Grove, PA. In 1986 the Smithsonian acknowledged Ola Belle Reed’s work, and she recorded two albums, My Epitaph and All in One Evening, for their personal files. In the late 1980s, Reed suffered a stroke which left her unable to play or even write music. Ola Belle Reed passed away August 16, 2002, but she left a significant impact on the music industry that is still continuing to this day. For example, this year she was chosen by the Library of Congress for its National Recording Registry where her work will be specially preserved for future generations. Cathy Fink remarked, “Ola Belle Reed stands for the love and humanity that we believe in. She was able to demonstrate that with her musical art as well as in her life mentoring an ongoing stream of musicians, young and old.” The Ola Belle Reed Songwriting Retreat is April 17-19 2020. Tickets for the event are already on sale at the Ashe County Arts Council website (ashecountyarts.org). Tickets are $300 for Adults and $150 for students but financial assistance is available on a first come, first serve basis. Contact Ashe County Arts Council for more information.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Kudos to the Pioneer Playmakers C
ongratulations to Watauga High School, which swept all four major award categories—best production, director for Zach Walker, actor for Zeb Scott, and actress for Elise Bednar—at the state play festival sponsored by the NC Theatre Conference. The troupe won for their production of “Ernest and the Pale Moon” by Oliver Lansley. The WHS show, one
By Keith Martin
of 121 productions in this festival cycle, will represent North Carolina at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Louisville in February 2020. It’s the arts equivalent of winning the state football championship, coach of the year, and both offensive and defensive most valuable player awards in a single season. Bravo, Pioneers!
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Season 34 “Can You Feel It?”
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Band lesson at Avery High School
Student art at Banner Elk Elementary
Arts Education in Avery By Cindy Michaud
T
he backbone of American education has always been the three R’s (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic). But what about that fourth R—aRts? Arts courses include music, theater, drawing, painting, and photography, among others. They are often the first subjects eliminated, even as nationally conducted studies document critical benefits for students and their community. It would be hard to find a more vocal supporter of arts education than Justin Carver, principal of Banner Elk Elementary. Carver looks quite serious when he states, “Art is the one subject, the only tool we have, that levels the playing field for all students.” As an educator he explains further. “It doesn’t matter whether a student is at-risk, privileged, very bright, slow to develop or has special needs, the arts are totally inclusive. No one is on the bench for a lack of ability, no one is judged on performance, everyone, I mean everyone, participates and finds their niche. I’ve seen amazing skills emerge from engaging all our students in the arts.” This well-loved principal, himself a product of Avery County education, believes that building the foundation for lifelong arts involvement needs to start in the elementary grades. “We must cultivate the love of music and art—it’s a whole child approach to education. This is where they develop a desire to explore, experiment, and try out new ideas.
It’s truly the foundation for all future learning.” Carver walks his talk, producing a school wide dramatic production annually as well as supporting local guest artists in tackling large visual art pieces. “We find a place for every single kid in our productions,” he smiles. “They each learn how necessary they are to the entire production.” He points to the huge, colorful mosaics that grace the school entrance as another inclusive arts project. These beautiful walls were facilitated by then art teacher Stephanie Jones and local ceramicist Pam Brewer. Brewer echoes Carver’s desire to instill a sense of inquisitiveness in children. “Students need an outlet to develop the self-confidence to explore, to ask questions, to have the freedom to go beyond barriers and not fear the right-or-wrong response,” she says. “I work with these young minds knowing they will develop a sense of bravery and the ability to trust themselves while trying something totally new. If we don’t empower these students now to explore and create, we may one day suffer a lack of new science, creative architecture, [or] important medical advances.” Large scale mosaic projects were also coordinated by Brewer at the middle and high school levels. “I watched older, reluctant students move into leadership roles as they became empowered in a new way. Community-based projects
involve a variety of skills, from creation to installation. This inclusivity teaches that we need each other’s skills and that we can learn to work with someone ‘different’ in a positive, productive way.” That Brewer volunteers her time is a testament to her belief in the benefits. Stephanie Jones, who spent 34 years teaching visual arts in Avery County, worked closely with Brewer numerous times. She, too, listed the community projects as transformative. “Students learn intuitively that every job involved is important,” she elaborates. “Group projects teach team building—a skill in high demand for today’s work force. It’s a process that has to be learned by experience.” Jones highlights another diminishing skill needed in today’s work place: problem solving. “Everything doesn’t always go as planned in art,” she understates. “Students learn to be flexible with materials and outcomes; they have to decide when something is fixable or not, or if perhaps results are better than they had imagined. The arts are a safe place for students to practice process, production and problem solving before they face a real [life or career] crisis.” Life skills are only one of the benefits that Dee Raby, retired Avery High band director, says her students return to thank her for instilling. After 31 years of teaching marching and concert band, Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
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Raby laughs when she says her graduates actually came to appreciate the discipline she required. “Showing up on time, having the uniform ready, the music in hand—students learned the drill. It makes me smile that they now connect all of that to being a successful employee. “There is a place for everyone in music,” she continues. “Once you hold that instrument you are part of the team regardless of background. There is absolutely no feeling in the world like performing. The individual learns a part that the entire band community augments. And no matter where students go after high school they will always have an appreciation for music and maybe even a hobby that brings them pleasure apart from work. It’s a gift for their quality of life.” Raby also lists the documented results for music students academically: the increased interest in science (how vibrations make sounds opens this door), the improved math scores (fractions and musical timing must be discussed), as well as the improvement of concentration, memory and focus. Standardized test scores of musicians are consistently higher than those of other students. “Music courses mean year-round engagement,” Raby says. “We didn’t just have one season, we played whenever and wherever the community invited us. Students knew that high school music meant serving others. Most continued to give back as adults.” If the fourth R—“aRts” courses such as music, drama and painting—provides the basic foundation of life skills needed for healthy, happy and employable adults, why are they first on the chopping block of funding? If involvement in arts education results in higher graduation rates and lower substance abuse, why do those teaching positions get cut? And if music makers are more likely to go on to college than other students, why does a stadium get new signage while the same threadbare carpet has covered the band room floor for 25 years? There has never been “enough” money in public education. But it is estimated that by year’s end more than 25 percent of public high schools will have dismantled their arts component. Students without access to this experience will face difficulty in mastering core curricula and are more likely to have discipline issues and higher dropout rates. How we allocate our resources and who chooses what goes where is a complex maze needed to be understood by all the players, especially the taxpayers and parents. This topic will be further explored in Part Two: Arts Education in Avery in the Spring 2020 issue of CML Magazine. Note: “Arts Education in Avery” will looks at this issue in two parts: Part One—local classroom experience, and Part Two—the feeding and funding of future programs. In this issue of CML, we took a look at local classroom experience. For more facts gleaned from national studies: Arts Education Partnership website at www.aep-arts.org www.onlinecolleges.net/10-salient-studies-on-the-arts-in-educaton/ www.learningliftoff.com/10-reasons-arts-in-education-important-kids/ www.theconversation.com/music-engagement-and-achievement-predicts-highergrades-in-math-science-and-english-119066 Or, just google “benefits of arts education in public schools” for a variety of studies
DIY Wreath for the Holidays & Beyond By Scottie Gilbert
A
s cold weather approaches, we get in the spirit of the holidays and basking in the warmth of home. Many of us will begin to add touches to our homes that remind us of tradition and family— a tree, or perhaps mistletoe and a mantel covered in greens adorn our living rooms. Lights in windows, in bushes, and covering our houses from top to bottom, and figurines atop an entry table bring cheer to a passerby. A dining table filled with candles and garland make gatherings festive and fun. These are the details that fill our homes with joy over the holidays. However, many holiday decorations come down within a couple of weeks of the New Year. So what can we do to continue to add cheer and festivity to our homes for the remainder of winter, when days are short and our lives are in need of color? A wreath is an easily adaptable and beautiful element for the home, inside or out, through all four seasons. It can be decorated and added to, moved around and stored easily. A simple grapevine wreath is possibly the most versatile holiday décor. Grapevine wreaths are easy to embellish because they naturally hold things in place and are attractive on their own. Pick one up at your local craft store for a few bucks and get ready to be creative. Begin with your foliage, the greens that will act as your base. (This is optional if you prefer the look of the vine
or if you want to have a base of berries, twigs, pinecones, moss, or dried flowers.) Many long-lasting evergreens can be found in your own yard or that of a friend. Magnolia, boxwood, cedar, holly, or cuttings of the traditional balsam or Fraser fir from your local tree lot will last through the holidays and sometimes longer. If you live elsewhere or have access to a flower shop to get bay laurel or baby blue eucalyptus, they also make wonderful greenery backgrounds. The eucalyptus will dry and maintain its shape for years of use. Faux foliage and flowers are also a good way to extend the life of your wreath. Craft stores or local specialty stores often carry high quality artificial greens and realistic flowers. Once you have your base, whatever that may be, you can now add accents and focal points. Try these combinations: cotton, pinecones, acorns glued to the end of sticks, ribbon, and feathers; dried flowers like coxcomb, amaranth, thistle, and hydrangea; seed pods like thornapple, lotus, poppy, and chinese lantern; or berries like rosehips or canella. This is where you can be creative—as simple or wild as you’d like—and make your wreath one-of-a-kind. There are multiple ways to adorn your wreath. Typically you see sprigs of greenery and flowers tucked in at one direction and covering the entire base in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion. This makes a beautifully classic shape. You can
also begin at one point and work your way out in either direction to create more of a focal point. If you have a wreath large enough, you can make two or three focal points. Depending on your design, the point could be at the bottom or to the side for an asymmetrical look. Once the base is established, add in accents, then larger pieces, like pinecones, seed pods, and clusters of materials to create the prime focus. If using reds and richer greens during the holidays, you can simply take away and replace some of the embellishments to customize your wreath for the remainder of the winter. Red accents can be taken out, or other colorful accents added, like bright citrus fruits or icy blue foliage. Fresh greenery, if wilting or shedding, can be replaced. You might consider adding pink flowers or a bow for Valentine’s Day. Next fall, mini pumpkins, and autumn berries of warm colors can be used as yet another seasonal decoration. Whatever the style of your wreath, it will be sure to add a bit of festivity to your home throughout the year! Callista Designs (www.callista-designs.com) is a floral and garden design company and boutique flower shop located in Linville. The shop carries fresh flowers by the stem, along with dried and faux foliage—perfect for any DIY project, garden inspired home pieces, and holiday décor. Stop by during their holiday business hours: Tues-Fri: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Closed Sun and Mon)
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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60 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
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The Big Picture Show
The Man who Invented Christmas By Elizabeth Baird Hardy
C
hristmas is made much of here in the High Country. With beautiful snowfalls, chilly December weather, and glorious Christmas trees, ours is a region which seems ready-made for Christmas. Even in the warmer months, there is a little hint of Christmas in the air. In local shops, one can select Christmas decor before celebrating the Fourth of July. Our tree farmers, of course, are hard at work all year, ensuring that trees will bring the sights and smells of the season to homes around the country. As the leaves fall, those trees begin their journey to stores and homes far and wide. Nothing quite says October in Avery County like a gaggle of children in Halloween costumes crossing the street in front of a stopped truck loaded with Fraser firs. We sometimes forget that so much of what we see as “Christmas-y” is quite recent. In the more than 2,000 years since the birth of Christ, the ways we celebrate His birthday have changed and evolved. The complex development of the holiday, from the tradition of celebrating it on December 25, to the foods and symbols associated with the day, is one woven with history, folklore, and even a little literary magic. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), based on Les Standiford’s 2011 book of the same name, takes a semihistoric and slightly fanciful look at the origins of the story responsible for some
of our most iconic images and themes of Christmas. In December 1843, when Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, it was a runaway bestseller that invigorated his career, but, more than that, it invigorated Christmas, creating the “Dickensian”’ imagery that has dictated how we depict everything from snowdappled carolers in Victorian garb to the ideal holiday meal and its trimmings. In the film, director Bharat Nalluri and writer Susan Coyne present a harried Charles Dickens, desperate for a hit and stressed out by his family, as he crafts the story that would become both his most beloved text and a timeless celebration of redemption. While it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that Charles Dickens invented Christmas, it is fair to say that many of the holiday’s accessories and catch-phrases certainly were his doing. Less obvious, but more meaningful, is the influence of his little “ghost story” on the way we treat one another during the Christmas season. By redeeming Ebenezer Scrooge and exposing the wickedness of a worldview that sees the poor as fit only for a workhouse or for a death that will “reduce the surplus population,” Dickens continues to remind us to show love for others as a reflection of the Christmas spirit. The film does take some historical liberties, playing up some relationships for drama and creating people and events for effect, but some of the most fanciful elements of the story are the factual ones. Dickens really did write the book in only six weeks. He really did collect inspiration from the real people and places of London. And while the film features Dickens talking to, avoiding, and even fighting with his characters, he truly was known to think of them as actual people who might misbehave or prove uncooperative. We’ve all seen at least one film version of A Christmas Carol, from musicals to Muppet versions, and the story has been repeated in every possible type of adaptation, but this film’s approach breathes fresh life into the story of Scrooge and
the supernatural forces that change his life in the course of one night. As Dickens struggles to craft his story, we see his inspirations: ragged children who will become the specters of Ignorance and Want huddled in the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present, the jolly Fezziwig family, a sepulchral serving man who inspires the chained spirit of Marley, and the terrifying cemetery where a loveless miser is buried without mourners. The sharp-eared Dickens reader will catch many of the phrases we know and love from the story, snippets woven together by a man always listening to and watching the world around him. While he may not have mined these specific phrases, the film cleverly reminds us of his brilliant magpie habit of collecting from reality, while also taking us to the story we know so well without actually creating yet another adaption. This version is fresh, smart, family friendly, and inspirational. Dan Stevens gives a grand performance as Charles Dickens, and the only thing lacking is a musical number, which is a loss because Stevens’ glorious voice was the highlight of Disney’s recent Beauty and the Beast. Christopher Plummer is deliciously grumpy and genuinely moving as Scrooge, and the supporting cast is also delightful. The locations and costumes are both, for the most part, historically accurate and also allusions to the carolers, miniature villages, and other accouterments of Christmas that are directly inspired by Dickens. The Man Who Invented Christmas, currently included with Amazon Prime, is a delightful addition to the line-up of seasonal films, but also can be a treat anytime of year, here in a place where the Christmas trees are always out, and snow could fall anytime. After all, the real story of A Christmas Carol, the story of helping one another, of never giving up on anyone, is a story that never goes out of season.
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BOOK REVIEWS Southern Snow: The New Guide to Winter Sports from Maryland to the Southern Appalachians by Author, Randy Johnson
Warning: Reading this book may entice you to take a midweek sick day! This modernized guide to winter sports from Maryland to Alabama is a rewritten and comprehensive resource for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities in the winter and/or in the south. It is also an appealing read for appreciators of Appalachian history and is even the textbook of choice for a regional college course. Since the first edition written in the mid-1980s (and considered a “cult classic” by ski film legend Warren Miller), much has changed, and the history of Southern Skiing has doubled. This reviewer was a ski instructor at a southern ski area when the first edition was published, and while able to put faces with many of the names in this guide, it is so well written that even those who have never stepped on southern snow will feel inspired by those who helped shape the opportunities for winter sports in the south. Part I is an introduction to the southern snowbelt and covers climate, history, access, and an overview of the various winter sports available south of the Mason-Dixon line. As the author attests, “Skiing came south on the dreams of true believers,” and he covers the impressive achievements of those who were so passionate and motivated by the ski lifestyle that they dedicated their careers to bringing it to the southeastern United States. Johnson, a southern sports writer who has covered the ski industry in this region for his entire adult life, introduces us to icons of southern skiing, many who are still influencing, mentoring or supporting their successors as they deal with the ups and downs of the winter sports business. The historic influence of this group of visionaries is not something to take for granted and this book recounts the sacrifices and actions necessary to bring about the successful Southern Snow winter sports lifestyle. Thirty-five years after the first edition and a whole lifetime of skiing later, there is now double the history of the original book. This guide includes nostalgic and amusing sidebar notes that emphasize how much has changed in order for the winter sports lifestyle to remain relevant. For instance, snowboarding was not mentioned in the first iteration, neither were social media and Youtube. Rather than writing to the resorts for brochures, as was suggested in the first edition, this applicable guide includes websites, web-cams, and other resources that are updated in real time.
