As I arrived at Cove Creek Group Campground, the clear ing of the little valley was framed perfectly by the begin nings of fall colors on the trees. The meadow was vast and covered in dew. In the back corner, a group of tents sat nes tled by the creek, and across the big open meadow, a group of students and teachers engaged in conversation around a fire pit and picnic tables.
There could not have been a more perfect setting for a week titled “Classes in the Field.”
Classes in the Field (CIF) is a long-time OA tradition. Before heading to Cove Creek, I reached out to Ted, OA’s founding director. Here’s the way Ted tells it, “I proposed an aca demic version of OA’s outdoor skills programs, suggesting a circuit through the Smokies for a week of natural history and literature and local culture. By the time we worked through our goals and logistics, it emerged on the semes ter schedule as a week at a basecamp, originally in Cata loochee Valley and now at Cove Creek in Pisgah Forest. All in our community are encouraged to offer a class or skill or workshop to share.”
This original idea has gone through many variations over the years, from its origins in Cataloochee with roaming elk and deep history, to here at Cove Creek, where students are allowed an up-close view of what it means to be immersed in Pisgah National Forest. Today, CIF is a four day experience filled with classes on ethics, songs around a campfire, day hikes through Pisgah, and an incredible range of skill shares from both students and faculty. Today, those workshops included The Ethics of War, Appalachian Cooking, Salsa Dancing, Embroidery, Calligraphy, and Wood Carving.
As I made my presence known, I was greeted by welcoming arms and fast-paced stories from many students at once. They had just finished up an introduction to ethics with for mer OA Director Roger Herbert, and were about to dive into environmental ethics. I was excited to sit in on it.
Chelsea, OA’s English teacher, began the session by reading a passage on environmental ethics that had every student en gaged from the start. Then, Chelsea posed the key question: “How do you think we should live well in a place?” Students were both confused and inspired by this question, and they thoughtfully began a free write session.
Later, a few were willing to share what they had written. One said that in order to live well in a place “there must be balance… Do we know when to give or when to receive?” An other student admitted that “in every place, I need something different.” Another felt that “a community can be with people or with the wilderness.”
In my opinion, the level of insight these students achieved in such a short amount of time could only be done in a setting such as CIF. Not only are the students able to be in spired by the conversations within the class, they’re able to be inspired by the classroom itself. As they discussed living well in a place, they were simul taneously building a new community both of learn ing and of each other.
As Ted described it, “think ing and doing can be work, but sometimes just setting the stage is all it takes, and this is where OA’s CIF excels.” Even after so many years, it’s evident that Ted’s vision is still true.
When I discussed this with Colleen, OA’s Dean of Students, she framed it similarly. “When students come onto campus, everything is established. Now, we’re in a place where they can create something and decide how their group interacts with each other. They’re still learning their group identity. This space helps to foster that and gets them out of their comfort zones.” Given the ease with which students were willing to share their ideas, you could tell that their dy namic was indeed getting stronger with every day spent at Cove Creek.
Later, I discussed the benefit CIF has on learning as a whole with Roger and Emily, Dean of Academics.
“Learning at OA is already fun and different,” Emily mused, “but Classes in the Field adds a new level of buy-in. We completely create a new commu nity out here and it builds motivation. It’s just pure engagement for the fun of learning. It’s less academics and more the sense of mystery. It’s magi cal.”
Roger agreed. “CIF is always different, and something will happen that has never happened before and won’t ever happen again.”
And what about after students have spent some time away? How does this affect academic classes back on campus? Sidney, OA’s math teacher, described how “being out here helps them develop a love for learning that they bring back to their regular classes. We’re here for the point of learning.” Chelsea added that “this will do nothing but enhance what we’re doing on campus. Mornings expand on past classes, and afternoons are workshops.”
As I packed up to leave for the day, the students were faced with picking which of the afternoon sessions they would attend. It was clear to me that even though they may be taking a break from algebra and essays, they were learning things that would stick with them for the rest of their lives. I then said my goodbyes as they were taking advantage of the sunshine to swim in the creek. In a mere ten
minutes they would start their afternoon sessions, and yet they won’t be late at all by spending a few more min utes soaking up the sunshine and sliding down rocks with their friends, as well as their mentors, continuing to create memories, connections, and likely, the best learning envi ronment possible.
