High Country Magazine | Volume 5 Issue 3 | December 2009 by High Country Press

Volume 5 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 3 DECEMBER 2009

High Country Magazine

Februar y / March 2007

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

Sugar Mountain

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High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

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240 Shadowline Dr., Boone, NC • 828-264-2000 Open Monday through Friday 10am - 6pm • Saturday, 10am - 4pm • Closed Sunday www.thestonejewelers.com

December 2009

High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

BOONE DRUG COMPANY

Old Fashioned Soda Fountain & Grille 617 W. King Street • 828-264-3766 “Step back in time… Walk along the worn wooden floor and plunk yourself down at one of the two J-shaped counters...”

New York Times

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December 2009

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Four distinct seasons with elevations exceeding 5,000 feet – a neighborhood where the main attractions are the land and mountains.

A limited number of homesites with just over 140 on nearly 1,000 acres – some homesites as large as 10 acres, most in the four to eight acre range.

Enjoy lands which are forever wild – over 300 acres conveyed as conservation and park lands and 1,000 acres of Elk Knob State Park are at your backdoor.

828.263.8711 • BOONE, NC December 2009

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Photo by Greg Williams

C O N T E N T S

St. Mary’s Choir

A Conversation with Father Rick

In a bold move about 20 years ago, a choir member at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church asked one of the world’s leading Anglican music directors to train the Blowing Rock choir in the Anglican tradition. He agreed, and since then the accomplished choir has performed throughout the United States and in England.

In a short conversation involving rock music, Mohandas Gandhi and pet rodents, get to know St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church Rector Father Rick Lawler.

Cornerstone Summit

Mountain Molasses Making

This young Boone church is growing in leaps and bounds thanks to an energetic worship style, passionate, ambitious leaders, a large youth contingent and its focus on building strong relationships within the church and throughout the community.

Carrying on a longtime tradition on the Norris family’s land in Watauga County, Aaron Norris, 21, is the fifth generation to make molasses the old-fashioned way. With a hit-ormiss engine rigged up to the cane mill and plenty of help from his family, making the natural sweetener is a hobby with a rich history and a solid future.

The Hartleys: More Than 100 Years of Heritage

Like the Mortons, and the MacRaes before them, the Hartley family of Linville has left an extraordinary stamp on Grandfather—a more than century-long tradition of service. The legacy began in 1890 with Joe Hartley, involved the construction of a road up to the summit and continues today with Joe’s son, Robert Hartley, 87, who serves as mountain historian. 6

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Photo by Perry Mixter

20 Photo by Karen Lehmann

50 Photo by Hugh Morton

READER SERVICES ABOUT US

The first High Country Press newspaper was published on May 5, 2005, and the first issue of High Country Magazine went to press in fall 2005. We publish the newspaper weekly and currently publish the magazine seven times a year. Both are free, and we distribute the newspaper and magazine in Watauga and Avery counties. Our newspaper is packed with information that we present and package in easy-to-read formats with visually appealing layouts. The magazine represents our shared love of our history, our landscape and our people. It celebrates our pioneers, our lifestyles, our differences and the remarkable advantages we enjoy living in the mountains. Our guiding principles are twofold: quality journalism makes a difference and customer care at every level is of the greatest importance. Our offices are located in downtown Boone, and our doors are always open to welcome visitors.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

We are now offering subscriptions to High Country Magazine. A one-year subscription for seven issues costs $40, and we will mail issues to subscribers as soon as they arrive at our offices from the printer. To subscribe, call our offices at 828-264-2262.

BACK ISSUES

Back issues of our magazines are available from our office for $5 per issue. Some issues are already sold out and are no longer available.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography and page reprints are available for purchase. For sizing, prices and usage terms, please call our office. Some photos may not be available and some restrictions may apply.

ADVERTISING

Obtain information about advertising in our publications from our sales representatives by calling 828-264-2262 or emailing us at sales@highcountrypress.com. Contact us at:

High Country Press/Magazine P.O. Box 152 130 North Depot Street Boone, NC 28607

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828-264-2262 December 2009

High Country Magazine

C O N T E N T S

For most of us, a fatal diagnosis is overwhelming and daunting, to say the least. But thanks to High Country Hospice, countless local patients are rediscovering a new understanding of living, switching their focus from death to how much life they can pack into the days they have left. Meet the volunteers, staff and patients of High Country Hospice, and hear and be inspired by their remarkable stories.

Photo by Todd Bush

on the cover Artist Richard Tumbleston created this acrylic painting, titled “December Reflections,” for the December 2009 cover of High Country Magazine. Richard has lived and worked as an artist in Boone since 1979. He holds degrees in studio art and religion and works in watercolor, gouache, egg tempura, alkyd oil and acrylic. Richard’s special-edition paintings have benefited numerous nonprofit organizations. His painting “The Carriage House at Cone Manor” helped raise funds for the Blowing Rock Community Arts Center. His work “Evening Glow” was published as a giclee print to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Jones House in Boone, and he served as the official artist for Watauga County’s Sesquicentennial. “December Reflections” is available and can be viewed at the artist’s studio-gallery in Boone, along with a collection of his recent works. Richard’s latest signed and numbered giclee print featuring elk on Carroll Ranch in Montana’s Madison River Valley will be available in early December. Works can be viewed by appointment by calling 828-264-7147.

High Country Magazine

December 2009

The Buzz is Back in ASU Basketball

Packing more experience, former titles and accolades than most NCAA basketball coaches, Buzz Peterson is now back where he belongs, at the helm of the ASU men’s basketball team. Entering his second tenure as head coach, Peterson returned to Boone with his sights set on catalyzing the team back to the top of the Southern Conference and is hard at work putting the buzz back in ASU basketball.

Photo by James Fay

High Country Hospice— Caring for the Whole Person

DeWoolfson Down

Ice Skating in the High Country

High Country entrepreneurs Richard Schaffer and Marsha Turner, founders of DeWoolfson Down, revolutionized American bedrooms by adapting European-style down comforters to the United States.

From the days of the Carolina Caribbean Corporation, ice skating has been an integral component of the High Country winter experience. Today, the romanticism and simple pleasure of the sport are still very much alive in these mountains and serve as the perfect ingredients for making memories with family and friends.

What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Always Dreamed Of!

at Linville Bear Creek at Linville is a private gated community consisting of 145 acres. Developers are using great care to preserve the natural beauty of the land. Choose your dream home among babbling brooks, overlooking beautiful long range mountain views or carefree living in one of our new and exciting townhomes. Golf, hiking, biking, flyfishing, skiing, river rafting and almost every other outdoor activity imaginable are now right outside your front door. We invite you to view our many different levels of lifestyles available from Bear Creek at Linville. Lots begin at $89,000, Townhomes from $495,000, Mountain Style Cottages from $655,000, Custom Homes from the mid $600,000 to $1,000,000 plus. In-house financing available on select properties.

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High Country Magazine

FROM T H E PUB L ISH ER

A Publication Of High Country Press

Editor & Publisher Ken Ketchie Creative Director Courtney Cooper Production Manager Michelle Bailey Graphic Artists Tim Salt and Patrick Pitzer Advertising Sales

Ken Ketchie

The Holiday Office Party

h yes, the trials and tribulations of the annual office Christmas party—yep, it’s that time of the year again! The 2009 High Country Press Christmas party will mark my 28th year throwing the holiday ritual, and there have been some great, unforgettable festivities over the years! The get-togethers usually take on a life of their own—once they get started, of course—and have a knack for creating indelible memories. Getting everyone together can be a little tricky, but once gathered, you never know what’s going to happen. Funny images from “the office party” have always been the source of jokes in this office; the poor guy with the lampshade on his head always comes to mind, but we won’t mention any names in this column. It’s interesting how we spend a lot of time with our workmates in the business setting but don’t get many opportunities to socialize outside of work. Usually, after the workday is done, everyone heads his or her separate way until work brings us back together again the next day. Thus, the annual holiday party can be a real eye opener. Work environments bring all types of personalities together for the common goal of making money and creating a successful business. You have young workers plugging away alongside old-timers, married ones mixed in with single ones and teetotalers mingling with happy hour lovers. There’s the quiet ones putting up with the practical jokers. You know the picture - right? Happily, the Christmas party is the setting where, sometimes awkwardly, all these personalities come together—to let their hair down, as they say, and have a good time. I’ve hosted past Christmas parties at local restaurants, ballrooms, employees’ houses and the office. There have been big ones and small ones, and yes, there have been a couple of lampshade-type episodes—well, maybe more than a couple, but that’s off the record, as they say. By the end of the evening, when the silly games are done, the funny presents are opened and everyone is feeling warm and fuzzy, I’m always reminded what a lucky guy I am to have worked with so many different people, so many different personalities in the newspaper business. Every year, almost by surprise, I am hit with the Christmas spirit as I witness my staff—finally free of the stress of deadlines—relax, socialize and kick back with each other, laughing the night away. So, long live the annual Christmas party! I know it reminds me every year of not only the Christmas spirit, but also of how much I appreciate and love my staff. Happy holidays to all. 10

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Beverly Giles Bryan McGuire Amanda Giles Associate Editors Anna Oakes Sam Calhoun Contributing Writers Corinne Saunders Randy Johnson Celeste von Mangan Bill F. Hensley Contributing Photograhers James Fay Karen Lehmann Peter Morris Greg Williams Finance Manager Laila Patrick High Country Magazine is produced by the staff and contributors of High Country Press newspaper, which serves Watauga and Avery counties of North Carolina

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE P.O. Box 152, Boone, NC 28607

828-264-2262 Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Issues are FREE throughout the High Country. © 2009 by High Country Press. All Rights Reserved.

An Appalachian Mountain Tradition Since 1883

Mast Store Valle Crucis, NC

The Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best remaining examples of an old country store. Mast Store locations found along main streets throughout the region offer visitors a chance to enjoy old-fashioned friendly service reminiscent of a bygone era & to browse shelves filled with traditional goods, apparel, and outdoor gear for all seasons.

Valle Crucis • Boone • Waynesville • Hendersonville • Asheville, NC Greenville, SC • Knoxville, TN • MastGeneralStore.com • 1- 866 -FOR-MAST December 2009

High Country Magazine

Calendarof Events

December 2009

1-1/31 Festival of Lights, Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5500 2-5

Playcrafters New Play Festival, I.G. Greer Studio Theatre, ASU, 828-262-3028

Downtown Boone Art Crawl, downtown galleries and businesses, 828-262-4532

Holiday Scholarship Concert, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-3020

4-6

Toe River Studio Tour, Mitchell and Yancey counties, 828-682-7215

The Christmas Concert, December 5-6

4-6

Live Nativity, Poplar Grove Baptist Church, Boone, 828-963-9390

5-6

48th Anniversary Weekend, Appalachian Ski Mountain, $5 day session lift tickets, 828-295-7828

11-13

Holiday Farmers’ Market, Ashe County Farmers’ Market, Backstreet, West Jefferson, 336-877-4141

Adult Preseason Ski Clinic, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

Candlelight Parlor Tours, downtown Blowing Rock inns, 828-295-7851

Holiday Farmers’ Market, Ashe County Farmers’ Market, Backstreet, West Jefferson, 336-877-4141

Tree Fest Reception and Open House, Ashe Arts Center, West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

Downtown Boone Christmas Parade, King Street, 828-262-4532

Mountain Home Music: An Appalachian Christmas, Grace Lutheran Church, 828-964-3392

Candlelight Parlor Tours, downtown Blowing Rock inns, 828-295-7851

12-13

5-6

The Christmas Concert, Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk, 828-898-8709

The Nutcracker Ballet, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-265-4111

12-13

Valle Crucis Fireside Tour, Valle Crucis, 828-963-6511

SugarFest, a weekend of winter fun, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

Appalachian Gospel Choir, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-3020

Messiah Sing-Along, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 828-262-3020

Ashe Choral Society Concert, Ashe Civic Center, West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

Holiday Fresh Market, Wallingford Street, downtown Blowing Rock, 828-295-7851

18-19

Appalachian Chorale, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 828-262-3020

Ensemble Stage Company Presents Christmas in Blowing Rock, 828-406-2884

Holiday Open House, Visitor’s Center, Boone, 828-264-1299

Candlelight Parlor Tours, downtown Blowing Rock inns, 828-295-7851

Santa’s Visit and Tree Lighting, Beech Mountain, 828-387-9283

High Country Magazine

December 2009

BFA Senior Studio Exhibition Reception, Catherine J. Smith Gallery, ASU, 828-262-7338

DON’T FORGET

The High Country’s #1 Ski/Snowboard Shop

EVENTS

Holiday Markets For those of you who wait until December to make their holiday gift purchases, you’ll find plenty of crafts and treats at the area’s holiday farmers’ markets. The Ashe County Farmers’ Market will hold its final two holiday markets of the season on Saturdays, December 5 and 12, at the market area on the Backstreet in West Jefferson. The Blowing Rock Fresh Market will hold a holiday market on Thursday, December 17, along Wallingford Street downtown. You’ll find a variety of arts, crafts and gift items, some late-season produce, meats and baked goods for the table and Christmas trees, wreaths and décor.

DECEMBER 5, 12 & 17

Boone Christmas Parade Saturday

December 12

Taking place this year on Saturday, December 12, the annual Boone Christmas Parade will travel from one end of King Street to the other. Plenty of colorful, holiday-themed floats and marching groups will include local elected officials, civic clubs, fire trucks, dance and clogging teams and Santa Claus himself. The parade, sponsored by the Downtown Boone Development Association, begins at 10:00 a.m., so arrive early to get a good spot!

New Season, New Gear, Same great Staff! Shop with confidence: Satisfaction Guarantee & EZ Return Policy!

The Nutcracker The performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Nutcracker by Boone’s Studio K Dance Workshop has been a holiday tradition for more than a dozen years. Children and adults will marvel at the wonder of hundreds of dancers, more than 400 costumes and multiple sets at Farthing Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13.

Saturday and SUNDAY Dec. 12 & 13

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Valentine’s with Todd Wright & Friends, February 12

Winterfest in downtown Blowing Rock, January 28-31

Christmas Eve Outdoor Service, Beech Tree Village, Beech Mountain, 828-387-9283

NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players: The Pirates of Penzance, January 22

Christmas Eve Tubing Sessions, Hawksnest, Seven Devils, 828-963-6561

Todd Community Dance, Todd Mercantile, 336-877-5401

Christmas Day Ice Skating, Appalachian Ski Mountain, 828-295-7828

MLK Day Celebration with Mike Wiley, Ashe Arts Center, West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

Christmas Day Tubing Sessions, Hawksnest, Seven Devils, 828-963-6561

NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players: The Pirates of Penzance, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-4046

Midnight Blast Weekends Begin, Appalachian Ski Mountain, 828-295-7828

MLK Commemoration featuring Nikki Giovanni, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-6252

26-27

USSA Holiday Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

28-31

27-28

Horse and Carriage Rides, Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5500

Winterfest, chili cookoff, wine auction, ice carving, Polar Plunge and kids’ activities, downtown Blowing Rock, 828-295-7851

Bonfire and Hayrides, Beech Mountain Town Hall, 828-387-9283

Coffee House Talent Night, West Jefferson Methodist Church Hensley Hall, 336-846-2787

USSA Giant Slalom Competition, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

New Year’s Eve Bash and Fireworks, Ski Beech, Beech Mountain, reservations at 828-387-2011

New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, Appalachian Ski Mountain, 828-295-7828

New Year’s Celebration, Sugar Mountain Resort, reservations at 828-898-4521 ext. 233

Appalachian Philharmonia, Ashe Civic Center, West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

APPropos! Vocal Ensemble, Ashe Civic Center, West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

Valentine’s with Todd Wright & Friends, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 828-262-3020

Winterfest, the Cardboard Box Derby, Bathing Beauty Contest and more, Ski Beech, Beech Mountain, 828-387-2011

Lily Tomlin, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-4046

Sugar Bear’s Birthday Celebration, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

January 2010

8-10

February 2010

High Country Junior Race Series Giant Slalom, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

National Winter Trails Day, guided snowshoe tours, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

24-28

ASU Theatre: Prelude to a Kiss, Valborg Theatre, ASU, 828-262-3028

Blowing Rock Jazz Society January Jam, Meadowbrook Inn, Blowing Rock, 828-295-4300

Todd Community Dance, Todd Mercantile, 336-877-5401

High Country Magazine

December 2009

DON’T FORGET

EVENTS

Beech Mountain Holiday Activities Everyone is welcome to join in on the yearly hometown holiday celebrations in the small town of Beech Mountain. Beech Mountain traditionally waits a little bit closer to Christmas to hold its yuletide activities. On Saturday, December 19, see the town’s Christmas tree light up and get in line for a visit with the Man in Red. On Thursday, December 24, a special outdoor Christmas Eve service takes place at Beech Tree Village. And on Tuesday, December 29, the festivities continue with a bonfire and hayrides.