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By Kim S. Davis
Any outdoor enthusiast has become, at the very least, an avid weather watcher and this guide emphasizes the importance of climate on the winter sports lifestyle. Johnson explains that, “The trick to enjoying southern snow is knowing when and where the snow is best,” and there is an entire section in this guide dedicated to the varied climate of the southern snowbelt. This descriptive section [lauded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)] references the geography, elevation, weather patterns, and anomalies that make southern skiing so special. While climate once isolated the southern Appalachian Mountain region, media and technology have informed those “off the mountain” of the “islands of north deep in the American south,” and climate is now a draw for the region. Jim Cantore’s visit with the “Boone Stick” during the December 2018 snow storm and Ray’s Weather are both mentioned in this section. While Part I of Southern Snow is a big picture overview for one of the most culturally rich regions in America and showcases what has improved and what has been lost to the past, Parts II and III are resource guides and trail guides for the region. These sections are indispensable for skiers, snowboarders, hikers and adventurers, providing detailed and updated information about winter sports areas from Maryland to the southern Appalachians. Johnson provides first-hand knowledge about the resorts, the slopes and trails, accommodations, night-life, dining and areas of interest near every winter sports area in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. There are chapters dedicated to downhill skiers and riders, as well as cross-country, hiking and mountaineering enthusiasts. As the author explains, his goal was to be “broadly instructive while inspiring your own research,” and bringing “enough detail to plot an experience.” This guide is the winter sports lifestyle version of the Eat Local movement, identifying the locally sourced ingredients that bring about a truly special winter sports experience. It is an expression of praise and triumph to winter in the south. Southern Snow invites the reader to experience the excitement of being a part of southern skiing; it is a resource allowing the reader to follow the variables and make a commitment. The author sums it up nicely, “Don’t wait for a great winter; grab the best parts of the winter you have.” And, you can grab a copy of this book and begin planning your experiences just in time for the holidays. It can be ordered from major online book sellers and is available locally at Mast General Store, Footsloggers, Waypoint, Mountain Dog, and both the App State and Lees-McRae campus book stores.
POETRY By Amy C. Millette, Vilas, NC
Winter’s Awakening The last of autumn’s leaves cling desperately to their branches no different than many of us holding tight to the passing season
Lost Restaurants of Asheville by Author, Nan K. Chase
History is filled with characters who influence civic development and the directions of their successors and in Lost Restaurants of Asheville, local author Nan Chase recounts a social history of Asheville through stories about a collection of restaurants that portray the city’s personality. Each chapter covers a different establishment and its impacts on social history from the turn of the twentieth century through the current decade, including how people lived, dined, dressed and worked, and their activities and travel trends. Through the stories of these eateries, Chase reveals how visionaries and events influenced Asheville’s “evolution from a tourist town with good food to a tourist town based on dining as one of its main attractions—a foodie city.” The author selected the restaurants in this cultural study that depicted main themes, including the work ethic of immigrants, relationships between proprietors and customers, and the effects of social unrest through segregation and the civil rights movement. From the horse and buggy era, to the automotive culture of the 1950s, through the energy crisis of the 1970s, and up to the internet age, Ms. Chase shares how the city reinvented itself over the generations on its “path toward culinary fame.” The many sides of Asheville over the years come alive through these stories—the mountain town with hard working, church going folks; the hard-drinking town that was rough around the edges; the segregated black communities of the mid-century; and the decline of downtown during the exodus to shopping malls. Additionally, the proprietors of these restaurants are vibrantly depicted as hard workers who persevered during difficult times and contributed to their communities during times of abundance. Even the earliest enterprises portrayed in this book influenced some of the current innovations that make Asheville such an attractive place to dine today, including the use of fresh locally sourced ingredients and a passion for social justice. After reading this book, you will have a new appreciation for both the past and the originalities that continue to define Asheville. The stories of all of these restaurants are engaging, but some characters are more interesting than others; the reader may want to linger at those establishments for a while longer. The author says it best as she invites the reader to, “Enjoy these stories in little bites or in one big feast.”
We reminisce about the senses of Fall the burning scent of nearby logs left lingering in fire pits and chimney stones the sunlight’s reflection against the poplar’s golden arms An early cascade of snowflakes blankets the threadbare forest now turning once that was green, then dismal brown to white resting in the crook of gently bending boughs A coat of ivory surrounds the pool of resting water that resides in a neighboring stream covers the natural wall of tumbled rocks grows thicker, whiter, softer It brings to mind the velvet fur of northern snowshoe hares an inch thick, tightly woven pure as the cotton in a summer field It is a part of our mountain quilt pattern repeating itself through the passage of time for all to hear, smell, feel and witness to pay homage to the coming of yet another season Winter … We embrace its distinct flavors Gather her in our arms like a lost and loving child as we shovel snow, place a log on the fire bake cookies, dream of holiday makings In the mountains of western North Carolina Winter is what separates us from others brings us the companionship of hungry deer the tap of a lone branch, iced on a frozen windowpane She is but a single sign of awakening that makes for the true joy of living, day by day in a World that is blessed by four distinct seasons in a Place that is truly like no other A Place we call Home … CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Photo by Jeremy Bare
Experience the Wonder of the Universe
Stargaze weekly through the largest public telescope in NC at the Bare Dark Sky Observatory, located at the Mayland Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville, NC. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www.mayland.edu/observatory. Private rentals are available. Open Year Round.
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It Takes Way More than a Village to Help Injured Wildlife By Nina Fischesser, Director May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Lees-McRae College
P
eople ask, “Why intervene? Why not let nature take its course?” I say, “When someone helps another living being, that brings out the finest aspects of humanity! And there are so many people involved in helping wild animals in need.” This begins with a person witnessing an animal who is injured, which moves them to act. Like the woman from Hendersonville who found a tiny female hummingbird on her deck. The bird could not fly. She suspected that it had hit her window, but she didn’t really know. She gently picked up the bird and put her in a box. She made so many phone calls trying to find help; the closest place was a triage center called Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in Candler, NC that could temporarily care for the bird until they could find transport to us. While there, the dedicated volunteers and staff made sure the hummingbird received the care that it needed. Next was the transporter who cared enough to put in the time and gas to take the bird to us at the May Wildlife Center at Lees-McRae College (two hours from Candler). Once she arrived at the center the staff and students examined and weighed the bird and got her set up in a proper enclosure where she could sit on a perch and reach her liquid hummingbird food to drink. Dr. McNamara, our staff veterinarian, monitored the progress of the hummingbird’s healing, while students made sure her food was changed out
every four hours throughout the day. She improved and eventually started to hover in her small enclosure. It was time for a larger enclosure where we could hang the food-filled syringes for her to hover to eat. There are other species who have needs in the center from baby squirrels and bunnies to waterfowl, raptors, and reptiles, often more than 100 at a time. Each species requires different medical care, different dietary needs, individual caging requirements and the list goes on. There are also those caring folks who make it all possible by providing financial support so that each individual animal receives the best care possible. After four weeks, it was finally decided that the hummingbird could be released but she had missed her migration south. So we looked to ‘E-Bird,’ a web app that told us where hummingbirds were sighted most recently. Hundreds, maybe thousands of dedicated birders record on this website where they have had sightings of different species of birds. They have no idea how this makes it easier for us to find appropriate release sites for rehabilitated birds. We found that this bird needed transport to south Florida! Linda, the center Clinical Administrative Assistant called the original finder who was delighted that the bird she had helped had recovered. She knew people who would be driving to Ft. Myers and arranged a ride.
The bird was provided with a travel cage where she could be fed without opening the cage, risking escape. We were lucky enough to have a dedicated volunteer, Char, who made these adaptations for the tiny bird. Char, a glass blower, puts in 40-hour weeks at the Center from March to Thanksgiving, and claims this is her ministry to help injured wildlife. The tiny bird, after a two-day drive to south Florida was received by a staff member, Lees-McRae College graduate Morgan Hester, at the Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island. Morgan checked her over to make sure she was still well flighted. She then took the bird further south to Naples where several hummingbirds had been sighted. She was successfully released where other hummingbirds spend the winter months. Look at all the caring people who helped this tiny female hummingbird who needed a second chance! That’s three wildlife center staff members and all those in between. This is but one happy ending of many for injured animals who come to the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Helping wildlife in need truly takes much more than a village. Learn more about the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at lmc.edu/wildlifecenter.
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On My Honor:
Local Scout Abbey Holloman Leads the Way on a New Trail By Elizabeth Baird Hardy
I
n 1908, when Lord Baden-Powell wanted to provide British boys with opportunities for leadership development and experience in the outdoors, he became the founder of Scouting, an organization that has grown and evolved over the years. The program was enthusiastically embraced by Americans, leading to the creation of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. Over the last 109 years, more than 110 million Americans have been participants in the program. Now, as Scouting enters a new phase, a local Scout has become a trailblazer for the next century of Scouting. There have always been some opportunities for girls in Scouting; in 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts, an organization that continues to thrive, and numerous other programs have existed that encourage young women to enjoy the outdoors and develop as individuals. The BSA’s popular programs for older Scouts, Venturing and Exploring, have been coed for decades, providing both male and female Scouts with opportunities to engage in high adventure and career exploration. The year 2019, however, marks the first time that female Scouts have been invited to become part of what is now Scouts BSA. Both boys and girls, fifth grade through high school, can now take part in the iconic BSA programs, including earning merit badges, advancing in rank, and even attaining the coveted rank of Eagle, an accomplishment only four percent of Boy Scouts have reached since 1911. With the motto “Scout me In!” Scouts BSA beckons children, both boys and girls, to become their best. One local Scout, Abbey Holloman of Banner Elk, has answered the call, becoming the first young woman in our area to join Scouts BSA. Twelve-year old Abbey has been fascinated with Scouting for quite some time, and she was particularly inspired by seeing the accomplishments of her older
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— Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Abbey Holloman with her brother, Eagle Scout Michael Holloman
brother, Michael, who achieved Eagle this past summer, along with fellow Troop 807 members Chad McCormick and Mercer Ledford. Like many girls, Abbey is interested in the unique opportunities Scouts BSA can offer. In 2019, the annual Klondike Derby at Grandfather Mountain, which draws Scouts from across the state and region, welcomed all-girl troops for the first time. One of the female patrols placed fourth in the overall competition ranking, no mean feat for any Scouts, but an especially impressive accomplishment for new Scouts. Since joining in February of 2019, Abbey has already worked hard, earning a number of badges, including the complex Personal Management badge, one that is required for the Eagle Scout rank. Some of her favorite badges have been Disabilities Awareness, Filmmaking, and Swimming. By raising over four thousand dollars in the annual Scouting popcorn sale, she also earned her Salesmanship badge. She took part in a challenging climbing experience and just recently earned her Climbing badge. Banner Elk will be hosting its first Merit Badge College this spring, so she has her sights set on adding many more patches to her merit badge sash. She had a fantastic experience at Scout Camp this past summer and looks forward to at least one week of camp in 2020. Abbey strives to be invited to join Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s prestigious National Honor Society. She also hopes to encourage other girls to take part in Scouting, to “convince them of the fun within learning and [to] share the adventures” that she has already had this year. Other girls are seeing the opportunities Scouting can offer. According to Tim Holloman, Assistant
Scoutmaster of Troop 807, and Abbey’s proud father, Scouting can help both boys and girls “learn effective communication skills, leadership skills, and problem solving.” These are lessons that can benefit every young person, lessons that will prepare them for life. Mr. Holloman is impressed by the way Scouting has already improved his daughter’s confidence, motivating her to swim a mile at camp and tackle a climbing tower. Earlier in 2019, when Abbey filled out her application, paid her dues, and recited the Scout Oath, she became an official Scout. She is currently participating with an all-girl troop, 4521 in Marshall, for overnight trips, outings, and other activities, while attending weekly meetings with Banner Elk’s Troop 807. When Banner Elk’s female troop has enough members and leaders to be officially chartered, it will be designated as Troop 4807. While girls and boys will have identical opportunities with Scouts BSA, the troops are either boy troops or girl troops. Troop 4807 in Banner Elk will need at least four more girls, as Abbey and another new female Scout who joined in 2019 will make six members, the required number for Troop charter, but leaders are also needed to help mentor and to ensure Scouting’s critical two-deep leadership. Female leaders are vital to this new phase in Scouting, and, as Tim Holloman points out, Scouting relies on “community volunteers,” who teach and model “leadership, learning how to live and be capable, and loving the outdoors.” Abbey hopes that other girls will join soon, and she knows that the key is helping these girls see how fun and worthwhile Scouting is. “I’m inviting a friend to go on Continued on page 68
blue ridge parkway news Craggy Garden Trail Repairs
Old campfire ring
Deteriorating Shut-In Trail sign
Broken picnic table
A New Way to Protect the Trails & Views on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue R by th idge Park e Nu way mbe rs Ther
e withi is so muc h to m n our inclu ding national p aintain : ark, • 369 miles • 216 of tra o • 8 ca verlooks ils m • 942 pgroun ds camp • 14 picni sites c are as
By Rita Larkin, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Living in the High Country of North Carolina provides so many opportunities to enjoy spectacular trails, mountain views, campouts, and outdoor adventures. And thankfully, the Blue Ridge Parkway makes access to nature easy. For decades, the iconic national park, known as America’s Favorite Journey, has served as a source of pride for those lucky enough to call the Blue Ridge Mountains home. Sadly, that is changing. More and more, visits reveal eroded hiking trails and worn-out boardwalks. Many campgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms have gone from rustic to rundown. Overlooks are overgrown. Trail signs and historical markers are damaged or even missing.
As the National Park Service faces an astonishing price tag to repair all aspects of the park, coupled with impending budget cuts, the care of trails, campgrounds, and overlooks is falling to the bottom of the long list of priorities. That is why the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is launching the Trails & Views Forever Fund to revitalize trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, overlooks, and additional places that provide opportunities for all visitors to immerse themselves in this breathtaking landscape. To jump-start the effort, an anonymous donor has offered a challenge grant of $300,000, that must be matched within just a few months. It is an “all or nothing” challenge, which means the Foundation must raise the total by the deadline or forfeit the gift. The new fund will build upon the Foundation’s past projects, including the clearing of carriage paths at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, trail repairs and the construction of a boardwalk at Price Lake, the addition of a shower facility at Price Campground, and the building of boardwalks on Rough Ridge Trail for safety and habitat protection. The work on the ground will be completed through collaborations between National Park Service staff, volunteers, and youth conservation crews. Introducing young people to outdoor conservation is a bonus of the program as the Foundation looks to engage a new generation of public land stewards. Those who give $1,000 or more will receive a limited edition patch as a thank you gift. To learn more and give, visit BRPFoundation.org/trailsandviews. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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History on a Stick:
Stanley Harris By Michael C. Hardy
Continued from page 66
T
he High Country of Western North Carolina is blessed with many people who have made important marks on local, state, and national history. Stanley Harris, who has a marker on King Street in Boone, is just such an individual. Harris was born in Trade, Tennessee, on October 31, 1882. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to the Montezuma community in present-day Avery County. When he turned 18, Harris entered Tennessee Wesleyan College, graduating in 1903. While working for the YMCA in Frankfort, Kentucky, Harris learned of the Boy Scout movement established by Lord Baden-Powell in Great Britain, providing boys with opportunities to learn outdoor skills and gain leadership experience. In 1908, not long after Baden-Powell launched his British program, Harris received a charter for one of the first Scout troops in the United States. Two years later, when the Boy Scouts of America was formed, Harris became a charter member, and in 1917, he moved to New York City and began working at the national Scouting headquarters. During his stay in Kentucky, Harris worked toward introducing African American boys to scouting. After moving to New York, he was made head of
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the Interracial Service division of the Boy Scouts. In 1916, he helped organize the first all-Black scout troops, and in the 1920s, helped organize the first allNative American scout troops. In honor of his work, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Tuskegee Institute, the first non-African American person to receive such an honor. In 1947, Harris retired from the National Boy Scouts of America and returned to the western North Carolina mountains of his youth. Once he retired, Harris not only worked with local scouts, but also started the Boone Chamber of Commerce, serving as the organization’s secretary for ten years. Harris helped purchase the property for Horn in the West, was instrumental in starting the Rotary Club, and served on the board of directors for the hospital. With his health failing, Harris and his wife, Mary Swift Harris, relocated to Greensboro in 1976. Stanley Harris died on August 13, 1976. After his funeral at the Boone United Methodist Church, Harris was interred in a local cemetery. In November of 2010, family, friends, scouts, community members, and people who once knew Stanley Harris, Sr., gathered in Boone to dedicate a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker near where Harris once lived. Boy Scouts who were present for the event were able to add a special patch to their uniforms depicting the marker, which today continues to honor Harris’s devotion to the scouting organization and the young people it serves.
an overnight camp out to the Lost Sea in Tennessee,” she says, hoping that her friend will enjoy both the camaraderie of the all-girl troop and the opportunities unique to Scouts BSA. In true Scout fashion, instead of just enjoying the organization’s benefits for herself, Abbey is sharing those opportunities with her friends so that they, too, can both benefit from and contribute to this remarkable organization that has been helping to shape young people into leaders for over a century. To learn more about Scouting, including the organizational structure, visit scouting.org, or come to a Troop 807 meeting on Tuesday evenings at Camp Holston. For parents whose children may be interested in Scouting, Tim Holloman particularly encourages them to attend a meeting together “to make kids aware and find out more.” Scouting is an organization that is closely tied to community, so anyone interested in serving as a leader, merit badge counselor, or other volunteer, is strongly encouraged to find out more about supporting this remarkable organization and the amazing children it guides on their journey. Scouting may be changing, just as the world around us changes with each season or with each passing year. Yet, Scouting, like the outdoors Scouts so love, continues to thrive with each change, to grow, and to give a lifetime of experience to all those who will pledge “On my honor, I will do my best.”
