John’s Jump and Dew Falls

Fall into Sapphire

Dew Falls

John’s Jump and Dew Falls are a pair of jewels discreetly tucked away in Sapphire.

Not far from Sapphire, you can visit John’s Jump and the nearby Dew Falls. They are both very close to the road requiring short hikes of less than a tenth of a mile each. At 25 feet in height, John’s Jump is the tallest of the two. Despite the fact that it is less than 100 yards from the road, the hike to John’s Jump is more difficult than Dew Falls. A short scramble down a relatively steep path to the base of John’s Jump is required. For the agile the descent is not terribly difficult but we like to tie off a rope at the top and use it for stability to reach the bottom and to return to the top. The unmarked trailhead is at the north end of the grassy parking area described below. We have viewed the falls when the water was flowing at an average pace and found it to be quite beautiful. Dew Falls is only about 10 feet in height but don’t let that stop you from making the 0.1-mile trek. The trail is mostly flat with some downhill close to the base of the falls. Be careful of exposed roots, especially when approaching the falls. Be aware that in wet periods there may be muddy spots along the way. The unmarked trailhead is at the closed gate described in Directions. Dew Falls is much easier to reach than John’s Jump

John’s Jump Falls

Falls but equally as beautiful.

Directions

John’s Jump Falls

From Sapphire, drive east US 64 to Highway 281 and turn right. Go approximately five miles to an unmarked grassy area on the left and park. At the north end of the parking area, you will find the unmarked trail to the falls. You should hear the falls from the parking area. Due to the steepness of the trail, it is not recommended for small children.

Dew Falls

The unmarked trailhead to Dew Falls is a very short distance from the John’s Jump Falls parking area. From the parking area drive back north for about 0.1 mile. On the left side of the road find a closed gate. Park there and locate the trailhead behind the gate. Happy Trails.

by Ed and Cindy Boos

View Highlands Cashiers Waterfall Guide

Never Ceases to Amaze

The gentle hike to Sunset Rock and its mirror Sunrise Rock rewards everyone who makes the trip.

Will the Plateau ever cease to amaze? While most residents and visitors to Highlands are aware of the easily accessible Ravenel Park and Sunset Rock, fascinating facts exist that elude many who trek to the top year-round to view sunrises and sunsets on clear days. Yes, although the less-than-a-mile climb to a stone precipice is officially known as Sunset Rock, there is a sunrise option directly opposite. A short trek down a wooded path brings hikers onto an outcropping of rocks to view not the town of Highlands and Brushy Face Mountain to the west – as is the case while standing on Sunset Rock – but an expansive, wilderness view of Horse Cove and layers upon layers of Blue Ridge Mountain peaks to the east. Fun fact #1: The Ravenel family, with historical ties to Highlands, donated Sunset Rock to Highlands in 1914 as a memorial gift from the children of Captain Samuel Prioleau Ravenel Senior, and his wife, Margaretta, who built an estate in Highlands after the Civil War. The Ravenels were known for their focus on conservationism and assistance in the early development of the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Fun fact #2: Ravenel Park, obviously named for the Ravenels who donated the land more than 100 years ago, is a “public park,” and thus cannot be closed; plus, as a public park, it can be used for events. Visit hicashlt.org. Fun fact #3: Wolf Ridge, on which Ravenel Park is situated, is part of the Eastern Continental Divide. Also referred to as the Appalachian Divide, the term denotes what is called a “hydrographic divide” that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico watershed.

On the Highlands’ vista from Sunset Rock is the Gulf side of the divide, while the sunrise easterly view is toward the Atlantic ocean. Depending on which way rain falls on the ridge, it has the potential to either end up as far away as New Orleans or Savannah.

