Masa’s Early Smokies Photos Bryson City’s Newest Brewery
If you’ve picked up this publication, then, by all accounts, you’re in search of outdoors adventure and countless memorable experiences in our backyard paradise that is Western North Carolina.
As folks proud of our region, we also take a lot of pride in making those who visit feel as welcomed and embraced as possible. Life is about trying new things and meeting new people, and what better place to do so than with Mother Nature’s masterpiece of the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountain ranges as the backdrop?
Take to the trail for a day hike or mountain bike ride, or to the river for some vigorous kayaking or tranquil fly fishing, or take to Main Street for an afternoon of shopping, perhaps a farm-to-table dinner or live bluegrass performance. The beauty of Western North Carolina resides in the mere notion that every day is a blank canvas by which we have all the colors of possibility at our disposal to paint with. Between our array of weekend festivals and seasonal events, the hardest part is simply figuring out what to do. It’s all here, and more.
I’ve always believed the litmus test of the strength of a place resides in how well its community aims at bringing one and all together. Give me a town where the people really care and are well vested in the community and its potential, and I’ll give you a location that is pulsating with activity, with love and passion, intellectuality and enthusiasm for the unknowns of tomorrow — bring it on, y’all.
It was just about four years when Josh Weeks and his wife, McRae Davis, were at the stoplight on the corner of Depot Street and Branner Avenue in downtown Waynesville when Davis pointed over at the former Walker Service Station.
“She said, ‘Wouldn’t that be a fun place to have a restaurant?’” Weeks reminisced with a smile. “She knew I was looking for something else, that it was time for a change in my life — she’s a big part of the catalyst of the motivation for this place.”
That something eventually blossomed into Singletree Heritage Kitchen. Open in July 2022, the restaurant has quickly become
a “must try” culinary destination for not only Waynesville and Haywood County, but also Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia.
“The vision I had for here is where we are now — a restaurant that serves as a community hub,” Weeks said. “It’s about being local-centric, this chef-inspired independent restaurant, one where people can bring their friends, family, host a business meeting or come for a party.”
A native of Eastern North Carolina, Weeks has held seemingly every position in the kitchen, either back of house or front. From a young age, he worked his way up the ladder of the culinary world — each rung a learning experience he continues to hold close in his current and ongoing endeavors of food and fellowship.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business for over 30 years,” the 45-year-old noted. “I’ve helped open and operate [several] restaurants. I also ran a catering company. And I was full-tilt [as a head chef and small business owner]. I was just ready for something new — a sole project of my own that I could sink my teeth into.”
Taking all of the duo’s extensive background and knowledge from inside the kitchen and behind the bar, Weeks and Davis felt Waynesville was the ideal spot to execute their dream restaurant scenario — this literal and figurative intersection of food, culture and hospitality, all wrapped in a cozy aesthetic of dark wood, candlelight and laughter.
“Waynesville is a self-sufficient small mountain town that’s got a lot of art and culture, a lot of great individuals and businesses,” Weeks said. “And there’s still a lot of room here for restaurants — room for growth, room to try new things with food and drink.”
At the heart of the menu, Singletree is a farm-to-table establishment. Within that, Weeks’ love of French culinary presentation and aesthetic fuses with a slew of fresh regional ingredients, all amid a keen sense of southern cooking where he “really appreciates that balance.”
gies. Entrees run the gamut from lemon thyme roast airline chicken to seared East Coast halibut, Heritage Breed bone-in pork chop to mustard seared Sunburst trout.
“I grew up near the [Atlantic] Coast and I spent a lot of time on the coast — fresh seafood is everything,” Weeks said. “And I grew up cooking in my grandparents’ kitchen. It was always about hosting family events and doing that from a young age — everything from scratch, everything made with love.”
Explaining the method to his culinary madness, for Weeks it’s the idea of simplicity and letting the food speak for itself. If you already have fresh, delicious ingredients, then conjure the beauty of said ingredients with a presentation that as artistic as it is scrumptious.
“It’s all about transparency — it’s who we are,” Weeks said. “And we not only want to say what we’re about, we want to deliver and stand behind it. We buy the finest ingredients we can from as close to home as possible. We make everything from scratch. It’s all about quality.”
Scrolling the intricate menu, you’ll find starters ranging from cornmeal crusted N.C. shrimp to prosciutto wrapped quail, blue crab fritters to ricotta and pepperoni piero-
“We build our dishes based on a protein, a starch and a vegetable, where the sauce brings it all together — it’s textural components that are visually pleasing,” Weeks said. “And we like to counterbalance all of our dishes, where if we have a French-inspired dish, then we’ll also offer a southern-inspired dish — we’ve got a little something for everybody.”
Sitting at one of the main dining room tables one recent morning, Weeks gazes around the space for a moment or two. He thinks of the impending lunch and dinner rush, made up of Singletree die-hards and the curious alike, only to circle back to the question posed — what does it mean to see your dream come to fruition?
“We want to create this full-circle experience for people,” Weeks said. “It’s a nice experience when they come in and when they leave. They remember the food and what they felt. And they come back — that’s always been the vision.”
McRae Davis & Josh Weeks.
Eats+Drinks Coming Together
Bryson City Brewing
It’s a sunny afternoon in downtown Bryson City. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is pulling into town with countless locals and visitors alike spilling off the train. A stone’s throw from the tracks is Bryson City Brewing, its co-owner Stan Temple gazing happily at the scene unfolding before him.
“You know, when I first came to this town, the local entrepreneurs didn’t really work together,” Temple said. “And what excites me now? We’re all becoming friends and working towards combining our resources into opportunities for our community.”
Temple has called Bryson City and greater Western North Carolina home for the last 22 years. A longtime small business owner, one who has specialized in tourism and hospitality for decades, Temple took over the former Nantahala Brewing property on Deep Creek Road and transformed it into Bryson City Brewing last year.
“The owner [of Nantahala Brewing] want-
ed to retire, so then I teamed up with a local investor,” Temple said of Bryson City native and storied businessman Mark Fortner.
“I didn’t want any outside investors. They don’t understand the dynamics of how to work in the mountains. I thought [Mark] was a good match — and it’s been a good match.”
With its onsite brewery operations aimed at once again coming online this summer, Bryson City Brewing has quickly become a bastion of culinary treats, libations and live music.
“It’s about seeing people come here and be thankful for this place,” Temple said of the gratitude he feels for all the blood, sweat and tears put into running an independent business.
A former RC Cola plant, the historic building that houses Bryson City Brewing is a testament to economic growth and development within the rural depths of Appalachia.
“We’re not going anywhere. This is for
the long haul — this is our home,” Temple said of his love for the community. “And the people who come here? They really appreciate [Bryson City]. We have this singularity here.”
Originally from Odessa, Texas, Temple bounced around the world, whether it was simply seeing what was just beyond the horizon or merely to wander and soak up the essence of life. Coast-to-coast, overseas and anywhere in between.
“There’s a real beauty about living in these mountains,” Temple said of relocating to Western North Carolina following his world travels. “When you’ve been fulfilled with society, you can go up in the mountains and just be by yourself. You can feed that other side of yourself, so then when you come back down, you’re even more enthusiastic about reconnecting with people, their ideas and their stories.”
Throughout his early years, Temple would often visit Western North Carolina and
other corners of Southern Appalachia. He would slowly put down genuine roots into this region with each trip, until finally calling these mountains home later in life.
“This is an exotic, beautiful area and I love living in exotic habitats,” Temple noted. “Living here is similar to where I was living in Hawai’i. We are in a jungle here [in Southern Appalachia].”
Beyond those sauntering over to Bryson City Brewing from the train or from the bustling Everett Street a few blocks away, the property itself has become this beehive of families, friends and those soon-to-become fast friends over a beverage or meal. It’s an image of coming together, whether those known or unknown, which, ultimately, lends itself to human connectivity in the chaos of the digital age.