Wisdom and Ways:
The Lure and Lore of Snow By Jim Casada
The author with a fine trout caught on a snowy day; sometimes snow can bring unexpected pleasures such as this.
O
ne way or another, snow has always figured prominently in mountain days and ways. Today it’s even made and a money maker, with ski resorts creating their own snow (while always welcoming the “real McCoy”). Each winter crowds are drawn to steep slopes which are as much a defining feature of the High Country landscape as deep hollows, seep springs, and rushing waters. In yesteryear though, snow was merely a simple fact of life, not always welcome but an integral part of the never-ending process of eking out a rough yet rewarding living in a land of grandeur and natural wonder. For me, a good snowfall doesn’t mean a mad rush to the grocery store for enough bread to last a fortnight and so much milk it’s sure to spoil before it has all been consumed. Instead, it’s a trip switch bringing to the forefront a veritable host of fond memories from decades ago. They include, in no particular order of preference or importance, the following: • Cancellation of school and the freedom that provided. No school kid had the foresight or length of vision to ponder the fact every “snow day” would have to be “made up” in the glories of a mountain spring and might even involve the unthinkable—attending classes on Saturday come May when trout were rising and wildflowers blooming. • Snowball fights, fortresses constructed of snow and involving labor equivalent to hoeing out half an acre of
corn in the summer time, and construction of snow men. There were even earnest but futile attempts to build igloos. • Rides on grassy hillsides, often using homemade sleds featuring wooden runners and no steering device whatsoever. As for braking, that took the form of running out of slope, tumbling off the sled, or perhaps most frequently, coming to a rather abrupt halt in a briar thicket or old fence row overgrown with honeysuckle. How some of us weren’t mauled and maimed in the course of such escapades approaches the status of a miracle. • Smoothing out a stretch of snowladen concrete to create a mountain skating rink. With enough attention, and maybe a sprinkling of water if the temperature was below freezing, you could turn such a surface into a stretch of pure delight. We lacked skates, but leatherbottomed shoes worked quite nicely. • Rabbit hunting in the snow. Cottontails left tell-tale tracks when the snow was soft, and it didn’t take a great deal of skill to trail one to its daytime bed. That meant welcome meat on many a mountain table. Also, to knowing eyes the fluffy white surface told the story of where grouse or quail had fed, and some careful following of their tracks often produced a shot or two. • Beyond wild game, there were always special culinary treats associated with a good snowfall. It provided the perfect justification for a big stack of pancakes at breakfast or such welcome
food-related endeavors as popping popcorn, taffy pulling, or making popcorn balls redolent of butter and molasses. What a gloriously messy, sticky, and tasty treat the latter was. • Most of all though, when it came to vittles, a big snow meant a whopping treat in the form of snow cream. Momma was insistent that proper snow cream could only be prepared after several inches had fallen and covered the ground. She invariably offered strict instructions to the effect of “don’t you even think about scraping up snow down close to the ground.” Her thinking was that the first inch or two of snowfall removed most of the particulates from the air and what fell afterward was clean and pure. When such conditions prevailed, she’d send us outside with a big aluminum dishpan and a mandate to fill it to the brim. With that duly accomplished, she set to work in a hurry. The essence of snow cream involved a generous dollop or two of vanilla extract, plenty of whole milk (or, better still, cream), some sugar or possibly maple syrup, and quick, efficient mixing of it all with a whisk. From the time snow entered the kitchen until it was ready to eat involved a matter of only three or four minutes, and our family, along with friends who somehow flocked to Momma’s kitchen as if invitations to a feast had been sent out over some special, top secret mountain Continued on next page
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telegraph, dug in with a will. Snow cream was simple, scrumptious, almost cost-free, and a bonanza in which everyone delighted whenever we had a big snowfall. Three generations ago there was little if any of the endless barrage of weather prognostications, dire warnings, graphs on television screens, self-appointed experts, and all the other folderol which occurs in today’s world whenever there’s so much as a hint of snow in the offing. Blissfully, I grew up in a household without a television, and we used the radio not for weather information but for sensible things such as listening to the Grand Ole Opry; Wayne Raney out of WCKY in Cincinnati, Ohio; the Louisiana Hayride; Amos ‘n’ Andy; and Gunsmoke. I don’t recall ever once, as a youngster, paying any heed to the radio as a source of forecasts of imminent snow. Perhaps that was because “signs” foretelling snow existed in abundance and the grown-ups in my family not only knew how to read nature’s message, they paid close heed to it. A great many of the sayings they
associated with their snow-related observations took the form of rhythmic couplets. Here’s a goodly sampling of things I recall from yesteryear. • When the wind’s in the south, it has snow in its mouth. • When the ground and grass is dry at morning light, expect snow before the night. • When heavy frost is on the grass, snow seldom comes to pass. • Mackerel scales and mares’ tails, make wise sailors set short sails. (Although far from the sea, this is sound mountain weather wisdom, because “mackerel scale” clouds are what are known as snow clouds in the high country). • Birds active and flying low; beware of a coming snow. • A ring circling round the moon; means rain or snow coming soon. • If winter has lots of snow, expect a fruitful crop to grow. Many locals who are attuned to enduring folk wisdom will recognize that the last couplet carries in it the concept of snow as “poor man’s fertilizer.” There’s considerable truth in that statement, for
A Store from Days Gone By...
snow soaks gradually into the ground in sharp contrast to the runoff from heavy rain. Moreover, snow picks up elements in the air (the same stuff Momma didn’t want in her snow cream) and deposits them on earth to nourish the soil. Another old saying along similar lines is that “April snow is as good as cow manure.” There’s wisdom in those old sayings, and there’s enduring wonder in snow. Passing years and joints which ache every time it falls have somewhat dimmed the luster of snow, but I still welcome the exquisite beauty of a world adorned in a blanket of white. Add to that the serenity associated with watching from a window as dense flakes fly, scattering bread crumbs for birds and observing them feed, the comfort of a “page turner” book, or the appeal of roaring fire to toast one’s toes—and the result is a time of wonder when the child in all of us temporarily resurfaces. To subscribe to Jim Casada’s free monthly e-newsletter or learn more about ordering any of the many books he has written or edited, visit www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.
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Lucas Price, Andrew Wolf, Alex Marine, and Stewart Skeate
Student Audubon Society Forms to Protect High Country Wildlife By Karen Rieley
L
ees-McRae’s student chapter of the Audubon Society epitomizes the college’s motto—In the Mountains, Of the Mountains, For the Mountains. It is the new initiative of two of the college’s students, senior Alex Marine, from southwest Missouri, and junior Lucas Price, from Hudson, N.C. “Some of us wildlife biology students were invited by the High Country Audubon Society to participate in North Carolina Legislative Day in Raleigh in the spring of 2019,” said Alex. “It was a fascinating experience. We learned how to communicate our message about wildlife conservation to lawmakers from both political parties.” The students also met members of the North Carolina Audubon Society who encouraged them to consider forming a college chapter and explained the process. Alex and Lucas decided to take on the challenge. “The college required us to have at least 10 students interested in joining the chapter to make it official,” Alex explained. “That was easy to do because so many of our students are wildlife-oriented. We’ve been building up the membership base this semester.” The chapter has hosted a number of hikes, some of them incorporating bird watching, in the local area. “We want to start a conservation
project that can leave an ongoing, positive, environmental change in the Banner Elk community.” Alex chose Lees-McRae for his last two years of college because of its national reputation for wildlife biology. “My first day seeing the college and Banner Elk in person was move-in day,” he said. “I really like the area. It is so easy to get to know people and to make a difference here.” “The Lees-McRae Audubon Society chapter underscores our traditional academic strengths in wildlife biology,” remarked Lee King, Lees-McRae College’s president. “Alex is a strong and active student leader, and it comes as no surprise that he used his leadership talents and personal passion to found this chapter at Lees-McRae. Our faculty and staff are among the best in higher education at helping students like Alex pursue their passions.” Stewart Skeate, Ph.D., professor of biology, program coordinator for wildlife biology and director of Elk Valley Preserve & Field Station, has been Alex’s go-to person for his wildlife studies. Skeate is the LMC Audubon Society’s advisor as well. “The college and 70-acre [Elk Valley] Preserve give students wonderful natural locales for birding, both for beginners
Alex Marine bird watching
“We were delighted when Alex started North Carolina’s fourth campus chapter this spring after attending our Lobby Day in Raleigh. Young people are speaking up loudly for the kind of world they want, and that will mean a brighter future for birds and the places they need as well as for people because our fates are entwined with birds’ fates.”
—Kim Brand, Senior Manager NC Audubon Society
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and advanced birders,” Skeate said. “Also, the presence of the local High Country Audubon chapter and the proximity of birding hotspots, including Grandfather Mountain and local state parks, give our students opportunities to interact with other birders and researchers in the community.” Skeate added that the formation of the LMC Audubon chapter is especially important in that it combines academics, citizen science, and the joy of bird watching. “The one-on-one time we get to spend with professors where we build relationships, get hands-on experience and have the attention we need is what makes Lees-McRae so special,” said Alex. He shares one example: “Professor Skeate knew that I wanted to pursue museum studies, so he arranged for me to get credit hours for creating avian study skins. That’s something significant that I can put on my resume.” The Appalachian State University, Lees-McRae and High Country Audubon Society (HCAS) chapters host joint events occasionally. One example was Swift Night Out hosted by the High Country Audubon Society on LeesMcRae’s campus. Thousands of swift birds roost in the chimney of one of the campus buildings during migration. Right before sunset, they all come out and fly around the chimney. “Their population is declining, so roosts like this are really impressive,” Alex said. “It is important to High Country Audubon Society to see the college chapters become established, because its members are the next generations that will ensure the survival of birds, wildlife and people,” commented Debbie Shetterly, president of HCAS. “People living in the local community can help the chapter’s mission by, first and foremost, devoting at least a section of their property to wild, native habitat to help [birds] thrive. Audubon chapters also conduct fundraisers usually devoted to wildlife habitat restoration projects, so making donations helps greatly. Community participation in various projects that the LMC Audubon Society creates in the future will help, as well.”
PHOTOS BY DON MULLANEY
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Survival By Degrees:
Black-throated Green Warbler
Audubon’s New Birds and Climate Report By Curtis Smalling
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n October 10, 2019, the National Audubon Society announced a groundbreaking climate report, Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink. The report shows sobering predictions for two-thirds of America’s birds threatened by climate change, but keeping global temperatures down from business-as-usual highs will help a majority of those at risk. Audubon scientists studied 604 North American bird species using 140 million bird records, including observational data from bird lovers and field biologists across the country. Dr. Brooke Bateman (Audubon’s chief climate scientist) and her team also studied climate-related impacts on birds across the lower 48 states, including sea level rise, urbanization, cropland expansion, drought, extreme spring heat, fire weather and heavy rain. By combining both the climate factors birds need to live, and the threats that changes and disruptions to those weather variables create, the report shows both the places that species may lose or gain over time and the threats to those existing and future areas. To help illustrate these impacts and predictions, Audubon’s zip code-based tool, the Birds and Climate Visualizer, helps users understand the impacts to birds where they live, making climate change even more local, immediate and, for tens of millions of bird fans, deeply personal. (The visualizer can be found at Audubon.org.) But the report gives us reason for hope. Birds are telling us there is still
time to get this right if we take action now. Immediate action on climate can help improve the chances for threefourths of vulnerable species. For North Carolina, about 200 species use the state for breeding, wintering, or migrating through. Of the 80-plus climate vulnerable breeding species, about twothirds are forest birds. Of the close to 90 wintering species, about two-thirds are coastal birds, with a mix of both for the remaining passage migrants. One region that is especially hard hit under these models is the southern Appalachian Mountains, with more than a third of the vulnerable breeders being restricted to the western part of the state. Species like Northern Saw-whet Owls, Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills, and Golden-crowned Kinglets that need our spruce and fir forests are very vulnerable to climate changes. And most distressing to birders is that over 20 of our breeding warbler species in North Carolina are vulnerable. That is almost all of the breeding warblers in North Carolina. Species like Cerulean, Golden-winged, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, and Black-throated Green are expected to lose almost all of their ranges in western North Carolina under high temperature scenarios of a 3-degree Celsius rise. But again, about three-fourths can be significantly helped by holding that temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. There are two basic ways that individuals can take meaningful and helpful action for birds (and people) to combat
these effects. The first and most immediate is to continue to protect and manage the places birds need now and into the future. The effects of climate related threats on birds are typically slow to manifest themselves in overall population declines. Birds try to nest and raise young and are less and less productive, or have a harder time surviving winter, or struggle to find food. Anything we can do to build up that resilience into the habitats and places that birds live can help slow and mitigate those impacts. The second approach is to take immediate action to address the root cause of climate change and to work with Audubon and other partners to change energy and climate policy to hold temperatures down at the 1.5 degree level (the goal of the Paris Accord). Pushing for cleaner energy, more inventive solutions, and speeding that transition all can make a difference for birds. And there are many other actions individuals can take from using native plants, to putting up nest boxes, to advocating for protection of critical places. More of these actions are outlined on the visualizer tool and website of the Audubon Society. Get connected to one of our local chapters like High Country Audubon or our college chapters at Appalachian State or Lees-McRae College. To learn more about how to help in our state and region visit nc.audubon.org. You can make a difference for birds—now and into the future—with your action! CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Full service fly shop and guide service in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern North Carolina.
New Location in Downtown Boone! Local Fishing Info Guided Trips Orvis Endorsed Fly Shop HighlandOutfittersNC.com 140 Depot Street #2 Boone, NC 28607 828.865-FISH (3474)
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A Fly-Fishing Winter By Andrew Corpening
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inter in the High Country is a great time for snow-sports enthusiasts. Not so much for the fly fisher. Of course, there will be days when the temperature gets above freezing and you can fish. But these days are few and far between. When you cannot fish, don’t just sit there and cry in your beer. There are many things you can do to stay involved in your sport and get ready for the spring fishing season. Winter is the perfect time to get your equipment out and prepare it for the coming spring. The first thing to do is inspect your fly line for damage. If it is cracked or frayed, it is time to replace it; if it appears to be okay, then you might just need to clean it. Commercial products are available that clean and recondition your line. Now is also a good time to clean your reels. Make sure that your reel revolves smoothly, and that the spindle is clean and lubricated. The last thing you want is for your reel to bind when playing a big fish. Inspect your waders. If you feel that you may have a leak, this is a good time to patch them. If you have stockingfoot waders, the best way to find a leak is to turn them inside out and fill them with water. Mark where you see water coming out, then turn them back to the correct side and patch the leak. Winter is a great time to take care of leaks since there is plenty of time for your waders and patches to dry. If you are really technical about your fly-fishing, winter is a great time to build new leaders. Most people just buy tapered leaders, but some like a certain configuration of taper and tie their own. There are a number of formulas available if you want to try this yourself. If you tie flies, winter is the time to replenish your supply for the coming spring. Think about the flies you use the most and tie up a quantity of each. This is easier if you tie like commercial tiers, who decide on the pattern to tie and then get out all the materials needed. With every-
FISHING
thing needed readily available, you will be surprised at how fast you will be able to produce them. If you do not tie but want to learn, some fly shops and local community colleges offer fly tying classes during the winter. If you cannot find a class, you might want to consider buying a fly tying kit. They are available through the local shops and by catalog. Make sure to get one that has a good instructional book included. Learning on your own is a little slower but can still be just as rewarding. If you do not tie and do not want to learn, winter is still a good time to clean out your fly boxes. Every fly fisher accumulates flies. It seems to be a requirement of the sport that you have to buy a few new flies whenever you go into a fly shop. Since most flies are tied to catch the fishermen more than trout, everyone ends up with flies they don’t use. Treat the cleaning of your fly boxes like you would treat the cleaning of your closet. If you have not used a fly in two years or it is damaged, get rid of it. Since there is not a Goodwill Store for old flies, give them to someone who is just starting. The new fly fisher will appreciate them and most likely catch fish with them. With all the extra space you have in your boxes, you can now have the fun of collecting more flies that you will never use. If you have favorite dry flies with the hackles mashed down, don’t throw them out. Place the dry flies in a strainer and hold them in the steam from a pot or teakettle of boiling water. This will cause the hackles to straighten back up. For those days when the best thing to do is sit by the fire, nothing beats a good book. There is probably no other outdoor activity or sport that has been written about as much as fly-fishing. These books include non-fiction and fiction, how-to books and where-to-go books, books on fly tying and books on new techniques. With fly-fishing books, you can take your pick.