Throughout december

New Year’s Eve with a Bang

Hwy. 105 Linville • Visit Santa on Friday 6-8 and Saturday 10-4

Torchlight skiing, fireworks, moonlight ice skating, parades, live music and more are part of the exciting New Year’s Eve festivities at the High Country’s area ski resorts.

december 31

Visit Appalachian Ski Mountain, Sugar Mountain Resort, Ski Beech and Hawksnest for New Year’s Eve snow sports and activities. Some events may require reservations.

Winterfest

Get outside and enjoy the brisk mountain air as part of Blowing Rock’s annual Winterfest celebration! The four-day event takes place Thursday through Saturday, January 28 to 31, 2010. Hold your breath as courageous, costumed thrill-seekers dive into the chilling waters of Chetola Lake at the Polar Plunge, and take in the wonderful aromas and flavors at the competitive Chili Challenge. A wine auction and tasting, pancake breakfast, Winterfeast, hayrides, a bonfire, ice carving, pet show and kids’ activities are also part of the increasingly popular event.

thursday to saturday January 28-31

December 2009

High Country Magazine

mountain

echoes

Insider tips, fascinating facts, conversation starters and fun stuff to do

Ski Country 2.0

orget about that annual ski trip out West, because the High Country’s ski slopes want you to play on their mountains this season and take

advantage of the millions of dollars worth of new infrastructure and activities that have been added over the summer. Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, Hawksnest Snow Tubing Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort all stepped up to the plate this year in an attempt to better each customer’s experience. With $3 million in improvements over the past three years, Appalachian Ski Mountain is unveiling an impressive offering of new programs and infrastructure for the 2009-10 season, including a new, third terrain park, the Southeast’s only offering of late-night skiing, heated sidewalks, new rental equipment, a night-only season pass and the longest scheduled season in North Carolina history—142 days. Beech Mountain Resort is standing tall upon the fruits of its $1.5 million, two-year investment in the resort’s infrastructure. In addition to infrastructure investments, Ski Beech at Beech Mountain Hawksnest, which no longer offers

Resort is welcoming back its award-winning team

skiing and is now the largest snow tubing

of snowmakers and groomers for the 2009-10 season. Also, the popular Oz run returns this

resort on the East Coast, constructed a zipline course at tree level above its

season, a second terrain park debuts this winter

resort this summer. Like its tubing operation, Hawksnest’s zipline course is

and tubing returns to its location between the

the largest on the East Coast and includes 10 cables spanning 1.5 miles and

Viewhaus and Beech Mountain Club.

a swinging bridge. The zipline course will remain open this winter, allowing participants to zip over Hawksnest’s 20 lanes of tubers. Sugar Mountain Resort celebrates 40 years in 2009 and is marking the occasion with events throughout the season and continued improvements to its snowmaking capabilities. During the summer, 2,500 feet of snowmaking pipes were installed and an energy-efficient snowmaking machine was purchased, and the manual ticketchecking system was replaced with an electronic scanning system, which will make getting on the slopes easier and more hassle-free.. This winter, Sugar will welcome 1992 Olympic figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie and Olympic skiing medalists to its resort to celebrate its anniversary.

High Country Magazine

December 2009

By Sam Calhoun

mountain

Wettest Year in a While T he people you hear grumbling, or exulting, as the case may be, are correct in that this year has been a lot wetter than the past couple

of years in the High Country. According to a press release from the N.C.

Boone Rainfall 2007 to 2009 8”

2008 2007

6” 5”

the first time in more than two years that no part of the state was experi-

4”

As easily seen in the total inches of rain Boone has received per year,

2009

7”

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, early May marked encing drought.

echoes

3”

2009 has been the wettest of the past three years in the High Country.

2”

According to monthly rainfall recorded by www.raysweather.com, as of

1”

November 19, Boone had received 50.13 inches of rain this year, while the town saw a total of 41.08 inches in 2008 and only 35.80 inches in 2007. Only in three months did 2008 Boone rainfall top this year’s—in

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

RAIN TOTALS - 2007: 35.80” 2008: 41.08” 2009: 50.13” (through Nov 19)

March, July and August. As far as Novembers go, less than one inch of rain was documented

According to www.raysweather.com, the long-term average rainfall

in 2007 and only 1.96 inches fell in 2008. As of November 19, Boone had

in November, using data dating back to 1929, is 4.23 inches. More than

already received 3.82 inches of precipitation, potentially giving it a shot

six inches were measured in Boone in November 2006.

at attaining the month’s long-term average rainfall for the first Novem-

By Corinne Saunders

ber since 2006.

December 2009

High Country Magazine

mountain

echoes

Winter Tradition at Beech

Winterfest at Ski Beech Takes Place January 8 to 10

n 1983, the Great Cardboard Box Race began

weekend, and the Summit Figure

at Ski Beech in Beech Mountain, kicking off an

Skating Club of Greensboro will be

annual Winterfest tradition at the ski resort. The

on hand to offer lessons and per-

resort discontinued Winterfest for several years

formances. On Saturday at noon is the fa-

but revived the event in January 2009.

mous Bathing Beauty Contest, where

This year, Winterfest takes place Friday

At noon on Sunday is the visual judging for

through Sunday, January 8 to 10, and will in-

scantily clad contestants on skis will

clude the popular Great Cardboard Box Derby,

be judged for creativity, originality, beauty and

the Great Cardboard Box Derby beside the ice

the Bathing Beauty bikini contest, a Village Rail

poise. Yankee Pete from Charlotte radio station

skating rink. The derby takes place at 2:00 p.m.

Jam, live music and plenty more activities.

Kiss 95.1 will be the emcee. Saturday’s activities

on the Freestyle slope. At 3:30 p.m. Sunday is

also include a cookout on the View Haus deck,

the Ski Beech Sports Fashion Show inside the

back to Beech Mountain,” said Talia Freeman,

live music inside the View Haus cafeteria and face

Beech Tree.

event coordinator at Ski Beech. “It’s a whole lot

painting and inflatables for kids.

“We’re just trying to bring some more life

The Village Rail Jam follows at 4:30 p.m. on

to do for the whole family. Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, there’s things for you to do up here.”

Saturday. Skiers and snowboarders will show

The event begins with live music at the

off their tricks, prizes will be awarded and a DJ

Throughout the weekend, various ski and snowboard companies will have representatives available to demonstrate their equipment. The costs of lift tickets and equipment rentals

Beech Tree Bar and Grille at 8:00 p.m. on Fri-

will play music. Live music will take place at the

vary. Participants in any of the contests will re-

day. Ice skating will take place throughout the

Beech Tree again Saturday night.

ceive a discounted lift ticket for the day. For more information, call 1-800-438-2093 or 828-387-2011.

Grass Skiing—Who Needs Snow?

igh Country residents have long had an obsession with skiing, but it may have gotten a bit out

Pictured: Leslie Bailey Metcalf grass-skis at Beech Mountain in the ‘70s. Photo courtesy Marge Bailey

of hand in the late 1970s when Ski Beech staff decided that winter was too short and summer was too long. While staring at a lush, green, July ski slope, Ski Beech’s Bob Ash and Tom Chesney asked themselves the question, “Who needs snow?” and went to work crafting grass skiing as the next not-to-miss summer activity for High Country residents.

pads. Grass skiers used Beech’s present-day

Beech—an original pair of grass skis hangs

who still has two unopened

on the wall of Bayou Smokehouse & Grill in A pair of grass skis

ple would come dressed in shorts and [grass ski], but it never gained enough popularity to be profitable.” Between 1978 and 1980, grass skiers could rent grass skis—which consisted of wheeled rollers, moving much like the wheels on a tank,

High Country Magazine

ing little else than bikinis and arm and knee

Even though grass skiing faded at

Marketing Director Gil Adams,

racing program, which featured racers wear-

patrol was set up for safety.

said Beech Mountain Resort

late 1970s in his office. “Peo-

sons and participate in Beech’s grass skiing

Freestyle slope for runs, and a special ski

“It was very, very unique,”

pairs of grass skis from the

that slid on over normal ski boots—take les-

December 2009

Banner Elk—the sport moved into national and international competition. Today, the sport is offered at select resorts across the country, including Bryce Mountain in Virginia, which recently purchased Beech’s entire grass ski rental stock.

By Sam Calhoun

A Farmers’ Market …in the Winter?

THE HIGH COUNTRY’S PREMIERE STEAK & SEAFOOD HOUSE SINCE

1985

es, that’s correct! The Ashe County Farmers’ Market is debuting a new

winter farmers’ market in 2010. The Ashe County winter markets will take place on the first and third Saturdays in the winter months beginning in January. The dates are January 2 and 16, February 6 and 20, March 6 and 20 and April 3.

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possibly some lamb and crafts as well. The market is located at the Backstreet in West Jefferson. The winter markets will

H 21,

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take place in the enclosed end of the farmers’ market shelter. For more information, call Smyre at 910-309-1932 or 336-877-4141 or click to www.ashefarmersmarket.com. By Anna Oakes

2009

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High Country Magazine

The Choir of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church morphed into the Anglican Singing Society in the late 1980s. Now a top-notch choir, the group has sung at some of the most prestigious venues in the nation and abroad, following the vision of original members Ken McKinney and James “Jim” Bumgardner—to focus on the rich history of Anglican music. Throughout the year, the choir is devoted to singing for the church congregation and community in their Blowing Rock home. 20

High Country Magazine

December 2009

The choir initially got off the ground because they wanted to sing Evensong, a traditional Anglican service that has been set chorally. Evensong originated in the Church of England, particularly in the college chapels of Oxford and Cambridge. “So, five of us originally started to learn to sing a cappella and try to teach ourselves this strange thing

Singing

in the Hills Anglican Singing Society Brings a Bit of Cambridge to Blowing Rock Story by Celeste von Mangan Photography by James Fay

The Voices of St. Mary’s: Choirmaster, Organist and Director

called Anglican chant,” explained McKinney. At this juncture, Bumgardner was appointed choir director. “At that point, in 1987, Evensong was not being sung frequently,” said Bumgardner, who also serves as organist and music director. “We had a choir at St. Mary’s, but it was a different sort of choir, and we did not really do the Anglican music. Ken McKinney told me they were learning Evensong and he said, ‘Jim, by God you’re going to teach us how to do it.’ It’s never what you think it is—you fly by the seat of your pants.”

of Music: James Bumgardner; Sopranos: Caryn Crozier, Anna Eschbach, JoAnn Hallmark, Marjory Holder, Jenni Robinson, Lynn Searfoss, Amanda Silverman, Anna Ward and Barbara YaleReed; Altos: Nioucha Branstrom, Jane Bush, Anne Donovan, Marg McKinney, Jan Mixter, Dale Shelton, Denise Story and Frances Waters; Tenors: Johnny Harmon, Ken McKinney, Cobb Miller, Perry Mixter, Greg Rhoads and Joe Waters; Basses: Harrison Bumgardner, Buddy Fore, Bo Henderson, James Rollins and Sam Tallman.

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Then, McKinney brazenly and boldly asked a famous choirmaster to teach the relatively new Anglican Singing Society the ropes. The choirmaster was none other than Sir George Guest— the “Godfather of Anglican music,” said McKinney—and McKinney had cornered him after a concert at St. John’s College in Cambridge, England. Guest had already been a choirmaster and organist at the school for more than three decades when McKinney popped the big question, “You don’t know me from Adam, but would you be our choirmaster?” At that time, the Anglican Singing Society had eight members. “I think Sir George was so shocked at Ken’s request that he agreed to take us on,” recalled Bumgardner. The Anglican Singing Society headed to Cambridge for the first time in 1991. “That year when we first went to Cambridge, that whole trip started with a bang,” said Bumgardner. “We got to Charlotte and were supposed to fly to Atlanta, but there was a tornado there. We arrived late and thought we’d missed everything. We were running through the airport and thinking how we had these reservations to sit in Westminster Abbey the next morning.” Enter Phoebe, a woman at the airport who saved the choir from missing their appointment at the famous venue. “Phoebe arranged for us to get on a KLM flight, ” said Bumgardner. “There was booze, camels, goats and smoke everywhere, because that was when you could smoke cigarettes on airplanes. They flew us to Amsterdam and we finally got a flight back across the channel. We got to Westminster on time.” “We studied at St. John’s every day for a week with George Guest,” Bumgardner continued. “He had us stop every note or two and he would say you change this, or no, you change this.” Now, more than 20 years later, the choir is still studying and singing in concerts at Cambridge biannually. Sir George Guest died 22

High Country Magazine

December 2009

The St. Mary’s Anglican Singing Society has traveled to England several times to train in Cambridge and to serve as the choir in residence at Durham Cathedral. Photos by Perry Mixter

in 2002, but the group has studied with several other teachers. “We’ve worked with several of the choir directors there,” said McKinney. “Cambridge is sort of a nest of top-rate choral conductors, and we’ve been able to work with several of them over the years. I’m not sure if we are any better, but we hope we are. So we sing for the church and try to do the very best we can and committed ourselves to be chastised by these wonderful conductors.” Tim Brown is one of the main conductors who works with the choir in Cambridge. “Tim works with us to help us improve. I’ve spent one and a half years as a fellow at a couple of the Cambridge colleges and never before have I seen an external choir invited to sing. Four or five years ago, Tim Brown asked us to sing with them.” The

Practicing with the

he 91-year old St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church is the midst of another practice session for St. Mary’s Choir, the Anglican Singing Society. At any given time, the number of choir members measures somewhere in the mid-20s, with about 27 now. As the group takes their places around the organ, rustling music, soft laughter and muted voices give way to an ordered, powerful rising of song as Choir Director Jim Bumgardner takes his position behind his music stand. Jim waves his magic wand. The choir—and today, a small yet mighty visiting orchestra—immediately are transformed into the professionals they have become through talent, hard work and love of singing for the church. As light filtered through stained glass windows illuminates the walls and the scent of incense, melted candle wax and flowers from the altar combine in an exquisite marriage for the senses, Bumgardner’s wand comes down and the voices come up. The conductor praises, gently scolds, shushes and en-

Anglican Singing Society

courages the singers. “Okay, movement three...no actually, wait a minute...pretty, lovely, lovely...anybody need anything?...Sopranos, this has to be warm.” With the director’s right arm sweeping the baton, the singing becomes more potent, rising, rising. Brown-covered books holding the words and notes to Fauré’s Requiem are clutched in the singers’ hands. Today’s practice is for the church’s All Soul’s Day service, when they remember the dead. Soprano soloist Amanda Silverman rises to her feet as all others settle to their chairs. Silverman sang at St. Mary’s, left for New York to sing opera, then returned to North Carolina to live in Asheville and sing as a guest in her beloved St. Mary’s. At least two members of the choir, now seated, close their eyes as she sings, absorbing the music into their souls. Later, Jay Rollins, sporting a silver tiara with blue accents, glides to the

Continued on next page

Choir Director James Bumgardner (left) and choir member Ken McKinney take a moment to reflect on the history of the Anglican Singing Society, a group they conceptualized and helped form.

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High Country Magazine

Inside Durham Cathedral in Durham, England, where the St. Mary’s Choir served as choir in residence in 2006. Photo by Dale Marie Shelton

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Practicing with the

Anglican Singing Society Continued from previous page

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right of the organist and standing, sings forth in a powerful baritone. Rollins, like Silverman, sings opera in New York City. He steps back and the choir is once again on their feet, singing, lifting their voices beyond the realm of mortals. Rollins solos one more time, taking his spot beside organist Joby Bell. A pencil from behind Bumgardner’s left ear comes out and makes notes on the sheet music. Rollins silences down and ends his piece. “You guys sound great!” Bumgardner says. “And your orchestra sounds beautiful.” A cell phone rings. “God is calling,” jokes one member. The church bells, cast in Baltimore, chime out on the hour and the session ends exactly at 3:00 p.m. The ivy on the tower housing the four bells is said to have originated from one sprig that grew in the cloister at Westminster Abbey. A painting of Elliott Daingerfield’s St. Mary the Virgin watches silently and sweetly from above the retable. “T h a n k Yo u a l l !” ca l l s o ut B u m g a rd n e r.