WNC BREWERIES
Andrews
• Hoppy Trout Brewing Company
828.835.2111 • hoppytroutbrewing.com
• Snowbird Mountains Brewery
678.419.3035 • snowbirdmountainsbrewery.com
Bryson City
• Bryson City Brewing
828.538.0085 • brysoncitybrewing.com
• Mountain Layers Brewing
828.538.0115 • mtnlayersbeer.com
Canton
• BearWaters Brewing
828.492.0220 • bearwatersbrewing.com
Cashiers
• Whiteside Brewing
828.743.6000 • whitesidebrewing.com
Cherokee
• Native Brews Tap & Grill
828.497.2739 • native-brews.com
Cullowhee
• Innovation Brewing (Outpost)
828.882.3035 • innovation-brewing.com
Dillsboro
• Innovation Brewing (Outpost)
828.226.0262 • innovation-brewing.com
Franklin
• Currahee Brewing
828.634.0078 • curraheebrew.com
• Lazy Hiker Brewing
828.349.2337 • lazyhikerbrewing.com
Hayesville
• Hayesville Brew
828.342.8036 • facebook.com•hayesvillebrew
• Laughing Dog Brewing
470.661.6050 • laughingdogbrewing.com
• Nocturnal Brewing
828.305.7337 • nocturnalbrewing.com
Highlands
• Satulah Mountain Brewing
828.482.9794 • satulahmountainbrewing.com
Maggie Valley
• BearWaters Brewing (Outpost)
828.944.0009 • bearwatersbrewing.com
“This is a family-oriented facility,” Temple said. “And it’s so rewarding when we’re able to entertain people from all over the world who come to enjoy our backyard.”
The warm sunshine slowly fades behind the ancient mountains. Temple is readying himself for the next rush of people, places and things that’ll once again come alive tomorrow morning. For him, it’s this deep sense of purpose and passion that fuels this current endeavor, this same attitude at the heart of Bryson City.
“Being able to do what needs to be done and not just ‘doing what you have to do because that’s what you do,’” Temple said. “We’re not in a big rush. We don’t want to push it. We just will feed it, stimulate it and let it grow organically — that’s what I love most about this business and this town.”
Murphy
• Buck Bald Brewing
706.431.7141 • buckbaldbrewing.com
• Valley River Brewery
828.837.2337 • valleyriverbreweries.com
Sapphire
• Sapphire Mountain Brewing
828.743.0220 • sapphirebrewingcompany.com
Sylva
• Balsam Falls Brewing
828.631.1987 • balsamfallsbrewing.com
• Innovation Brewing
828.586.9678 • innovation-brewing.com
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Outpost)
828.349.2337 • lazyhikerbrewing.com
Waynesville
• Boojum Brewing
828.246.0350 • boojumbrewing.com
• Frog Level Brewing
828.454.5664 • froglevelbrewing.com
Whittier
• Angry Elk Brewing
828.497.1015 • facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco
Eats+Drinks
Seed to table Mill Town Market
The season for farmers markets, with all their fresh produce, local vendors and community engagement, is right around the corner, and in Canton, the Mill Town Market is embarking on its second year at Sorrells Street Park.
“Sustainability of the project is the thing we care about the most,” said Vice President of the Mill Town Market Board of Trustees and founding Market Manager Aimee Sylvester.
With so many local producers of agriculture and crafts, Canton has long had farmers markets in the area. In its current form, the Mill Town Market was started in 2021 on a historically significant site.
“It was started by Pat Smathers and his family to continue the tradition of three generations of supermarkets run by their family in Canton at its former site, which is right across from The Southern Porch,” said Sylvester. “The town square where the law offices are dates back to the 1960s. That was the original grocery store in Canton. It was the town’s civic and social center.”
But in an effort toward sustainability, the market made some changes last year, incorporating as a nonprofit and starting its 2023 season down at Sorrells Street Park. Locating the market in the park has allowed more space for additional vendors and other activities to accompany the market like live music, demonstrations and yoga classes.
“We moved, with the support of the Town of Canton, down to Sorrells Street Park last summer, so that was our first summer in the park and it’s been great,” said Sylvester. “Our cross traffic is so much better down there. Everyone has doubled their income as far as vendors, doubled and tripled, some of them. It’s more visible where it’s at now because we have Main and Park streets that run through there.”
Baby goats from the French Broad Creamery sometimes accompany owners to the market.
With nonprofit status, the Mill Town Market is largely supported by sponsors in the community itself. Alongside the Town of Canton which provides park space for the weekly market, the Cruso Endowment is a major funder of the market.
Another push for sustainability comes in the makeup of the board, which not only includes community members with grant writing and nonprofit experience like Sylvester, but is also made up of small business owners, farmers and other vendors, musicians, teachers and patrons of the market.
“The small business platform that we provide is at the heart of it for the growers and producers,” said Sylvester.
But ultimately, community connection is at the center of the push to maintain a farmers market for the Town of Canton.
“My heart is with the community aspect of it and protecting community spaces,” said Sylvester. “Especially after three years of isolation and going into a political year, wanting to protect non-partisan spaces. Everybody needs produce and community and fellowship, and this is something that I hope can continue for years and years and years, so we have that.”
Mill Town Market currently has 31 vendors signed up to participate for the 2024 season, and with some of those joining on a rotating basis, patrons can expect an average of 20 per week.
“The vast majority have been there before, but we do have a couple of new faces,” Sylvester said.
There are 20 craft vendors, 10 produce vendors and one baker.
A historical photo of downtown Canton when the Smathers grocery store was still in operation.
“We’re very mindful about how we cultivate those vendors so they’re not in competition with each other,” Sylvester said. “We have a pork vendor, a beef vendor, an egg producer, and my favorite vendor of all, our cheese vendor who does goat cheese and goat soaps.”
There are several fresh-cut flower vendors signed up for the season, and patrons can expect to see one of 10 different food trucks that are on board to participate throughout the season.
The market is always accepting applications for vendors who want to participate and the board is always ready to hear from anyone who wants to be involved or assist the market via donation or volunteer support. Organizers have also lined up a full music schedule with live performances planned each week through the entire market season.
“We have a fully booked live music schedule in place with local live musicians and we encourage shoppers to bring chairs for that,” said Sylvester.
Each month the Mill Town Market will have a different theme, the first of which is veterans appreciation month.
“We have several veteran-owned businesses that participate in the market already, one of which is Ruthie’s Popcorn,” said Sylvester. “We have several veteran-led nonprofits that will be attending that first month … we’ll be providing veteran and active-duty resources, as well as honoring hometown heroes.”
June is wellness month, and the market
will host donation-based yoga with Evanstar Yoga, massage, mental health resources and demonstrations by Heavily Meditated Wellness, another Canton business.
July will be heritage month, August is creativity and care month, which will include a plant exchange, and one of the highlights of the season will be the tomato fest, complete with a tomato pie competition and road race.
“We want to celebrate the tomato, the hero of the summer,” Sylvester said.
September is bookworm month for the start of the school year and October will close out the season with “all things outdoors.”
Local Farmers Markets
• Mill Town Market takes place 4-7 p.m. Thursdays, May 16 through Oct. 31, at Sorrells Street Park in Canton.
• Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market takes place 9 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, April 6 through Dec. 21, in the HART Theater parking lot, 250 Pigeon Road, in Waynesville.
• Macon County Farmers Market takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, May through November, at the Iotla Street Gazebo on the square in downtown Franklin.
• Cowee School Farmers Market takes place 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, May 15 through October, at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center, located at 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin.
• Jackson County Farmers Market is held 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, April through October, at 110 Railroad Ave. in downtown Sylva.
• Smoky Mountain Farmers and Artisans Market takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, May 1 through Oct. 31, at 117 Island St. in Bryson City.
• Highlands Farmers Market is held 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. most Saturdays April through October in Kelsey-Hutchinson Park on Pine Street in Highlands.
• Green Market takes place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, May 1 through Oct. 31, at the Village Green in Cashiers.
Arts+Culture
Word from the Smokies
New Database Contributes to Study of George Masa’s Photography
Angelyn Whitmeyer might be the last person you would expect to contribute to ongoing research surrounding a Japanese photographer who found inspiration in the Great Smoky Mountains. And yet, the world is coming to know more about some sophisticated early images and an unlikely champion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park through Whitmeyer’s new George Masa Photo Database.
As a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Whitmeyer doesn’t recall ever visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nor did she have a strong background in photography.
“Taking photographs was not something
we did very often in my family,” she said. “I distinctly remember my conservative use of film after receiving a small camera in 1970. Should I use black-and-white, or would color be better? Processing the film was another expense I had to consider.”
Whitmeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Kent State University and started her career teaching first and second grade in southeastern Ohio. She transitioned to computer programming, became a certified public accountant and moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1979. A photographer friend showed her how to process black-and-white photos in the darkroom, creating a negative and a print. She purchased a 35-millimeter
camera to photograph scenes found along her travels to audit credit unions throughout North Carolina, remaining ever parsimonious in her use of film.
“When I moved to WNC in 2004, I was delighted with all the flowering native plants,” she said. “With some hesitation, I decided to purchase a digital camera. Wow! I could
Angelyn Whitmeyer
During her research, Angelyn Whitmeyer hiked to the exact spot from which George Masa captured this photo of sunrise in Nantahala Gorge, ca. 1927.
Courtesy of the Daniels Graphics Miller Printing Collection.
take lots of photos and not worry about the cost of the film, developing or making prints.”
After several years of photographing native plants in all seasons, Whitmeyer created a website to assist people with plant identification. From there, she became interested in women photographers from the beginning of photography in 1839 through the 1950s and taught a series of courses on the topic at Asheville’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The research piqued her interest in early photographers of Western North Carolina.
“I came up with a list of potential photographers to research, then looked on the internet for books about the person and for photographic archives of their work,” she said. “George Masa’s name appeared on the initial list of photographers. The two sources of information about him were William A. Hart Jr.’s essay ‘George Masa: The Best Mountaineer’ and Paul Bonesteel’s film ‘The Mystery of George Masa.’”
In September, another source will be added to this list. Together with Cornell librarian Janet McCue, Bonesteel is author-
ing a comprehensive biography of Masa — to be published by Smokies Life — that draws on a variety of records scattered from Japan to the Great Smoky Mountains to shed light on why Masa may have been drawn to mountainous landscapes and the trials he endured while still devoting himself to the conservation of the Southern Appalachians. Born in Japan, Masa came to the United States in 1906. His background and first nine years in the U.S. have been shrouded in mystery, but those familiar with him know that he came to Asheville in 1915 to work at the Grove Park Inn. Photography eventually became Masa’s vocation, but his avocation was hiking in the mountains of Western North Carolina — and in the Smokies in particular. Eventually, he would help bring attention to the Great Smoky Mountains as an ideal location for a new national park.
“He was an artist who composed and captured scenes of the Smokies with the same focus and intensity that is employed by master painters,” said Bill Hart, whose writing inspired a renewed interest in Masa. “He was especially attentive to the effects of light and shadow as well as to cloud forma-
Dressed in his typical hiking attire, George Masa sets up for a shot at Shining Rock in 1931. Photographer unknown, courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville, NC.
Angelyn Whitmeyer loves this image by George Masa of Lake Junaluska for the sense of peace it exudes. Courtesy of E. M. Ball Photographic Collection (1918–1969), D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina Asheville.
tions, often waiting hours for the ideal combination of light, shadow and cloud effects.”
Whitmeyer was particularly intrigued by some color postcards made from Masa’s photographs at Chimney Rock and included in Hart’s essay, but she soon found it impossible to purchase or share them with class participants. The lack of available prints for purchase, along with the fact that the postcards did not have any signed reference to Masa, reinforced what she’d learned from Hart’s essay, Bonesteel’s film and notes on items found on Pack Library’s special collections digital site — much of Masa’s work, like that of many of the early women photographers, had been “lost” or destroyed.
Whitmeyer began to cross-reference the postcards with pages from the Pack Library site and prints in their collection. She studied Masa negatives at the Ewart M. Ball Collection at University of North Carolina Asheville’s Ramsey Library special collections and made connections between them and the Pack information. Organizing this data and making detailed observations as she compared images, Whitmeyer decided to create a database of all the George Masa images she could find.
Announced in November 2023, the database of 4,000 data points includes the Pack Library collection, which has digitized a substantial number of prints found by Jami Daniels in the Daniels Graphics Miller Printing Collection; the Ball Collection at Ramsey Library; the Highlands Historical Society collection; and the collections at Western Carolina University and Smokies Life, which were donated by Libby Kephart Hargrave. Bill and Alice Hart graciously permitted access to their personal assemblage of Masa and Western North Carolina ephemera, allowing Whitmeyer to document subsequent uses of Masa’s photos in publications such as brochures and booklets. The result is nearly 1,800 unique images and 2,200 subsequent uses of those photos in various publications from the 1920s until today.
“Angelyn’s database is a labor of love — and dedication,” said McCue, who in addition to collaborating on the forthcoming Masa book coauthored “Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography” (Smokies Life 2019) with the late George Ellison. “For a researcher, it’s the best source for discovering which archive holds a copy of any particular Masa photo.”
Bonesteel says Whitmeyer’s database represents an immense tool for understanding the breadth of Masa’s work.
“His thousands of photos just exploded across the region after his death — with many gone forever — but her work dissecting Masa’s records has allowed her to make sense of the chaos, categorizing and organizing the ones we have — and even
Angelyn Whitmeyer appreciates this photo by George Masa, ca. 1927, for the clarity of the image, the clouds in the sky, the highlighting of Hawk’s Bill Mountain and the way it captures the light and shadows in a balanced composition. Courtesy of the Daniels Graphics Miller Printing Collection.
George Masa photographed a great variety of views, buildings, and people in the 1920s. Even his promotional photos — such as this one of the loggia of the newly constructed City Building in Asheville, taken in January or February 1928 — show the care he took to highlight the structure in interesting ways. Courtesy of the Architectural Record, August 1928.
the ones we don’t,” he said.
The next in a short line of scholars before her, Angelyn has been bitten by the “Masa bug” and contributed skills she has honed throughout her life to do this very important work. Her ‘accounting’ has brought together the known Masa photos into one database and clarified the scope of lost images as well.
“No one has ever compiled all of this information into one source before,” said McCue. “What’s even better is that she’s still discovering more.”
GeorgeMasaPhotoDatabase.com and reach Whitmeyer at angelyn@georgemasaphotodatabase.com.
George Masa working with several cameras that represented state-ofthe-art photographic technology in the early 1920s.
Courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville, NC.
Whitmeyer hopes people will “look in the attic, in the box in the closet, or in an old scrapbook and find those photographs taken by George Masa that the rest of us have yet to see.” She welcomes anyone to get in touch about images that could be included in the database. Find out more by visiting
(Frances Figart (rhymes with “tiger”) is the Creative Services Director for the 29,000-member Smokies Life, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the scientific, historical, and interpretive activities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services such as this column. Reach her at frances@smokieslife.org.)
Taken near Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in spring 1927, this photo of dogwood and a footbridge with bottomless pools in the background was one of the first that drew Angelyn Whitmeyer’s attention to George Masa’s photography. Courtesy of the Angelyn Whitmeyer George Masa Ephemera Collection.
Arts+Culture
Turning the page: Blue Moon Books
One of Haywood County’s used bookstores is entering its next chapter with a change of ownership and a continuation of tradition.
After starting Blue Moon from the bare floors and sharing our love of books with the community for the past year and a half, we are passing the torch to our dear friend, and former employee, Rachel Sease,” said Bonnie and Greg Owens, owners of Wall Street Books. “We are looking forward to this new chapter.”
When Bonnie and Greg Owens bought Wall Street Books in Waynesville a decade ago, they were inheriting the store from Richard Roup and Joyce Elam, who opened the store in 1994, long-time devotees to the used book world.
The Owens were also taking charge of a tight-knit community that expands well beyond the bounds of Haywood County. Since that time, the family has only grown the strong tradition of local business in the county, opening Blue Moon Books in Canton.
Now, the tradition has been passed on again with Sease, long-time employee at both Wall Street and Blue Moon Books, purchasing the downtown Canton store.
Sease first crossed paths with the Owens family while teaching fourth grade at Bethel Elementary. The same year Sease had the Owens’s youngest son in her class, the family bought Wall Street Books.
Several years down the line, Sease had left teaching for a job at First United Methodist Church when she ran into the Owens at the grocery store. They asked her to come and work for them.
At first, Sease wasn’t sure she could make it happen in addition to her job at the church. However, as Sease puts it, “when excitement at the thought of working in a bookstore kept me up all night, I decided to try and make it work.”
She began working one to three days a week at the bookstore, alternating
between Wall Street Books and Blue Moon Books when it opened in 2022.