For the beginner a great book to start with is the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide. This book has been in print for several decades. The book covers everything from equipment to flies to casting to reading the water—a must read for beginners. For pure entertainment, it is hard to beat any book by John Gierach. Gierach has been called the Mark Twain of fly-fishing. He is a columnist for Fly Rod and Reel Magazine and has written twenty books. These books can be funny, entertaining, and poignant all at the same time. Titles include Sex, Death, and FlyFishing; Trout Bum; and his newest, A Fly Rod of Your Own. If the winter is starting to get to you and you just have to go fishing, a good option is Tennessee fishing. The rivers below Watauga Lake and South Holston Lake offer blue ribbon trout fishing. Since hydroelectric dams form these lakes, the water is released from the bottom. This means that the water below the dams is a nearly constant 55 to 60 degrees, the perfect temperature for trout. Also, since the area of Tennessee where the rivers are located is a lower elevation than here, it tends to be warmer there. Even though these rivers contain a very large number of trout with some trophies possible, it is not “easy” fishing. Both rivers can be very technical and require small flies and fine leaders. For the first timer to Tennessee, it can be difficult to find river access points. With these things in mind, it might be a good idea to consider paying for a guided trip the first time out. A guide will direct you as to what flies to use and show you some places to access the rivers. The area fly shops and guides all offer trips to Tennessee. If these suggestions are not enough to keep you busy during the winter and your pockets are deep enough, you can always go to the southern hemisphere. After all, it is summer down there. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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D I S C O V E R A N E L E VAT E D E S C A P E With a central location just minutes from the High Country’s most enticing seasonal attractions, Echota keeps you close to lifelong memories. Excitement abounds in our community as well with the introduction of a fourth phase of development — The Summit at Echota. Each luxurious and maintenance-free one- to four-bedroom floor plan is an escape unto itself. To view all community listings and to learn more about The Summit, visit echotanc.com. TO SCHEDULE A HOME TOUR, CALL (828) 963-7600.
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E F F O R T LE S S M O U N TA I N LI V I N G F R O M T H E $ 2 0 0 s
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E C H OTA N C .C O M
N O T E S F R O M T H E G R A N D FAT H E R M O U N TA I N S T E WA R D S H I P F O U N D AT I O N
Left: The crisp, clear air of winter makes for stunning views from Grandfather Mountain. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Right: Wintertime means fun in the snow for Grandfather Mountain’s resident river otters. Photo by Frank Ruggiero | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Winter at Grandfather Mountain With winter under way, Grandfather Mountain is decking its halls—and hills— for the holidays and beyond. The nonprofit nature park is open year-round, weather permitting, allowing guests to take in the wonders from a mile high—whatever the season. Winter, however, is a particularly special time on the mountain, wherein visitors can encounter idyllic scenery, invigorating outdoor adventure and an almost tangible sense of serenity. “Grandfather Mountain becomes a veritable winter wonderland during the colder months,” said Frank Ruggiero, director of marketing and communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Linville nature park. “Rime ice coats the Mile High Swinging Bridge, the otters frolic on their frozen pond, the cougars chase each other through the snow, and the mountain itself just feels extraordinarily peaceful.” During December, Grandfather Mountain offers two simple ways to save on park admission. As a gesture of support for local Christmas tree farmers, anyone who arrives at the mountain with a tree atop their vehicle or a receipt from a local tree farm will receive $2 off each adult admission and $1 off each child admission. December also marks the return of Dollar Days for local residents. From December 1-31, anyone who lives or works in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell,
Watauga or Wilkes counties will be admitted to the mountain for only $3 per person, with proof of local employment or residency. In lieu of cash, Grandfather Mountain also will accept three cans of food from local residents for distribution to local food pantries. Christmas tree discounts may not be combined with Dollar Days discounts. Those unable to make the trip in December can look ahead to April 2020, when the same Dollar Days promotion will return in time for spring. Conservation Campus The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation has also broken ground on its new Conservation Campus. The project will see an extensive renovation of the park’s existing Nature Museum and a sizable addition. Named the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery after benefactors Bob and Susan Wilson, the refitted museum will feature all new state-of-the-art exhibits (designed by PGAV Destinations of St. Louis, Missouri), as well as outdoor learning spaces, an amphitheater and a botanical garden. “We’re working to share the wonders of Grandfather Mountain in ways that are broader and deeper than ever before,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. Designed by Boone-based Coffey Architecture, the Wilson Center will nearly double the size of the existing Nature
Museum and feature 10,000 square feet of new education space, with three classrooms for smaller groups, increased capacity for larger groups, and restoration of the ADA-accessible auditorium. Meanwhile, outside the center, guests can enjoy new outdoor learning spaces, including an amphitheater with terraced seating and a pavilion. New office space will help park educators and animal habitats staff prepare and support enhanced educational programs, while larger, more modern food service facilities will allow for catering and serving educational groups, as well as expanded capacity for hosting conferences, seminars, receptions and community events. “Whether it’s schoolchildren coming for a field trip or conservation experts visiting together to share new knowledge, guests will gain an even greater appreciation of nature and become even more passionate about protecting and preserving it,” Pope said. Those hoping to contribute to the project—and leave a legacy as big as all outdoors—may do so by visiting www. grandfather.com/fulfillingpromises. Winter Hours Grandfather Mountain is open daily throughout winter, weather permitting, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. When winter weather arrives, visitors are encouraged to call the park’s entrance gate at 828-733-4337 to confirm the day’s conditions and set the stage for a memorable outing.
The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call (800) 468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com to plan a trip. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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The Electric Vehicle Has Arrived! By Edwin Ansel
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he car was stopped at the intersection, waiting to merge, so I got a good look at it. Glossy black. Pantherish. A Tesla, the S model. I’d read about how powerful it is. Wow. First time I’d seen an electric vehicle in the High Country. This was a couple of years ago. What if that thing runs out of juice? We’re in the boonies. We don’t get a decent cell signal up here half the time. You can’t just go borrow a gallon of kilowatts. You’re toast! That voice. It’s hard to satisfy a nagging doubt, but you gotta try. And there is so much real, good information out there right now. Things have changed. More changes are coming, and fast. First, a bit of background. There are the cars we’ve grown up with, powered by an Internal Combustion Engine (or “ICE”). There are Electric Vehicles (or “EV”) that use an electric motor exclusively, fed by big batteries. There are also Hybrids that use both a gasoline and an electric motor, but the real benefit of this revolution in personal transport comes from using the EV. So let’s focus on the EV and respond to some of those doubts and questions no one has yet answered for you. Am I going to be stranded if I drive an EV? I know where to go if I run out of gas, but what happens when an EV’s battery charge gets too low? What if I told you that when you have an EV, your gas station is right there in the garage? The typical thing is to have a charging station at your home. Plug it
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in when you’re done for the day and it charges overnight. When you leave in the morning you’ll have a “full tank.” Every morning. “The rule of thumb is to choose an EV with a maximum range of at least twice what you’d normally drive during a day.” That’s Joe Baum. He’s been driving an EV in the region for several years, and his experience has been so good that his family now has two EVs. Joe is a member of the Blue Ridge EV Club, and he serves on the Steering Committee for “Plug-in NC,” a statewide organization that promotes the use of EVs in North Carolina. “My Chevy Bolt has a range of about 250 miles, so actually I can get away with charging it up once or twice a week.” If you do need to charge away from home, there are public charging stations. The town of Boone has installed one right off King Street. And the American Legion parking deck in Blowing Rock has recently added a public station. There’s an app, PlugShare, that will guide EV drivers to a charger. Some EVs use an onboard navigation system to find chargers. In addition to the public chargers, there are a bunch of “destination charging locations” installed by local businesses to serve their customers. Inns, restaurants, shops. These locations appear on PlugShare. We’re in the mountains. When I drive up the hills, my mileage per gallon goes way down. I’ll run out of power in an EV, won’t I? Two words. Regenerative braking.
Naturally, when you climb a hill you use extra power. And when you’re coming back down the other side and you need to slow down, the electric motor in an EV becomes an electric generator. The momentum of the EV is used to recharge the battery. This technology is very effective. “Hills? Are hills a problem? I’ll give you an example.” This is Jason Lingle, director of Innovative Energy Solutions at Blue Ridge Energy. “We can take our EV from the office here in Lenoir, go to our location in Sparta, then go to West Jefferson, on to Boone and back down to Lenoir, without stopping to charge, and we still have miles to spare. Or this: We can take the EV from Lenoir to Boone, uphill most of the way, about thirty miles, and thirty back down to Lenoir, and we’ve used about the same amount of power as if we’d driven sixty miles around Lenoir.” Mud! Snow! Ice!? Good try. However, an electric motor governed by a computer is capable of exquisite control over speed and torque. EVs can deliver the best traction control of any vehicle. The Tesla Model 3, for example, offers all-wheel drive and traction control. I just watched a video of a couple of guys trying to make a Model 3 spin out in an icy parking lot. What they did was accelerate, turn and stop without drama. If you want something big and rugged for the High Country, there are EVs that are SUVs. By the time you read this, Ford will have introduced its “Mach-E,” a big, fast SUV. Audi offers an electric SUV, the
If you want to learn more about EVs, the Blue Ridge Energy site is a good place to start at blueridgeenergy.com/powerfulsolutions/ev. Plug-in NC is a good next stop at pluginnc.com. If you’re getting serious, spend some time on the Blue Ridge EV Club site, blueridgeevclub.com, where you’ll find the members’ blog about the reality of using an EV in the High Country, and the club sponsored events where you can talk to owners and check out the cars. Also, install the PlugShare app on your smartphone. You can see where charging stations are located, and users post helpful info about their experiences at each station.
“e-tron.” Jaguar offers its “I-PACE.” Volvo has the “XC40.” Who’s afraid of a little weather? I’ve been driving normal cars my whole life. Why would I want to mess with an electric car if I don’t have to? If Uncle Buddy taught me anything, it’s “if it ain’t broke…” Whoa! Ask your “Uncle Buddy” how he feels about money. A significant amount of money, perhaps thousands per year, every year. Let’s start with the up-front money. Your country wants you to take a hard look at EVs. You can claim a credit on your federal taxes of up to $7,500 for buying a new EV. The manufacturers want your business, too, and they offer deals and rebates. Blue Ridge Energy points out, on its website, that Nissan offers a $3,500 rebate on the purchase of its Leaf electric vehicle through the end of 2019. This rebate, combined with the tax credit, means you can save $11,000 or more on a new Leaf. Furthermore, Blue Ridge Energy also helps its members apply for low-interest financing for an EV. Now let’s look at operating costs. Fuel. So, did you ever have to spend $50, $60, $72.93 to put gas in your land yacht? Ever have to do it twice in one week? What if you could “fill up” for about five bucks? What if it was about two bucks or less? Normally, EV owners charge at home, at night. Power companies typically offer a discount for such off-peak usage. The result is that EV owners typically spend about $0.02 per mile for electricity. Two.
Cents. Unless it’s free. Tesla is known for offering free charging to its owners. And now Ford has joined in, offering two years of “complimentary access” to the “FordPass Charging Network” to buyers of its new EVs. With gas at about $2.50 a gallon, what do you currently pay per mile? What if it goes up to $3.00? $3.25? “When I drive by a gas station, it’s just great,” says Carl T., a Tesla owner and member of the Blue Ridge EV Club. “I don’t miss ‘em one bit.” Let’s look at maintenance and repairs. Ever go in for scheduled maintenance and get a bill for $150, $250, $476.34? It hurts. What about maintenance and repairs for an EV? “Well, there’s this fluid that cools the batteries. They want you to check it.” Oh, really? When? “Every three years.” That’s Carl again. “Oh, and you need to rotate the tires.” I had quizzed him about maintenance for his EV. That’s about all he could come up with. According to the Tesla site (tesla.com) you should test the brake fluid every couple of years, too. Service the air conditioning every six years, and change air vent filters every two years. Get it? For an EV, the preventative maintenance cost is almost ZERO. All those pumps and belts and hoses, radiators and transmissions, all those things that spin and whirr and break, they don’t even exist in an EV. But wait, there’s more… “I had a charging station installed at the house,” says Carl, “and Blue Ridge Energy gave me a credit on my power bill for the full amount.” I spoke to the
nice people at French Broad Electric Membership Corporation (EMC). They will install a home charging station and lease it to you for the princely sum of… five dollars a month. Plus, some automobile insurers give a better rate to EV owners. You get to use the HOV lanes no matter how many people are in the car with you—it’s the law. And EVs are cleaner. Yes, creating power also creates emissions. But EVs don’t waste power. No idling. Regenerative braking. And no tailpipe emissions. And if you’re really committed, solar panels will charge an EV. The nice people with the Blue Ridge EV Club can tell you about it. End result, cleaner air. Sounds too good to be true. It gets even better. When I moved up to the High Country about ten years ago there was a mini gas crisis. Remember that? I recall spending about $50 to fill up a Honda Civic. In contrast, the price of electricity is low, it’s regulated and it barely changes from year to year. And consider this: Electricity is made in America. The natural gas, coal, wind, sun or nuclear energy used to make our electricity are all found right here. The nation gains energy security, and you get price stability. You’ll help the planet, and save a lot of money doing it. Not bad. Joe Baum summed it up pretty well. “If your household has two cars, at least one of them really should be an EV. And if you’re going to buy a car now, you really should take a hard look at going electric.” CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Infusing Energy into the Local Ski Industry By Sarah Rodriquez The Lees-McRae College Fall 2019 semester was the first semester the Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor was offered to students.