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

The organ and pipes in St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church provide a voice of its own when joining with the choir. The Anglican Singing Society is often accompanied by visiting orchestra members Nancy Bargerstock (violin), Eric Koontz and Jonathan Driggers (viola), Christina HillisMcDonald and Franya Hutchins (cello), Jan Mixter (bass), Jacqui Bartlett (harp) and Joby Bell (organ).

choir has also twice been the choir in residence at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England. “The week we are in residence there, we sing eight services total,” McKinney said. “That encompasses 60 to 70 pieces of music.” During the week, Bumgardner is the voice area coordinator at Guilford College in Greensboro, where he teaches voice, opera and singing direction. Under Bumgardner’s guidance, the St. Mary’s choir has sung across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and New York, as well as at several

cathedrals in England. Despite the trips abroad and travel to various states, the primary function of the Anglican Singing Society of St. Mary’s Choir is to simply sing for the services of the church. Back at their home base, singing joyous and hauntingly beautiful liturgical pieces is the order of the day for St. Mary’s Anglican Singing Society. From February through October, the last Sunday of each month is devoted to Evensong. In December, the choir sings for their Madrigal Feast. Commencing in 1992, the event combines food and drink interlaced with

Since 1992, the Anglican Singing Society of St. Mary’s has held its annual Madrigal Feast in December, complete with food, drink, madrigals and carols from the 16th century. Photos by Barbara Yale Read

madrigals and carols from the 16th century, performed in song and in jest. And of course, the choir can always be found at every Sunday service, worshiping God world through song in the hills.

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December 2009

H i g h C o u n t r y 11/16/09 M a g a z3:34:23 i n e PM25

Reverend Richard Lawler, rector of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, or Father Rick as he is know by his parishioners

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

An Afternoon Conversation With

Father Rick

Story by Celeste von Mangan | Photography by James Fay

first had the pleasure of meeting the Rector of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church— Reverend Richard C. Lawler, or Father Rick—five years ago. That meeting stays in my mind for two main reasons. First of all, it was the annual Blessing of the Animals Service. My daughter Eve had brought her two pet rats, Sunflower and Rapunzel, to be blessed. The mother, the child and the rats were among the first to arrive for the blessing, and Father Rick strode briskly over to us and peered into the carrier as he asked who we had brought. When we told him rats, he threw his head back, exclaiming, “Oh, Wonderful!” In that instant, both my daughter and I were impressed at his acceptance of one of God’s lowlier—according to humans—animals. The second reason the meeting was so memorable had to do with the fact that while they were being blessed, Sunflower ran down Father Rick’s black robes as Rapunzel ran up. This was a very rat thing to do, and Father Rick smiled and laughed, truly enchanted with their antics. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with the good rector about his love for God and the church; spirituality and religion; about the church year and cycles of life; and about our respective children and how each step they take toward maturity presents both a loss and a gain in our lives; and best of all, I got to tell him about the deep impression he made on a young girl when he accepted her unlovable pets as one of God’s own creations. This act of generosity prompted Eve to refer to him as The Rat Priest. “I fell in love with the church as a child,” explained Father Rick. “I was 7 when I first felt what it was like to be close to Jesus. It was real easy in

the Episcopal Church to feel this way. I loved God, loved the stories, loved the symbols; it was all very personal to me. As for St. Mary’s, we consider it to be a very traditional place with a really open mind and one that combines both my past and my present.” Part of Father Rick’s past includes earning a degree in history and psychology, plus the influence of a much-admired priest named Bill Frye, a man who helped him fulfill his inner calling. “Bill Frye was very instrumental in shaping my decision to become a priest,” said Father Rick. Another Bill, surname Banks, exerted a strong influence as well. Banks was the parish priest with whom the young Rick grew up, and he helped direct him towards the church. “The history and psychology degree were also good preps for priesthood. Seminary was, well, seminal;

mative years. “My brothers all played in groups, and I sang with a band. One singer I liked was John Denver, because I loved the West. “I just love the form of music as it’s played in St. Mary’s,” he continued, “—its open-mindedness, openheartedness that provides structure for the wild things we think. We’re saved by God’s Grace; we’re open to different people who have different sexual orientations, and peace really needs to be at the top of our agenda; and we need to explore nonviolent reactions to other religions.” As a church community, Father Rick believes we should be exposed to people from other religions. “I’ve met people who were Muslims, agnostics or atheists,” he said, “and I liked them.” Besides the two Bills, Mohandas K. Gandhi also had a profound effect on Father Rick.

“The love of my life is going deep in prayer and going out in service.” it created doubt, created questions. I [met] gay men and people who were terrific. I thought, ‘They aren’t any different then I am.’ That was a big shift for me—people who were homosexual. I’m not a big marcher, but prayer is for anyone who walks through the door [of St. Mary’s]. Father Rick explained that drama and theater comprised a large part of his training. “I loved the stage in high school,” he said. “I did very small productions, of A Street Car Named Desire, Godspell.” Music, in the form of rock and folk, and guitar as a favorite instrument, fleshed out Father Rick’s for-

“After I saw the movie Gandhi, I sat in the parking lot on the curb for a full 10 minutes and thought, ‘Here is a man who is more Christian than anyone I know, and he’s Hindu!’ It was Gandhi who said, ‘My problem is not with Jesus, it is with his followers.’ That movie was real important.” As with any family, Father Rick views the church family as one with basic strength and good, yet there is often dysfunction. “But there is lots of beauty, lots of joy, lots of commitment; I just find that more and more, it’s my spiritual home,” he said. Through it all, and through each day, Father Rick finds that prayer

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Father Rick leading a service at St. Mary’s. Behind him, on the wall, is St. Mary the Virgin, painted by Elliott Dangerfield

equals the height of spirituality. “Prayer, whether it is the Eucharist or the life of prayer embodied in the Book of Common Prayer,” he said. “Any form of prayer—it continually feeds me; Buddhism, Taoism, the whole Zen meditation. I’m not a practitioner—but prayer nourishes me.” Nourishment also comes from his wife Beth. “I really need my wife,” said Father Rick, “and my church. I’m too introverted and I’d be a hermit otherwise: I would just hole up; my wife is extroverted. And part of me is the traditional dad from the ‘50s, and wants to turn into Ward 28

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Cleaver, just bring home the money and sit in the chair, but my wife won’t let me. Instead, I change and grow in my relationships, with my kids and with my wife.” His children are son Alex, a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, and daughter Megan, a freshman at UNC-Asheville. Father Rick admits that while outreach is not natural for him, he allows his church family to pull him along in its throes. “One group goes to Panama and takes me with them, and one group works with Hospitality House, and that is good for me,” he said. “But the love of my life is going deep in prayer and going out in service.”

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High Country Magazine

t’s Sunday morning at Cornerstone Summit, and it’s anything but quiet. With about 400 people on their feet, smiling, singing, clapping and waving hands in the air, and a big, big sound from the live band, choir, dynamic soloists and congregation joining in, the service at Cornerstone begins like a pep rally. After singing four worship tunes, the atmosphere calms down a little for Pastor Reggie Hunt’s scripture reading and message—but not too much. Reggie interacts with his congregation during the sermon, moving men and women to clap, nod their heads and utter words of affirmation, raise their arms and stand with enthusiasm. In only five years, Boone’s Cornerstone Summit has seen its numbers flourish from an initial attendance of 15 or 20 to a congregation

High Country Magazine

of 450 to 500 today. The fledgling church—which now meets at Hardin Park Elementary and First Baptist Church after the Highway 421 widening project claimed its former building—is a rapidly growing, nondenominational church attracting people from all walks of life for its energetic services, passionate leaders and its strong focus on building relationships. Originally from Winston-Salem, Reggie—whose father and grandfather were also pastors—attended Appalachian State University and was involved as a leader in a youth ministry called Young Life at Watauga High School. Reggie later became a youth pastor and then a senior pastor with the Boone Mennonite Brethren Church until he had the vision to start Cornerstone about seven years ago.

December 2009

Cornerstone Summit belongs to the Cornerstone Global Network—a network of sister churches of like vision and purpose. The Cornerstone Network includes churches in Ohio, Indiana and Mexico, as well as in the North Carolina cities of High Point and Wilkesboro. Reggie met Pastor Don Wales of Cornerstone Church in Wilkesboro at a church event and the two began a conversation about planting a Cornerstone church in Boone. “The thing that we prayed about when starting Cornerstone Summit was to have an intentionally crosscultural church, a church that was based off of healthy relationships,” Reggie said. “The hardest churches to build are cross-cultural churches. I felt like that’s the kind of church that we wanted to be.”

“We really saw a chance to meet the needs of a region and a chance to really impact our community,” said Assistant Pastor Wes Berry, who first met Reggie through his Young Life ministry at Watauga High. “[Cornerstone is] a progressive, multicultural church with, as we like to say, a relevant message and relevant people.” The church started in a building formerly located at 372 East King Street across from AJ’s Tire and Auto in spring 2004 and held services there until a few months ago, when the building was demolished to make

way for the widening of Highway 421. The church now meets in the Hardin Park gymnasium for Sunday morning worship services and at First Baptist Church for Wednesday evening services. While Cornerstone’s members range in age from children to seniors, the church has a wealth of young people—not only as members, but also in many of its leadership positions. “Why wait until people are in their 30s or 40s to develop them as leaders—why not develop them as leaders when they’re in their late 20s and 30s?” said Reggie, who himself

December 2009

High Country Magazine

The Cornerstone Summit Praise Team has about 31 singers and musicians, including a resounding choir and instrumentalists on guitar, bass, saxophone, trumpet, drums and keys. Frankie Lancaster, left, a senior music industries major at ASU, is the Praise Team leader.

first became a senior pastor at the age of 24 (his youngest deacon at the time was 54). “We’re entrusting a lot of things in our world to people who are a little bit younger.” But, he added, “You need both. You need young leadership, but you need some people who have walked through a little bit more life as well. You need the wisdom of…our more mature adults.” Reggie said that Cornerstone’s church leaders range in age from early 20s to about 70. “I think that fits…when we say cross-cultural, we’re not just referring to ethnicity; we’re referring to different life stages, we’re referring to different socio-economic backgrounds. We try to have a leadership that reflects that vision.” Wes said that young people are attracted to Cornerstone Summit for a number of reasons. For one, the church is very active in building relationships on the ASU campus. And, he said, “We’re a very energetic, responsive 34

High Country Magazine

church. We’re very upbeat and progressive. We try to stay cutting edge with whatever we’re doing.” For David Aderhold, age 52, it was his daughter who introduced him to Cornerstone almost two years ago. “I was so impressed I don’t think I missed a Sunday for a year and two months,” David said. He said he was particularly impressed with the pastor and the large number of young people who were so enthusiastic about the Lord. “It’s a very proactive church,” David said. “It really reaches out to the unchurched.” And, David said, Cornerstone has one of the best music groups in the area. Frankie Lancaster, a senior music industries major at ASU, is the leader of the Praise Team at Cornerstone, a group of 31 members who sing and play music during worship services. Many of the Praise Team members are music students, and some are also members of the ASU Gospel Choir. In addition to

December 2009

the choir is a live, on-stage band that includes Frankie on keys, a drummer, bass player, two guitarists and trumpet and saxophone players. “[The music is] not based on any one thing—it’s not gospel, but it’s not all contemporary,” Frankie said. “It’s really just a sound for everybody.” Several talented soloists take the lead on worship songs—with the freedom to improvise. Nothing is ever completely scripted, Frankie said. “If it goes in another direction, we’re capable of doing that,” he added. In addition to the Praise Team, Cornerstone Summit has many other ministries and small groups. Not least of which is the well-organized, yellow-vested Parking Team—led by ASU football player Blake Elder—who you have probably seen safely guiding hundreds of vehicles to parking spaces at the Sunday and Wednesday worship services at Hardin Park and on King Street. “At our old location, we were using

eight to nine parking lots, and those guys had an amazing system set up to park everybody,” Wes said. With a laugh, Reggie noted, “For the longest time, at our old location, more people knew about our parkers than they knew who preached.” But, he added, “I really get excited about

that because that just shows that dynamic of service.” The church also has an Ushering Team, a group of smiling faces who will shake your hand and help you locate available seats—even if you’re a few minutes late. The Care Ministry coordinates hospital visits, funeral arrangements and celebrations,

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Many of the members of Cornerstone Summit attend worship services for the thought-provoking sermons from the church’s young pastor, Reggie Hunt.

such as birthdays. The Hospitality Team provides coffee, snacks and refreshments at various church events. Other groups are dedicated to outreach and evangelism, children’s church and the nursery and public relations and media. Cornerstone’s Synergy and Connect groups are small groups who meet for Bible study and fellowship based on various interests and life stages, including groups focused on sports, outdoor adventures, marriage, adults 40 and older and community service. “At the heart of our ministry is the relationship aspect—getting to know

one another, building healthy relationships, whether that be friends or marriages, or what have you,” Wes said. “We do provide a lot of opportunities for our people to gather and do fellowship and serve.” Michael Baylor has attended Cornerstone for almost two years. “The relationships that I built here were so strong,”

A dedicated crew of helpful, smiling men and women volunteer on the church’s Parking and Ushering Teams. Scott Porter (left) assists with directing traffic and safely parking hundreds of vehicles, while Jerome Clapp and Pangshua Khang of the Ushering Team (right) stand by to greet attendees, shake their hands and help them find a seat.

High Country Magazine

December 2009

said the ASU junior from Greensboro. “It’s like a family away from home.” The church is also becoming known for its community assistance and missions trips. Local service agencies often refer their clients to the church for assistance. The High School Outreach Team ministers to students at Watauga High School. Last year, Cornerstone held a

free event on the Watauga High School softball field before a football game and fed more than 1,000 kids. And the church is very involved at ASU, where Reggie and Wes are both employed. Wes has served as assistant director of marketing and promotions for ASU Athletics since 2007. Reggie is director of student-athlete development and serves as chaplain to the ASU football, basketball and baseball teams. “I never wanted to be sitting in a church office all day long,” Reggie said. “It gives me an opportunity to establish relationships with people outside of the box.” Cornerstone Summit attends the annual spiritual opportunities expo at ASU at the beginning of each school year. This year, 87 freshmen attended a Cornerstone service and luncheon after learning about the church at the expo. The church’s College Connect group continues to establish relationships on campus throughout the year, and during the summer, Cornerstone holds a weekly fellowship for college students. “I can remember when we first opened the building, [Reggie] shared with me one time that he dreamed of a day in which there would be something going on every night there,” Wes said.

“We’re pretty close to that point.” Cornerstone Summit is a church of the 21st century, utilizing all forms of media to reach out to its congregation and the community. The church has a sharp-looking website and a frequently updated blog with information about upcoming events and summaries of Reggie’s messages. The church is also active on Facebook. In addition to finding a new permanent location for the church, Cornerstone Summit’s goals for the future include a continual expansion of its ministries. “The unique thing about Cornerstone Summit…is more people that graduate are staying to help build it,” said Reggie, who added that he plans to be with the church for a long time. The church is looking to have a greater impact on the region and to expand its youth group and children’s ministry, he said. About what attracts so many people to Cornerstone, Michael said, “The biggest thing…is what God gives Pastor Hunt to say each week. People who aren’t used to our worship style always go back to what Pastor has to say.” Explained Reggie, “I think people don’t really know where to put us because

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we’re not on one end of the extreme; we’re not on one end or the other. We’re not like a real traditional church, but we have traditional values. “What sets us apart is an extreme focus

on relationships,” he said. “It’s a fun balance trying to create an atmosphere that’s fun and exciting while not compromising your integrity and your essentials.”