OA Students exploring Cove Creek Falls in Pisgah
Many years ago, back before I worked for Eagle’s Nest, before I fell in love with summer camp, I was a Scout and went to Philmont on my first real backpacking trip. Though it was “fun,” I wouldn’t say I looked back on it loving the idea of backpacking. Heck, even as I grew as an Outdoor Educator, I still found a fondness for guiding trips more centered on paddling or climbing. Backpacking was fun and all, but it wasn’t my jam, jelly, and toast. I loved spending my time outdoors and teaching, and re-working the narrative on inclusion, competency, and equity for queerness in the outdoors…I just preffered that educational narrative took place whitewater canoeing or climbing at Looking Glass. So it goes without saying that leaving Eagle’s Nest after over 9 years of work and growth to hike across the country…well let’s just say there were a couple queer things about that situation.
Even starting my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, I was going in with a specific goal in mind. Not to backpack across the country, not to hike 2,600 miles, or even “find myself” among fir and pine…No, all these things I did, but I went on my hike to find a place where I could fit in. Where I could fit my passions and queerness into a place and grow. You see, before I came out, there was Straight Marlin, and everyone in my life up to hiking the PCT knew both my pre and post coming out self. But the moment I stepped on trail, every day I got to be exactly who I am, without pretense or history. A unique, raw, unfettered version of myself that I could present genuinely to those I met. I allowed myself to be surrounded by those I felt kindred with, and hiked past those who I received no value from. I did whatever I want ed everyday, ate when I was hungry, swam when the water was clear and cool, camped when the views were just too enticing to pass. I learned to listen to my body and mind and soul and feed it nourishment, whatever it craved. I gained a level of independence and love for myself I had never known, and in the process found trail-family and Lake Tahoe and the community I would eventually create there. And I found that backpacking, while not always the most glamorous sport, was, in-fact, an amazing sport I had never truly given over to until now. I hiked that hike amazed at my body’s strength and resilience, all while thinking this would be my one great adventure.
Sitting on the plane 6 days after leaving the Northern Terminus, I wept. I wept from joy, and pain, from missing the people I’d spent every day and night with for months. And I wept for the person I was and loved myself for on trail. For the independence and strength I felt every day. And though I stood on the PCT Northern Monument proclaiming “Never
Again,” I sat in that plane eating my words all while choking through sobs. It would happen again. It would happen two more times before I closed out my 33rd circle around the sun. In the summer of 2021, I threw off the fears of COVID and decided to attack the trail I feared most, The Appalachian Trail. “Fear?!” You ask? Yes, well, hiking in the rain is not my idea of fun, and after 18 months of living in Califor nia, I was spoiled by clear blue skies, minimal rain, and an absolute lack of humid ity. Though the AT presented its own challenges, I found my rhythm and place along the great green tunnel. Being more trafficked, I met so many people, and relished the feelings of strength and independence while being surrounded by more queer people than I’d seen on trail previously. I felt seen and heard and represented. And with the crowds, I also felt the sting of judgment and disgust every so often. Not every chal lenge on trail is about hiking. But I overcame it, summiting Mt. Katahdin just shy of the 4 month mark in August 2021.
With two trails complete, the third time’s a charm. I took the winter to return to ski patrolling and my community in Tahoe all while setting in motion the gears for my final hike, The Triple Crown on The Continental Divide Trail. It was the hike I wanted and was so excited for. Aspects of the PCT I had enjoyed most (ruggedness, exposure, solitude) would all be amplified. I would get to visit states and parks I’d never been to. And it turns out, it was the hike that I would need.
On March 20th, 2022, my father sustained severe trauma from a cycling accident, and on April 13th he died in hospice. One day he left, and we never heard his voice again. I was set to start the CDT on April 25th with four friends from the PCT. We had all our logistics planned, our flights booked,
Marlin completing the Pacific Crest Trailshuttles lined up, food purchased, water cached. And I had lost 25% of my family unit in almost the blink of an eye. Even though my father’s end of life wishes were laid, clear as day on paper, it seems his wishes for our lives were clear too. With the encouragement of my mother and sister, I left for trail fractured, broken, and shocked. There was no talking or processing, just carry on the plan because it was the most familiar and simple thing to do. Put one foot in front of the other, as many times as I could every day. Drink water, put on sunscreen, eat, sleep, eat more, hike while eating. Life became habitual, ritual, sacred. I approached the CDT with a sense of confidence that only comes from multi ple thru-hikes. Finishing was never the concern, it was all about embracing all that this cumulative experience had to offer. And now, that was thrown off balance.