“I love books and I love reading, mostly because I love learning,” said Sease. “I really love books that cause me to change my perspective on something.”
more obvious the ways in which we’re all connected,” Sease said. “When I pick up a book at Blue Moon, I know it’s been held by at least one other set of hands.”
Some of the books in the vintage section of Blue Moon were published as
For Sease, her love of books doesn’t end with their face value.
“Used bookstores in particular are so enchanting to me because they make
early as the 1800s.
“Imagine how many hands have held them and whose shelves they’ve lived on,” said Sease. “All of these books some -
Rachel Sease, a longtime employee, purchased the downtown Canton bookstore. Donated photo
how found their way to Blue Moon and stay for just a little while before continuing to weave these invisible threads from person to person. For me, it’s a constant reminder of our common humanity.”
Her eagerness and excitement for the trade only grew with time, and soon after beginning her work in the bookstore, Sease knew she wanted her involvement to be permanent. She made it clear to Bonnie and Greg that she was invested in the business and implored them to consider her at whatever point they decided to sell.
“When they opened Blue Moon, I loved it just as much as Wall Street,” said Sease. “It means a lot that they trusted me with it.”
Sease’s time in education allowed her to experience the unifying power of stories and their ability to foster empathy. Now, she can continue this work at the helm of the bookstore.
“Through books, I experience the awe and wonder that I loved seeing in the students,” Sease said. “I hope that is the case for other adults too. Community, empathy, awe and wonder are world-changing qualities. My work at Blue Moon makes me feel like I’m bringing more of all that good stuff into the world.”
Looking ahead, Sease is aiming to implement book clubs, hosting small gatherings and special events.
“I’m honored to continue what Greg and Bonnie lovingly created,” she said.
Arts+Culture
Full circle
In Your Ear Emporium
This summer will be 30 years since Lauren Calvert opened the doors to In Your Ear Emporium, downtown Sylva’s record store.
Over the years, the way in which people consume music has changed drastically, but the heart of Calvert’s business has not.
“We need the community,” said Calvert. “Community has always been at the center of what we do.”
Back when Calvert was still attending Western Carolina University in the early 1990s, anyone looking to buy a CD or a record had to make the drive over to Waynesville, which had the closest music store.
“That was the only place to get CDs, and there’s an entire campus here,” said Calvert. “We all love music. So that’s when it started.”
But starting her own business wasn’t as easy as just finding a niche in the market. Calvert, 25 at the time and a recent college graduate, found several financial institutions unwilling to take a chance on a young woman.
“Women in business, it’s come a long way in 25 years,” said Calvert. “We’re still not recognized as the top of the food chain, but it was even harder back then. Banks didn’t really want to lend to us.”
However, Calvert was undeterred and eventually found a private investor to help kickstart the project. When doors opened in 1994, CDs were nearing their golden age.
“CDs were really starting to take a strong-
it, you can bring it back. No one ever brought it back.”
In those early days, big releases didn’t look like modern albums the moment it’s released on streaming services. Back then, it was midnight release parties with a store full of people waiting to buy the new album.
One of those big releases Calvert remembers well was for a Nine Inch Nails album.
“We ordered three boxes, that’s 90 CDs,
hold,” said Calvert. “All that killer grunge was coming out, Pearl Jam, Nirvana; and I was Pandora.”
Since the beginning, Calvert has done everything she can to be more than a music store. She has always wanted the emporium to be an experience. She wanted people to walk away with more than they bargained for and a big part of that came in the form of recommendations.
“I would just spin off and tell them, ‘check this out,’” Calvert recalls. “I had a policy where I’d be like, you buy this and don’t like
and that was a lot of money for us,” said Calvert. “And we ran out. It was so cool. Now when I order a new release, I’m hesitant to get two.”
There’s no question that CDs have fallen victim to the proliferation of streaming services. In 2023, streaming accounted for 84% of all recorded music revenue totaling over $14 billion in the United States. The average number of paid subscriptions to streaming services reached 96.8 million in 2023.
Meanwhile, CDs sales hit their peak in the 2000 at $13.2 billion sold in the United States
As In Your Ear Emporium celebrates 30 years, founder Lauren Calvert hopes to continue serving the community. File photos
according to the Record Industry Association of America. In 2023, CD sales in the United States totaled just $537 million.
Last year, vinyl record sales grew 10% to $1.4 billion — the 17th consecutive year of growth and only the second time since 1987 that vinyl albums outsold CDs in units. Data for 2023 shows 43 million vinyl albums sold compared to 37 million CDs.
Back in those early days, CDs accounted for the vast majority of sales at In Your Ear Emporium.
“Nobody back then was even asking for records,” said Calvert. “I don’t want to diminish vinyl. Vinyl has always been a thing, but there’s a difference.”
There was a long period of time between the 90s and the 2010s when new vinyl wasn’t getting made at a high rate. Some niche stores dealt in vintage, but artists releasing new music were rarely pressing new vinyl.
“For a long time, you were on the cutting edge if you not only dropped a CD, but you had it in vinyl too,” said Calvert. “That was a big deal. Like you must have a lot of money or you’re just cool. So, they weren’t even pressing vinyl as much.”
These days, most merch tables that concert goers come across will sport vinyl sales, with independent music stores like In Your Ear Emporium focused heavily on selling vinyl.
“I’d say probably three or four years before the pandemic we started dabbling in used records,” said Calvert. “Vinyl has always been the one media that has never faltered because there’s a nostalgic trend to it. People grew up on it and the sound quality is so much better.”
And while interest and sales in vinyl were on the rise prior to the pandemic, the ensuing shutdown had a big impact on the resurgence of the retro way to listen to music.
where so much of daily life has gone online, reducing the need for physical presence or human interaction.
“It’s about being present of mind. You have to get up and turn the record over, right? There’s your intention. You are intently listening to that record,” said Calvert. “You’re doing it with more purpose. And also, the sound quality is way better.
“If you’ve ever been in a room where you’ve had a fluorescent light on and then you turn it off and you all of a sudden realize there was a buzz that you were hearing,” Calvert continued. “That’s the difference between vinyl and CDs. It’s like there’s a thickness, a dimension to vinyl.”
After 30 years and multiple changes in the scope of business, it’s safe to say that running In Your Ear Emporium remains a labor of love.
“I’m just really proud that we’re still here. I’m not going to say it’s not a struggle,” Calvert said. “Running your own business is not easy.”
But what comes next for In Your Ear Emporium will largely be decided by the community itself.
“We need our community support now more than ever,” said Calvert.
Countless people in the community, as well as those who visit Sylva, have memories of shopping or spending time at In Your Ear
are opportunities for meeting spaces, artist booths or music classes, anything that could bring the community together and provide a place for people to be in creative fellowship. Community members should stay on the lookout for a call for input on what they want to see at their local record store.
Come what may, In Your Ear Emporium will continue to celebrate Record Store Day, an annual event, held this year on April 20, to celebrate the culture of independently owned record stores and connect people to those local businesses. The inaugural Record Store Day took place in 2008 and was conceived to celebrate and spread the word about what these stores have to offer.
Each year, special vinyl and CD releases are coordinated exclusively for the event and disseminated around the nation. People spend the day going from record store to record store hunting down these exclusive releases.
“I get a list of about 3,000 titles and I pick what I want,” said Calvert. “There might be an album that’s only 400 made for the whole world. The store might have one of those 400, it might have five of them. So, it’s a lottery.”
“People were stuck at home, they were doing puzzles…people were home again, they were getting their old stuff out,” Calvert said. “It became kind of a resurgence. That’s what kept us in business during the pandemic — ukulele sales and vinyl.”
Calvert sees the resurgence of physical media as a craving for presence in a world
Emporium. But that nostalgia alone doesn’t translate into staying power for the music store.
“I’ve always built my business on what my community wants,” said Calvert. “So, the answer to what’s next is really whatever the community wants to see; whatever the community can support.”
On the second floor of the shop, there
The event is all about getting people through the door of their local music store and creating an experience. The same positive, enlightening experience Calvert has been aiming to deliver to her customers for the last 30 years.
“People can buy a CD anywhere,” Calvert said. “I want them to leave here and think, that was such a great conversation, or that was such a fun experience, we’ve got to go back. That’s what I’ve always lived by, and it’s done well for me.”