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tudents at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk now have the opportunity to gain industry-leading skills and knowledge though a Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor. The minor pairs classroom teaching with experiential learning through a strategic partnership with Beech Mountain Ski Resort to provide students with the physical and business skills needed to work in a variety of jobs in the field. According to Dr. Katie Wall, Assistant Professor at Lees-McRae, the minor will help infuse the ski industry with young professionals at a time when the industry is facing the retirement of many current professionals. This minor is the only minor in the Southeast providing students with this extensive knowledge of the ski industry. The minor came into existence organically, says Wall, who is also Program Coordinator of Outdoor Recreation Management at the college. “It was unexpected,” Wall said. “It was more of a natural grassroots development. We were doing some program assessment for our entire Outdoor Recreation Management program last year and realized that about a quarter of our students or more were obtaining ski industry certifications or were currently enrolled in classes to get those certifications.” Beech Mountain Ski Resort has previously offered ski and snowboard instructing courses, but the increased interest of Lees-McRae students in these courses helped prompt the creation of the minor. Students have the opportunity to enroll in a PSIA-AASI Ski/Snowboard Instructor Level 1 Certification class while completing the minor. Wall said faculty members began the creation process by looking at the number
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of students interested in the ski industry and researching what other colleges were doing to promote ski education. Then, after consulting with partners at Beech Mountain Ski Resort, including Talia Freeman, the director of marketing, Wall “realized it was a really good fit for our college and our students and our community.” The ski industry in North Carolina amounts to close to $200 million dollars in economic impact, thus playing a substantial role in the High Country economy. “It’s such an impactful industry on our economy that I think it’s really important that we cultivate industry leaders here locally,” Freeman said. Lees-McRae is partnering with Beech Mountain Ski Resort to provide students with a place to gain hands-on experience. The college and the resort are located within 15 minutes from each other. “There’s been a longstanding history of involvement with Lees-McRae students and Beech Mountain Resort,” Freeman said. “Lees-McRae has been here for over a hundred years, Beech Mountain Resort since 1967. So I think it’s just natural that we’ve continued to bring students up here [and] employ students.” A classroom space at the resort is currently undergoing renovations and when completed will provide students with an on-site location for experiential learning. Freeman said the goal would be to have students at the resort twice a week with part of each day spent in the classroom and part of each day spent working at the resort. The minor, which was first offered to students during the Fall 2019 semester, has already accrued significant interest. Wall said about a quarter of the students majoring in Outdoor Recreation
Management have declared the Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor despite the college not having a full recruitment cycle. Wall noted that choosing to house the minor under the School of Business and Management was a noteworthy choice. Students will not only gain knowledge about the ski industry through classes like “Contemporary Issues in the Ski Industry” but they will learn the business skills needed to be successful in the industry, such as risk management, mountain operations and business principles. An internship is also required for completion of the minor, according to Freeman, but this internship can be in anything skirelated including lift operations or resort marketing. Another unique aspect of the minor is that all the students currently enrolled in the minor will be working in the industry as of this winter. “Experiential learning is the backbone of this program, and it’s really important to us that they get hands-on learning,” Freeman said. Through experiential learning and knowledge passed on by industry leaders from around the world, students enrolled in the Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor will be prepared to positively impact the High Country ski industry upon graduation. “So it’s not just the students taking a bunch of classes and having a cool minor,” Wall said. “They’re all working [in the industry] which is great for them because it looks wonderful on their resume, and prepares them for careers, but it also helps the local economy and provides some fresh energy into the ski industry.” To learn more about the Lees-McRae Ski Industry Business and Instruction minor, visit www.lmc.edu/ academics/programs/ski-industry.
Where Are They Now? By Kim S. Davis
Wilkesboro native and Yuni Coffee Co. founder Tyler Gant (right)
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eriodically, we focus on young people from our region who have adventured out into the world and done amazing things. In this issue, we are checking in with Tyler Gant, a young man who grew up in rural Wilkes County and after college, journeyed to Southeast Asia where he currently lives and runs the coffee company he founded in Laos. It is evident that growing up in our region has had a significant influence on his life. CML: Where did you grow up and what are some of your most memorable moments from a childhood spent in the foothills? I was born and raised in North Wilkesboro and lived there until I left for university. Our family has always lived out in the country, which made for very strong memories of playing in the woods and creek that were right out our backdoor. Connecting with God’s creation in that way is a gift in today’s world, and getting out into nature, including our state parks for family hikes and picnics instilled in me a love for being outdoors, which is continuing to be an important part of my story here in rural Laos. Growing up in a tight-knit community with changes of all four seasons were both entirely predictable and entirely special. Spring meant baseball at Memorial Park and beautiful, fresh Easter mornings; summer meant fireworks in downtown North Wilkesboro and the annual migration to Myrtle Beach for family vacation;
fall meant absolutely stunning fall scenes and the Brushy Mountain Apple festival; and winter meant lighting up downtown for Christmas, watching tv for school cancelations, and North Carolina basketball fever. CML: What first took you to Laos? My wife and I traveled to Southeast Asia in 2011 and fell in love with the land and people. Later in 2014 after the birth of our first son, we returned to work for a tourism company in Louang Prabang, Laos. We felt that it was a unique opportunity for our family to spend time living in a different culture for a time. As it turned out, we ended up staying much longer, and founding Yuni Coffee Company! CML: Tell us about your home in Houaphan and your surroundings? Houaphan Province is beautiful, raw, and welcoming. Ancient forests that are home to Bengal tigers, stunning waterfalls, and staggering karst formations characterize the area. The residents of Houaphan already know that the weather is perfect here, but when asked, I share with them that the climate in my hometown is both hotter in the summer, and colder in the winter. At 1000m above sea level, the area is perfect for coffee cultivation. A bit of the complicated part of the story of our living here is that a quick scan of the history of the area reveals that Houaphan Province was squarely in
the middle of the Vietnam-U.S. conflict, which has left behind a rich and quite troubling legacy here. CML: What prompted you to get into the business of growing and making coffee? I’ve always loved coffee, and moving to Laos for the first time, I encountered my first living coffee tree first hand. I also was able to observe the efforts of other coffee projects and business in Northern Laos and witnessed the positive social and economic impact coffee production can have on needy communities. I was hooked, and after linking up with my friend and business partner, Steve, it was an easy decision to go all-in on investing our time and money in this project. CML: When did you begin Yuni Coffee and how has the business evolved? Yuni Coffee Co. was founded in 2015. In all matters of business, we have tried to keep our activities scalable, starting small. First, we were a couple of guys with a small coffee cherry pulper, a couple of buckets for washing coffee, and using the front patio area of our house to dry the coffee. Now, we have a medium capacity production facility out in one of our target coffee growing villages, a roasted coffee brand, and a modern-style cafe established in our city, called Sam Neua. Continued on page 83 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Continued from page 81
CML: What is it like to raise a family in Laos? There were certainly initial challenges navigating where to find basic needs for living and how to find the best medical attention. Those initial challenges these days seem small, and now bigger challenges are “Where will our kids go to school?” “Is their language ability progressing enough to be social?” We’re finding good solutions to these questions as well and challenges aside, we believe the opportunity to raise our family in a different culture is priceless. CML: What would you like to share with readers about the Lao people? Lao people are unequivocally hospitable, and are proud to say so. It is impossible to “out-give” them, and we are often blown away by the generosity we see coming from others who have so little. This said, the doors to visit Laos are always open and we do wish you will visit the capital city of Vientiane, the beautiful ancient capital of Luang Prabang, or if you really want to “get out there” come visit us for a cup of coffee in Sam Neua. CML: How can people support your work in Laos? We have roasted-to-order coffee and merchandise available on our website that you can purchase and have shipped to your door. Visit our website www.yunicoffeeco.com to shop and find out more about our company. For those who are interested, I’d recommend looking at our Instagram (instagram.com/yunicoffeeco) to see our business at work.
“Harold and his woodlot crew have been hard at work providing a source of fuel for heating and cooking for our neighbors who need it most for years now,” shared Elizabeth Young, Executive Director of Hunger and Health Coalition of Boone, NC. She was boasting on Harold Stophel and his crew of volunteers from Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, who meet every Tuesday morning to chop wood, which is then provided to families in need in the area. The Helping Hands Woodlot Ministry is just one part of Grace Builders, a volunteer ministry of Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, which was begun as a Saturday morning project to clean up the church property and make needed repairs to the building. Its mission grew to not only address the needs of Grace Lutheran, but to focus on the needs of individuals in the community who were unable to provide for themselves. Specifically, the Helping Hands Woodlot Ministry grew out of a recognized need for a heating source for many families. Stophel, who serves as team leader for Grace Builders, coordinates the work of the Woodlot Ministry. Fifteen years since its beginning, over 845 loads of wood were donated in the last year to people who heat with wood, but often cannot afford to buy it. The wood that is donated is gathered throughout the High Country from fallen trees and donated by builders clearing land. Last year alone, wood was gathered from over 34 different sites. Once transported to the Boone property adjoining Hospitality House of Northwestern North Carolina and the Hunger and Health Coalition, the wood is machine split into manageable sections, which are then split for household use. The Hunger and Health Coalition and WeCAN (Watauga Crisis Assistance Network) agencies help select people to receive the wood donations. “We work every Tuesday, regardless of the weather,” shared Stophel. “But we couldn’t have been successful through the years without the ongoing support of volunteers.” Several years ago, First Presbyterian Church of Boone and Boone Church of Christ joined with Grace Builders to offer volunteer services in the community. Several area fraternities, Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Phi and other campus service organizations volunteer at the site on a regular basis. In addition, the Scabbard and Blade ROTC group from Appalachian State University, and area church youth groups are regular volunteers. “Groups from outside our community travel to Boone to help with the Woodlot project and deliver wood to those in need,” noted Stophel. In addition, volunteer groups have included those who have received wood donations in the past. Over 5,200 volunteer hours were donated in the 2018-19 fiscal year. Costs associated with the ministry include the recent purchase of a heavy duty wood splitter, along with the maintenance of other splitters and equipment. Safe onsite storage of equipment was accomplished recently through funds that were raised to build a storage unit for the splitters. Funding for all projects of Grace Builders, including the Woodlot Ministry, come from individual donations, funds raised from parking cars for home App State football games, the Troutman foundation, and other fund raisers. Stophel, when asked what was needed for the ongoing success of the Woodlot Ministry, smiled and said, “Well, we always need donations, but not just money. We could use good reliable trucks that can help pick up donated wood, and also help in delivery. We could always use volunteers—men, women, teens and those with a heart for making a difference in our community.” If you’re interested in learning more or volunteering with the Woodlot Ministry, contact Harold Stophel at 828-7899127, or Grace Lutheran Church at graceboone@gmail.com or 828-264-2206. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Addressing WNC Climate Threats
Tweetsie Christmas
Tips From Blue Ridge Energy to Prepare for the Cold Weather
Following are some tips from Blue Ridge Energy to help you weather the cold temperatures and protect your High Country home:
Kudos to CML Writer Jim Casada
Freelance writer Jim Casada was recently recognized by the S.C. Outdoor Press Association in its annual ‘excellence in craft competition’ for his article “Sling Shot Days,” which appeared in the Spring ‘19 issue of CML. Casada’s article also won second place in the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s (SEOPA) magazine article category for their 2018-19 E. I. C. competition. Congratulations Jim!
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N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael S. Regan; Andrew Hutson, Audubon North Carolina executive director and National Audubon Society vice president; Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation; and Curtis Smalling, conservation director of Audubon North Carolina, discuss Audubon’s new climate report.
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- Remove, drain and store hoses used outdoors. - Check around the home for places where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the garage, as well as under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. - When the temperatures drop, let cold water drip from any faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe—even at a trickle—helps prevent freezing. - Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children and pets.
Celebrate the holiday season as Tweetsie Railroad transforms into a winter wonderland for Tweetsie Christmas! Enjoy a nighttime train ride among thousands of dazzling lights, meet Santa in his Gingerbread House, play inside a largerthan-life Snow Globe, and see the live Christmas show! Tickets are for a specific date and train ride time (December 1314, 20-21, & 27-28). A limited number of guests are admitted nightly, so advance tickets are strongly recommended. Visit tweetsie.com for details and tickets.
Dozens of nature lovers and bird advocates gathered in November as officials from Audubon North Carolina and Grandfather Mountain talked with N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael S. Regan about the climate challenges facing wildlife and plant communities in the North Carolina mountains. Officials spoke at the Nature Museum at Grandfather Mountain, touching on the diverse ecosystems of the northwestern mountains and the importance of addressing climate threats by protecting land and promoting clean energy. Learn more about NC’s Clean Energy Plan at https://deq.nc.gov/. Read more about Audubon’s new climate report on page 73 in this issue of CML. Read more about conservation issues on Grandfather Mountain, and throughout the southern Appalachian mountains at grandfather.com.
Seasonal Parties Made Easy, Affordable, and Delicious
This holiday season, why not treat your family, employees, or church group to a delicious meal in a festive, candle-lit setting? You bring the group and Holston Camp and Retreat Center provides a private dining room with white table cloths and festive decorations. Church groups, mission trips, family reunions, scouts, business retreats, and weddings are welcome year-round. Custom menus are available, with private, group seating up to 100. Call 844-465-7866 for details and to reserve your holiday dinner or other event, or visit https://holstoncenter.org/.
Host a Wine Tasting
Boone-based Wine To Water, a local nonprofit organization with an international reach, is committed to supporting life and dignity for all through the power of clean water. What can you do to give the gift of clean water this winter? Share the Wine To Water story by hosting a wine tasting! A wine tasting can be with friends, work colleagues, or anyone else who enjoys raising a glass in support of this important cause. You can be the driving force in changing someone’s life forever. Learn more at www.winetowater.org.
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Winter Reading at the Banner Elk Book Exchange
The Italian Restaurant’s Special Sauce
This winter try a local favorite from The Italian Restaurant in Pineola. The restaurant now sells its delicious Monteroma Marinara Gourmet Italian Pasta Sauce to take home! Their classic recipe has been passed down through generations and perfected over the decades in the family restaurant. The sauce is handcrafted with only the finest quality ingredients—it is all natural, with no sugar added, gluten-free, and vegan. Pick up a jar at The Italian Restaurant in Pineola or order online at www.theitalianrestaurantnc. com. “We hope you enjoy our authentic taste of tradition.”
The Book Discussion Group at the Book Exchange at the Historic Banner Elk School is open to everyone! Join in on the third Tuesday of each month beginning January at 6:30 p.m. Books will be available at the Book Exchange desk. • January 21: Stand Up That Mountain (Jay Leutze) • February 18: The Guest Book (Sara Blake) • March 17: America’s First Daughter (Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie) • April 21: The Island of Sea Women (Lisa See) Visit bannerelkbookexchange.com for a complete list of winter events.
Resilience and Restoration in the Mountains: Creation Care Retreat 2020
Designed with creation care volunteers and clergy in mind, this retreat allows you to spend a day with a theologian, a climate scientist, a forest biologist, and local colleagues and pastoral innovators. Whether you’re new to creation care or a long-time advocate, you’ll gain new language and tools to inspire your congregation to care for the environment, interwoven with space for rest, relationship, prayer and good food. The retreat will be hosted at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC on February 7-8 (Feb. 7 is for clergy, Feb. 8 is open to the public). Learn more about the event, and the work of MountainTrue and the Creation Care Alliance at https://mountaintrue.org/event/creation-care-retreat/.
Warm Up Your Household
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As the cold weather continues this season, consider adding some furry warmth to your household! We are fortunate to have several animal shelters in our area that do an amazing job caring for animals in need and placing those animals in forever homes! Visit a Humane Society in Watauga or Avery County and find a special pet to add some “warm and fuzzy” to your winter! Or, search online for your new best friend at wataugahumane.org and averyhumane.org.
Farewell to Fenbrook
1920-2020 A historic landmark in Linville, NC
Lights at Chetola
Chetola Resort features a sparkling display of lights each winter season! The “Festival of Lights” is free and open to the public, and you are invited to enjoy thousands of dazzling illuminations throughout the resort. As you drive or stroll around Chetola Lake, view glittering ice skaters, “Rudolph” reeling in a big fish, strolling carolers and many more captivating holiday scenes. The “Festival of Lights” remains up through the last day of Blowing Rock’s WinterFest, January 26.
Let Us Hear from You!
Have an event or tidbit you’d like to share with CML readers? Send your information to the editor at tamara@greenway.today!
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Winter Landscapes
Snow accentuates the image of winter foliage on one of the unique metal art pieces along Beech Mountain Parkway. Town landscaper Susan Knepka wanted to portray the flora, fauna and fun activities that Beech has to offer. With joint funding from the Tourism Development Authority and the Town of Beech Mountain, she first purchased small metal birds replicating North Carolina species that were installed on Main Street signs. Then, she asked local artist Carly Moore to create metal art of North Carolina animals for the garden beds that she had planted all along the parkway. Next up? Perhaps metal art to emulate all of the sports offered on the mountain. –Karen Rieley
A New Town Hall at Seven Devils
The Town of Seven Devils Town Hall is now located at 157 Seven Devils Road (previously the Skyline/Skybest building). Last summer, in conjunction with their 40th Anniversary Celebration (1979-2019), they held a Ribbon Cutting ceremony and hosted a BBQ lunch, with Music by the Lake by Dixie Dawn and the Kruger Brothers. The public event was sponsored by the Seven Devils Tourism Development Authority (TDA). The Administration Department and the Police Department are currently in the new building; the Fire Department remains at the old Town Hall. A Planning Committee has been formed to make recommendations on repurposing the old Town Hall.