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Five Generations of Mountain Molasses Making Cane Roots, Family Ties Run Deep in Watauga County

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December 2009

Young sorghum cane plants (above) grow in a makeshift greenhouse in the Norris’ yard. (Right) Aaron Norris takes the wheel as his friend Lance Dotson and grandfather Coy Norris ready the young plants to be transitioned into the field. Photos submitted

n the age of fast food, convenience stores and quick trips to the grocery, it’s easy to forget that the food of our predecessors was neither fast nor convenient. Despite the modern system of obtaining eats, though, the Norris family finds that the end result is sweeter when the preparation—in their case, of sorghum syrup, a natural sweetener—is done the traditional way. Cresting the hill of the driveway leading into the family’s property near Castle Ford Road is like instantly stepping back in time to an era of laborious outdoor work and family cooperation—a way of living that, although prevalent among mountain settlers of centuries past, is a rare gem in today’s more hectic society. Aaron Norris, 21, is the fifth genera-

tion—“that we know of,” said his father, Eddie Norris—to make sorghum syrup the old-fashioned way. And it is not for lack of knowledge of more expedited methods; Aaron chooses to preserve the old-timey way of making the natural

sweetener from the sorghum stalks grown on the family farm purely out of a desire to keep the tradition alive.

Cane’s Local Roots Sugarcane grows in tropical locales, and, although neither it nor sorghum cane

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Brittany Norris (above, photo submitted), her uncle Denny Norris (right) and her grandfather Coy Norris (bottom) strip the cane plants of leaves and remove the seed-bearing tops. This labor-intensive step readies the stalks to be harvested and then run through the cane mill.

is native to Appalachia, sorghum cane has proved heartier than its true molassesproducing relative. Introduced in the region in the mid-1850s, sorghum cane—a bamboo-resembling type of grass that is indigenous to eastern Africa—was widely cultivated for a time. Today, most of the country’s sorghum syrup production takes place in Kentucky and Tennessee. Sorghum syrup is commonly referred to as molasses. “Molasses is a byproduct of the sugarcane, but everyone around here calls [sorghum syrup] molasses,” Aaron said with a grin. Although some people on the other side of Watauga County still “make,” the traditional molasses-making process has all but disappeared locally. “Years back, lots of people made,” Eddie said. “It’s what everyone used to sweeten [foods] with.” Doctors often prescribed “molasses” to sickly patients, he added, because of its high content of iron and potassium. “It’s what my mother took when she was pregnant with me,” Eddie said. “Molasses built her iron back up.” More than 100 different companies manufactured cane mills in the 1800s, Eddie said. “Basically anyone who made farm equipment made the mills,” he noted. The Norris family’s mill, made in 1890 by the Chattanooga Plow Company, was originally designed to squeeze 42

High Country Magazine

the juice from the cane plants as a horse walked around the mill in circles, but the family engineered a more advanced way of powering the mill by using a tractor engine. When Aaron took over operations two years ago, however, he replaced the tractor engine with a 1916 International Harvester engine that is “rated at a whopping six horsepower,” he said. The hitand-miss engine, when compared to the tractor engine, may be more capricious and a step back in time, but it reflects one of Aaron’s principal interests—automotives. “He started liking old stuff around age 8,” Eddie said. “I took him to tractor shows [growing up].” Both Aaron and his friend AJ Miller—

December 2009

Longtime family friend Daniel Miller feeds cane stalks into the mill (brown jacket) while Aaron and A.J. Miller, Daniel’s older brother, reposition the belt on the wheel to keep the mill running (above).

who has come to the Norris property every year to help “make” since he was young—graduated from the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville. “Both [Aaron and A.J.] are certified Ford mechanics, but they prefer the old stuff,” Eddie said, naming antique tractors and

engines as their ongoing interests. A.J.’s younger brother Daniel Miller, who is currently living in Charlotte and studying automotives at Central Piedmont Community College, also enjoys coming to the farm to help make and especially to enjoy the finished prod-

uct. “Getting to sop the boiler” is his favorite part of the process, Daniel said. Soppers are little wooden spoons, he explained, that the family and friends use to eat molasses straight out of the boiler, because it tastes best “right when it’s fresh made and still warm.”

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How They Make Cane is fed though the mill usually two stalks at a time since there are two holes, and the juice is channeled down a chute attached to the side of the mill while the post-squeeze stalks pile up on the ground in front of the mill. An old feed sack, fastened to the end of the chute, serves to strain the cane juice. Many people use cheesecloth instead of feed sacks, Aaron said. A person uses a pitchfork to transfer the flattened stalks onto the bed of a truck, and the stalks are then mostly piled in the garden, where they rot and become fertilizer, with small portions fed to the cows. “It’ll make [the cows] sick if they eat too much,” Aaron said. Once strained, the liquid is scooped up in bucketloads and poured onto another straining cloth stretched across a barrel. If it does not drain through easily, a cane stalk is used to agitate the juice sitting on the top of the cloth. “This is about a 10:1 ratio,” Aaron said of the cane juice. “If we have about 10 gallons of juice, when we get through, there should be about a gallon of molasses.” The barrel holds 50 gallons of cane juice, and the boiler, a large metal tub used to cook the juice into the final product, holds 100 gallons. A hose hooked to the

A.J. Miller, a longtime family friend of the Norris family, uses a pitchfork to load the flattened sorghum cane stalks into the bed of a truck. After the stalks are run through the mill to extract the juice, most of the stalks are piled in the garden or field to become fertilizer while a smaller portion becomes feed for the Norris family’s cows.

bottom of the barrel runs downhill to the boiler, so the juice is transferred into the boiler by “gravity feed.” The cane harvest takes the family the better part of three days. Two truckloads of cut cane stalks must be squeezed to fill one barrel with juice, so four truckloads are necessary to fill the boiler, Daniel said. Each year, the family cooks three boilers full, each of which results in 10 to 12 gallons of molasses. The cooking process often takes place at night, after a day of running cane through the mill. Once the wood stacked under the boiler is lit, a crowd gathers. “Usually at night, a lot of people come to watch,” Eddie said, adding that the big fire underneath the boiler provides welcome warmth as the temperature cools. Once the cane juice starts boiling, for 30 minutes, two people skim off the dark

“I don’t think I could ever make a living off making molasses, but I plan to keep doing it for fun every year. It’s real neat to do something that my grandpa and everyone before me did.” ~Aaron Norris, fifth-generation molasses maker green impurities that rise to the top of the liquid. “One person can keep it skimmed after that,” Eddie said, adding that over the course of the total boiling time— about five hours—they fill a five-gallon bucket full of impurities. As to what exactly the dark green impurities are, “I have no idea,” Eddie said.

When the juice has cooked into molasses—now dark brown instead of a striking green—the boiler is set on sawhorses to cool and the molasses is strained once more through a muslin sack before being portioned into glass jars, which sell for $10 each. A sign by the end of Triple E Drive, the gravel road leading into the Norris prop-

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A stack of firewood awaits the boiler, located inside the barn (above). The men of the Norris family take a momen’s respite by the boiler (below), with Coy holding his great-grandson Dakota and brothers Eddie and Denny standing behind Aaron, who represents the fifth generation in the family line to make molasses.

erty, announces “molasses” with an arrow pointing the way, and, although they do sell to chance customers, it is the regulars who purchase the majority of the molasses. “Mostly we sell [molasses] to people we’ve sold to through the years,” Eddie said, adding that Mack Brown of Mack Brown

December 2009

Chevrolet in Boone is “probably the best customer I’ve ever had. In 1976, I bought the first new vehicle I’d ever bought from Mack Brown. I told him I needed to get some of my money back.” Mack stepped up to the lighthearted challenge and has purchased three to six gallons of molas-

Aaron strains cane juice through an old feed sack stretched across a barrel (above left) while Dakota watches. Aaron squeezes out the juice (above right) that does not drain through a feed sack on its own. Eddie and Dakota (bottom) skim the impurities off the cane juice as it cooks in the 100-gallon boiler. December 2009

High Country Magazine

“This is about a 10:1 ratio. If we have about 10 gallons of [cane] juice, when we get through, there should be about a gallon of molasses.” ~Aaron Norris ses every year since, which he distributes to customers who buy cars, along with honey and other sweet substances he buys locally, Eddie said. “I sell him at least a case of quarts [12 quarts] each year,” he added. The Norris family sells the homemade sweetener until they run out, usually about a month after they make, said Eddie’s 23-year-old daughter Brittany.

Working With the Plants Last year for the first time, Aaron grew young cane plants hydroponically—he planted the seeds in Styrofoam containers that floated on a tub of water in a makeshift greenhouse, which was rigged up at the end of the driveway. This system was patterned after the way tobacco growers used to grow tobacco plants, Aaron said, adding that he talked to many sorghum cane growers out West who practice hydroponic growing and decided to try it. Aaron is a member of the National Sweet Sorghum Producers and Processors Association, and he said he talked to “a lot of people who do it across the country” while attending the National Sorghum Convention. Sorghum cane is a type of grass, so the young plants are identical in appearance to grass or a common weed when they first begin to grow, Aaron said. Growing cane plants hydroponically “lets the cane get bigger than the weeds,” Eddie said, explaining that this makes the hoeing process a great deal easier. “I don’t like hoeing,” Aaron added, lightheartedly. The cane plants spent four weeks growing in the makeshift greenhouse until they can be planted in the ground in May. “Cane has a really long growing season,” Eddie said, which is “not good for the mountain climate. We have to plant as early as we can, [and we] have to have [to remove the leaves] before it frosts. If it frosts while the leaves are still on it, it will sour the juice.” The plants are able to continue growing and ripening with no leaves and are not harmed by frosts if they are leafless, Brittany said. “The leaves also have a very bitter taste, so they cannot be left on when we grind the cane,” she added. “[Removing the leaves from the cane] takes a really long time, depending on 48

High Country Magazine

Life Is Sweeter With Sorghum Syrup: Best Molasses Cookies The Norris family’s favorite recipe for molasses cookies is that of “Cheap Joe’s aunt,” said Eddie Norris. “When I was little, she’d make these and bring them to church. I’d give her molasses because she’d make cookies.” That favorite recipe, by Hazel M. Stanberry, is as follows.

Molasses Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening (Crisco) 1/4 cup molasses 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 cups plain flour 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp salt

Melt shortening in a three- or fourquart saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Add sugar, molasses and egg and beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, salt and cinnamon. Add to the first mixture. Mix well. Chill thoroughly. Form into one-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake in moderate oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes. Yield is four dozen cookies. how many people you have to help,” Brittany said. After the cane is stripped of leaves and before it passes through the mill, it is cut down and topped—the top part that contains the seeds is removed, Brittany said. “Some of these tops are kept, hung upside down in the basement and the seeds are used for next year.” Sorghum cane favors a dry climate, Eddie said. “It didn’t grow as big and didn’t ripen as much this year. It needs sunshine,

December 2009

[and] it didn’t get much this year.” The cane stalks generally grow from six to 10 feet tall, averaging around eight feet. “Most this year averaged about seven feet, not quite as tall,” Eddie mused. This year, the Norrises made molasses the first weekend in October and produced a total of 35 gallons. “Normally we make the last weekend in September, but it rained so much, [we were] a little behind [this year],” Eddie said. Norris Family History of Molasses Molasses has been a part of the Norris family history for a long time— Eddie’s mother actually went into labor while she was filling jars with the sweet stuff. “We’ve been making for years and years and years,” Eddie said. Aaron’s grandfather—Eddie’s father—Coy Norris bought 43 acres of land from his uncle for $2,000, Eddie said, adding that the property has been in the family’s possession for 200 years. Coy’s grandfather Jake built the oldest house still standing on the property, and Coy still lives in the house that he built in 1955. Eddie, along with his wife Ellen, Aaron and Brittany, live in a house right up the hill from Coy’s house. Coy made up to 200 gallons of molasses per year until he was employed in construction work in the 1960s. “He started cutting back on it once he got a full-time job,” Eddie said. “He used to farm for a living.” Besides making molasses from his own plants, Coy also routinely made for three to four other people. By the time Eddie graduated from high school in 1975, though, his two brothers had left home and with the loss of manpower, Coy had downsized farming operations to just the cane patch and a small garden. “It takes four people to be able to take a boiler off,” said Eddie’s oldest brother, Denny. Denny now resides on the land adjacent to Eddie’s, where he grows hay and raises cattle. He continues to regularly lend a hand in the family’s molasses endeavors. “Now we make more for enjoyment, just to keep it going,” Denny said. When Coy’s wife Elsie died, molasses production stopped for three years. “We quit for three years until last year after

Sopping the boiler (above) is perhaps the mostanticipated part of the molasses-making process. Once the bright green cane juice boils for about five hours and turns into dark brown molasses, wooden spoons are used for quality assurance taste-testing, as well as to scrape leftover molasses from the boiler once the molasses is poured into jars. Aaron (middle), sister Brittany (right) and their cousin Charity (left) enjoy fresh, warm molasses. Photo submitted

mother died,” Eddie said. “I wouldn’t let Aaron do it until he got out of school; I didn’t want him out of school. When he graduated from college last year, he started making again.” About half an acre of land, located down the hill from their house, is dedicated to growing cane, and Aaron “does most of the looking after it,” Eddie said. “We just help,” Denny agreed. Denny’s wife Charlotte often bakes with molasses, putting it in spaghetti sauce, beans, molasses cookies and other foods, he said. Aaron also helps Tim Wilson, another Watauga County resident who makes, with the mechanics of the process. Tim uses steam from an old steam engine to boil the molasses, and the same steam engine is hooked to his cane mill to grind the cane, Eddie said. “Aaron goes and helps him make [and] keeps the engine running,” he said. The future of the family’s deep-rooted tradition of molasses-making looks bright. Aaron plans on keeping operations rolling, and even upping production in coming years. “I don’t think I could ever make a living off making molasses, but I plan to keep doing it for fun every year,” Aaron said. “It’s real neat to do something that my grandpa and everyone before me did.” w December 2009

High Country Magazine

More Than 100 Years of Heritage Story by Randy Johnson 50

High Country Magazine

December 2009

The Hartleys

Robert Hartley (left), Grandfather Mountain’s former manager and current historian, has brought his family’s formative involvement with the mountain into the 21st century. His father Joe Hartley started the family tradition of service on Grandfather—long before the Swinging Bridge spanned the virgin peaks seen at the top of this mid-20th century aerial photo. Attic Window and MacRae Peaks lie in the middle ground. Photos by Hugh Morton

ugh Morton is a towering figure in the history of Grandfather Mountain, but others have played pivotal roles in the mountain’s past. Like the Mortons, and the MacRaes before them, the Hartley family of Linville has left an extraordinary stamp on Grandfather—a more than century-long tradition of service. That remarkable record starts with Joe Hartley—who “hired on” in 1890—helped build the Old Yonahlossee Road and started the Singing on the Mountain (entering its 86th year). Joe’s son, Joe Lee Hartley, served as mountain manager from his dad’s time into the late 1960s. And when Joe Lee left, his brother Robert Hartley followed him as manager and is still serving today as mountain historian at age 87. Between the father and two sons, the

Grandfather Mountain careers of the Hartleys have spanned an amazing 120 years (in 2010) and have built a bridge from the 19th to the 21st century. Next time you’re driving to the Swinging Bridge, pull into Cliffside Overlook. That distant view is a perfect place to ponder the historical horizon of the Hartleys. The earliest “road to the top” of Grandfather ended here in the 1930s at a rustic log vista and gift shop. Joe helped build the road and Robert remembers driving his dad to the site. Forrest Gump curve is just below—so dubbed because one of the solitary running scenes in the classic movie was filmed there. No frivolity intended: both Robert, his brother, and his father each have an almost Gumplike ability to turn up at key moments in history, in this case, the history of Grandfather Mountain and the High Country.