Americana act Bird In Hand. File photo
A souvenir photo of Woody Harrelson when he was in town for the shooting of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
WNC MUSIC VENUES
• American Legion Post 47 Waynesville 828.456.8691
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub Franklin 828.369.6796 facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub
• Salty’s Dogs Seafood & Grill
Maggie Valley
828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005
• Santé Wine Bar Sylva
828.631.3075 facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar
Orchard Coffee in Waynesville. Cabell Tice photo
• Satulah Mountain Brewing
Highlands
828.482.9794 / satulahmountainbrewing.com
• Saturdays On Pine Highlands highlandschamber.org
• Sauced Waynesville
828.246.9585 / saucedwnc.com
• Scotsman Waynesville
828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com
• Slanted Window Tasting Station
Franklin
828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com
• SlopeSide Tavern
Sapphire
828.743.8655 / slopesidetavern.com
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts
Franklin
866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com
• Southern Porch Canton
828.492.8009 / southern-porch.com
• Stecoah Valley Center
Robbinsville
828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com
• Swain Arts Center Bryson City
828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com
• Ugly Dog Pub
Cashiers
828.743.3000 / theuglydogpub.com
• Ugly Dog Pub
Highlands
828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com
• Unplugged Pub
Bryson City
828.538.2488 / unpluggedpub.com
• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. Waynesville
828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com
• Valley Tavern Maggie Valley
828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill Waynesville
828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar
• Whiteside Brewing Cashiers
828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com
• Yonder Community Market
Franklin
828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com
Arts+Culture
‘Sowing the Seeds of the Future’ Franklin’s
Women’s History Trail
Overcast skies didn’t deter a large crowd from coming out to witness the unveiling of the sculpture “Sowing Seeds of the Future” this spring in downtown Franklin.
“This is a historic occasion that we celebrate today, one that will go down in history as we come together and celebrate this monument and this place here in Franklin,” said Franklin Mayor Jack Horton. “It’ll wel-
come visitors and give them a sense of our history and our culture while emphasizing the critical role that women have played in the development and sustaining the character of this place that we all call home.”
Leaders of the Women’s History Trail uncover the new sculpture at the Women’s History Park.
Hannah McLeod photo
What lies beneath
Although the rich history and culture of Western North Carolina is alive and thriving through the hands of our local artisans and performers, there are also numerous museums here preserving and perpetuating the heritage of Southern Appalachia. These buildings each pay homage to the crafts, sounds, and deeply held traditions of these ancient mountains and its people.
WNC MUSEUMS
• American Museum of The House Cat
Over 5,000 items dedicated to entire history of the house cat, here and abroad.
5063 U.S. 441, Sylva 828.421.0275 or 828.506.1236 facebook.com/americanmuseumofthehousecat
• Andrews Art Museum
Exhibits and galleries featuring local and regional artists.
Corner of Chestnut and Third streets, Andrews 828.360.5071 • andrewsvalleyarts.com
• Appalachian Rivers Aquarium
Exhibits regional species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and hellbenders.
117 Island Street
828.488.7857 • flyfishingmuseum.org/aquarium
• Canton Area Historical Museum
Displays focusing on the cultural history of Canton and Haywood County.
36 Park Street, Canton 828.646.3412 • cantonnc.com
• Cherokee County Historical Museum
Artifacts and exhibits showcasing the Cherokee Indians, local history and artisans. 87 Peachtree Street, Murphy 828.837.6792 • cherokeecounty-nc.gov
• Clay County Historical & Arts Council Museum
Displays exhibiting the history, art and people of the area.
21 Davis Loop, Hayesville 828.389.6814 • clayhistoryarts.org
• Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians
Showcasing the history of fly fishing in the Southeast.
210 Main Street, Bryson City 828.488.3681 • flyfishingmuseum.org
• Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum
Extensive exhibits on the region’s gems and minerals.
25 Phillips Street, Franklin 828.369.7831 • fgmm.org
• Glenville Historical Museum
Showcasing the history and culture of Glenville and greater Western North Carolina with exhibits and displays.
4735 N.C. 107 North, Glenville
828.743.1658
• Graham County Museum of Prehistoric Relics
A collection of prehistoric artifacts from North, South and Central America. 3204 Fontana Road, Fontana Dam 828.479.3677 • thehikeinn.com
• Highlands Museum & Historical Village
A village composed of several restored buildings, with historical exhibits in the museum.
524 North 4th Street, Highlands 828.787.1050 • highlandshistory.com
Thousands of gem and mineral specimens on display.
131 East Main Street, Franklin 828.524.3967 • rubycity.com
• Scottish Tartans Museum
Exhibit on Scottish history and culture abroad and in Western North Carolina.
86 East Main Street, Franklin 828.524.7472 • scottishtartans.org
• Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
Collection of 7,000 Lionel engines, cars, accessories, plus large operating layout.
100 Greenlee Street 800.872.4681, x215 gsmr.com/smoky-mountain-trains-museum
• Wheels Through Time Museum
Rare and extensive collection of v’intage motorcycles and classic automobiles.
62 Vintage Lane, Maggie Valley 828.926.6266 • wheelsthroughtime.com
A crowd of hundreds gathered to celebrate Women’s History Month with the reveal of the latest addition to Franklin’s Women’s History Trail and the opening of the Women’s History Park, located at 592 East Main Street.
In addition to members of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County who worked to secure the statue, sculptor Wesley Wofford and his wife, Odyssey, dignitaries in attendance included Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon), Commission Chairman Gary Shields, past Commissioner Ronnie Beal, Mayor Horton and other staff and council members from the town.
The “Sowing the Seeds of the Future”
sculpture is part of the Women’s History Trail, both of which were conceptualized by Macon County resident Barbara McRae.
McRae was a journalist, historian, naturalist, visionary and trailblazer. She had a particular interest in researching the lives of significant Macon County women whose accomplishments and influences had been unknown or forgotten.
“She was quite a visionary leader,”
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
For more information on the Women’s History Trail, visit the interactive website at womenshistorytrail.org/womens-history-trail-franklin-nc.html.
Horton said of McRae. “And she would be very, very proud of this occasion that we’re celebrating today.”
In 2017, McRae met Wofford, and the encounter sparked the creation of “Sowing the Seeds of the Future.” McRae had been thinking about the interconnected lives of Na-Ka Rebecca Morris, a Cherokee woman, Harriet Timoxena Siler Sloan, a pioneer woman, and Salley, an enslaved woman, all linked by a specific piece of property on the Little Tennessee River.
McRae tried to imagine what their everyday lives might have been like in early-19th-century Franklin, and Wofford embraced the challenge of bringing them to life in a work of art.
In May 2018, Wofford presented a miniature prototype of what would become “Sowing the Seeds of the Future” to the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County, and he was commissioned to go ahead with the sculpture.
The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County sponsored the creation of the Women’s History Trail and raised funds for the new sculpture. It officially transferred the sculpture to the Town of Franklin on Saturday in honor of Women’s History Month.
The sculpture not only represents three historical women, but also symbolizes each group of women and their cultural contributions that helped forge Franklin.
“I’m the collaborative contributor that had a message funneled through my skill set into that statue,” said Wofford. “It’s the honor of my life to work with the black community, this group of women, the Cherokee Nation and Barbara McRae.”
The three women represented in the sculpture are all touching hands, a position that, according to the artist statement, is supposed to illustrate the sisterhood of women that transcends cultural divides.
“It celebrates women’s contributions, inspires current and future generations of girls and women to pursue their dreams, and challenges us all to learn from the past and aspire for a more equitable future,” the artist statement reads.
Na-Ka Rebecca Morris (1793-1885), a Cherokee woman and niece of a prominent chief of the Oconaluftee Cherokees, married Baptist minister and farmer Gideon Morris of South Carolina in the
early 1800s. In the Treaty of 1819, the pair obtained a preserve of 640 acres along the Little Tennessee River in what is now East Franklin. The land bordered the Nikwasi Village and Mound.
After the family was burned off their land by white settlers, they received compensation from the state and moved across the river into the new town of Franklin.
The FHAMC/WHT Leadership Team and Town of Franklin representatives, held a groundbreaking event on Oct. 27, 2023, to officially mark the beginning of installation work at the sculpture site located near the bridges on Franklin’s East Main Street. Donated photo
Salley, born into slavery in 1799, is the bridge between Na-Ka Rebecca Morris and Harriet Timoxena Siler Sloan (18351900), as she learned from the Cherokee and was a presence in Na-Ka Rebecca’s life before being sold to Harriet’s father.