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LifeStore Insurance Expands into Newland
LifeStore Insurance recently welcomed the newest addition to the LifeStore Insurance group, Andrews and Andrews of Newland. Andrews and Andrews had been serving Avery County since 2004 and was owned and operated by Melba Andrews. The Newland location became the seventh branch office of LifeStore Insurance joining locations in West Jefferson, Boone, Sparta, Elkin, and Lenoir. LifeStore Insurance President Jody Brown commented, “Having a LifeStore location in neighboring Newland and Avery County was a natural progression for us and the opportunity to purchase an outstanding agency like Andrews and Andrews made this a reality. Melba, Nena, and Linda had a reputation for providing their customers with personal and reliable service. They have been a great fit for our agency.” Avery County native Nena Carpenter is the Newland office manager. She worked with Andrews for twelve years and has vast experience with several lines of insurance. “Our employees strive to continue to expand their insurance knowledge through educational programs,” said Brown. “As things continually change, it’s important to have an agency and agent who strives to understand the changes and continually expand their knowledge to better advise our clients.” In 2019, LifeStore moved to a new location—the building located at 151 Cranberry Street, formerly Seasons Restaurant. Gragg Construction worked with LifeStore to completely remodel the building, which provides more space to meet with clients, and offers great visibility and easy access. LifeStore Insurance was formed in 1997 and has grown steadily since its inception. LifeStore writes all types of insurance: Personal Insurance (Auto, Home, Umbrella), Business Insurance (Auto, Property, Liability, Workers Compensation), and Benefits (Life, Health, Medicare, Annuity). By being the largest independent insurance agency based in the High Country, LifeStore is able to provide choices, alternatives, and solutions for their clients. With over 40 employees, they now serve over 10,000 clients.
“...read Community all a &bLocal out it News ” Business Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge: First 100 Men Membership Campaign
The Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge (WFBR) hosted its first 100 Men Membership Campaign event, Bourbon, BBQ & Blues in October. This campaign showcases men in our community who support the programs and services of the WFBR that impact women and girls in the High Country. Bourbon, BBQ & Blues was held at the American Legion in Blowing Rock. Approximately 50 people attended and $25,000 was raised. Special musical guest, Todd Wright, entertained the crowd as they enjoyed a bourbon tasting and barbeque dinner. The 100 Men campaign created an opportunity for the men to honor an inspirational woman in their lives just by becoming a member. This membership campaign enables the WFBR to continue to be a powerful force that is changing the lives of women and girls living in Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties. For information on donating, becoming a member, participating in an event, or volunteering, contact Karen Marinelli at 828-264-4002, or email karen@womensfundoftheblueridge. org. For more information, visit www.womensfundoftheblueridge.org, or find the group on Facebook. “Our mission is to create positive change and economic justice for women and girls in the counties we serve. Through funding to local non-profit agencies, we aim to be a philanthropic catalyst for all women and girls to have access to the resources they need as they strive to become empowered and reach their full potential.”
Basic Needs and Beyond
The Hunger and Health Coalition is a basic needs organization that is committed to increasing access to nutritious foods and medication for our High Country neighbors in need. Watauga County is the third poorest county in North Carolina. Over the holiday season there are a number of ways to partner with the organization to help our community. The organization is looking for community members who are interested in working with their pharmacy or large scale food pantry to help further their mission. With the additional
pressures of the holiday season, there is an increased need to help provide food and basic needs within our community. For every $1 donated to the Hunger and Health Coalition, the organization is able to provide $5 worth of healthy food to our community. Volunteers are welcome year round and they will help find the best area of service for you. One volunteer opportunity specific to the holidays is participation in their Sharing Tree program, providing basic needs gifts for children ages 0-17 and elderly community members 65 and older. For those who would prefer to work directly with Coalition clients, you can assist in their Food Recovery Kitchen (prepared food) area. As the college students go home for the holiday break, they lose many volunteers. In whatever area you choose to volunteer, you’re sure to find working with the Hunger and Health Coalition a rewarding and fulfilling experience! For more information, please contact 828-262-1628 or go to www.hungerandhealthcoalition.com.
The Children Were Nestled All Snug in their Beds While Visions of Sugar-Plums Danced in their Heads…
December is the season for sharing and giving. Sometimes even one act of kindness can make a difference in many lives over many years. That happened to Kelle Broome Muehleib in 2010 when Kelle was newly married and working as a Social Worker for the Department of Social Services in Arlington, VA. It was nearing Christmas, and she was visiting a family that needed help to provide food, clothing, and toys for their two children. When she asked the seven year-old girl what she would like for Christmas, the child answered… “A bed.” This touched Kelle so much that she immediately found a church who helped make Christmas happen for this family, and both children received new beds. Kelle passed away in 2017, and to honor her memory, Kelle’s Krib was created to provide a safe and comfortable bed for all the deserving children of the High Country. A fundraiser for the program is now held each year so more and more children can wake up on Christmas morning in a new bed. Kelle’s Krib receives referrals from the Children’s Council, as well as the Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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“...read all a b out it ”
Community & Local Business News Hunger and Health Coalition. The recipients of items are evaluated by the professionals in these organizations to determine their level of need. This year Kelle’s Krib is expanding their services to include children’s outerwear and more of the necessary items that a child needs beyond a crib or bed. Since the Children’s Council works so closely with Oasis, Inc. an emergency shelter for abused women, Kelle’s Krib is now helping mothers and their children who arrive in emergent need of help. To learn more about how Kelle’s Krib functions as a program, please call the Hunger and Health Coalition at 828-262-1628 or the Children’s Council of Watauga County at 828-262-5424. You can also contribute by going to their websites and designating your donation to Kelle’s Krib. - Julie Farthing
Charitable Giving at Grandfather Mountain
Making Healthier Choices – Together at the YMCA
Healthy Weight and Your Child is a free lifestyle change program for kids ages 7 to 13 years old at the Williams YMCA of Avery County. Youth who are carrying excess weight and have a BMI in the 95th percentile are eligible to sign up with their parent or legal guardian. In the program, children learn how to develop healthy habits that can last them a lifetime and reduce their risk of being obese. The program comes with a FREE 3-month YMCA Family Membership for those who qualify and participate in the program. The next program begins in January 2020. Contact Lauren Wilson at 828-737-5500, x319 for more information. The holiday feasts, family gatherings, and parties are a time when most of us put on a few extra pounds. The Supporting Wellness Together adult Weight Loss Program is designed to help people seeking a healthier weight and achieve their goals by making small, modest changes to their daily behaviors and forming sustainable, healthy habits. Rather than advocate for specific or restrictive short-term solutions, this program helps participants build skills for successful lifestyle changes and empowers them to self-design their action plans. A new program begins in January. For more information contact Bonnie Clark at 828-737-5500, x307.
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Plans for Grandfather Mountain’s new “Conservation Campus” are now underway! The Conservation Campus will be a venue to “study nature where nature reigns,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Linville, N.C. nature park. The project will see an extensive renovation of the park’s existing Nature Museum and a sizable addition. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is estimated to be completed between 18 and 24 months, with the park remaining open for the duration. The project comes with a price tag of $5.5 million, of which $4.7 million has already been raised through the Fulfilling Promises Capital Campaign. Major donations come courtesy of Bob and Susan Wilson, Paul and Susie O’Connell, Luther H. Hodges, Jr., Joe and Terry Williams, David and Cathy Thompson, Ginny Burton, Monroe and Becky Cobey, the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, the William Rose Family, the Dickson Foundation, Frank and Mary Cain Driscoll, Connie and John McLendon, Kelly and Meredith Graves, and the Andrews family. “I’m fortunate in that the Lord gave me great parents that directed me and helped me acquire the ability to pay something back to Him,” Bob Wilson said. “We’re giving this. It’s something for this community. Grandfather Mountain is a unique mountain, a unique ecological center … and this is about taking our young kids and letting them learn about it. It’s something that I think we need in our country more now than … ever.” Charitable giving also benefits the park’s many educational programs and initiatives, such as the Field Trip Scholarship Fund in Memory of Nathan Pribble, which helps groups from underfunded schools come to Grandfather Mountain’s “classroom in the clouds.” Those hoping to contribute to current initiatives can visit www.grandfather.com/fulfillingpromises, or https://grandfather. com/support/give, which allows you to sponsor a particular project or donate to a cause of your choosing.
PERSONAL FINANCE The Two Sides of Money:
First in a series on Life Transitions
By Katherine S. Newton, CFP®, Certified Financial Transitionist®
I
f you are going through a significant life transition such as retirement, the sale of a business, a divorce, the receipt of a windfall, or the loss of a spouse, you may have sought advice from a financial guide to help you in all areas of money such as cash flow management, portfolio management, targeting your tolerance for risk, tax strategy, and planning your estate. These are components of the very important technical side of money. But consider this: It is the personal side of money—the side that deals with relationships, emotions, hopes and dreams, self-esteem, and a sense of well-being—that drives decision making. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to do the work in these areas of your life as you make the giant leap from one way of life to a new way of life? Here are some questions that might be considered to begin to frame the work that you do:
What do I need to protect?
In other words, what do you hold so dear that maintaining it becomes a top priority? What may come to mind are things like family relationships, a vacation home, or a lifestyle.
What do I need to let go?
This question may help you identify aspects of the old life that no longer fit your new life.
What do I need to create?
Answering this question means exploring hopes and dreams and mapping out what you’d like the next stage of your life to look like. You may not know the answers to these questions yet but that’s OK. It is the asking of the questions and, with help and guidance, the courage to craft your own answers that will guide you as you make important decisions about your money and begin the next chapter of your life. The views are those of Katherine Newton, Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Financial Transitionist® and should not be considered as investment advice or to predict future performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All information is believed to be from reliable sources. However, we make no representations as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note that neither Waite Financial, LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC, Carroll Financial Associates or any of their agents or representatives give legal or tax advice. For complete details, consult with your tax advisor or attorney. Investors should consider their investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses associated with municipal fund securities before investing. This information is found in the issuer’s official statement and should be read carefully before investing. Registered Representative offering Securities through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Carroll Financial Associates Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Waite Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates are unaffiliated.
Katherine S. Newton
Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) Certified Financial Transitionist® (CeFT®) Waite Financial, LLC
428 4th Ave. NW Hickory, NC 28601 828.322.9595 katherine@waitefinancial.com www.waitefinancial.com Registered Representative offering securities through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Carroll Financial Associates Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor.Waite Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates are unaffiliated.
CML carolina mountain life
Tamara Seymour Editor 828-406-8187 tamara@seymourcc.n
Read us online at CMLmagazine.com
Box 976 Us! | Linville, NC 28646 AdvertiseP.O.with
• The region’s most widely distributed high quality, full color, standard size magazine. • Four issues per year with 25,000+ copies per issue • Reasonable advertising rates and complete graphic arts department provides full advertising support • Carolina Mountain Life provides additional exposure via eBlasts, Facebook, Instagram, and website.
Email livingcarolina@bellsouth.net or call 828-737-0771 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Cozy Up with these Unique Warm Beverages By Samantha Steele
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inter is the perfect time to wrap our cold hands around a warm mug of something really delicious to sip on in front of a blazing, sizzling fireplace. Many shops and cafés offer a variety of these delicious hot treats, but why not save a little money and craft some delicious goodness at home? Let’s start with several fun components to fashion the perfect collection of lip smackin’, mug sippin’, tummy fillin’, heart warmin’ treats! Honey Infusions Most everyone can agree that raw honey is delicious, but did you know that it is also one of the most beneficial substances on earth? One of the reasons it is considered valuable is that it is packed with unique enzymes, probiotics and vitamins making it an excellent supplement to our diet (in modest quantities, of course). Honey infused with herbs and spices makes a delicious sweetener for teas and other warm beverages. You’ll want to infuse each component separately and combine varieties later according to taste and preference. To begin the process of infusing honey, choose your plant material, add it to a mason jar until it reaches about one inch from the rim, and then top with local, raw honey until completed covered. Stir with a chopstick or other similar tool and let settle so the honey completely covers the material.
Seal and let soak in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight. After the mixture has infused for at least one week, you may begin using it. After six weeks, strain out the remaining material and store your honey in a mason jar in a cool, dry, dark location. The following spices, herbs, flowers, roots and fruits make excellent infusions: Ginger, Rosemary, Cloves, Rose petals or rose hips. Cinnamon, Cranberries, Hibiscus. Organic dried orange and/or lemon peel, Lemon Balm, Peppermint Simple and Fresh “Five Minutes or Less” Teas Start with water that is about 190 degrees—not boiling but very hot. Pour over fresh or dried items according to preference. Here are my suggestions, but I encourage you to experiment and think out of the box! One or more tablespoons of infused honey of choice (see above) ½ fresh lemon, leave rind on if organic ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder or 2 cinnamon sticks, three fresh orange slices, and a pinch of vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon each of fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano A small handful of springtime fir needles, new growth, or dried white pine needles
It’s fun to experiment. Add one item at a time until you fashion the perfect blend to suit your mood! Soothing and Savory Sipping Snacks Why not sip a savory broth as a snack or light meal? This is especially satisfying if you’re not very hungry or just not feeling well. Consider these simple combinations: Half miso and half organic vegetable broth with a few slices of fresh ginger Free range chicken broth or vegetable broth with fresh minced garlic and a dash of cayenne pepper (to taste) Beef bone broth with a few crushed black peppercorns, a bay leaf and a teaspoon of sliced scallion Hearty and Complex Indulgent Beverages Sometimes we have the drive and time to craft a special hot beverage treat. Some of the following recipes can be made in advance for ease of use or even to be given away as gifts!
Be Well
Guilt free Hot Cocoa Both delicious and mildly nutritious, try this updated version of an old favorite! It’s packed with protein and healthy fats that will satisfy and sustain. 2 cups whole milk or coconut milk 1 tablespoon organic cocoa powder Continued on next page
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1½ tablespoons of collagen peptides ½ tablespoon maple syrup (to taste) Pinch of Celtic sea salt Warm the milk on your stovetop and add each ingredient, whisking well to blend after each addition. Simmer for five minutes for the flavors to marry. Top with whipped cream or coconut cream and a dash of cinnamon. Harmony Tea Holy Basil, otherwise known as Tulsi, calms and balances hormones. This version takes on a feeling of Chai, so it’s very warming and perfect for the holiday season! Start with a healthy half, made up of tea leaves. The rest of the portions are left up to you and your preferences. Here are some ideas: Organic holy basil Organic green tea Dried orange fruit and rind Organic star anise Organic cardamom Organic ginger Organic allspice Organic nutmeg Locally harvested rose hips and petals A few peppercorns, crushed lightly Orange extract Brew all material through a tea strainer or tea ball. Let steep for at least five minutes, covered. Sweeten as desired with a little raw honey and add coconut cream, almond milk or fresh cream to taste. Golden Milk Turmeric is one of the most effective nutritional supplements known to man. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties that target the brain and joint tissues for mood stability and pain relief. It’s used in many Middle Eastern dishes and the most prominent ingredient in this favorite
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Indian beverage. But beware! Turmeric stains anything it touches. If you’re not careful, after falling in love with this exotic spice you may find its tell-tale yellow pigment covering your kitchen cloths and surfaces. 1 cup Coconut oil ½ cup ground turmeric 1 teaspoon Black pepper 2 teaspoons fresh or dried ginger 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder Coconut milk (or cows’ milk) Start by making a turmeric paste in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. To make the paste, melt the coconut oil completely and add all the spices. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined and cook over very low heat until spices “bloom,” becoming more aromatic. Store the paste in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. To use, warm eight ounces of milk, add one tablespoon of turmeric paste, and blend well. Mulled Wine How could I leave out this holiday favorite? It’s a great way to use up cheap or average wine. Feel free to make adjustments to the components to suit your specific taste. One bottle of red wine of choice, such as pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot. 5-6 whole cloves 4 small cinnamon sticks 3 star anise 3 tablespoons honey 1/3 cup Brandy Slices of orange for garnish Combine all ingredients and simmer for 5-10 minutes at least. If you desire a non-alcoholic version, bring to a boil and then cook on low for at least 15 minutes.