Early Years

I first met Robert, the latest of Grandfather’s Hartleys, more than 30 years ago when I started the mountain’s trail program and worked closely with him in his role as mountain manager. He was an impressive introduction to the High Country. Despite health problems, he’s much the same now as then. His chiseled face is as iconic of his family—and the mountains—as Grandfather’s own craggy profile. The unflinching gaze of appraisal in his wizened eyes marks him as a true mountain man, born and bred. For the Linville Hartleys, the “early years” started in 1740 when ancestors first arrived in America. By 1800, Reuben Hartley (Robert’s great-great-grandfather) and family were “among the earlier

December 2009

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For many who assume that MacRae Meadows was named for the Wilmington MacRae family, and that the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games may be just a “tourist event,” it can come as a surprise to learn that the bagpipes of Alexander MacRae, a bonafide immigrant from the Highlands of Scotland, were echoing under the peaks of Grandfather Mountain in the late 1800s.

settlers” of Ashe, later Watauga County. Their large tract of land was referenced as the eastern boundary of Boone when the town was formed. Graves in the Ruben Hartley cemetery had to be relocated when ground was broken for the new Watauga High School. Robert’s great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Hartley, may have sold 52

High Country Magazine

December 2009

land to Moses Cone. Robert’s grandfather, Elbert Joshua Hartley, was a Confederate veteran, one of four of Thomas Jefferson’s sons—each of whom lost a son of his own in the war. After the war, Elbert Joshua farmed in the Shull’s Mill area of Watauga County, literally on the Hound Ears golf course north of Shull’s Mill Road by the Wa-

tauga River. Robert’s father, Joe Hartley (actually Joseph Larkin Hartley), was born there in 1871. Much of that “bottom land” was owned by the Shull family, Robert said. “Pop told me that when he was 16, he plowed that land with a yoke of oxen and Mr. Shull gave him 50 cents a day.”

The Move to Linville

When Alexander MacRae moved to what became known as MacRae Meadows, the fields were a rude opening in the otherwise virgin timber of a towering, millenia-old forest. Joe Hartley came to Linville to build the Yonahlossee Road and he lodged with the MacRaes during construction.

Joe set out for Linville through Blowing Rock. At about the same time Joe was plowing with oxen, a Wilmington native was finding his way into Western North Carolina. Hugh MacRae was the first to arrive of the MacRae family, which would later lead to Morton family involvement with Grandfather. At MIT, Hugh MacRae was studying mining, which had been a mainstay of the mountain economy for years—the Cranberry mine south of Banner Elk supplied the Confederacy. “Hugh MacRae would catch a train to Hickory and that’s virtually where civilization stopped,” Robert said. “He’d rent a horse and buggy at the livery stable, kind’a like a rental car today, and come up and stay at Green Park Hotel.” “In 1888, my daddy went up and got

December 2009

High Country Magazine

The Wilson Creek bridge on the Yonahlossee Road in an early 1900s photo (above). The surrounding terrain looks much the same today, as does the view of “Leaning Rock,” so popular with early sightseers (below left). No longer used as an alternate route for the Blue Ridge Parkway, US 221 is now a quiet, best-kept-secret drive between Blowing Rock and Linville.

a job waiting on tables at Green Park,” Robert said. “He was about 18 years old, waited on Mr. MacRae, who started telling him about the land he was wanting to develop—said he wanted to build a golf course. Can you imagine? In 18 and 88, who wants a golf course?” Hugh MacRae also met a man named Samuel Kelsey, the developer of the resort area of Highlands, North Carolina. Kelsey made MacRae aware of a large tract of land owned by the Lenoir family and MacRae’s family bought it. The 16,000 acres—a virgin forest-covered swath later deemed grand enough to be considered as a national park—sprawled from Linville north, up and over Sugar 54

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Mountain, and east across and down the side of Grandfather Mountain.

The Real “First” MacRae

By 1890, Joe was in the employ of Hugh MacRae. One of the first jobs was building a road from Blowing Rock to Linville, across the eastern flank of Grandfather Mountain. That’s when Joe met Alexander MacRae—the first MacRae at Grandfather Mountain, who ironically, was not related to Hugh MacRae and the MacRaes of Wilmington. Alexander MacRae was a recent immigrant from Scotland. The Scot had almost returned to the old country

after finding the lowland Carolinas far too hot. Luckily, someone had urged him up in altitude, and it was there that Joe found Alexander “Aleck” MacRae living, naturally enough, at “MacRae Meadows,” happily raising sheep and playing his bagpipes. It seems that “the Lenoirs had brought Alexander MacRae up here to raise cattle and sheep and so forth on their mountain land,” Robert said. The MacRae’s big boarding house sat beside the current Grandfather Mountain office—Highland Games entrance No. 3. Alexander supervised the building of what would become known as Yonahlossee Road (“bear trail” for all the bruins encountered during construction), and Joe worked with him. “Pop stayed with the MacRaes,” Robert said. “He got 65 cents a day and gave Mrs. MacRae 30 cents a day for his board.” The road was built and “evidently Mr. MacRae and the mountain men just eyeballed it through the woods,” Robert said. They did a good job. “At the time, December 2009

High Country Magazine

“Look at what you see today from Linville to Boone—now imagine what it was like back when there wasn’t anything there,” Robert asked, with the light of memory vivid in his eyes.

In the 1930s, the “road to the top of Grandfather Mountain” terminated at the present Cliffside Overlook. The parking area and rustic gift shop clung to the crags where a bridle trail continued on to Invershiel. The intrepid would climb on, to the peaks where the Swinging Bridge is located today. Photo by Hugh Morton

you had to take that road to Blowing Rock just to get to Boone.” A stage coach route extended the Blowing Rock tourist trail and spelled success for Linville, designed from the ground up as a resort town. The town burgeoned with the opening of Eseeola Lodge and classic chestnut bark covered “cottages.” The private road became a public highway in the 1930s and then the “alternate Blue Ridge Parkway” while the Linn Cove Viaduct was built. That level, winding road is still worth a detour today. 56

High Country Magazine

In 1916, Joe bought 15 acres from the Linville Improvement Company and built the “home place” where son Robert and his second wife Clara still live today—at the top of Joe Hartley Road. Robert was born in the house in 1922—“and my mamma died 2 days later,” he said. “That left Pop with eight children and a baby two months old.” Joe’s four other brothers would also work in Linville or make the move there, leading Joe to quip, “I moved up there to get away from them and they all followed me!”

December 2009

Logs, Logs, Logs

Eventually, the lumber companies that were stripping the Southern Appalachians cast their eyes on the High Country. The virgin forests vanished, and the MacRaes created the D&H MacRae Lumber Company to log some of their own land. The logging didn’t please Joe. “My daddy wasn’t happy when they took the virgin forest off of Grandfather Mountain,” said Robert. “He was a naturalist, he’d say this is God’s country and man is tearing it up. You hear that more now than you used to.”

The mountain needed a formal entry point, so the landmark stone entrance station still in use today was built in 1942. The shot at left was taken during the blizzards of 1960 by then mountain manager Joe Lee Hartley.

Robert started riding a bus to school in Newland—when he caught it. “We’d done missed the bus, but then you’d hear the train a’coming, cut through town and get a ride on Tweetsie.”

Timber Time Past

Nevertheless, Hartley oversaw the logging, “making sure the timber cutters were complying with their agreements. He’d go through the woods with a measuring stick and as a little boy I’d go with him.” Logging and tourism eventually made

it attractive to extend the Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad—Tweetsie—from Cranberry through Newland, to Pineola (called Saginaw back then), and on to Linville (originally called Clay, then Porcelain) and Boone. In 1932,

With the mountains trimmed of trees and Linville rising as a resort town, attention turned to tourism— and Grandfather Mountain. Long before a road, “there was just a bridle trail up the mountain to what we call Cliffside. My daddy built it so the ladies could ride horses up there. That was big back then. Folks would ride their horses up to that wide place by the cliff that my daddy always called the hitching ground.” A road eventually followed. “In 1938,” Robert said, “when I got my driver’s license—you always remember when you

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Throughout his life, Joe Hartley pursued farming while working for the Linville Improvement Company. He supplied fresh produce to many area tourist facilities. In this undated Hugh Morton photo, likely from the 1950s, he’s shown in the field beside his home in Linville (where Robert and Clara Hartley live today).

got your driver’s license— I had to drive my daddy because he didn’t drive.” One of Robert’s first trips took his father “up to check on the work they were doing on a crushed rock road right across from Split Rock.” That boulder is still an attraction near the environmental habitats on today’s

drive up Grandfather. “They did hand drilling, with nine pound hammers, and eventually cleared out one lane up to Cliffside.” You can still see the start of that original toll road—an old road grade to the left as you enter the Grandfather Mountain office driveway off of Highway 221.

“Alexander MacRae’s son Johnny had a little store there, so they put the entrance beside it and he took the tolls. I got my social security card in 19 and 39,” said Robert, “so I’d help Johnny on a Sunday. I guess that was the first time I got on the payroll.” The toll was 50 cents for car and driver, and 25 cents for each additional passenger. “Back then, if you got 25 cars you done good,” Robert said. “That was the Depression days and men’s wages for sawmill workers, timber cutters, peons like myself, we got $1.50 a day. There wasn’t a wage by the hour...bless his heart, that came in with Roosevelt.” Sometimes when traffic was slow at Grandfather, “Johnny would get tipsy,” Robert said, chuckling. “Someone would

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December 2009

pull up, he’d approach the car, and the person would ask, ‘What’s up thar?’ ‘Well,’ Johnny’d say, looking quizzical, ‘there’s a mountain up there. What do you think is up thar?’” That situation wasn’t working out. In 1942 they built the small stone entrance station, “and that was the first time there was electricity up there.” Joe’s eye roamed higher up the mountain. From Cliffside, some people would walk the bridle trail to the peaks now spanned by the Swinging Bridge. Some would even go higher—in the early 1940s, Joe, Robert and others cut what was later called the Grandfather Trail—not as a trail, but to serve as an access route and firebreak in case of fire (slash from logging still littered the peaks). Joe, said Robert, “was a jack of all trades, I think, timber warden, fire warden, game warden.” He was a passionate promoter of walking and Grandfather Mountain was almost his private backcountry preserve. He was also a dreamer. “The toll road just didn’t make money,” Robert said, “and my daddy kept tellin ‘em, people aren’t going to pay you to walk this ‘cause people are lazy. If you’ll put a road to the top of the mountain everyone will want to go. That can’t be done, they told him,” said Robert.

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The popular media has been a firm friend of Grandfather Mountain. In one noteworthy incident, Mildred the Bear actually got her name during the filming of a segment for the Arthur Smith Show. Photo by Hugh Morton

The Great Depression

The Depression hit the mountains hard. “I remember people standing at my dad’s back door begging, asking, ‘Uncle Joe, could you let me have a few potatoes. We don’t got nothin’ to eat.’” During that time, people stopped by unannounced and often stayed awhile. One visitor was Shepherd Dugger, author of the classic The Balsam Groves of the Grandfather Mountain (Italic title). “Dad and Dugger were great friends,” said Robert. “We boys didn’t like that visit—we got put off the bed to sleep on the floor!” Robert pointed to an upstairs window in his house. “Right up there is where Shepherd Dugger revised The Balsam Groves of the Grandfather Mountain in 1936.” “In 1940, the big flood came and the railroad we’d depended on was washed away,” Robert recalled. “They didn’t build it back—the timber had been hauled out, the mines were going down. Then, World War II came along and that 60

High Country Magazine

really [made the business even less viable].” Wartime rationing almost ended leisure travel and the dismal decade of the ‘40s also brought a polio epidemic. During that time, “everybody was in financial trouble,” Robert remembered. “Imagine you’re paying tax on 16,000 acres of land.” That’s when the “summer people, as we called them, you know, the rich,” stepped in. In the late 1940s, the homeowners formed Linville Resorts Inc., and the MacRae’s Linville Co. sold them Eseeola Lodge, the golf club, and 1,000 acres of land. Robert had joined the Army in 1944, returned in 1947 and built a small house in Linville in 1949, but the future still didn’t look bright. “Look at what you see today from Linville to Boone—now imagine what it was like back when there wasn’t anything there,” Robert asked, with the light of memory vivid in his eyes. “There wasn’t much you could do. We closed the toll gate down in mid-November. You see it

December 2009

a lot in these mountains. Sometimes you have to move away to come back.” Robert was hired by a munitions plant in Kingsport, “as a civilian employee for the Army. I went down there to work one winter—and stayed 18 years.” Robert “built a home down there,” he said. “I got acquainted with people, and they asked, ‘Why don’t you come to the post office.’” Robert worked as an office clerk, truck driver and mail carrier. By then—from 1950 through the late 1960s—Robert’s older brother Joe Lee had been hired as the mountain’s manager. “Singing on the Mountain,” the Hartley family reunion/gospel singing event that patriarch Joe had started in 1925, was becoming a big time event, in part through the promotional help of a young guy named Hugh Morton— and attendees such as Dr. Billy Graham, Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and a long list of North Carolina governors. “I’d come back from Kingsport to help my daddy with his Singing and on weekends, and my brother Joe Lee, he was like Tom Sawyer,” Robert said. “He’d say, ‘You gotta come help, I can’t do it all.’ And I never thought of getting paid for it,” Robert said, laughing. “It was the family work.”

From MacRae to Morton

That “family work” really started for Joe’s sons when Hugh MacRae Morton returned from World War II as a decorated, wounded veteran. Hugh’s mother, Agnes MacRae, had married Julian Morton, and after the War, the family property had been divided among the grandchildren. “Hugh wanted the mountain—and he got it,” Robert said. “So here comes Hugh,” Robert continued, “late ‘40s, just out of the service. Hugh said, ‘I’ve got 4,000 acres, what am I going to do with a rock pile? How am I going to pay taxes on it?’ Grandfather Mountain was just a stalemate as far as income.” There was one bright spot—old Joe. “At this time,” Robert said, “Hugh Mor-

ton’s father was telling him that when Hugh inherited Grandfather Mountain— he inherited my daddy!” “He’d been there all the time, you know,” Robert said. “And my daddy started telling Hugh the same thing he’d been saying for 20 years—build a road up there.” Years later, Joe Lee and Robert attended a press conference with Hugh as Grandfather Golf and Country Club was beginning. “Hugh introduced us to these people,” Robert said, beaming with pride. “If I am a success,” Morton said, looking at Joe Lee and Robert, “I owe a lot of it to their daddy. He advised me what to do [build a road up the mountain]. And I gambled and took the chance on his advice.” Hugh did just that. “People said it couldn’t be done,” Robert said, “but my daddy and I had eye-balled it. I knowed you could build a road up there. So Hugh Morton mortgaged Grandfather Mountain. Wachovia was the only bank who would talk to him. That’s why we still do business with Wachovia.”

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A Bridge to Somewhere

With Robert “off the mountain” in Tennessee, Joe Lee figured most prominently at Grandfather. “One day,” said Robert, “Joe Lee and Hugh Morton got to talking about what he was going to do, about extending the road up, and Joe Lee and Hugh walked up from Cliffside and talked about the feasibility of building a road to the top. “They wound up the trail and climbed up on Linville Peak and Joe Lee was a telling him that as boys we’d always sit there and see if we could a throw rock across the gorge between the peaks. They were talking about what folks would do if they got up there, and Joe Lee told Hugh that we’d always say, ‘well if they’d build a bridge across here we wouldn’t have walk all the way around to get out here.’ And Hugh said, ‘Well, maybe we could build a bridge across there.’” “And of course,” Robert said, “if you don’t think something can be done, well, tell Hugh Morton that. He brought up an engineering firm from Greensboro, told them what he wanted to do. They took their measurements right down to the foot. Took their data back to Greensboro, and built a bridge. They took it apart and put it back together on Grandfather Mountain. You can’t do that, some people said! You know the rest,” Robert said with a smile.

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High Country Magazine

Robert Hartley, Hugh Morton, and Joe Lee Hartley (L to R)—the men of Grandfather Mountain, in 2000.

Robert’s Road

Curtis R. Page, DDS, PA

Joe passed away at age 95 in 1966 while Joe Lee was serving as mountain manager. Grandfather Golf and Country Club had gotten underway and Joe Lee Hartley had been invited to work on that project. To make that happen, Robert came back to Linville. “I had a pretty good job at the post office,” he said. “At first, I said I didn’t know who could take Joe Lee’s place. But by this time my daddy had left me his house and I said yes.” In an April 1968 letter to Robert, Hugh said a lot had been accomplished on the mountain since World War II but he believed “we will accomplish even more... working with you,” someone with a “love of the mountain comparable to our own.” Robert returned in 1968 and his first wife Elizabeth died of breast cancer in 1970. “One of the earlier things we did when I got back was black-topping the road in 1971 and remodeling and widening those curves so we could get buses,” he said. “You couldn’t maintain a crushed rock road up that mountain to save yore life. People’d come back down there wanting to fight with you!”