Harriet and her husband had seven children and lived in an area by the Little Tennessee River near the property originally owned by Na-Ka Rebecca and her husband.
Harriet appears in the statue twice, once as a child on Sally’s hip, receiving corn from Na-Ka Rebecca, and again as a grown woman striding into the future.
All three women are thought to have played a vital role in the early history of Franklin.
“There is nothing like seeing those ladies in person,” said Marty Greeble, a member of the Women’s History Trail leadership. “When you look at them, you are going to be mesmerized and it will change your life. I absolutely believe that.”
Pigeon Valley by Richard Baker
Sunset from the Cove by Richard Baker
Arts+Culture
Validation within the process
Sawdust + Me
At the corner of Depot and Haywood streets in downtown Waynesville sits an old building. Originally a gas station, it was also a longtime mechanic’s shop and later a car wash for a period. But, in recent months, the charming, somewhat dormant 147 Depot St. location has had new life breathed into it.
“This place spoke to me,” said Deborah Bragg. “This building is almost a hundred years old, and we feel like we’ve been able to love it back to life — it’s been quite the transformation.”
Alongside her business partner, Rob Huffman, the duo recently renovated the property and transformed it into Sawdust + Me. A one-stop shop for wood service, the business can seemingly do it all in whatever they either harvest themselves or what may simply come through the front door.
Bragg hails from Tennessee, with Huffman a Kentucky native. As a general contractor and interior designer for over 30 years in The Volunteer State, Bragg eventually crossed paths with Huffman, who himself has been an artisan for more than 25 years. They quickly began to collaborate on numerous projects throughout the Southeast.
“We have the unique opportunity to let each tree tells its own story through the creation of the furnishings that we hand make,” Bragg said. “And you can bring your own wood in and we’ll surface it — you don’t have to buy from us.”
Within Sawdust + Me, one can find wood broking, design, kiln drying, surfacing flattening, wood engraving, logos, signs and more. It’s a wide gamut of skills and options, this ideal, seamless combination of Bragg’s vast imagination and Huffman’s intricate wood artistry.
“Our love and enthusiasm for the mountains and the trees opened our creativity to the rustic modern approach to mountain furnishings,” Bragg said.
“He came aboard on some of my projects and we were able to work well together,” Bragg said. “It’s been close to 10 years that we’ve worked on various projects of interior design and home remodels.”
Several years ago, both of their respective families relocated to Western North Carolina. What was initially a planned as a retirement to Haywood County for Bragg soon turned into the seed being planted for Sawdust + Me when numerous clients started calling Huffman from Waynesville, Cashiers and Sapphire.
“My husband and I moved here thinking I’m not going to work anymore,” Bragg chuckled. “But, Rob kept telling us, ‘There’s a market. We need to do this.’ And he was right, so we dove in — there’s a niche for this work here.”
Slowly putting the pieces into place to putting down not only personal roots in this area, but also professional, Bragg and Huffman signed the lease on the 147 Depot St. property in August 2022. What followed was an extensive retrofitting of the building it to meet the needs of the company.
“What kind of feel and ambiance are you trying to create with this space?” Bragg said. “It’s important to me that when people walk
The newest wood broker and artisan wood crafting shop in Haywood County, Sawdust + Me recently launched its brick and mortar location in downtown Waynesville.
Deborah Bragg
Rob Huffman
in, that each space they go into speaks to them in some form.”
To note, the name Sawdust + Me is a reference to Bragg and Huffman, the latter business partner in a seemingly perpetual state of being covered in wood particles. In terms of the wood that’s procured by Sawdust + Me scour Southern Appalachia and beyond for materials that’ll be used to inspire and complete their projects.
“Once you get it milled, then you’re able to see these scars and points in the wood that signify something happened right there,” Bragg said. “Something penetrated the wood and it stayed in the wood, then we try to capture that in a piece.”
Beyond the workshop and storefront, there are also plans in the works to add in a live music and bar component, where a singer-songwriter would perform in the patio area facing Depot Street, all while beverages would be available for purchase.
But, for now, Bragg and Huffman are flipping the sign around on the front door of Sawdust + Me from “Closed” to “Open” with the official launch celebration taking place last month — this literal and figurative gesture at the heart of a long held dream now becoming a reality unfolding within each new day.
“Customer satisfaction is the number one goal — that’s the biggest reward,” Bragg said. “When that customer comes in sees their piece completely finished and say, ‘I knew it would be great, I just didn’t know it would be this great,’ there’s validation that we’ve done the best we could for them — that’s the blessing of it all.”
A recent work by Sawdust + Me.
Outdoors+Recreation
Casting
for Canton
Fly shop opens in Papertown
Doug Mcelvy was only 3 or 4 the first time he picked up a fishing rod, but it sparked a love for the water that’s stayed with him throughout his life — at 36, that passion inspired him to open Canton’s only fly fishing shop, Mountain Fly Outfitters.
The store held this past winter, and Mcelvy envisions Mountain Fly Outfitters as more than just a store, however. He wants it to also serve as a hub for the local fly fishing community, offering a welcoming and laid-back environment for anglers of all backgrounds to connect, learn and share their passion for the sport.
“One of my most favorite things about fishing is teaching other people how to do it and watching them be successful at it,” he said. He hopes the shop will help him introduce the sport to even more people than he’s been
able to since he started running a guide service out of his home in 2016. In addition to providing a central spot for guides and clients to meet up, the shop on the east end of downtown sells all manner of gear — everything from hand-tied flies, rods and reels to waders, nets and hats.
“I’m carrying mostly brands that I use when I’m fishing and the outdoor gear that I think is good gear,” he said.
Brands include Free Fly, Howler Brothers, Kuhl, Suncloud, Chums and Astral, to name a few, and they’re available for purchase online as well as in person at the store. With “probably 1,000 miles of wadable trout water within 30 minutes of here,” Mcelvy sees Canton as a perfect place to set up shop.
That said, as he started out in life Mcelvy never envisioned himself making a living from fly fishing. He knew he loved it, but he also loved music. A guitarist, vocalist and songwriter with the Asheville-based band Red Clay Revival, Mcelvy spent years on the road traveling with his band. The experience gave him a chance to fish the country’s most spectacular trout waters —
Doug Mcelvy owns Mountain Fly Outfitters, which opened this winter in Canton. Holly Kays photo
The shop carries a variety of hand-tied flies geared toward conditions in local rivers.
Holly Kays photo
whenever he could get away, he’d take the opportunity to cast his line.
“We would go all over the country, and my intention was to play music and fish as much as I could,” he said.
That’s a mission he accomplished, but now he’s setting down roots in Western North Carolina. Originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Mcelvy moved to Sylva in 2008 and began working as a fly fishing guide for Hunter Banks, opening his own guide service in 2016. Now he resides in Leicester and continues to play with Red Clay Revival.
He’s fished all over, but Mcelvy said he’s found the best of all worlds in Western North Carolina.
“We have everything that all the rivers out west offer,” he said.
From big water like the Tuckasegee and the tailwaters of the Pigeon River to the pristine headwater streams up in the mountains, it’s all there — and, unlike in the western United States, characterized by grand scale and vast distances, Southern Appalachian trout waters tend to be much more accessible.
“You can get out in the outdoors and still be home for dinner the same night,” Mcelvy said.
Increasingly, communities in WNC are cashing in on that reality. Ten years ago, there was only one fly shop in all of Haywood County. Now, there are three. Tuckasegee Fly Shop opened in Waynesville in 2021, Maggie Valley Fly Shop in Maggie Valley earlier this year and now Mountain Fly Outfitters in Canton.
According to newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2022 the value-added impact of the outdoor recreation economy was responsible for 2% of North Carolina’s gross domestic product and 2.9% of its employment, representing more than 146,000 jobs. WNC is a critical piece of that puzzle. The Made X Mtns Partnership, which launched in 2021, aims to make the region into the outdoor industry hub for the entire eastern U.S. and hosts the annual Outdoor Economy Conference, the nation’s leading outdoor recreation-focused economic development conference.
of town.