Fun fact #4: A few significant “high priority conservation” bird species flock to Sunset Rock due to its high elevation, according to the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, including Canada Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Red-breasted Nuthatch. And, in spring, Peregrine

Falcons nest on ledges. Fun fact #5: The “solution pits or pockets” on Sunset Rock that resemble mini pools “are created from uneven weathering of the rock,” said Jason Love, associate director, Highlands Biological Station. “The ones on Sunset are more pronounced because the vegetation that would have filled the pockets has been trampled by visitors, thus allowing the shallow soils to wash away, exposing the bare solution pits. Plant species associated with these shallow soil mats in the Highlands vicinity include Twisted-hair Spikemoss, Long-leaf Bluets, various grasses and sedges, and various fruticose lichens (sometimes referred to collectively as reindeer lichen).” Dogs are able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. To locate the trail to Sunset Rock, take Main Street in Highlands (which then becomes Horse Cove Road) east from the intersection of Highways 28 and 64 in Highlands, 0.5 mile to the Highlands Nature Center. Park here and follow the sign indicating a gravel road to Sunset Rock and Ravenel Park. The road ends at Sunset Rock to the right and the sunrise view to the left.

by Deena Bouknight

Rachel Jordan

Nationally Known Bio Station

A new generation of scholars and researchers is illuminating the changes emerging in the Plateau’s Wild Places.

Joseph Burger

Environmental education and research – these are the two primary factors guiding the mission and work of the Highlands Biological Foundation. Fulfilling this work can take many different forms such as leading daily educational programs at the Highlands Nature Center, hosting nature camps for kids ages 4 to 12, organizing weekly Zahner Conservation Lectures for our community in late-summer, and providing financial support to visiting researchers studying the vast biodiversity of our region. The latter practice has been a part of the Highlands Biological Foundation’s work for over 50 years in the form of Grantsin-Aid of Scientific Research at the Highlands Biological Station, bringing graduate students and research scientists to Highlands from all over the country. This year, the Foundation is thrilled to announce that 12 individuals have been selected to receive GIA awards! This is exciting as the pandemic previously limited research efforts with only four GIAs being awarded in 2020 and six GIAs being awarded in 2021. A few of this year’s GIA recipients are familiar faces at HBS. Rachel Jordan, a fourth-year Ph.D. student from the University of Wisconsin, will be returning for another field season focused on evaluating how native conifers will respond to winter warming. Joseph Burger, a faculty member from the University of Kentucky, will also be returning for a second season of studying biogeography and conservation of Southern Appalachian mountaintop “island” biodiversity. Several new recipients will be welcomed to the Station as well, including Curtis McGehee, a first-year M.S. student from Western Carolina University, who will be investigating whether the Asian Needle Ant (Brachyponera chinensis) invasion affects small vertebrate and leaf litter communities of southern Appalachian forests. Overall, the 2022 GIA research topics are wide ranging as the other recipients will be studying topics from mountaintop mammals and squirrels to bee and fungi biodiversity. Since the program’s initiation, the Foundation has awarded over $350,000 to individuals fostering a better understanding of our region, its incredible biodiversity, and how global climate change will impact it and its inhabitants. For more information about GIAs or other efforts that the Foundation supports at HBS, visit highlandsbiological.org or call us at (828) 526-2221. Highlands Biological Station is a multi-center campus of Western Carolina University. by Winter Gary Communications & Events Coordinator, Highlands Biological Foundation

Doug Lanning

Growing Closer

For landscaper Doug Lanning, that green thumb must be the result of good black Jackson County soil running through his veins.

Douglas Lanning, horticulturist, landscape genius, and gardener extraordinaire is a seventh-generation resident of the Plateau.