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“Then we got into the bear business,” said Robert. Wildlife interests were trying to expand the severely diminished bear population and two bears were scheduled for release on Grandfather. “Pretty soon, we had a cage out there with two bears in it,” Robert recalled. Longtime employee Winston Church looked at the cage and said, “We’ll have a zoo.” Little did they know! They turned those bears loose, but as luck would have it, most of the bears introduced were males so they brought in a female from the Atlanta Zoo. That bear had been the office pet, and she wouldn’t leave after being “reintroduced,” even with a special ceremonial send-off filmed for the

Development came to “the top” of Grandfather Mountain (actually one of the lower peaks) with the installation of the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. The landmark of the North Carolina tourism industry debuted in 1952. Photo by Hugh Morton

Arthur Smith Show in Charlotte. During the filming, Arthur Smith’s brother Ralph tried to shoo away the friendly animal and came up with “Get away from here Mildred!” The bear had her name. After repeated and problematical sojourns to houses around Linville, Mildred became the mountain’s resident bear. On Robert’s watch, the creation and management of a brand new zoological park came to Grandfather Mountain. Mildred and other bears became attractions at daily shows—until Hugh met with the people building a new “habitatstyle” North Carolina Zoo. Robert said, “Hugh invited them up to talk about building something here. People don’t like to see an animal tied up. Their first thought is ‘Why are you doing that?’” The experts told “us, you’ve got the per-

fect natural setting here for a habitat.” That started it. “Then we had to build a place for the cubs. Then we got into deer,” he said. Then one day Winston Church called and said, “There’s a man up here with a panther!” Today the habitats—with added residents like eagles and otters—are among the high points of a Grandfather visit. “It’s a big thrill for people,” Robert said. “The public needs a place to see wildlife in a natural setting.”

Looking Back

Robert retired in 1984, but his continuing role keeps him in touch with a key part of his life—“working with a man who was a mastermind of promotion. Hugh Morton made his mountain and our area famous with photography.” “As I look back, at the economy of Av-

ery and Watauga County,” Robert said, “it’s hard to imagine how much Hugh Morton’s family has done for this area—not just now—but as long as 100 years ago. “There wasn’t any work here,” said Robert. “To think, when I growed up, you could go to Johnson City and say ‘Grandfather Mountain’—and people wouldn’t know what you was talking about.” Times have changed, thanks to a guy named Hugh Morton—and more than a few people with the last name of Hartley.

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December 2009

Caring for the

Whole Person

High Country Hospice Focuses on the Person, Not the Disease

Story by Jason Gilmer • Photography by Karen Lehmann

harles “Mac” Townsend wondered which days his “little music girl” would visit. Saddled with a diagnosis of colon cancer and lymphoma of the stomach, the visits from Susan Pepper, a High Country Hospice volunteer, kept him going. “If he had a bad day and Susan came, he picked up,” said Townsend’s daughter, Wanda Cline. “It really helped us. It brought a smile to our face, too, for someone to bring a smile to his face.” Sounds from Pepper’s dulcimer or banjo, along with her voice, would always give Townsend a smile. Those folk songs were enough to lift his spirits. Pepper would drive to the Townsend’s old home place near the Dutch Creek area in Valle Crucis and sit with him a couple of times a week. They’d talk about his garden, the apple trees or his ducks. They’d talk about his cancer, his wife who died last year and his family. Pepper would be in the living room with the ailing father of three while Cline would be in the kitchen. There, she had time to can and freeze apples, or do other chores, while Pepper spent time with her father. Pepper is one of many volunteers for the local organization and while sitting and talking with a Hospice patient may seem small, it was a great help to Townsend’s family. When he died on March 14, Pepper and other Hospice workers were with the family at their home. “She brightened his day,” Cline said. “He brightened mine, too,” Pepper said, “just how courageous he was to be so upbeat. He was not down about things when I was there. He’d give me a big smile.” Townsend was that way with anyone who pulled into the driveway to visit with him as he battled cancer for 11 months. He’d hear a visitor coming and put on a smile for them. Pepper brought that smile out even more often. “I was lucky to know Mac,” Pepper said. “We were lucky to know you,” Cline said.

Opposite page: Abby Cole was one of the many family members saddened by the death of High Country Hospice patient Charles “Mac” Townsend in March. Cole holds a photograph of her great grandfather at his home recently, where the family still gathers to spend time together. December 2009

High Country Magazine

Wanda Cline and brothers Dale (together in photo at left) and Charles Townsend took care of their father, Mac, during his fight with cancer. They were greatly assisted by Hospice volunteers, such as Susan Pepper (pictured on left with Cline in top right photo). Mac and his wife, Reba, were married for more than 60 years and used to produce molasses together (pictured on bottom).

What is Hospice?

When Townsend was diagnosed with cancer, just a week after his wife of more than 60 years died, High Country Hospice was brought in to help the family. Cline and her brothers, Charles and Dale Townsend, had cared for their parents for more than three years, spending nights there to make sure they were okay. They didn’t know how much help Hospice could be. “I didn’t realize what Hospice would do,” Cline said. “I was really reluctant to having someone come in, because I thought that no one could take care of him like we can. Hospice, though, did a remarkable job.” It isn’t unusual for people to not have a lot of information on what Hospice does. It’s a problem that Hospice is trying to remedy. Betsy Thomas, manager of professional services for the Watauga County office of High Country Hospice, fields questions often about the program. “We provide services when patients are living with a life-threatening, lifelimiting disease process,” Thomas said.

High Country Magazine

“When the time has come, either because treatments and therapies are no longer working or they aren’t a candidate, or a patient says I’m tired of this.” Hospice comes in, Thomas explained, “When they’ve come to the point that it’s time to focus on the person with the disease, more than focusing on the disease that the person has.” Hospice workers don’t just focus on the physical care for a patient, but for the mental and spiritual care, too. “We take care of the whole person,” said Candice Cook, marketing director for High Country Hospice. “It’s not like we’re going in and just providing physical care. That’s one aspect. We want to take care of the whole person and whole family.”

December 2009

Hospice workers help patients with cancer, heart and lung disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s. From nurses to nursing aides to social workers, chaplains and volunteers, Hospice care helps patients and the patients’ family while they are still living and even after death. “We’re big on saying that bringing in Hospice isn’t all about death, it’s about as much life you can pack into the days you have left,” said chaplain Virginia Peurifoy. High Country Hospice is the only nonprofit hospice provider in the county.

What is High Country Hospice? H

igh Country Healthcare System (HCHS) is a nonprofit, private, communitybased, home healthcare organization that has been in the business of providing home health services to Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties for more than 30 years. HCHS is a joint venture of Ashe Memorial Hospital and Appalachian District Health

Volunteer coordinator Vickie Woods’ new job consists of finding and keeping volunteers, along with placing the volunteers (many are seated behind her) with the right family and patient.

Department, and is accredited by the Joint Commission. The mission of HCHS is to provide comprehensive and quality services in the home at a reasonable cost to residents in its service area, to provide health education, to promote healthy living and to maintain a safe home environment. For more information, click to www. highcountryhospice.com.

“I didn’t realize what Hospice would do. I was really reluctant to having someone come in, because I thought that no one could take care of him like we can. Hospice, though, did a remarkable job.” -Wanda Cline, daughter of Hospice patient

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High Country Magazine

The staff at High Country Hospice: back row (left to right): social worker Sara Shoemaker, certified nursing assistant Jeanne Dedmon, chaplain Virginia Peurifoy, registered nurse Christi Canter, director of professional services Betsy Thomas; front row (left to right): office assistant Revonda Matheson, marketer Candice Cook, bereavement coordinator Jennifer Johnson and office assistant Brittany Smith. Not pictured: registered nurse Alberta Miller and volunteer coordinator Vickie Woods.

“It’s difficult but for me it is a passion. I find such fulfillment in my job, primarily because I want people to find comfort and peace at the end of life almost as much as they find it with birth. I want them to see it as a natural cycle.” -High Country Hospice Chaplain Virginia Peurifoy

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The staff of 12, along with volunteers, sees an average of 30 patients every day. They work with patients in Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties. The staff at the Watauga office, which is located in Birch Tree Suites on Furman Road in Boone, only deals with patients in Watauga County. “It’s tough because the ones who do know about us have this image of the Grim Reaper knocking at the door,” Thomas said, “instead of all the things we can do to help them now that their hope has changed to a different kind of hope.”

It Takes a Village

To help care for the “whole person,” there are multiple roles for staff and volunteers to fulfill. December 2009

There are registered nurses and certified nursing assistants who work with the physical aspects of the patients. They can do things from administering pharmaceuticals to bathing the patient. Hospice works with the patient’s primary physician to ensure that the care is in the best interest of the patient. Social workers can help with dealing with insurance companies and lawyers to counseling and supporting the patient and family. The work can be challenging, social worker Sara Shoemaker said, and it’s not unusual to think about patients and their families even when she gets home. “You think about it,” she said. “You think about the families. You even dream about the families and different situations. “We try to work them through from

It takes a lot of helpful people to make High Country Hospice, the only nonprofit Hospice in Watauga County, work. Here is a group of employees and volunteers. Pictured on back row (from left to right): chaplain Virginia Peurifoy, bereavement coordinator Jennifer Johnson and office assistant Brittany Smith. Pictured on front row (from left to right): volunteers June Sam, Pat Anderson and Janice Johnson and volunteer coordinator Vickie Woods.

beginning to end,” Shoemaker added. “Some are prepared with pending death, while some are totally overwhelmed.” The chaplain helps with the spiritual side of life and death and helping the patient prepare mentally for the remainder of their life. “It’s difficult but for me it is a passion,” said Peurifoy. “I find such fulfillment in my job, primarily because I want people to find comfort and peace at the end of life almost as much as they find it with birth. I want them to see it as a natural cycle.” Volunteers are able to do a multitude of tasks, from sitting with patients in the home to helping in the office. “A lot of times people think we just go in and give people pain medicine and that’s not the case at all,” Cook said. Each of the disciplines within High Country Hospice work together to ensure the best care for the patient and their family. Staff members began working for Hospice for different reasons, but mostly they want to help others. December 2009

High Country Magazine

Butterfly Ornaments For Sale H

igh Country Hospice is selling butterfly ornaments as a fundraiser this Christmas. These aren’t just ornaments for your Frasier Firs, though. Once the season is over, these ornaments can be planted in your yard and wildflowers will grow from them. The cost of the ornaments is $2 apiece and they can be bought from at the Watauga County office of High Country Hospice, located at 136 Furman Road in Boone. This isn’t the only way that High Country Hospice raises money. The nonprofit organization raised more than $200,000 last year to help defer costs. Medicare, Medicaid and

some insurance companies pay Hospice companies for their services. High Country Hospice doesn’t turn patients without these payment options away, though, and the group sometimes doesn’t get paid at all. To raise money, High Country Hospice hosts a fall ball, annual bazaar, a fundraising campaign and receives donations from the community. Some Hospice families will ask for donations en lieu of flowers at funerals. To donate, click to www. highcountryhospice.com and click on “Donate” for options. One option is to donate through the website, or you can download a donation form and send checks or cash through snail mail.

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Mac’s great-granddaughter Abby Cole isn’t the only person who misses Mac. The family, along with the Hospice workers who helped take care of him, were happy to get to know the former Valle Crucis resident.

Listening, they said, is one of the greatest gifts they can give a patient. Thomas had her own Hospice story when she became a Hospice nurse. “This is my opportunity to give back for what was given to us,” she said. “For me, personally, I don’t know of anything that would be more rewarding than to do this. To know that in some small way, you’ve had a part of a patient and family’s life at the worse time in their life and have been able to help them in some way. “When we get a card that says ‘Thank you,’ that’s when we feel like we’ve been paid.”

Never Enough Volunteers

Like trying to fit a puzzle together, former volunteer coordinator Janet Trivett would arrange volunteers to help patients. She and current volunteer coordinator Vickie Woods have the task of finding people to help Hospice patients.

As Trivett said, the coordinator’s job is to “find volunteers, train volunteers, retain volunteers, place volunteers and work with volunteers in any way.” The Watauga office has more than 15 volunteers but there is always a need for volunteers who are willing to take an hour or two a week to help with Hospice. The time doesn’t sound like much, but it is helpful to family members and caregivers of Hospice patients. From sitting with a patient and listening to a story they’ve told one hundred times to singing old hymns to a dementia patient, there are plenty of ways to help. “If you can look back and think that you made a little bit of a difference, [volunteering] really is good,” Trivett said. Going into a home, though, isn’t the only way to volunteer. Inside the office, there are plenty of things that volunteers are used to do, like working the front desk or helping with mailings.

Volunteers go through a training session where they learn how to work with Hospice patients. Those going into homes will spend 12 hours in class before they ever turn a doorknob. The fight for finding those willing to help is ongoing. “A lot of people are just waiting for something to give their time to,” Woods said. Cline, like many others in the High Country and across the nation, wasn’t sure what Hospice could do for her family. After seeing what the group can do firsthand, she is happy to share her thoughts with others about the group. “They told me what to expect,” Cline said. “Each time, they explained the visits and what they saw in terms of him going downhill. If they saw him improving one day, they’d tell us ‘he’s doing great today.’ “I just feel like they did a good job all in all. It’s a wonderful organization for everyone concerned.” w

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Buzz is Back Story by Bill F. Hensley • Photography by James Fay

hat’s the good news around the ASU campus this summer, as former basketball coach Robert Bower Peterson Jr., who has lived with the nickname of Buzz since childhood, recently returned to the fold. “He’s back home where he belongs,” sighed a co-ed when she saw the tall, handsome Peterson walk into his office in the Holmes Center. “He’s a winner.” And so he is, especially to die-hard Mountaineer fans who remember when he was an assistant coach and his fouryear stay as head coach for ASU from 1996 to 2000. During that stretch, the popular and personable coach—a UNC product and Dean Smith disciple—compiled a 79-39 record that included a 47-12 mark in Southern Conference play and a league championship. During that same span, Peterson was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year twice and led the Mountaineers to a rare NCAA tournament appearance. Because of his success at ASU, the University of Tulsa came calling and lured Peterson away with some big bucks. At Tulsa, his first year resulted in a 26-11

High Country Magazine

record and the championship of the famed NIT (National Invitational Tournament). And then another team came calling—this time the University of Tennessee—who hired him to return the Vols to basketball prominence. But things didn’t work out in Knoxville as planned. In four years, Peterson charted a disappointing 6159 record, but made two NIT appearances despite a variety of problems that besieged the team. He was fired with four years to go on his contract. “That was a major setback in my career,” he offered. “Even though everyone concerned worked hard to overcome some difficult situations, we just couldn’t solve all the problems.” While at Tennessee, Peterson served under five presidents during his tenure. From Tennessee, he went east to Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and spent two years there, winning 35 games and losing 25. That’s when Michael Jordan, his former UNC roommate and long-time friend, came calling and persuaded him

December 2009

After being away from ASU for almost nine years, Peterson has moved back into an office in Boone. He led the Mountaineers to three straight 20-win seasons before leaving in 2000.

to join the NBA Charlotte Bobcats as director of player personnel. He was in that job when ASU Athletics Director Charlie Cobb persuaded him to return to his roots at ASU. “We are excited to have Coach Peterson return to guide our men’s basketball program,” Cobb said. “He brings a tremendous amount of energy and expertise and

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Whether in the locker room or on the court, Peterson is teaching his

ASU Men’s ASU 2009-10 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Mountaineers to be a more defensive-minded squad.

Date

Opponent / Location

Time (EST)

Friday, November 13

vs. UNC Wilmington

7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 14

at East Tennessee State

7:00 p.m.

and I no longer have to explain things

Tuesday, November 17

vs. Lees McRae

7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 20

at Arkansas

7:00 p.m.

about Appalachian. Because of the school’s

Monday, November 23

at Louisville

7:00 p.m.

great football success, we have become

Saturday, November 28

vs. Morgan State

3:00 p.m.

Monday, November 30

vs. Winthrop

7:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 3

vs. Furman

7:00 p.m.*

Monday, December 7

at Wofford

7:00 p.m.*

Thursday, December 17

vs. Milligan

7:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 19

at Robert Morris

7:00 p.m.