Good Sleep Habit Tips: n Keep the same sleep schedule every day of the week n No caffeine 6 hours before bedtime n Avoid blue light 30 minutes before bedtime (including cell phones, tablets, TVs, etc.) n Try to maintain 6 hours or more of sleep each night n Establish a relaxing bedtime routine Facts About Sleep & Sleep Disorders: n Sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorder, affects an estimated 40 million Americans n Having moderate sleep apnea is as hard on the heart as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day n Sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, depression, obesity, acid reflux, stroke, heart attack, and sometimes sudden death n Compromised sleep means a compromised immune system, increasing your chances for serious health issues n Only 21% of Americans get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep every night and 60% of American adults experience sleep problems at times n Sleeplessness affects your brain in the same way as being drunk n Three quarters of those who have depression also suffer from lack of sleep n More than 1,500 deaths a year are caused by drivers falling asleep behind the wheel n 1 in 25 individuals have reported they’ve fallen asleep at the wheel in the last 30 days n In New Jersey, Maggie’s Law makes it illegal to drive after being awake for 24 hours n Women have more nightmares than men n In REM stage sleep, you are paralyzed; chemicals in the brain paralyze your body so that you do not act out dreams n The ideal bedroom temperature should be 65 degrees n The average individual falls asleep in seven minutes n Parents of newborn babies lose six months’ worth of sleep in the first two years of their child’s life n The perfect nap according to NASA is 26 minutes
Sleep Studies at Appalachian Regional Healthcare System By Koren Gillespie In Home:
Patients would likely qualify for an in-home sleep study with the following symptoms:
• Loud snoring • Witnessed apnea (temporary cessation of breathing) • Obesity • Significant daytime sleepiness • Lack of complicating medical factors Attended:
An attended sleep study would likely be required for patients:
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truggling with sleep? You’re not alone; the American Sleep Association reports approximately 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder. If you’re practicing good sleep habits yet still have issues, speak with your primary care physician about sleep studies testing. Offered locally at Watauga Medical Center, the Sleep Center is equipped to diagnose and treat a variety of sleep disorders. Technician and Sleep Center Supervisor Shelly Church shares, “Many of our patients report feeling like a new person after treatment. They get their energy back, and their blood sugars and blood pressure levels normalize. Many patients report losing weight and having more energy.” Overall, she says, patients’ overall health and lives improve. “I have personally seen the results of a successful sleep apnea treatment, and it transforms people’s lives. It transforms their relationships with their families, work life, and ability to function better throughout their day.” The most common sleep disorders diagnosed and treated at the Sleep Center include sleep apnea (obstructive and central), restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, and insomnia. The Sleep Center offers in-home testing where patients pick up a device, wear it through the night during sleep, and return it the following day. Some patients may require an overnight attended sleep study at the hospital’s sleep lab. Providers ultimately determine which sleep study is best for the patient, but the following is a general guide for both in-home and attended testing.
• With significant cardiopulmonary disease, including congestive heart failure, atrial • fibrillation, or moderate to severe COPD • With a history of stroke • With known central apnea diagnosis • With potential respiratory muscle weakness due to neuromuscular conditions • With awake hypoventilation or high risk of sleep related hypoventilation • With chronic opioid use • With severe insomnia • Considered to be parasomnias • With environmental or personal factors that preclude the accurate acquisition and • interpretation of data from in-home sleep testing • Under the age of 18 • With cognitive impairment • Who have two failed recordings on an in-home sleep test At the Watauga Medical Center Sleep Lab, rooms are set up like a hotel and include adjustable full-size mattresses, leather recliners, and a TV—all for the added comfort of overnight guests (a.k.a. patients). The Sleep Center conducts a polysomnogram, which is a painless procedure that places tiny electrodes on the head, face, chest, legs, and finger. While the guest is sleeping, a technologist will monitor brainwaves, heart rhythms, oxygen levels, snore levels, respiratory movements and more from a lab located down the hall from the rooms. Results are compiled and sent to the physician for interpretation. Turnaround time is usually within a few days. “Our sleep center consistently receives outstanding reviews from patients,” adds Church. “What really stands out is the professionalism and knowledge of our technologists. They go above and beyond to ensure the patient has an outstanding experience.” ARHS has a highly skilled team working in sleep services to include Dr. Jeffrey Crittenden and five sleep technologists: Matt Smith, Dean Green, Mandy Workman, Kelly Ward, and Shelly Church. They serve approximately 70 patients per month, ages six and older. Church concludes, “Sleep studies are very technical and require a vast amount of knowledge. We are monitoring brain activity, heart rhythms, oxygen saturations, and respiratory drive. The technologists understand all the body systems and how they work with each other to determine what sleep issues the patient is suffering. We realize how important sleep is in treating the whole body. Everyone needs sleep; it is imperative to our existence.” As natural as food or air, there is so much linked to sleeping well; from pinpointing certain health problems to preventing others, the right amount of sleep is crucial to our physical and mental well-being. If you have questions or concerns about your sleep, speak to your primary provider. For more information about sleep studies, call the Sleep Center at (828) 266-1179. CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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An Ounce of Prevention . . . By Mike Teague
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all is in the rear view mirror and we have quickly moved into one of the most beautiful times of the year in the High Country. Winter in our area is filled with stunning mountain scenes and plenty of opportunities for fun and adventure. As a lifelong resident of the North Carolina mountains, I also know and understand that winter in the High Country comes with added concerns and dangers. My goal of this article is to provide you with a checklist of safety precautions that you and your family can employ to reduce risk. Whether you are a resident or visitor to our area, it is important to give time to these simple steps for a happier and safer winter in the mountains. Home Safety Smoke Alarms – Please install at least one alarm on each level of the home, and test these alarms often. You wouldn’t believe how many times I have been on a fire scene where there were no working smoke alarms. This is a simple and cheap safety fix. It is time to do something about this problem! Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors – If you have a garage or burn a fuel in your home you need a simple and inexpensive CO detector. Install a CO detector near the sleeping areas. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for installation. Heating Systems – Have your heating systems and fuel-fired portable heaters serviced by one of the High Country’s qualified heating and ventilation contractors. Remember, these systems have been sitting dormant for several months. If you burn wood in a fireplace, have your chimney cleaned! Escape Planning – Do you have a plan for how you are going to escape a fire in your home? Please give this some serious thought. Twenty-five percent of the
population in the U.S. will have a fire in their home in their lifetime. Make sure escape windows and doors open easily without tools or major effort. Make sure everyone in your home knows the plan! Yard Clean-up – Clean up after the fall debris has hit the ground. Don’t allow piles of leaves to remain around or against your home. These piles of leaves create “jackpots” of fuel that greatly endanger your home. Personal Safety Safety Kits – Develop and maintain safety kits for your personal safety. Please refer to our article in last year’s CML winter magazine at CMLmagazine.com for specific instructions on developing your personal safety kit. Wash your hands – I know we have all heard this from the medical professionals as a way to slow the spread of germs. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) state that keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick. Washing your hands reduces the chances of respiratory illness by up to 21%, according to the CDC. Get the flu shot – Again, another good piece of advice we often hear but ignore. According to the CDC, only about 37% of adults received the flu shot in 2017. Most insurance companies cover the cost of this vaccine completely. Outside clothing – When you are going to be outside, dress in the appropriate clothing for the winter weather. Frostbite can occur quickly to hands and feet depending on the temperature, wind and moisture in the air. Plan to dress in layers so as you warm or cool you can remove or add clothing. Tell a friend – If you plan to travel or hike during winter weather, make sure to tell someone. Give them specifics about
where you are going, the route you plan to take, and the estimated time of your return. Cell phones – Keep your cell phone charged during the winter months, especially if there is a winter storm predicted. Final Thoughts As we enter this wonderful season of family fun, adventure and memories, I want to encourage you to check on your neighbor. We are all busy this time of year with the holidays and seasonal festivities. I understand the time crunch. I am asking you to check in on an older friend who may need a little help in preparing for winter’s issues. Think about the single parent who may be struggling to meet the needs of a crazy daily life and doesn’t have time to check their smoke alarm or install a CO detector. Lastly, if you are someone who reads this and needs help, don’t hesitate to reach out to a friend or neighbor and ask for a little help in preparing for winter. Mike Teague has 35 years of fire service experience. He served two years as Avery County Fire Marshal and 33 years with the Boone Fire Department, where he is currently serving as the Assistant Fire Chief, certified fire service instructor, and level 3 fire prevention inspector.
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Up on Mystery Hill
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utside on a Saturday night, AC/ DC is blasting on “Tomahawk Hill,” one of the newest attractions of Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Here, visitors—both children and adults—come to toss tomahawks and knives at targets. This gallery of archery-oriented sports is a relatively new addition to the classic Mystery Hill landmark, a yearround High Country attraction that is within walking distance to the legendary Tweetsie Railroad. Open since 1948, Mystery Hill grew out of the apple orchards operated by the Hudson family. The R.J. Underwood family bought the property in 1958, and it has remained in that family ever since, with four generations helping run the operation. Today, Mystery Hill is managed by Matthew Underwood, a grandson of Rhonda “R.J.” Underwood. In addition to Tomahawk Hill, the operation includes a “Hall of Mystery,” an extensive collection of Native American artifacts, rental cabins for overnight guests, gem mining, “Bubblerama,” and
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By Joe Tennis
various museums. But ground zero remains Mystery Hill, the actual spot on the property that features a strange gravitational pull that Underwood calls an “anomaly.” “The Hudsons, who operated the apple orchard, they were really the ones who discovered the anomaly and decided to open up the attraction,” said Matthew Underwood. “The anomaly, nobody knows for sure exactly what causes it.” You can go to a hillside on the property, said Underwood, “and any object hanging in mid-air takes more force to move from one side to the other.” Underwood thinks that a giant mass of iron ore lies somewhere on the hillside. “And you’re actually experiencing some gravitational pull towards that huge mass,” he said. “Scientifically, that’s about the only one thing that really you can pan out.” The Hudson family built a “Mystery House” on the property to show off the odd gravitational pull. “And it was almost an overnight success,” Underwood said. “Everybody was going. It grew. They expanded.” A stroll through the Mystery House
continues to be a fun adventure today— in some areas of the House, visitors can barely stand up, and observers can watch a ball roll uphill. “It makes you feel weird when you go out there,” Underwood said. “Strange things happen.” When R.J. Underwood bought the original property with 50 acres and a lake, he was primarily intent on operating a fish restaurant. “And the restaurant was packed,” said grandson Underwood. For a time, the Underwood clan shut down the Mystery Hill attraction, as they were not initially interested in operating the novelty. They were encouraged to reopen, however, by the previous owner, Mr. Hudson, who came back to the area and convinced the Underwood family that it would be profitable—even at a nickel admission price. Today, the lake and fish restaurant are long gone. But Mystery Hill—and the curious anomaly—still remain. Find out what’s happening at Mystery Hill this season by visiting mysteryhill.com or calling 828-264-2792.
Holding Court with Jack Wiseman of Linville Falls Winery By Steve York
Jack and guests
“HOLDING COURT!” That’s the term typically used by the Wiseman family at Linville Falls Winery to describe winery founder, Jack Wiseman, as he performs his duties of master winemaker and host-extraordinaire to a packed house on any given weekend afternoon. It’s called Holding Court because Jack has a way of attracting groups of winery visitors to gather ‘round and enjoy stories about his history as a pioneer Christmas tree grower, his life-long dream of having his own winery, his love of winemaking and his pride in this being a true family operation. My last holding court visit with Jack was to find out what’s on tap, or more accurately, under the cork for this year’s holiday and winter season. “That’s an easy one, Mr. Steve,” Jack quipped as we walked among the rows of wooden wine barrels in the winery’s adjacent wine production building. “To begin with, there’s the star of the season, my spirited Cherry Bounce. It’s one of several fortified wines we offer and a favorite of our customers—especially during the holidays and throughout the winter.” About that time his two granddaughters and co-operations managers, Jessica and Lindsey Wiseman, walked in, soon after to be joined by their mom and tasting room manager, Linda Wiseman. So, I asked them what other wines would uniquely fit a festive winter theme. “We have several specialty fortified wines that always perk up this season. Along with
Cherry Bounce, there’s our Blue Ridge Blueberry, Stover Strawberry, Bear Trap Blackberry and our Pink Lady Apple Wine,” Jessica noted. “These wines are not only great to keep on hand this time of year, but they also make perfect gifts during the holidays,” said Linda. “People often like to buy a mixed case that includes all those fortified wines plus some of their other excellent estate wines. For example, we have a superb Petit Verdot red and our popular Mountain White, just to name two. Mixing those together with our fortified wines really helps round out a case, either for home or as a gift,” she suggested. “Oh, and don’t forget Jack’s new brandy barrel-aged Cab,” added Lindsey. “That’s an exceptional red wine that has just become ready for the season, and one to definitely add to the mix.” “I guess we must be doing something right,” Jack noted. “I’ve been astounded at our pace of growth since first opening in October 2012. Every year has seen record sales and winery visitor traffic. And, most of those people aren’t even from around here. They’re seasonal and vacation folks, many of whom come right off the Blue Ridge Parkway or are just passing by headed to or from their mountain destination.” Jack also pointed out that, at this time of year, they have the unique advantage of being the only estate winery in Avery County with a Choose & Cut Christmas
Tree farm on site. “And that’s especially important this year because there’s a critical shortage of trees right now. There was a big surplus a few years ago, so growers cut back on planting new seedlings. But our winery customers are lucky in that we have our own tree farm here on the same spot as our winery. People can come pick out a tree, warm themselves by the fireplace under our covered patio, enjoy fine wines, discover new friends and make their holiday season just a little more special. “Another advantage we mountain wineries have over, say, those in the Piedmont, is the little break we get during our slower winter months when we’re only open five days a week. That gives us a little extra time from January to March to further age our wines, upgrade and refine operations and plan for spring. And that extra time really shows up in the quality of our wines and in the feedback we get from our customers,” he added. The thing about holding court with Jack is that it’s both entertaining and educational. He enjoys socializing and has a charming wit. And, because he’s a true pioneer of both the area’s Fraser fir Christmas tree industry and the High Country American Viticulture Association’s winery industry, he has a wealth of knowledge to share. In addition, he’s always possessed a seasoned insight into and appreciation for the potential
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Jack and family
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economic impact that mountain wines can have on the High Country. After all, he spent seven years in Napa wine country back in the mid-1950s following his Korean War service. It was then and there during Napa’s emergence that he honed his winemaking knowledge and skills. “Just look at what wine has meant to Napa Valley and northern California. The boost to land values, to real estate sales, to retail and overall economic growth turned that hilly rural region into a new California gold rush economy. And the same thing can happen right here,” Jack noted. Jack’s comfortably elegant Tuscanstyled winery is tucked into a hillside at 3,200 feet amidst rows of vineyards and a vast Christmas tree farm just off Hwy 221 near the Linville Falls attraction and community. Both the winery and its revitalized century-old Red Barn feature a rich variety of seasonal events throughout the year, live weekend music during the warmer months, a late summer Grape Stomp, their Fall Harvest Hoedown, a standingroom-only New Year’s Eve Bash and, of course, those fortified specialty wines to keep you warm during the frosty winter season. So, whenever you may visit, there’s always something happening and there’s always the chance that you, too, could find yourself wrapped in the company of other festive folks while Jack is holding court. If so, be prepared for a gracious good time.