Though I expressed myself as my true, queer, adventurous, wild self, I did so with more passion for the fragility of our lives. With the knowledge of our impermanence. I lived loud and openly, gave love freely, and moved forward selfishly, approaching this hike on my terms and no one else’s. I hiked through places people said I couldn’t, and hiked farther than people said I could. I took every preconception people had of me and made them eat their words. Queerness is part of who I am, but it is not all of who I am, and I wanted others to see that there is so much more than face value. The depth of my experience and knowledge cannot be seen on my pack or in my clothing. It’s seen in my successes and in the people who surround me.
And when I reached the Northern terminus on September 4th, I did not weep. I did not sigh in dismay. I felt content knowing I had believed in my self and allowed myself to chase my dreams as my father had. Excited less at the idea of completion, but more at the im mense strength I felt. I finished my Triple Crown a more com plex version of myself, and more alive than I’ve ever felt before.
Marlin completing the Appalachian Trail
Marlin at the Continental Divide Trail
Becky has been part of the Eagle’s Nest Community since she started as a camper in 2000. Since then, she has had many roles: Junior Counselor, coun selor, camp nanny, JC Coordinator, and Assistant Program Manager. Becky is currently an Assistant Professor at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and lives in Hillsborough with her wife and daughter – a future Nester.
What would you like to achieve for Eagle’s Nest?
“I believe my skills equip me to best support the ‘betterment of human character’ component of the mission statement. I strongly believe there is no health without mental health, and I know that Eagle’s Nest offers so much to strengthen health across all of our programming. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our young people have been experiencing a world that is often fast and unpredictable in a way that our brains are sometimes ill-equipped to manage. I am prepared to help navigate any mental health issues that arise from our youngest campers all the way up through staff and employees.”
Libba is a long-time Nester. She grew up attending camp starting as a wideeyed kid in Cabin 1, and eventually working as a JC and counselor. Libba is an Outdoor Academy alumnus of Semester 28 and currently works as the Mar keting and Communications Coordinator for Hazon, a Jewish environmental sustainability nonprofit, helping drive forward the MarCom strategy.
“I would love to see even more growth within the ENF community on learn ing and embracing the need for responsible action within the natural world. These students and campers are the leaders of the future, and if the work that I can contribute to furthering our mission and vision leads to more awareness about being kind to the earth, I think that is such an amazing achievement.”
Sarah was an Eagle’s Nest counselor in 1993 and is the mother of two camp ers. Sarah is currently a pediatrician practicing in Rochester, NY.
“I am honored to support ENF in any way, including helping to continue to develop inclusive policies for camp and other programs serving diverse chil dren and teens, discussing best practices for health and safety of campers and staff, making programming accessible to those with learning, physical and/or emotional challenges, and whatever else is needed. I would like to be a part of ENF continuing its legacy of wonderful positive developmental and social impact on campers and staff and am open to helping in any way that I can.”
Sarah Marques, MD, MSPHInterested in joining the Eagle’s Nest Foundation Board?
Eagle’s Nest continues to work toward building a diverse and inclusive board of trustees representing all the communities we serve and strive to serve. We currently need talent in the area of fundraising and development but would love to hear from anyone who has interest. Please contact Noni Waite-Kucera at noni@enf.org.
Libba CooperLongtime Eagle’s Nest camper, staff member, and OA alum Sophie Pippin recently joined our Admissions team after she graduated from Brevard College’s Wilderness Leadership & Experiential Education (WLEE) program in May. After applying for Resident, she learned of the opportunity in the Admissions Office and jumped at the chance to help tell the story of OA to prospective families. In addition to meeting new students, Sophie loves talking to them about Western North Carolina and all of the awesome things to do here!
Elyse Terrill returned to North Carolina after several years of living in Mexico to take over our Spanish teaching duties. She has a BA in Spanish and Intercultural Studies from John Brown University and a BSEd from Illinois State University. Elyse has also traveled and lived throughout the Spanish-speaking world, having spent 8 months living and traveling through South Amer ica after high school, studying in Sevilla, Spain for 9 months during college, and living in Mexico for the past four years. Elyse has taught in a variety of settings, including 50:50 dual language classes, teaching English to Spanish speakers, and tutoring.
Savannah Byrd (OA): Attending the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland in the fall of 2022.
Eleanor Morris-Benedict (OA): Attending the University of California, Berkely in the fall of 2022.