Monday, December 21

at Dayton

7:00 p.m.

“I have already found a lot of changes since I left. The league is much stronger,

a household name and students want to come here. I’m excited about that.” -Buzz Peterson

Wednesday, December 30 at Campbell

understands the importance of a successful basketball program. He is eager to be involved with the young men on the team and the students supporting us across the campus.” Getting Peterson to leave the pro ranks was not easy, Cobb admitted, “but I knew that deep in his heart he wanted to coach.” UNC Head Coach Roy Williams was delighted when he heard that Peterson was returning to ASU. “He is a great fit for the Mountaineers,” Williams commented. “He is a young man who truly loves to coach, and I think he missed it when he was in the NBA. I believe his calling is on the college level, and I think he will have a great career.” When the season opens this fall, Peterson will be faced with a team that won 13 games last year while losing 19. Can he turn things around? “I definitely think we can,” Peterson replied. “Even though we had only one scholarship that we could offer, there are five seniors, four juniors and five sophomores on the squad, so that’s good experience. It will be my job to

Wednesday, January 6

vs. The Citadel

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, January 9

at Davidson

2:00 p.m.*

Wednesday, January 13

vs. Elon

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, January 16

vs. UNC Greensboro

3:00 p.m.*

Wednesday, January 20

at Georgia Southern

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, January 23

vs. Western Carolina

3:00 p.m.*

Thursday, January 28

at Samford

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, January 30

at Chattanooga

7:30 p.m.*

Monday, February 1

vs. King College

Saturday, February 6

at Western Carolina

7:00 p.m.*

Monday, February 08

at UNC Greensboro

7:00 p.m.*

Thursday, February 11

vs. Davidson

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, February 13

vs. Georgia Southern

3:00 p.m.*

Wednesday, February 17

at College Of Charleston

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, February 20

vs. ESPNU BracketBusters

Monday, February 22

at Elon

7:00 p.m.*

Thursday, February 25

vs. Chattanooga

7:00 p.m.*

Saturday, February 27

vs. Samford

3:00 p.m.*

High Country Magazine

December 2009

7:00 p.m.

TBA

Southern Conference Championship Tournament Friday, March 5-Monday, March 8 at Charlotte, N.C.,

* = Denotes Southern Conference games

8:00 p.m.

TBA

Buzz’s Boys ASU Men’s Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview

f a basketball team is a family, then ASU men’s coach Buzz Peterson just married into a close-knit bunch. Twelve players, including five seniors and six juniors, are part of the Mountaineers squad this season. Peterson found out about the team’s make-up when he and the squad played two exhibitions games—both wins—in the Bahamas over the summer. “We got to know them and found out they had good chemistry,” said Peterson, who returns to the ASU bench after nine seasons away. “I expected that.” The next expectation is to return the Mountaineers to the glory years that Peterson led them on during his first tenure as head coach. During that time, the Mountaineers won three regular season Southern Conference championships and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. ASU opened the season at 7:00 p.m. on November 13 against UNC Wilmington at the Holmes Center. To get the Mountaineers back to the top of the Southern Conference—they were third in the North Division last season with a 9-11 conference record—Peterson will make the team a more defensive unit. Last season, they gave up 76.8 points per game, second worst in the conference. Offensively, they averaged 76 points, third best in the conference. “I’m more concerned about what we do on defense,” Peterson said. “I don’t want to have a team that scores that many points, I want to keep it down.” “It’s a learning process,” senior A.J. Highsmith said of the new style. “[Coach Peterson] is trying to implement his system, his way of playing the game and his intensity on the defensive side.” Still, though, the Mountaineers will look to stay uptempo, with All-Southern Conference guard Kellen Brand and point guard Ryann Abraham leading the assault. While points can be scored in transition, Peterson likes having his post players get the ball inside. “I believe in a high-percentage shot—let the big guys get the ball,” Peterson said. This means that junior center Isaac Butts and senior forward Josh Hunter, who combined to average 17.4 points last season, may get more shots. If they can’t get shots down low, they’ll look to kick it out to open shooters like Brand (14.8 points per game (ppg) last season), Abraham (9.8 ppg) and junior guard Donald Sims (13.7 ppg). “We have great three-point shooters on the team,” said junior guard Jeremi Booth, who averaged 4.4 points last season. “If our big man gets the ball and looks opposite, then three-pointers are open all day.” Four starters—Sims, Brand, Hunter and Butts—return this season and the Mountaineers return 87 percent of its scoring from last season. Story by Jason Gilmer

Players surround Peterson and his coaching staff during a timeout as the new coach for the Mountaineers draws a play up for the players to execute.

ASU Men’s ASU 2009-10 Men’s Basketball Roster No.

Name

Position Year

Height Weight

Donald Sims

Jr.

6-1

170

Ryann Abraham

Sr.

5-10

185

Nathan Healy

Fr.

6-7

210

Marcus WrighT

So.

6-0

190

Jeremi Booth

Jr.

6-5

205

Kellen Brand

Sr.

6-1

185

J.R. Archer

Jr.,

6-3

205

Josh Hunter

Sr.

6-6

245

A.J. Highsmith

Sr.

6-4

205

Isaac Butts

Jr.

6-10

285

Tyler Webb

Sr.

6-9

230

Josh Nirenberg

Fr.

6-9

265

Ryan Kilmartin

Fr.

6-4

200

Andre Williamson F

So.

6-7

225

Anthony Breeze

Jr.

6-5

230*

Omar Carter

Jr.

6-5

220*

* = Must sit out this year due to NCAA rules for transfers

December 2009

High Country Magazine

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December 2009

motivate the players and make them believe in themselves. Good basketball players have confidence in their ability.” Meanwhile, the 6-foot-4 inch Asheville native with the movie star good looks, is beating the bushes looking for talented players who want to “head to the hills” of Watauga County. “I have already found a lot of changes since I left,” Peterson said. “The league is much stronger, and I no longer have to explain things about Appalachian. Because of the school’s great football success, we have become a household name and students want to come here. I’m excited about that.” When Peterson isn’t diligently searching for the next high school superstar, he enjoys reading—mostly biographies—and playing golf. An eight handicapper who can hit it a long way, he works on his short game whenever he can because “that’s how to score better.” He once shot a 70 on the Grove Park Inn course in his hometown. He had never played golf until he went to Chapel Hill. “A classmate—Davis Love III—talked Michael and me into taking up the game,” he commented, “and he was our teacher. How’s that for getting off to a great start?” Peterson said that he and Jordan have a running battle over who is the better player. “The best way I can get under Michael’s skin is to remind him who was basketball

“[Buzz Peterson] is a great fit for the Mountaineers. He is a young man who truly loves to coach, and I think he missed it when he was in the NBA. I believe his calling is on the college level, and I think he will have a great career.” -UNC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Roy Williams

Hanging in the rafters of the Holmes Center are a couple of Southern Conference championship banners from Peterson’s first tenure as the Apps head coach. He’ll try to get the Mountaineers back to that level of play this season.

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Senior forward Josh Hunter (25) attempts a free throw during the November 17 game at the Holmes Center versus Lees-McRae. Coach Peterson hopes Hunter and junior center Isaac Butts will get more shots in the paint this season.

player of the year in North Carolina our senior year in high school,” Peterson said. For the record, Peterson nosed out Jordan—from Wilmington—for the honor. “I never let him forget that,” Peterson smiled, “and I won’t let him talk about his professional career.” If not winning at Tennessee was his biggest disappointment to date, playing for Smith and the Tar Heels and winning a national championship was his biggest thrill. “We had a great team in 1982 when we won,” he stated, “but actually I thought the 1984 team was better.” That team had Jordan, Peterson, Brad Daughtery, Sam Perkins and Matt Doherty and finished with a 28-3 record in-

High Country Magazine

cluding 21 straight wins. The Heels lost to Indiana in the NCAA tournament. But an even bigger thrill than winning, he pointed out, is staying in touch with his former players. “You will never know how great it is to have former players call and ask how I’m doing,” he said. “Those lasting friendships provide the ultimate reward in athletics.” Peterson, 46, is married to the former Jan Maney of Mars Hill, and the couple has three children, all of whom are active in athletics. “Nicole, 17, likes basketball; Oliva, 13, is into running; and Rob, 11, is a basketball nut. Jan used to play golf but a long par five

December 2009

at Hound Ears a few years back made her quit the game,” Peterson said. Since returning to Boone, Peterson is staying hot on the recruiting trail, renewing a lot of old friendships and getting settled in some familiar surroundings. “I’m looking forward to when my family moves up after Nicole finishes high school,” he offered, “because I’m a big family man.” Peterson is ready to make the necessary sacrifices to win at ASU. “We have a fine staff, great facilities, an enthusiastic group of players and the desire to win,” he said proudly. “That’s the way I like it. I promise that we will do our best.” Truly, the buzz is back in ASU basketball. w

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“We have a fine staff, great facilities, an enthusiastic group of players and the desire to win. That’s the way I like it. I promise that we will do our best.” -Buzz Peterson

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Cozy Without Warmth the Weight DeWoolfson

How Foscoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brought Down to American Bedrooms

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Story by

Anna Oakes

Photography by

Greg Williams

rom its humble beginnings in Boone and Foscoe, DeWoolfson Down has become a leading manufacturer of fine quality down comforters and other products in the United States. By emphasizing the casual, multi-functional qualities of European-style down comforters, the award-winning and nationally recognized company actually helped revolutionize the way Americans sleep. In 2006, The Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney magazine named DeWoolfson Down’s white goose down comforter its “Best Performer” in a fill-power test—overdelivering on its advertised fill-power by 13 percent. “Sometimes you do get what you pay for,” the article said. DeWoolfson’s innovations, quality and customer service have made the local company the premier manufacturer of down products in the Southeast.

Sleeping Like the Germans

Richard Schaffer began his career practicing law in the early 1970s. In 1977, he moved to Boone, where he taught business law and international law in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University until retiring in 2001. A trip across the pond in the ‘70s was the catalyst for an entrepreneurial endeavor. “Like many Americans in the 1970s, I had traveled to Europe and came back with a down comforter that I had bought there—in Germany,” said Richard. The purchase set Richard to thinking about the marked differences between American and European bedclothes. At that time in America, bedding was very formal and quite dressy—an elaborate combination of sheets, blankets, bedspreads, top sheets and matching shams. The heavy bedspread, often used primarily for decoration, would be thrown aside at night to be replaced every morning to make the “very perfect-looking bed,” Richard said.

December 2009

High Country Magazine

“I was a business school professor who wanted to do what I preached.”

Richard Schaffer, a retired business law professor who taught at ASU’s Walker College of Business, found the inspiration for starting his company DeWoolfson Down after a visit to Europe, where down comforters were common in the 1970s. But to adapt down comforters for the American market, Schaffer had to overcome a few cultural obstacles.

In places like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, however, the bedroom ensemble is much more simple and pragmatic. Whether in homes or hotels, the slumberous effortlessly wrap themselves in a bag of warm, cozy feather down. The bed is minimally dressed, with only a fitted sheet and the down comforter— or duvet—and perhaps a duvet cover. Husbands and wives often have separate down comforters—or daunendeckes— that envelop them like cocoons. “It becomes everything—the bedspread, blanket and top sheet all rolled into one,” remarked Richard. “In Germany, it was a very different look and a different sleeping experience.” Back in the High Country, Richard also noticed a trend in the High Country’s burgeoning second home market. “People wanted more casual living,” he said. “I saw a change in American bedrooms. They were becoming more comfortable and more casual. Taking a bedspread off every night didn’t make any sense.” And then it clicked. “Being an international business professor, I started to think of a way that this might make a very interesting internation84

High Country Magazine

al business experience for me,” Richard said. He partnered with Marsha Turner, a staff member in the College of Business’ dean’s office with sewing experience. “I knew the business end, and I had contacts overseas,” said Richard. “I knew little about sewing and sewing construction, and she did. It was a good combination.” But bringing German-style down comforters to American beds meant adapting the product for the U.S. market. “International business is not just about exporting; it’s also about importing,” noted Richard. “When you import services and products and ideas, you have to adapt them to your market culturally.” Goose down feathers are of a quality suitable for bedding. In Europe, down feathers are a byproduct of the geese that are a common part of the continental diet. “We had no goose down in America. We eat chicken and turkey, and there’s no down from them,” Richard said. Down products have been common in Europe for centuries—as part of a longstanding tradition, newly married couples receive a down comforter and down pillows as wedding gifts.

December 2009

Adapting to American Beds

Richard started contacting European suppliers of downproof fabric and goose down fills. “But I ran into some early problems.” The mills in Germany didn’t want to produce the fabrics wide enough for American beds. And they wanted to produce them in colors that were suitable for the German market—not in white and natural shades, as Richard desired. “I had a lot of cultural and international business things to overcome to adapt [down comforters] for the American market,” he said. “They had to be bigger and wider for American beds. They had to be a lighter weight for our warmer climates.” Finally, he found a European supplier who believed in what he was doing and who was willing to provide Richard with the materials needed to produce comforters in the States. “I built the first blowing machine in order to blow feathers into comforters, and Marsha sewed them,” Richard said. “We started very small. We literally started this on a back porch.” As Marsha recalls, a truck with bales

of down would arrive in front of her hilltop home on King Street in Boone, and her kids would run down the steps to haul the bales to the house. The name “DeWoolfson” is Richard’s mother’s family name. His grandparents sailed to America from London in 1911 on the Lusitania—a ship that was later sunk by a German torpedo in 1915. “I thought it fitting to name it after my Mom’s family,” he said. After founding the company in 1982, Richard and Marsha moved the business to its first building in Foscoe in 1985. The location has been expanded several times since then and continues to serve as the business’ flagship retail store and company headquarters. The DeWoolfson Down factory is located just down the road in Foscoe.

European-Sourced, American Made

To produce its European-quality down comforters, DeWoolfson uses a baffled box construction with extremely close sewing specifications to eliminate shifting. “When we first started 25 years ago, we did not have the equipment to weigh out down to the 100th of an ounce,” said Richard. Working with an engineer in California, Richard designed special equipment to precisely blow down fill into fabric. “The tremendous technical advances in equipment we’ve had have allowed us to produce state-of-the-art comforters,” said Richard. Over the years, DeWoolfson has learned a lot about downproof ticking—the fabric that encases the down fill. Americans tend to think that anything with a higher thread count is better, Richard said, but that’s not accurate. “What really makes a fine sheet to sleep on is the quality of the yarn,” he said. DeWoolfson products are made using fabrics, including cotton, silk, organic cotton and the company’s trademark Lyosilk, from several European countries—but primarily from Germany and Austria. “One hundred percent of our fabrics and 100 percent of our down are still sourced in Europe,” Richard said. “To assure quality control, all of our down fills that are of European origin are washed, rinsed and processed in the USA under very strict supervision.” Lyosilk is manufactured from a material called lyocell—“the first really new all-natural fiber in the last 40 years,” noted Richard. Lyocell is harvested from domestically raised or harvested and sustainable eucalyptus plants. The material is hydrostatic—it absorbs one-third more moisture than cotton and evaporates moisture at a rate one-third faster than cotton. “It’s more cottony than cotton and nearly as silky as silk,” explained Richard. “It is a wonder-

DeWoolfson Down’s signature comforters, pillows and feather beds are manufactured at a plant in Foscoe and shipped within 24 to 48 hours because the plant is constantly producing—nothing is packed and stored in a warehouse. Every product is meticulously inspected for quality. December 2009

High Country Magazine

ful fiber, and DeWoolfson was one of the first companies to use a downproof lyocell to manufacture its comforters.” In addition, DeWoolfson’s down comforters are available in five different warmth levels tailored to climate and preferred room temperature—ranging from “Florida Light” to “Canadian Winter.” And DeWoolfson not only manufactures down comforters, but also down blankets and throws, pillows and featherbeds. To complement its down products, DeWoolfson also sells luxurious linens, towels and other bed and bath products from the leading names in the business. Every down product is meticulously inspected at the plant in Foscoe. If ordered, items are shipped within 24 to 48 hours because the plant is constantly producing. “Nothing is packed overseas and put in a warehouse,” Richard said. The DeWoolfson leader said he would venture to say that the majority of down comforters and pillows sold in America are filled

overseas, vacuum packed and loaded into the hull of a ship for a 30-day trip across the Pacific, subjecting the products to compression and humidity. “You can’t end up with a quality product after that,” he said. A combination of quality products and customer service have led to DeWoolfson’s growth and success over the past quarter-century. For example, if you buy a down pillow and it’s not the right firmness, you can bring it back to DeWoolfson anytime within a year and the company will add down or take down out to reach the correct firmness. “We’ve done that since the day I’ve started in business and we do it today,” he said.