He feels a kinship to the settlers of the past two centuries, Maybe that’s because many of those folks were his relatives, the Lannings of Glenville, McCalls of Cashiers, and their extended families. Nearly every one of them was a grower and/or seller of vegetables, flowers, and produce. Two prominent contributions to the community were the Lanning’s apple orchard in Glenville and the Cashiers General Store, run by great grandfather George Robert McCall. Doug’s grandmother, a favorite mentor, was a veggie connoisseur. His aunt ran Rebecca’s Naturals Flower Shop. Doug says, “Gardening was always a part of my family. There’s even some horticulture pros in the clan. I grew up around gardens and always wanted to learn more about them.” Doug didn’t need to get a degree in horticulture. From a tender age, his family gave him an education that would rival any university’s agriculture curriculum. In addition, he apprenticed with John McCarley, landscaper for Lonesome Valley, a title Doug also holds. Even though Doug could probably grow a redwood with spit and a bowl of sand, he’s partial to hand-composted soil and native plants. He’s particularly fond of interspersing native edibles in and amongst native landscape plants. He uses wild strawberries as ground cover, blueberries as a kind of hedge or fill, and blackberries as a protective thicket for native wildlife and fencing. Bonus: all those berries await sugar, butter, and a cobbler crust, just for their grower. It never occurred to Doug to explore possibilities outside the Plateau. It’s here he stays happily planted. Why would a man, soul-deep in love with his home and its history want to leave it? Here’s his philosophy: “Everything is part of a cultural web. When you learn about a culture’s food, you then learn about their gardening practices and that leads you to an understanding of their natural culture regarding wildlife and respect for the land. One culture connects to the next.”

Cultures have more similarities than differences. Flavorings and flours and foods are shared around the world. Cilantro pops up in Vietnam and in Mexico, worlds apart, yet an example of similarities across vast boundaries. As Doug suggests, “We are all growing a planetsized garden.” If you are gradually converting your landscape to native, there are plenty of native plants in local nurseries. Doug reminds us that taking them from the forests will upend the ecology. In closing, Doug offers this insight: “When growing a garden, you’re growing much more than fruits and flowers, you’re growing closer – closer to the past, closer to the present, closer to yourself, and closer to the ones around you.” If you want to know more about native gardening and landscaping and local history (Doug says they are all woven into the same fine cloth) contact him at douglaselanning@ gmail.com.

by Donna Rhodes photos by Susan Renfro

Fly Fishing, the Soothing Sport

You can leave the stress of the modern world behind by simply stepping into the stream.

Fly fishing for me is all about interacting with nature and escaping from the fast-paced life that most of us have come to recognize as normal.

It’s more of a feeling than an activity. When I put the truck in park, and begin to pull my waders on, I am 100 percent certain that one thing is true: The next few hours are going to be great, and there is absolutely nothing that is going to mess that up! I haven’t found many other activities in life that I can say the same thing about. For instance, one of my hobbies is mountain biking. I love mountain biking, but I swear every time I get on the thing, I get a stark reminder that I need to get in better shape. Fly fishing has never done that to me. It’s always been there as the more “therapeutic” of my hobby selections. Sure, things go wrong as they do with everything. Sometimes you fall in the water and get wet…but then you dry out. Sometimes you hang your fly way up in the tree, and must break it off – but again, a little bit of re-rigging and you are right back at it.

Maybe it’s the sound of the water running and tumbling over the rocks that’s so soothing, but I find it hard to get stressed or frustrated standing in a trout stream. I often come to the trout stream that way…but leave feeling better. Then, I always ask myself the same question: “Why don’t I do this more often?”

The month of May is arguably the best time of the year to go fly fishing in Western North Carolina. Make some time to get out there and enjoy it! There’s little that can go wrong, and a whole lot to gain. If you’ve never tried your hand at fly fishing, now is the perfect time – ask a friend that has some experience to take you or consider booking a local fishing guide to show you the ropes. Whether you’re new to the sport, or an old pro, don’t forget to stop into the local fly shop for the inside scoop on what to use and where to go!

The next few hours are going to be great…

By Matt Canter, Brookings Anglers

New World Warblers

With its vivid plumage and joyous catalog of songs, the Hooded Warbler boldly announces its return to the Plateau.