The 450-acre park, which opened in 2022, now boasts more than 17 miles of hiking and biking trails. That success, combined with the March 2023 announcement that Canton’s 115-year-old paper mill would close for good, has left many hopeful that the town could reinvent itself as an outdoor destination. Mcelvy said those developments aren’t the reason why he decided to open in Canton — he’d already been in the process of launching his fly shop as they transpired — but that it’s proven an exciting time to be part of Canton’s outdoor recreation community.
“I really love this area, I love Canton, and there’s not a fly shop here,” he said. “I just saw where I could fit in.”
Even before Canton’s paper mill shut down earlier this year, town leaders had been making moves to get in on the action. With the mill gone, success in that sector will be even more important.
“Canton is kind of making a turn toward outdoor recreation,” Mcelvy said, referencing the new Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside
In particular, he’s excited about the positive prognosis for the Pigeon River since the mill’s closure. When the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission sampled fish populations downstream from the mill in July, they found double the diversity and 15 times the number of fish compared to a previous sampling in May, while the mill was still making paper.
“I hope that water can be really used,” he said. “That’s a big stretch of water down through there.”
— Holly Kays
Marty Williams and his son Benny show off their catch during a fishing trip on the Tuckasegee River. Mountain Fly Outfitters photo
Mcelvy stocks his store with his favorite brands to use on the water.
Holly Kays photo
Doug Mcelvy (left) and Mountain Fly guide Ryan Burns hold up a fresh-caught trout on the Pigeon River.
Mountain Fly Outfitters photo
Outdoors+Recreation
Notes from a plant nerd Go, Go Chasing Butterflies
Each year, at the beginning of fall, an amazing thing happens in North America and the Southern Appalachian mountains.
One of the most amazing animal migrations passes right through Western North Carolina. Not only can you go witness it, but you can also help these amazing animals along the way.
Every year, monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) set out from their summer homes in the northern United States and Canada to fly 3,000 miles to their wintering grounds in warmer climates. And they follow the same or similar routes as in previous years.
They stop and drink nectar from the same fields of wildflowers, roost overnight in the same trees and follow a similar route as their ancestors have for millions of years.
Sometimes, if you are lucky and time it well, you can find them on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stand among hundreds of monarchs swooping down for nectar or flying southward on their journey.
The majority of monarch butterflies spend the winter huddled in trees together by the millions in the mountains outside of Mexico City. They will leave the warm safety of numbers to flit down and drink nectar from flowers during the warmer days, then gather
in such amazing masses back in the trees that their body weight causes the branches to droop and hang.
In late winter, they leave Mexico and begin their long, multi-generational migration towards Canada and the northern U.S. It takes them three generations, all dependent on the many species of milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) that serve as hosts for their caterpillars.
These milkweeds, and a couple of other plant species that used to be in the milkweed genus of Asclepias, are the only plants in the world that monarchs will lay their eggs on, as it is the only food their cat-
erpillars will eat.
The monarchs then spend summer in their northern reaches for two or three more generations, flying about and doing what monarchs do on their summer vacation — drinking nectar and pollinating flowers.
Then, in the fall, they will fly all the way back to Mexico in one single, long-lived generation to reach the same overwintering grounds that their great, great, great, great, great-grandparents did the year before. And they have been making this same journey, year after year, for millions of years.
And you can help them. In fact, this species, and so many others, could use our help. Our culture has decimated their traditional habitats and migration routes by replacing the native plants they evolved with, with millions of acres of corn, soy, wheat, lawns, golf courses and exotic plant landscapes. By planting and encouraging native plants back into these areas, we can help to make sure that the monarchs continue this journey long into the future.
They need milkweeds that are native to your bioregion for their spring journey. In the fall, the adults rely on the abundance of nectar produced by asters (Symphyotricum and Eurybia spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), ironweeds (Vernonia spp.), Joe Pye weeds (Eutrochium spp.) and other late-blooming flowers.
As do so many other species of moth, butterfly, bees, wasps and other insects. If we continue to think of these plants as weeds and mow them down or spray them to death before they bloom, we will continue to see a decline in insect species all around.
By fall, the monarch butterflies are migrating through the mountains, flying south and drinking nectar. I encourage you to go up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and see if you can find them.
Some common spots are the Cherry Cove Gap Overlook, Haywood Gap, Devil’s Courthouse parking area, Caney Fork Overlook and other spots along the way with an abundance of wildflowers in bloom. But, do be careful as you drive along scanning the roadsides and skies for signs of monarchs, as the road is curvy and filled with a constant flow of tourists.
(Adam Bigelow lives in Cullowhee. He leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)
VOTED AREA’S
Outdoors+Recreation
To the top: Trail network matures at Canton’s Chestnut Mountain
In a sunny clearing 350 feet above U.S. 23, the choose-your-own-adventure portion of Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park begins.
After walking uphill 0.8 miles from the parking lot, the wooden path opens up toward the clearing, where a pair of wooden arches — one marking the entrance to the Berm Park Skills Course and the second to the park’s backcountry trail network — waits alongside a large map. Colorful squiggles denote the ever-growing roster of trails and represent an ongoing challenge to the town employees tasked with maintaining the map.
“We’re on our fifth or sixth iteration of that map station,” said Town Manager Nick Scheuer, “because every time we add a new trail, we have to update the maps.”
New trails
When Chestnut Mountain opened to the public in April 2022, its only trails were the short circuits at Berm Park and the ascent and descent trails connecting them to the parking lot, less than 2 miles total.
Now, the park features about 17 miles of
trail, split about evenly between hikers and bikers.
“We’re seeing a lot of growth now because Berm Park was very much a really cool, novelty thing to come see, but if you’re trying to ride for fitness or exercise, or you’re a mountain biker that’s used to riding in Western North Carolina, you want more mileage,” said Scheuer. “And now we have that.”
Mountain bike trails are concentrated in the western half of the park, with the 1.8-mile Ladybird Trail serving as a spine to which the other bike trails connect as they loop around. This descent-only trail is rated intermediate, filled with berms and opportunities to pump and jump down the mountain to its terminus at the entrance to Berm Park. It’s named in honor of a dog who used to come each day with one of the trail builders. She was “the best greeter,” Scheuer said, but got sick as the trail got finished, ultimately passing away.
Ladybird Trail came online in November 2022, the same month as a 1.7-mile upper portion of Papertown Express that’s open to hikers and uphill bikers. This summer, Chestnut Mountain opened the 1-mile Champion Trail, rated double-black for
expert riders, as well as Wildcat, a 1.1-mile intermediate trail. October saw the arrival of Union, a 1-mile intermediate/advanced bike trail linking Ladybird and Champion. A halfmile, beginner-friendly bike trail called Sunburst is expected to open in the next week.
While the trails are rated for specific difficulty levels, they’re built to be progressive — riders can often choose to avoid the more intimidating obstacles until they’re ready to face them. Even on expert-rated Champion, said Scheuer, “As long as you have braking control, you can ride this trail.”
Opportunities for hikers have been increasing too, mainly on the east side of the park. In addition to the 4-mile Papertown Express, which is open to hikers and uphill bikers throughout its length, Chestnut Mountain now offers two hiker-only trails. The 2.6-mile Old Timer Trail circles the northeastern boundary of the park, while 1.5-mile Dutch Cove Trail connects with Upper Papertown Express to explore the northern boundary at the center of the property.
There’s also Turnpike, another shareduse trail that’s a half-mile lollipop from the junction of Middle Papertown Express and
Old Timer. At its heart is Turnpike Landing, where a pair of treehouse-inspired pavilions, swings and a stand of regal old oak trees offers a rewarding endpoint for families in search of a mid-grade hike. From the parking lot, it’s a roundtrip of about 3 miles.
“The shortest route if you went to the top and then hiked back out is probably over 5 miles,” Scheuer said, “and so having something that’s accessible and a destination was important to have on the mountain, and I think this serves that well.”
Both the map and signage throughout the park make it clear which kinds of users are allowed on which trails. That, said Scheuer, is key to ensuring that users of all types have a quality experience. The strategy seems to be working.
“You feel it when you’re in the park,” he said. “The interactions that I have when I’m here riding with hikers is always very positive.”