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Wine Pairings By Ryan MacDonald, with Erin Welsh, Gamekeeper Restaurant and Bar
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hen it comes to drinking wine in the cold, High Country winters, I prefer a big, rich bottle that will warm me up from my belly all the way to the tips of my toes. Whether you’re celebrating the holidays with friends and family, sharing an intimate toast with your sweetheart, or enjoying a solitary glass fireside, I’ve got the perfect wine for you. Generally cold weather and hearty winter meals call for big and bold red wines. I especially like a Chilean Syrah; dark and decadent, earthy and robust, these South American sippers are an excellent flavor and value. The hints of minerality and graphite found in many bottles make this an unexpected and elegant choice. Chilean wines generally bring a lot of bang for your buck, making Syrah an excellent choice to buy by the case for the assorted hostess gifts, holiday parties, and office secret Santas that inevitably arise. Syrah Food Pairing: A grilled burger topped with blue cheese. Grilled meat alongside smoky and complex cheeses brings out the jammy dark fruit prevalent in Syrah. Recommended Bottle: Tabali Syrah However, I can’t rule out the deliciousness of a perfectly chosen winter white wine! I prefer a buttery, creamy oaked Chardonnay from Napa or a fullbodied Viognier from the Rhone Valley
in France. California has more Chardonnay plantings than any other varietal, producing consistently delightful wines with flavors of butter, vanilla, coconut, dill, and even caramel. If you’re watching the snow fall and dreaming of jet-setting off to France, pour yourself a glass of Viognier. This perfumed white wine from the South of France is perfect to swirl in the glass, releasing aromas of peach, tangerine, and honeysuckle. Trust me, this wine will bring visions of sunshine dancing into your head. Chardonnay Food Pairing: Chicken Pot Pie. Chardonnay is easily overwhelmed by big flavors, so stick with mild, rich, toasty foods that pull from the flavor profile of the wine. Recommended Bottle: Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay Viognier Food Pairing: Baked Brie with Apricots. The aromas in this dish will heighten the fruit flavors and creaminess in the wine. Recommended Bottle: Domaine Martin Clerc Condrieu There are a lot of wine-drinking holidays during the winter season! Check out my recommendations for what to pour for the perfect toast: Bulk Buy for Gifts, Parties, and Hostess Duties: Tintero Arneis. This under-the-
radar Italian varietal is easy on the wallet, easy on the palate, and sure to impress! Christmas: Urbina Gran Reserva Tempranillo will pair perfectly with a Christmas ham. New Year’s Eve: Francois Montand. Pop bottles of this bright, cheerful sparkler. It won’t break the bank, but will provide delicious toasts well into 2020. New Year’s Day: Grab the remaining bottles of the Francois Montand and mix with peach nectar. We can’t imagine a better way to start the new year than with Bellinis! Valentine’s Day: Dom Ruinart. Split a bottle of this indulgent French champagne with your sweetheart. Valentine’s Day is meant for splurges and romantic gestures! I hope you’ll join me at the Gamekeeper Restaurant and Bar this winter for our Bavarian-inspired Apres Ski menu. These rich flavors pair perfectly with wine, and I look forward to the opportunity to suggest something you’ll enjoy. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, consider joining me at our “chef ’s table.” Our Executive Chef will create a menu just for your party and I will pair each course with the perfect wine. Please don’t hesitate to ask for me the next time you visit the Gamekeeper; I look forward to seeing you soon! gamekeeper-nc.com CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Mica’s “Winter Wrap Up” Mica, the contemporary craft cooperative in downtown Bakersville, presents “Winter Wrap Up“ alongside its standard collection of local fine crafts, the gallery’s participation in the December Toe River Arts Studio Tour, and the Fashion Event on Saturday, December 14, 2019 in the gallery. The Fashion Event will feature the textiles and textile artists of Mica in a series of modeling events throughout the day. Mica Gallery showcases the craft work of its 15 artist-members including sculpture, glass, jewelry, fiber, wearables, painting, and functional pottery. Mica is located at 37 Mitchell Avenue, Bakersville, NC. For more information visit micagallerync.com or call 828-688-6422. Follow Mica on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC, or on Instagram at micagallerync.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
GLUTEN FREE | DAIRY FREE | OMIT BROWN SUGAR FOR WHOLE 30 | SUBSTITUTE BROWN SUGAR WITH TRUVIA BROWN SUGAR, RAW HONEY OR RAW MAPLE SYRUP FOR PALEO | SUBSTITUTE BROWN SUGAR WITH TRUVIA BROWN SUGAR TO KEEP SUGAR FREE
Just toss into the crock-pot before heading out for the day and come home ready to savor a cozy, healthy home cooked meal with your family. • • • • •
2 - 2½ lbs pork tenderloin 1½ lbs fingerling potatoes (omit for paleo, or substitute cauliflower) 1 lb carrots cut into large chunks 1 large Vidalia onion cut into large chunks 4 garlic cloves, minced
For the Sauce: • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard • 1/3 cup coconut aminos (you can substitute either soy sauce or liquid aminos) • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1 cup beef bone broth • 2 Tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
made
Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet.
Season pork with salt and pepper and sear all sides in the skillet.
To the crockpot, add potatoes, carrots and onion; top with seared pork. Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over pork. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Looking to add more veggies? In the last hour of cooking add 1 lb green beans.
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From CML’s Kitchen
By Meagan Murphy Goheen, with a little help from two budding chefs
Zuppa Toscana Soup with Roasted Cauliflower GLUTEN FREE | KETO | SUBSTITUTE HEAVY CREAM WITH FULL FAT COCONUT MILK TO MAKE DAIRY FREE, WHOLE 30 OR PALEO
This soup is an Italian classic with a twist. Packed with veggies in a savory broth, this one-pot meal is sure to warm you from the inside out. 1 large head of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces About 5 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped 1 large Vidalia onion, diced 4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced 5 - 6 carrots peeled and chopped 1 lb mild Italian sausage ½ lb bacon, diced 8 cups chicken bone broth 1 cup heavy cream A splash of white wine Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss your cauliflower and carrots in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes tossing half way through. While your veggies are roasting brown your sausage in a large stockpot on medium-high heat. Remove and put to the side. Add bacon and cook until crispy; remove, leaving the bacon drippings in your pot. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan.
with love! Add bone broth and the Italian sausage back to the pot; cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the bacon and heavy cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the roasted cauliflower, carrots and chopped kale, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Come spend the day!
A to Z Auto Detailing 828.260.0283 Amy Brown, CPA Certified Public Accountant 828.898.7607 Avery County Chamber of Commerce 828.898.5605 / www.averycounty.com BB&T 888.BBT-ONLINE / www.BBandT.com Creative Interiors by Darlene Parker 828.898.9636 Highlanders Grill & Tavern Open 7 Days a Week 828.898.9613 Peak Real Estate 828.898.1880 www.peakrealestatenc.com Salon Suites at Tynecastle • SALON M 828.260.3791 Shooz & Shiraz A Shoe & Wine Salon at The Dande Lion Spruced Boutique 828-783-9051 The Dande Lion Ladies Apparel, Shoes, & Accessories 866.222.2050 and 828.898.3566 Tynecastle Builders 828.387.1222 / tynecastlebuilders.com Tynecastle Realty 828.898.7777 / tynecastlerealty.com Valle de Bravo Mexican Grill valledebravomexicangrill.net 828.898.4949 Walgreens Pharmacy 828.898.8971
For Leasing Information Call 828.898.6246
SHOPPING • DINING • BUSINESS • At the Corner of Hwy 105 & 184 Tynecastle Hwy. • Banner Elk 106 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
The High Country’s Premier Steak & Seafood Restaurant
Dinner Nightly from 5pm
WINTER SPECIALS Wednesdays
Martini & Meatloaf Mondays
25% off Bottles of Wine Nightly Wing Specials
$7 House Martinis Comfort Food Specials
Friday and Saturday Live Entertainment
2019
828-898-5550 STONEWALLS RESTAURANT
.
“Avery County Chamber Business of the Year”
DOWNTOWN BANNER ELK121 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
344 Shawneehaw Ave. South | stonewallsrestaurant.com
BA YOU µ
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The Heart of Texas The Soul of Louisiana
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High Country of North Carolina Bayou Smokehouse & Grill Bayou General Store
Downtown Banner Elk
108 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
828 898 . TxLa (8952)
A boutique bed & breakfast in historic downtown Blowing Rock, serving breakfast every day, lunch Saturday, brunch Sunday, and dinner Tuesday thru Saturday with fresh, locally sourced, New American Cuisine.
thenewpublichouse.com | 828.295.3487 239 Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock NC 28604
Family Owned & Operated “Simply Great Food” Salads • Pasta • Hot Sandwiches Italian Pizza • Calzones • Desserts All ABC Permits – Carry out available – Intersection of Hwys 221 & 181 2855 Linville Falls Highway Pineola, NC 28662 (828) 733-1401 TheItalianRestaurantNC.com
SUSHI BISTRO AND BAR
Monday-Saturday: 5-Close Amazing Magic Night every Thursday, all Winter! 161 Howard Street, Boone 828-386-1201 | www.cobosushi.com
Celebrating 24 Years! CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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Catering Available | Open 7 days a week Mon-Sat 11am-9pm & Sunday Noon-9pm 190 Boone Heights Dr, Boone, NC 28607 Reservations Suggested 828-386-6101 – Visit our Banner Elk Location –
Boone’s Donate-What-You-Can Community Cafe “Where Everybody Eats” 617 W. King Street Across from Mast General Store Serving Lunch Mon-Fri, 11-2
farmcafe.org
Did you know you can read us Online? CMLmag.com 110 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Thursday–Sunday evenings from 6pm–9pm Open additional nights June–October Reservations recommended
Serving food & drinks seven nights a week! Doors open at 5pm
Ask about our new menu items and seasonal outdoor patio dining!
INTELLIGENT CHOICES FOR THE COMMON CRAVING
AFTER ALL, LIFE IS SHORT AND TIME REALLY DOES FLY
Gideon Ridge Inn Lunch: 11 AM to 3 PM. | Dinner: 5 PM to 10 PM. Sunday Brunch: 11 AM to 3 PM.
10 wonderfully comfortable bedrooms with evening turndown service Serving Dinner Tuesday - Saturday from 5:30pm - 8pm Reservations Required Dining & Cocktails Alfresco and the view...
143 Wonderland Trail, Blowing Rock, NC 28605
202 Gideon Ridge Road, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605
gideonridge.com / 828-295-3644
bistroroca.com / 828-295-4008
cheese & wine wine, cheese, gifts & accessories stellar customer service
Our 6th generation family farm makes farm- fresh cheese on site from our own happy dairy cows. Our farm store also offers other local goods! Exotic Teas | Spices & Herbs Salts & Sugars | Spice Blends Accessories | Gifts 1087 Main St., Unit 4 Blowing Rock NC | 828-372-7070
828-756-8166 Fri-Sat, 10am-6pm, year-round 19456 US 221 North (.5 miles south of Linville Caverns) Marion, NC 28752
4004 NC Hwy 105, Suite 10 • Banner Elk , NC 28604 828.898.9424 • erickscheeseandwine.com CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2019/20 —
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4004 NC HWY 105 S. BANNER ELK, NC
Banner Elk Winery & Villa Experience Luxury Experience Luxury in in the the High Country’s Original High Country’s Original & Most AcclaimedWinery Winery & Most Acclaimed
starting in January
award-winning wine and pamperyourself yourself atat Savor Savor award-winning wine and pamper The Villa, a luxury B&B. Spend your days The Villa, a luxury B&B. Spend your daysexploring exploring the local golfing, fishing,and and skiing. recharge with the local golfing, fishing, skiing.OrOr recharge a spa treatment and a glass of wine in front of the with a spa treatment and a glass of wine in magnificent stone fireplace. front of the magnificent stone fireplace.
sund a y b ru n ch seasonal menus
AA weekend getaway, corporate retreat, retreat, family vacation, weekend getaway, corporate engagements, elopements, rehearsal dinners, family vacation, or destination wedding ... or special events...it’s the perfect place to relax, re-inspire, it’s the perfect place to relax, re-inspire, and rejuvenate – both insideand and out. out. and rejuvenate ~ both inside
handcrafted cocktails wed- sat 11am- 9pm sun 10am- 2pm
visit:
reidscafeandcatering.com
Inspire Your Tastebuds Painted Salad
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW! 2941 tynecastle highway • banner elk (across from the entrance to Sugar Mountain)
828.898.6800
Corporate Retreats • Family Vacations • Special Events 135 Deer Run Lane, Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.260.1790 www.BannerElkWinery.com
paintedfishcafe.com
112 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
BannerElkWVSep/Oct2012.indd 1
8/14/12 10:56 AM
...showcasing Chef’s Table, “Banner Elk’s little hidden gem of fine dining.” Our Chef’s Table features gourmet fine dining with new tapas and cocktail menus, private dining, veranda, and VIP seating. Visit our website for our live entertainment schedules!
The Village of Banner elk in the heart of Downtown Banner Elk,NC BannerElkVillage.com
CHEF’S TABLE
140 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, NC
orts Bar Sorrento’s Bistro | Chef ’s Table | Barra Sp The Village of Banner Elk has something for everyone’s tastes—traditional Italian, gourmet fine dining, and international cuisine. And don’t miss our famous Sunday Brunch at Sorrento’s Bistro! We have indoor and outdoor entertainment, stocked bars, a wine room, a cigar lounge, exclusive NFL and college sports viewing, private dining, art galleries, karaoke, a family-friendly arcade and Banner Elk’s best billiards! Call 828.898.5214 for reservations.
Special Events & Catering: Corporate Events, Weddings, VIP Dining Parties Call 828.898.5214 | Email sorrentosburthuete@gmail.com
OUR SPONSORS: 106..........A to Z Auto Detailing 31............Alpine Ski Center 106..........Amy Brown, CPA 7..............Appalachian Blind and Closet 31............Appalachian Voices 70............Apple Hill Farm 92............Appalachian Regional Healthcare System 20............Appalachian Ski Mountain 96............AppFamily Medicine 52............Ashe Arts Council 52............Ashe County Chamber of Commerce 102..........Avery Animal Hospital 106..........Avery Chamber of Commerce 96............Avery Heating 72............Azalea Inn 44............Banner Elk Book Exchange 52............Banner Elk Café and Lodge Espresso Bar 6..............Banner Elk Consignment Cottage and Barn 103..........Banner Elk Olive Oil & Balsamics 37............Banner Elk Realty 4..............BannerElk.com 112..........Banner Elk Winery 113..........Barra Sports Bar 48............Barter Theater 108..........Bayou Smokehouse & Grill 106..........BB&T 21............Beech Mountain Resort 14............Beech Mountain TDA 110..........Bella’s Italian Restaurant 111..........Bistro Roco 42............Blowing Rock Page 28............Blowing Rock Winterfest 82............Blue Ridge Energy 54............Blue Ridge Propane 10............BRAHM 70............Brinkley Hardware 74............Callista Designs 110..........Casa Rustica 113..........Chef’s Table 110..........Chestnut Grille 8..............Classic Stone 109..........COBO Sushi Bistro & Bar 103..........Compu-Doc 56............CoMMA 106..........Creative Interiors by Darlene Parker 12............Crossnore School for Children
2..............Dewoolfson 3..............Dianne Davant Interiors 40............Doe Ridge Pottery 52............Downtown Boone 103..........Eat Crow Café 76............Echota 111..........English Farmstead Cheese 111..........Ericks Cheese and Wine 110..........F.A.R.M. Café 15............Footsloggers 70............Fortner Insurance 58............Fred’s General Mercantile 8..............Fuller & Fuller 108..........Gamekeeper 111..........Gideon Ridge Inn 115..........Grandfather Mountain 10............Grandfather Vineyard 42............Green Park Inn 28............Gregory Alan’s Gifts 55............Hemlock Inn 44............High Country Antiques 74............Highland Outfitters 106..........Highlanders Grill & Tavern 16............Horton Hotel 55............Hunter’s Tree Service 54............Incredible Toy Company 109..........Italian Restaurant 48............Jack’s 128 Pecan Restaurant 96............Jerky Outpost 72............Leatherwood Mountains Resort 102..........Life Care 103..........Life Store Insurance 41............Linville Caverns 6..............Linville Falls Winery 87............Linville Land Harbor 11............Lodges at Eagles Nest 103..........Lost Province Brewing Company 86............Loven Concrete OBC.........Mast General Store 64............Mayland Community College 37............Mountain Dog and Friends 60............Mountain Jewelers 54............My Best Friend’s Barkery 42............Mystery Hill 112..........Painted Fish Cafe 74,106.....Peak Real Estate
109..........Pedalin’ Pig BBQ 44............Pineola Inn 74............Premier Pharmacy 36............Premier Sotheby’s Realty 54............Ram’s Rack Thrift Shop 112..........Reid’s Café & Catering 37............Resort Real Estate Rentals 16............Rivercross 102..........Root Down 20............Sally Nooney Art Studio Gallery 106..........Salon Suites at Tynecastle 5..............SeeSugar.com 28............Seven Devils TDA 106..........Shooz and Shiraz 48............Shoppes at Farmers 106..........Shoppes 0f Tynecastle 42............Six Pence Pub 28............Ski Country Sports 113..........Sorrento’s Italian Bistro 106..........Spruced Boutique 108..........Stick Boy Bread Co. 86............Stone Cavern 107..........Stonewalls Restaurant 29............Sugar Mountain Resort 31............Sugar Ski and Country Club 38............SugarTop 60............Sunset Tee’s 41,42.......The Blowing Rock 60............The Cabin Store 7..............The Consignment Cottage Warehouse 106..........The Dande Lion 109..........The New Public House & Hotel 48............The Schaefer Center Presents 111..........The Spice & Tea Exchange 5..............The Village of Sugar Mountain 40............Turchin Center for the Visual Arts 106..........Tynecastle Builders 106..........Tynecastle Realty 106..........Valle de Bravo Mexican Grill 10............Village Jewelers 91............Waite Financial 106..........Walgreens Pharmacy 20............Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster 42............Woodlands Barbecue 102..........YMCA of Avery Co
thank you! 114 — Winter 2019/20 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFEE
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