Jeremy Epstein (Camp & OA): Graduated from Warren Wilson College in Spring 2022 as an Art major. For his senior capstone project, he created a massive wall installation that filled up the entire back wall of the Holden Art Gallery, along with other wood, steel, and foam art pieces.
Emily Northrop (OA): OA faculty and Semester 22 alum Emily Northrop competed in her first Ironman competition in Juneau, Alaska on August 7th, 2022. She finished 14th in her division, and her finish time was 13:29:25. Her mom, older sister, and friends from kindergarten through high school flew from Asheville and Miami to support her.
Kathryn Linney (Camp & OA): After attending OA in Fall 2021 where she took a ceramics class, Kathryn discovered she had a passion for the art. Once she re turned to her sending school, Kathryn started her own self-run independent study on pottery, where she’s able to learn about the history of pottery and practice her wheel throwing skills. Follow along on her ceramics journey on her blog: https://klin ney.sites.da.org/
Alexandra MacMartin (Karpen), CPA, (Camp) was named by The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) as a member of their inaugural 40 Under 40 class.
Colleen Dougherty, a seasoned educator with experience in traditional classrooms, therapeutic wilderness programs, adventure travel, and semester schools is our new Dean of Students. Colleen most recently served as a literature and writing teacher at Semester School Network peer The Island School in the Bahamas, where she also played a leadership role in developing the school’s student support programs in areas like mental health and DEI. She has a BA and BS from Ohio University and an MSW from Wash ington University in St. Louis. At both Ohio and George Washington, Colleen was involved with residential life as an RA during undergrad and as a graduate fellow advising and mentoring undergrad RAs.
In April, OA and ENF stakeholders spent two days engaging with a visiting team of educators from Cognia as part of the reaccreditation review process. Though it is optional for independent schools, it has long been our belief that maintaining accreditation lends legitimacy to and helps ensure the quality of our academic offerings. With students coming to OA from a variety of schools, accreditation supports a smooth transition back home, as our credits are readily accepted by schools everywhere. Another benefit is that the process offers us valuable insights about our strengths and areas of growth from a team of experienced career educators.
This team spent several weeks poring over hundreds of pages of documents ranging from our policy manu als to class curricula to results from multiple years of end-of-semester student surveys. They also read the lengthy narrative reports we provided for them about emergency protocols, governance of the organiza tion, student support systems, hiring policies–well, pretty much everything we do–before conducting extensive interviews with OA stakeholders.
Longtime Voyageur Outward Bound staff member Morgan Moores brings his experience as a trip leader and staff trainer to the Outdoor Education Manager position. He has worked his way up at VOBS, starting as an intern and since serving as field instructor, whitewater instructor trainer, Course Director, and Technical & Support Program Manager. Morgan has worked ex tensively with VOBS interns and in training instructors, and he is passionate about developing high quality staff training practices. He has also spent time living and teaching English in both China and Argentina, and he obtained a BA with a focus in experiential education, biology, and foreign languages from The Evergreen State College in Washington.
The visiting team commended the extensive degree to which our mission, cornerstones, and principles showed up in all areas of school life. They identified a great deal of joy in teaching and learning and the strong sense of community that pervades life at OA. They also took note of the work that ENF has done to promote the sustainability of the orga nization through thoughtful resource and risk manage ment. The team identified opportunities for OA to better use data to inform curriculum development, to develop an approach for measuring and communicating the rigor of our offerings, and to continue strengthening our professional de velopment systems. Cognia maintains an “Index of Educational Quality” and rated OA at 313.62, with the five-year average of all schools they accredited falling with a range of 278.34 – 283.33.
Colleen Dougherty, OA Dean of Students
Morgan Moores, OA Outdoor Education Manager & Medical Coordinator
When I was a kid, I loved watching “Grizzly Adams,” a ‘70s TV show about a man who fled to the mountains, adopted an abandoned grizzly cub, and spent many episodes befriending other wild animals. I dreamed about living in a remote cabin surrounded by my forest friends. I wanted to be Grizzly Adams. Little did I know as a 7-year-old that my dream wasn’t too far from reality.