An Expanding Enterprise

Although DeWoolfson is now incorporated, Richard and Marsha are still actively involved in running the daily opera-

tions of the business. “Today the business is no longer what it was when we started it,” said Richard. Today, the Watauga-based company supplies specialty stores and fine linens stores and catalogs all across the country and also produces private label products for other companies. Since launching a website in the late ‘90s, Internet sales have provided a large amount of business to DeWoolfson. Its products have been shipped to such worldwide locales as the Dominican Republic, London, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, Dubai and Egypt, among many others. DeWoolfson’s websites include www.DeWoolfsonDown.com and www. DeWoolfsonLinens.com. “We find today that our wholesale sales and Internet sales are our key to positioning us in the retail market,” Richard said. “We consider ourselves a manufacturer first and a retailer of down products and fine linens second.”

Finding a New Life Purpose ichard Schaffer credits his success with DeWoolfson with making it possible for him and his wife Avery to volunteer their time in search and rescue work. Richard and Avery—an emergency room nurse at area hospitals—are members of the Linville-Central Rescue Squad and are also canine handlers with the North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association (NCSARDA). “This is what I’ve really devoted myself to since I retired from ASU,” Richard said. “This is what DeWoolfson makes possible. I feel fortunate enough to have a business that permits me to be away for two or three days on a search at a time.” NCSARDA, a unit of 13 dogs and their handlers, is a resource to law enforcement, rescue and emergency management agencies all across North Carolina and in surrounding states. Richard said he and his wife have each worked about 100 missing person searches in the past seven or eight years and travel to Colorado twice a year to continue their dogs’ training. Their searches in four different

High Country Magazine

states have included lost and missing children, lost hikers and hunters, Alzheimer’s patients, despondents (persons at risk for suicide), drownings and cadaver searches. Earlier this year, they searched on Roan Mountain for two missing children, ages 4 and 6, who were later found. Richard and his dog Rocky located a suicide victim at Mount Jefferson State Park in Ashe County. In January, they located an elderly man in Maggie Valley who was reported missing from his home around midnight. The dogs began their search around 5:00 a.m., and 20 minutes later, Avery’s dog Finch found the man, who had slipped into a drain. He was found unresponsive at an air temperature of 16 degrees in water that was 35 degrees. His core body temperature had dipped to the 80-degree range, but the man survived. “I really love what I do,” Richard said. “I can’t imagine living a different life. I feel so fortunate to be able to give back to people.” For more information about NCSARDA, click to www.ncsarda.org.

December 2009

In addition to its flagship retail store in Foscoe, DeWoolfson also operates retail stores in Blowing Rock and in Charlotte. Many of the company’s employees—from its plant workers to store managers— have been with DeWoolfson for many years. After more than 25 years in the business, Richard feels satisfied to have incorporated his knowledge of business law into DeWoolfson, and conversely, his experience from running DeWoolfson into his teaching. “I was a business school professor who wanted to do what I preached.” w

DeWoolfson Down’s flagship store in Foscoe features a recently expanded showroom with 10 beds. In addition to down comforters, DeWoolfson’s retail stores sell pillows, bed and bath linens, fragrances and bed frames.

December 2009

High Country Magazine

Holiday On Ice Ice Skating in the High Country Story by Sam Calhoun Photography by Peter Morris

High Country Magazine

December 2009

Skiing doesn’t reign alone in the High Country snowsport world. Almost forty years ago, skiing’s timeless and more inclusive younger brother, ice skating, showed up on the local scene, offering an exciting activity for family and friends of all ages and skill levels. Today, the simple pleasure of a day or night on the ice is alive, thriving and readily available at Sugar Mountain Resort (pictured), Appalachian Ski Mountain and Beech Mountain Resort. Photo by Todd Bush

ack in the late 1960s, in a time when the seemingly indomitable Carolina Caribbean Corporation was finding its legs and sprinting toward extraordinary, the uppermost crest of Beech Mountain was abuzz with the earth movers, hammers and saws of progress. Among the gnarled Beech trees, bannered pines and rocky knolls, the forefathers of the High Country were hard at work dreaming and crafting the ultimate winter destination. Though its intended draw was the newfound chic sport of skiing, the entire lifestyle of the Carolina Caribbean Corporation and its Beech Mountain was intentionally centered on the Beech Tree Village. With its poignant and crafted feel of Bavaria, the village provoked social gathering for all walks of people— from families to youth, visitors to locals, partygoers to professionals and from amateur athletes to show-offs. This symbiotic symmetry was no fluke— it was intended, all in the name of creating the perfect holiday, the perfect escape. So it was no mistake that in the epicenter of this village—this playground for the privileged ones that understood the riches of wintertime in the southern Appalachian highlands—Grover C.

Robbins, Jr., the visionary behind Carolina Caribbean Corporation, and his peers placed a timeless and all-inclusive attraction, an ice skating rink. Within a year, by 1970, the ice skating rink—Ski Beech’s center ice—had proved its purpose perfectly. All ages of visitors used it regularly, often 300 in one day. “It was extremely popular then, and it’s extremely popular now,” shared Gil Adams, marketing director at Beech Mountain Resort.

The Hardest Part of Skating Is the Ice

Not a lot of mystery surrounds why ice skating is so popular. Unlike skiing or snowboarding—and now tubing—ice skating is not overly intimidating to the novice. Sure, at first it may be hard to find your balance as you slide across the ice on a form of Doc Martins with meat cleavers attached to the soles, but the activity’s learning curve is fast, even for the adolescent or most uncoordinated in the group. “We see every type of person on our ice rink,” said Kim Jochl, Sugar Mountain Resort director of marketing. “It adds a lot to our offerings,” said Ryan Costin, director of operations for Beech Mountain Resort. “Everyone can participate [in the activity], and it’s a lot

December 2009

High Country Magazine

“A lot of older women and men feel nostalgic about skating. They loved it as kids, then they stopped and now they have rediscovered it.” Kim Jochl, Sugar Mountain Resort director of marketing.

less intimidating than strapping on skis or a snowboard at the top of a mountain. Ice skating is just more inviting.” Other than accessibility and ice skating’s all-inclusive nature, the activity is also romantic. Tangible images from The New Yorker featuring Northerners wrapped in warm clothes and tracing figure eights on the surface of a glistening frozen pond come to mind, as does Rockefeller Center at Christmas and picturesque reflections of the moon on a sleepy river in the dead of winter. Today, that romanticism is there for the taking at the High Country’s three main ice rinks on any day of the week, and it’s accented by rink-side bonfires, moonlit skating sessions and seasonal snowfall.

plentiful in the High Country. Center ice is still open at Beech Mountain Resort—though it is no longer owned and operated by the Carolina Caribbean Corporation—and both Sugar Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain also have added the activity to their roster of offerings. All three resorts aim to offer customers the complete winter getaway package, and all three recognize the important part ice skating plays in that experience. “It’s been a great addition to our winter snowsports. Now when people come they can enjoy not just skiing, but ice skating, snowboarding, tubing,” explained Jochl.

A Holiday On Ice

Thanks to Carolina Caribbean’s Jimmy Durham, Beech’s skating director in the 1970s, the original jetsetters of Beech Mountain enjoyed professional ice skating shows—complete with skaters jumping over barrels and through hoops of fire—every weekend, utilizing top-bill talent from the wildly popular touring show, Holiday On Ice. And it was. Now, almost 40 years after the first skate carved into Beech Tree Village’s center ice, offerings of ice skating are 90

High Country Magazine

Seven Months of Winter, Five Months of Bad Ice Skating

An old adage in the Northeast states, “There are seven months of winter and then five months of bad ice skating.” While the window of opportunity for maintaining suitable ice conditions is much shorter in the South, Sugar, Appalachian and Beech do quite well, offering customers pristine ice skating conditions from roughly Thanksgiving until the end of March. All three resorts feature state-of-theart refrigerated rinks that are lit for night-

December 2009

Each resort in the High Country that offers ice skating—Appalachian, Beech and Sugar—goes out of its way to serve customers. Appalachian, for instance, installed retractable shade cloths 15 feet above the skate surface to protect against the melting rays of the sun between sessions, and uses a Zamboni—the icelaying machines that steal the show at hockey games across the country—to perfect its base layer. “With ice skating, you are paying for the quality of the skating surface,” said App’s Brad Moretz.

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form on Sugar’s center ice, displaying the triple axles, Salchows, loops and flips that made him a household name in the 1990s. Wylie will also lead an on-ice skating clinic and a meet-and-greet session at both 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on December 12. To participate, attendees must purchase an ice skating session. For more information, click to www.seesugar.com/sugarfest.

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

Get On the Ice!

Sugar Mountain Resort, Beech Mountain Resort and Appalachian Ski Mountain offer customers multiple daily chances to ice skate. Sessions last about two hours, cost roughly $15 per person, including skate rental, and take place at various times between 10:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Appalachian Ski Mountain 828-295-7828 www.appskimtn.com/activities_ events.php?item=15 Beech Mountain Resort 828-387-2011 www.skibeech.com/skating.html Sugar Mountain Resort 828-898-4521 www.skisugar.com/skating

time skating. And the rinks are substantial in size—Appalachian’s rink is 6,000 square feet, Beech’s rink is 7,000 square feet and Sugar’s is 10,000 square feet. Once open, ice skating sessions take place multiple times per day, seven days a week at each resort. Because sessions last anywhere between 1.75 and two hours, the activity is convenient and easy to plan for large groups that may have busy schedules. And it’s affordable—a session at each resort costs about $15 per person, including skate rental. Sessions begin as early as 10:00 a.m. and end as late as 9:30 p.m., so all atmospheres are covered, and each resort features adjoining buildings where spectators can relax by a fire and sip warm drinks. Both Beech Mountain and Appalachian also feature rink-side bonfires to complete the winter wonderland feel. “I spend a lot of time sitting [near the ice rink] and watching,” said Jochl. “There’s a lot of nostalgia there. A lot of older women and men feel nostalgic about skating. They loved it as kids, then they stopped and now they have rediscovered it. It’s great just to watch.” All three resorts take great pride in

their ice skating rinks. Appalachian, for instance, installed retractable shade cloths 15 feet above the skate surface to protect against the melting rays of the sun between sessions, and uses a Zamboni—the ice-laying machines that steal the show at hockey games across the country—to perfect its base layer. “Using the Zamboni, we can shave down the ice to a smooth surface. With ice skating, you are paying for the quality of the skating surface. If you don’t have that, you have nothing,” said Brad Moretz, Appalachian Ski Mountain general manager. Though ice skating may not be the first activity that comes to mind when dreaming up the perfect winter vacation, it seems to be the activity that draws most visitors back to the High Country once they give it a try. “We get calls all year round asking if our ice skating rink is open,” laughed Moretz. “They don’t ask about skiing and they call in the dead of summer.” Perhaps those customers are just pining for another serene day of gliding effortlessly on ice, framed within a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains—longing for another holiday on ice.

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High Country Magazine

December 2009

Wallace: Beautiful home on a 1 acre manicured lot on Sugar Mtn. Home features 4BR/4.5BA, huge kitchen/breakfast area, separate dining room, great room with stone fireplace, ATV included. Perfect size and location for your family gatherings. $799,000 caRlISle: Exquisite Turtle Creek Townhome offers timber framed mountain elegance, 1st floor master suite, gourmet kitchen, massive stone fireplace, & 2-car garage. $995,000 caYlOR: Perfect Mountain Timberframe Home located on 1.56 acres in the private Twin Rivers Community. 3BR/2.5BA w/vaulted ceilings, stone fp and a wall of windows. $695,000 BRaDleY: Cherished Family Estate home in rural Watauga County. Home features massive beams, huge stone FP, 4BR/3BA, 2 half-bath. 1-acre lot - $895,000. Additional acreage available. lYNaGH: Uncomparable Mountain Retreat on 7.7 exceptional acres close to Blowing Rock! Long range valley & Grandfather Mountain views. 4BD/5BA, 5 real stone masonry fireplaces and gourmet kitchen. $2,395,000 WellMaN: Stunning Mountain Lodge in Valle Crucis with gorgeous views! Over 4300 sq. ft., energy star rating. 4BD/4.5BA, Australian cypress floors, 2 stone fireplaces & beautiful cabinetry & woodwork. $1,175,000 PROcTOR FaRM: Incredible 20.73 fenced acres with 3 BD home, workshop, 6-stall horse barn, hay barn, restored log cabin, 2 ponds, and mountain views! $695,000 FReeMaN: Unsurpassed views from Gorge to Grandfather! Extra deep decks, prof. kitchen, multiple great rooms, impressive stone fireplaces. Wide plank floors, granite, massive beams, detached garage, cul-de-sac privacy. $995,000 caNGelOSI: Spectacular 180° views of Grandfather and beyond from this picture perfect mountain get-away. Huge guest suites all feature sitting areas & private balconies, including an upstairs bedroom w/ large stone fireplace & charming ‘artist’s garret.’ FULLY FURNISHED. $775,000 KaSeRaS: Big Views of Grandfather Mtn. Gracious porches for dining while enjoying the view! Granite, stainless, multiple family rooms, 2 master suites w/fireplace-total of 3 fireplaces Blowing Rock school district. 2-car garage & fenced in yard for dogs. Close to parkway, fine dining, shopping & attractions. $923,000 WOODY: Stunning long range views from this stylish contemporary home! Totally remodeled in private setting. Open living, gourmet kitchen featuring honed granite & limestone counters, vaulted ceiling, & stone fp. Lower level 1BR/1BA w/stone fp. $1,275,000 DAVENPORT: Seclusion and convenience combine in this solidly bulit log cabin. Long range mountain views overlooking rolling pastures. Wrap around porches, beautiful slate tile, oak floors, polished granite countertops, soaring cathedral ceilings and custom features throughout. $624,000

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High Country Magazine

Parting Shot...

Photo by Ken Ketchie

Parting Ways with a Legend T

his December, Appalachian State football fans will say goodbye to senior quarterback Armanti Edwards, who ranks among the greatest—if not the greatest—athlete in the university’s football history. Known for his shy and quiet demeanor off the field but his fierce competitiveness on the turf, the South Carolina native won the starting job as quarterback by the third game of his freshman season. Since then, Edwards has led the Mountaineers to two national championships, four conference titles and an astounding upset of Michigan in 2007 that vaulted the program into national renown. “When we recruited Armanti we knew he was a good player, but I don’t think you ever really project a player to be the kind of player that he’s turned out to be,” head coach Jerry Moore told High Country Magazine in 2008. As of press time, ASU has yet to play in the 2009 playoffs, but up to this point, Edwards has notched a 40-6 career record as a starting quarterback 96

High Country Magazine

and tallied 13,862 career offensive yards—a Southern Conference record and the fourth highest in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history. On October 31 of this year, the dualthreat quarterback became the first player in NCAA Division I history with 9,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards

December 2009

in a career. In 2008, Edwards received the Walter Payton Award—the highest honor at the FCS level—becoming only the sixth underclassmen to win the award. Edwards is favored to become the first ever to win the award twice. Thanks in large part to Edwards’ contributions, ASU has been at the height of FCS football, becoming the FCS national leader in home attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers’ success fueled a campaign to expand the stadium’s seating capacity and build a state-of-the-art athletic center with a press box, luxury suites, club seats and superb training facilities. Edwards will graduate this December— in only 3.5 years—with a bachelor’s degree. Hopefully, we can continue to watch Edwards make spectacular plays at the next level of football. “He’s one of those special players who God has gifted with a great deal of physical and mental toughness that it takes to be a great player,” said Wofford coach Mike Ayers. Good luck, Armanti.

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High Country Magazine

Actual view of Grandfather Mountain from Echota on the Ridge.

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December 2009