New World warblers comprise more than 50 species of perching birds, migrants that winter in Central and South America and whose summer nesting grounds include the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. These small insectivores have varied plumage and songs that range from the plain to the spectacular. Collectively a group of warblers is called a “bouquet” or sometimes a “confusion” or “fall.” The Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) is found locally in the moist, shady undergrowth of our deciduous forests, part of a vast breeding ground that ranges from Iowa, Michigan, and New England in the north to Florida and the Gulf Coast. The male sports a bright yellow face with a contrasting black hood while the female is more modestly attired with muted color and just a trace of the hood. Both have white spots on their tails which they frequently flash by raising and fanning the tail. Hooded Warblers feed on caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, and beetles, among other insects and spiders. They are also good fly catchers. Nests, near the ground, are small open cups of dried leaves, bark, grass, spider webs, and animal hair that hold three or four creamy white, spotted eggs. The eggs are incubated for 12 days by the female. Although the female builds the nest and incubates the eggs, both parents feed the hatchlings. The parents divide the fledglings when they take to the ground and care for their contingent separately. The male returns to the same breeding ground year after year. The female tends to migrate to new breeding grounds each year. Hooded Warblers have been observed to live for more than eight years. The song of this brightly colored summer resident is a melodic

tawee tawee tawee-teeoo. Its call is a flat squeaky tiip. Because they sing from the treetops, they can be easier to hear than to see.

Happy summer bird watching from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. To join the outings hosted by Audubon check the local website at highlandsaudubonsociety.org. Beginners are welcome. The mission of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is to provide opportunities to enjoy and learn about birds and other wildlife and to promote conservation and restoration of the habitats that support them. HPAS is a 501(c)(3) organization, a Chapter of the National Audubon Society.

by William McReynolds

Land Trust’s BioBlitz

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is extending an invitation to explore the lives of the Plateau’s wild denizens – A May 1 BioBlitz at Dixon Woods Pond. For more information or to sign up, call (828) 526-1111 or email hclt_ed@earthlink.

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s wildlife experts are staging a Dixon Woods Pond BioBlitz from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. Sunday, May 1. Set at HCLT’s public access property, Dixon Woods, this event is part of the annual International BioBlitz, the City Nature Challenge, and state-wide NC BioBlitz.

Participants will look in the pond for tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, fairy shrimp, and more. They can log their own observations using iNaturalist or they can hand over critters they find to be photographed by professional photographer Kevin FitzPatrick and identified by an entomologist. Everyone is invited to take a walk along the network of easy trails at Dixon Woods. Complimentary cookies and lemonade will be provided. This event is appropriate for all ages, and children must be accompanied by an adult. No experience is necessary.

by Luke Osteen

ARTS

Pages 76-99

A Woman of Many Talents

An unusually nimble mind and unexpected heaps of spare time have deepened Beth Townsend’s artistic portfolio.

This past Christmas, Beth Townsend (realtor with McKee Properties) created boxed sets of notecards for her clients – eight different, original paintings reduced to greeting card size. The gift was a tremendous hit. Recipients cheered, “Wow! I never knew you were a painter!” She answered, “I didn’t either!” Painting was Beth’s 20-year well-kept secret. Painting marathons came when time presented itself. But that was only twice in the 20: the first, when she was recovering from an ACL injury, and the second, during Covid quarantine. In those times, she cranked out about 20 significant paintings. How is it that she could switch back and forth from analytical left brain (real estate business) to the right (painting/creativity) after long absences? ‘ Twas a seamless transition, really. She had a medical test indicating her right and left brains are of equal dominance. They snap to attention when called upon. Most unusual. When asked if left and right brains sometimes fight each other, she says, “Well, yes, on occasion. But it makes for a dramatic painting, even though I might scrape the canvas and start all over again…and again.”

Beth Townsend

“Revenge of the Swallowtail” is an example. A favorite sport of Jolene, Beth’s quick-jawed boxer, is snapping butterflies in midair. Beth played with scale in an animated scene so the Swallowtails are gigantic – and they retaliate. The chaos feeds an edgy, yet comical energy. Beth’s right brain presents the emotional; her left brain tends to the details. Growing up, Beth was more athletic and artistic than studious. Give her a tennis racket and a box of art supplies and she was in heaven.