Eagle’s Nest’s core campus is buffered by about 150 acres of land that is part of a conservation easement, protecting wild spaces and the critters that call them home. Typically, the sounds echoing from our campers and students prevents anything much bigger than a chipmunk, hungry squirrel, or the occasional slithering friend from venturing into our central campus. Over the years, I have heard stories about folks seeing a bear deep in the woods. I’ve seen a pair of adorable skunks waddle under the Old Lodge while campers were inside dancing their hearts out, and I’ve seen the tiny, ba by-like paw prints of racoons on turned over trash can lids. I’ve even heard the cry of a bobcat while sitting by a campfire on Nature Hill. But these have all been quick, magical sightings.
The pandemic changed things. In the summer of 2021 we ate outdoors in large banquet-style tents. As good as the table setters are at cleaning up after meals, it’s pretty challenging to pick globs of jelly off leaves and pine needles. Unfortunately, our furry friends dis covered this new snacking spot in the middle of our campus. One day, a huge bear who had probably just finished off leftover mac and cheese wandered casually
into Cabin 7 Field just as campers headed back to their cabins for rest period. A few days later, our Head Cook saw the same bear run through the woods with a bottle of ketchup stolen from one of the tables. We didn’t have any other sightings that summer, but we did continue to see tell tale signs of bears many mornings.
Flash forward to the summer of 2022. We moved back into the Dining Hall and to table families, but something started breaking into the dumpster. At first we thought that the torn trash bags just hadn’t made it all the way into the can, but when we started seeing trash strewn through the woods and huge bear scat behind the dumpster, it was clear that the bear was back. Our Prop erty Manager Kyle responded by lowering the bucket of his tractor onto the lid of the dumpster and then fitting it with steel bars to hold it closed. That seemed to do the trick, at least for a month or so…
By the middle of August, the campers left and OA students moved in. Campus was quiet, and the bear got more active. We soon found out that she was a mama bear with three cubs, and that she really enjoyed eating the acorns that fell from the Oak trees in front of the Development Office. She still frequents campus, and Kyle has continued to work on dissuading her. It’s exciting to see increased signs of wildlife in the middle of campus, but unlike the tale of the grizzly in the old TV show, this isn’t fiction. It’s much better for bears to forage for berries than slurp up leftover syrup from Sunday pancakes. We want them to stay wild and to enjoy the protected woods and streams that surround Eagle’s Nest. We’ll miss sharing stories of the latest
activity, but we know that they aren’t meant to be tamed - and it’ll be even more magical to have a chance encounter back deep in the woods. “Hey Bear”!
The past summer saw another group of Hante participants engaged in challenging, yet reward ing new experiences in awe-inspiring locations. They biked in Utah, summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine, and – more locally –traversed multiple sections of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and paddled and climbed our surrounding rivers and crags. This upcoming summer expects to build on the great experiences and lessons of not just 2022, but of the 50 years of Hante’s rich history. To do so, groups will once again travel to extraordinary destinations, including an international excursion for the first time since before the start of pandemic. Without further ado, here are the Hante Adventures for the summer of 2023…
When you investigate the interior between the Rockies and the Appalachians, one of the more dramatic landscapes you will find are the forests, streams, ridges, and bluffs of northwest Arkansas’s Ozark Highlands. On this Hante, participants will spend nine days backpacking the Ozark Highland Trail before a day of paddling on the Mulberry River. At the height of the trail, participants will be exposed to sweeping valley views of forests, farmlands, and fascinating geologic features, and when traversing below the ridgeline, they will be able to investigate the geology up close and cross paths with many cool water features. The diversity of topography, vegetation, and wildlife will surely prompt discussions about the region’s entire range of landforms, uses, and histories.
(Oregon and California) Few places allow for multiple recre ation opportunities in such a diverse and beautiful setting than the region of southern Oregon and northern Califor nia. This truly epic adventure begins in the coastal mountain range of the Wild Rogue Wilderness, where participants will first spend a day rafting down one of the most sought-after sections of whitewater before a week of backpacking beside it on the Rogue River Trail. By heading west on the trail, the group will inevitably make their way to the famous, rocky, wet Pacific Coast and then drive over the border into Del Norte County, California, an area known for its sky-scraping redwoods that envelope the entire landscape. Backpacking and camping skills will be put to use again as they traverse underneath the giant trees in Murrelet State Wilder ness and Siskiyou Wilderness areas. They will hike to isolated coastal beaches before moving back inland to traverse a mix of redwoods, evergreens, moss, and a river of the most beautiful blue sheen, known as the Smith River. It is one thing to see it, it is another thing to swim in it, but it is even more magical to paddle it, as the group will do toward the end of their nearly three-week journey.
If there’s an individual that embodied the Eagle’s Nest mission, it was Benton MacKaye. The architect of the Appalachian Trail grew up learning by going out and doing. It is only fitting, then, that a trail with such glorious ridgeline views, diverse vegetation, and countless water features would name itself after such an individual and, more importantly, would ensure others could learn from being outside as well. Beginning at the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, the Benton MacK aye Trail provides a remote and scenic experience seldom offered in places around such high population densities. This is where the group will begin their ten-day backpacking jour ney, followed by a day of paddling the famous Ocoee River, and ending with three days of climbing the unique crags of north Georgia.
Spain’s language, art, music, literature, and cuisine truly makes it one of a kind. On this Hante, participants will have the opportunity to experience the full range of Spanish culture as they first explore the country’s capital of Madrid before passing through the small towns along the Camino de Santiago. This globally prominent pilgrimage leads to the shrine of the apostle St. James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela; after a week of walking the trail, the group will venture to the northwest coast of Fisterra. They will then apply their experiences and lessons towards a final week of living in the quaint village of Girona, outside of Barcelona, with the ability to travel to the city, coast, and/ or sur rounding villages each day.
Hante ORCA Hante MacKaye Hante SpainThere is a slight chill in the air in the mornings. There is a bit of dormancy in the garden and a whole new set of plants have been planted to begin their growth in cooler weather. Although there is more silence in the garden, I can still hear children’s voices and shouts, running towards the blackberry vines to enjoy their sweet treats. But the days still grow warm in the sun, a gentle reminder of the longer and warmer days of summer only a few weeks ago.
The first summer with a renewed garden had many suc cesses, with the summer squash being a decided winner. Through two separate growth terms, over 250 pounds of produce were harvested, of which each and every last one was used. Zucchini also did well, with 63 pounds harvest ed and put to good use. Our basil was used in many meals, including the delicious pesto made routinely for lunches and dinners.
On the other hand, tomatoes had a mixed result. The winner among this red fruit were the Rutgers, which with stood the summer humidity and the fungus and molds that come with such weather. Other varieties simply couldn’t withstand the onslaught of the summer weather, although we still enjoyed nearly 100 pounds of tomatoes throughout the season. Research has already started for next summer to find varieties that are more resistant to the kinds of fun gus and molds that we simply have to live with in Western North Carolina.
One 40 foot row of Seychelle green beans did far better than expected with just over 80 pounds harvested, also completely used in the kitchen. You can expect more of that in the future!
Late summer harvests included cucumbers, which did well into the early fall, as well as many butternut and spaghetti squash, which OA students have enjoyed. The other late summer/early fall success has been an unidentified watermelon variety from unlabeled seeds found in the garden shed. We are harvesting many of those seeds to have for next year. Six of those plants yielded 21 large to mid-sized watermelons that OA students (and myself) have enjoyed. We also have sweet potatoes growing that will be harvested closer to our first frost. The plants themselves look amazing, so we are hopeful for a good yield.
In the future, we will have more blackberries and strawberries as well as a slowly growing set of raspberries. We have also started two beds of asparagus, which will start having yields in two years. The work is not done yet, as fall weather is ideal for kale, lettuce, and spinach, all of which will start yielding by the end of October and through the winter. Lessons learned from this year will now be applied to next year, and I can already hear campers’ and students’ shouts of joy when finding yet another juicy and sweet blackberry.
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is the story of a young black man setting off from the city with an extremely over weight pack and a willfully can-do attitude. What follows are lessons on preparation, humility, race relations, and nature’s wild unpredictability.
From Cara: “As a thru-hiker myself (PCT 2014) I found this memoir to be accurate, heartwarming, and a remind er of what long distance hiking is all about: the people. Derick is a hiker and a laugh-out-loud writer, he’s also a black man telling his story highlighting that he was probably the only black man on the Appalachian Trail, which makes us think, how can we get more BIPOC represented in the outdoors?”
This book addresses race, capitalism, sexuality, history, art, education, and gender. Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place is a book of hooks’ poetry focused on her return to Kentucky and the meaning of life, grief, and ulti mately love.
From Paige: “I’m drawn to this poignant reminder of devastation and genocide of Native American people in the Appalachians in the first section of bell hooks’ poem Appalachian Elegy. Not only does it speak to the brutality of systemic racism, it also graciously charges us to learn from the past in order to look forward with hope and the birth of a better future.”
Garden corn