Thus, her physicality and creativity united artfully, producing a wide variety of painting subjects from brightly colored, stirring scenes to serene landscapes, creatures, both wild and domestic, glorious flowers, and fanciful, yet poignant popcorn clouds. In college, Beth studied Landscape Architecture. The aforementioned sports and art complemented her fascination for land, nature, sewing (her grandmother was an accomplished seamstress), baking, and decorating. Those pursuits built a deep interest in a picturesque mountain home lifestyle. It eventually fashioned a life for her in her own charming cottage/farmhouse. While Beth has limited time for art sales and commissions, she continues to entertain both sides of her brain when a window opens long enough to pull out the paints. But the good news for us: There may be giclée’s in our future. Stop by McKee Properties to see a painting or two at 619 Highway 107 South in Cashiers. Call her at (828) 421-6193 or email beth@cashiers.com.

by Donna Rhodes

A Master Class

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center is hosting a Songwriter’s Master Class led by folk music composer John McCutcheon, May 22-26 and June 26-30. For more information or to register, visit themountainrlc.com or call (828) 526-5838.

John McCutcheon

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center at 3872 Dillard Road in Highlands offers year-round opportunities for individuals and groups to grow and learn through a variety of retreats and educational programs. They are particularly excited to invite you to join them and Grammynominated folk musician and songwriter, John McCutcheon who will lead two sessions of an intense, intimate Songwriting Master Class at The Mountain on May 22-26 and again on June 26-30.

Aspiring and experienced songwriters are invited to join other songwriting lovers for this remarkable event in this picturesque setting on Little Scaly Mountain. It’s also a great opportunity for all music lovers to learn about the songwriting process. In between sessions attendees will enjoy breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains; eat healthy, delicious, homemade food; and join in the camaraderie of making music with like-minded souls.

We can just hear the songs around the campfire now, and the experience will be one to remember for a lifetime.

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon has been at the forefront of American folk music since the late ‘70s, covering a wide variety of traditions including Appalachian dulcimer and fiddle music, topical protest songs, and children’s albums. Proficient on numerous instruments including the hammered and mountain dulcimer, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and jaw harp, McCutcheon has also performed widely as a storyteller, written several books, worked as a social and labor activist, and produced albums for other artists.

by Mary Jane McCall

Guest Curators

A new exhibit at The Bascom presents the South’s ever-unfolding story, filtered through a critical aesthetic. It’ll be staged from May 14 to August 27, with a public reception at 5:30 P.M. Thursday, June 16th.

Robert Gwathmey

In Imaginary Landscapes: Stories of the American South, Kate Averett Anderson draws on the multifaceted experiences of life in the South as told by a wide range of 20th and 21st century artists. Anderson’s curatorial vision is to engage with works that, together, create a continuum of stories stretching across time and experience, offering glimpses of the ever-evolving landscapes of the American South.

To achieve this consideration of shared and disparate visions of the American South, Anderson brings together works of historic and contemporary artists in multiple media, from paintings and sculptures to immersive installations. A show about the South for Southerners, the exhibition offers new juxtapositions of works in conversation with place, identity, and the multiplicity of meanings that landscapes – real and imagined – can invoke. Anderson is herself professionally immersed in the cultural landscape of the South. A staff member at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, Kate completed her art historical training first at UNC Asheville, followed by a Master’s from Chapel Hill. Her development as a curator has continued through multiple curatorial projects focused on Black Mountain College, where her purpose is to share with the public the history of the legendary experimental school founded in 1933, and to extend the impact of the BMC legacy to engage with lenses that include identity politics, experimentalism, and multidisciplinarity. The Bascom is excited to continue its commitment to supporting the emergence of new arts professionals through our guest curator program. Since late 2021, the organization has been working closely with Kate to conceptualize an exhibition about the South as part of our annual programming on the theme of Place. Kate Anderson exemplifies the energy and vision new curators are bringing to the art field, and we invite our visitors to engage with the artistic conversation she has created in the Bunzl Gallery. Imaginary Landscapes: Stories from the American South features works on loan from the Johnson Collection (Spartanburg) and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (Asheville), as well as a number of contemporary artists. For more information, contact the Bascom at (828) 526-4949.

by Billy Love, The Bascom

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