After Sunburst opens, construction will start on an advanced bike trail. Then, the trailbuilding phase will be done.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
This is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the Smokies, one easily witnessed by all the vehicles with mountain bikes strapped to the back or top. Pretty straightforward as to why so many partake of this sport: the Smokies contain some of the best bike trails anywhere. Here are the popular spots:
Cherokee’s Fire Mountain Trails
Twelve-mile system with wide variety of terrain from beginners to relatively serious downhill sections. This is one of the best-maintained trail systems in the Smokies region. Trailhead is in downtown Cherokee at the Oconaluftee Indian Village.
Chestnut Mountain
Located just east of Canton, this mountain biking skills course includes Berm Park and a 0.6-mile hiking/biking trail that climbs 350 feet to connect the gateway and pedestrian bridge to the park’s main trailhead. While hikers and bikers will use the
Grant-funded
The trail system is nearly complete, but the to-do list is not. Over the coming weeks, a project adding a picnic pavilion and restrooms will go out to bid. Meanwhile, Haywood Waterways Association is leading a stream restoration on Hominy Creek, including invasive species removal, regrading the bank to a more natural slope and installing stream structures to promote native aquatic species.
Also on the agenda is turning the field next to the parking lot into a kid’s bicycle playground.
“It will have rocks to ride over and wood features for kids to learn how to ride on,” Scheuer said. “So there’s be progressive features all the way around this oval loop.”
The field will also house a concessions area. The town plans to build a wooden platform to get the base elevation out of the floodplain and to install shipping containers that can be leased out to businesses that would complement the park next door — an outfitter, a coffee shop or a taproom, perhaps.
same path to ascend the mountain, a dedicated descent trail for bikers aims to prevent conflicts and accidents. Berm Park includes jumps, ramps and all kinds of terrain to test one’s skills.
Tsali Recreation Area
This is the granddaddy of Western North Carolina mountain biking, boasting 40 miles of trails on four loops. Rated as one of top 10 places to ride in the U.S. Fast, hard-packed singletrack, and you can’t go wrong with any of the loops. Off N.C. 28 past Bryson City, or if coming from Robbinsville N.C. 143 until you reach N.C. 28, go east. Entrance on north side of N.C. 28, well-marked.
Santeetlah Lake Trail
A 15-mile trail open to mountain bikes, horses, and hikers. The trail follows a number of open and gated Forest Service roads with a short portion of single-track. Large sections of the trail hug the shoreline of Lake Santeetlah offering beautiful mountain lake views. The primary trailhead is located at the intersection of N.C. 143 and Snowbird Road.
Jackrabbit Mountain
Located next to the huge Jackrabbit Campground at Lake Chatuge, this 14-mile trail system is gaining popularity fast. Mostly flat with rolling dips and berms and just a few technical areas. At Lake
Chatuge get on N.C. 175, turn onto Jackrabbit Road, signed parking area on left.
Western Carolina University Trail
More than 7 miles of singletrack across the street from main WCU campus in Cullowhee. The trail system has two trailheads. One is located near the softball field and picnic area on WCU main campus, east of N.C. 107. Trail users then travel through the pedestrian tunnel under N.C. 107 and access the trail on NCCAT property. The second trailhead is located at the parking lot of the Health and Human Sciences building.
Bent Creek, Asheville
Located near where N.C. 191 intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway and I-26, this favorite among Asheville locals because of its proximity to this outdoors-loving city. Lots of hardpacked singletrack with very few technical sections, great place for beginner to intermediate riders and for children.
Dupont State Park
Located near Brevard, this has become one of the premier destinations in the region. 10,000 acres of trails, waterfalls, and rivers. Great spot with numerous trailheads. dupontforest.com.
Pisgah National Forest near Brevard
Hundreds of miles of trails for bikers, some of it among the most technical in the region. mtbikewnc.com.
Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City
The Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Nantahala Gorge has its own trail, which allows riders to try their hand at some technical maneuvering. The 4.5mile Flint Ridge Trail system was designed specifically for mountain bikers. It features technical riding as well as some rolling single-track.
Directions: From Bryson City, go south on U.S. 74 for 12 miles and the NOC campus will be on the right. The highway will narrow to two lanes after about 8 miles.
Fontana Village, Robbinsville
Fontana Village’s trails are labeled and fairly well blazed. Mix and match from numerous options to make your own loop. You can get a good bit of climbing and long descents, plus technical rock gardens, stream crossings and log crossings on the 20-mile trail system that is among the best in the region. Directions: From Bryson City, take U.S. 74 southbound 8 miles past Bryson City. Turn right on N.C. 28. Go about 25 miles.
Remarkably, the concession area is the only project within Chestnut Mountain that is currently unfunded. Most costs have been covered through grant funding, provided by the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, Recreational Trails Program, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Land and Water Fund, with Haywood County Tourism Development Authority also contributing.
Such grants typically require matching funds from the recipient, but Canton was able to use the value of the land, which the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy gifted to the town after buying it for $3 million, to satisfy the match. While the town has funded a few necessary connections and the exit trail, about 90% of the project was grant-funded, Scheuer said, with $750,000 spent so far.
Meanwhile, Asheville YouTuber Seth Alvo financed Berm Park using contributions from his subscribers — at just the right time to keep the project alive.
“That timing was around when Tropical Storm Fred came, so there was a significant period of time before we got the PARTF and RTP grants were it was really just very difficult to justify building something like this when we’ve got $18 million worth of facility damage and everything else,” Scheuer said, “so having him [Alvo] crowdfund Berm Park and activating the park and getting it off the ground was just amazing timing.”
Back to life
The end of construction will signal the beginning of Chestnut Mountain’s larger legacy.
The park could connect to multiple new
The Town of Canton is in the early stages of organizing a Friends of Chestnut Mountain group to provide volunteer maintenance for the trails. Anybody interested in participating is encouraged to contact Parks and Recreation Director Sam Dunbar at sdunbar@cantonnc.com.
trails projects in the area. As part of a planned modernization of U.S. 19-23, which runs right past Chestnut Mountain, the N.C. Department of Transportation wants to build a shared-use path from downtown Canton to the Buncombe County line, which would allow visitors to park in Canton and ride a mile down the road to explore Chestnut Mountain.
On the other side of the ridge, the new Pisgah View State Park is now under development, expected to open in 2025. Driving between the two parks takes about 20 minutes, but their property lines are separated by only about a mile of privately held ridgeline that’s rugged and forested, Scheuer said.
“Even if they were to develop those properties, that area is just not going to be utilized most likely,” he said. “So I think there’s an opportunity to make a connection there, which would be pretty unbelievable.”
Such a connection could spur development of backcountry campsites. Campsites are allowed under the park’s master plan, but the town is considering various logistical factors before it decides to build them. However, Canton is committed to being a good steward of the property and amenities it already has.
— Holly Kays
Feeling the Force Forest Therapy Offers Opportunity for Restoration Outdoors+Recreation
With eyes closed, I can’t see the patchwork of brown leaves and fallen twigs covering the forest floor before me, the pale green lattice of lichen peppering the trunks of upward-reaching trees, or the waters of Fisher Creek rushing over a bed of weathered rocks.
But I can feel where I am. A light breeze teases my right cheek, the cool air not quite masking the scent of decaying leaves and bright mountain water.
“Notice the variety of sounds,” says Mark Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide, as he stands a short distance away. “The distances — near, far. And patterns. Try to find the rhythms in the sounds around us and how they interact with each other.”
I listen, noting how the creek’s upstream rumble plays against the higher-pitched crystal of the rivulet in front of me, a musical track that continues into infinity.
Ellison continues, speaking slowly through a 10-minute invitation that offers an opportunity for each of the senses to experience this familiar piece of trail as though it is brand new.
“What did you notice?” Ellison asks as I open my eyes — restored, refreshed, and grateful for this moment within an otherwise harried day to do nothing but simply be part of creation.
Slowing down
Normally, this exercise would be just one portion of a two-hour experience Ellison offers at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, which is home to one of the globe’s 20 certified forest therapy trails. Today, he’s offering a taste of a tool that’s fascinated him since he first learned about it in the early 2000s, while researching his Ph.D. in adult education and human resource development.
“Forest therapy is about slowing down,” he said. “It’s not about covering a distance or about exercising. Conversely, it’s about disconnecting and stopping, and just being
able to notice with all your senses everything that’s around you.”
Forest therapy, which originated as shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” in Japan in the 1980s, is still fairly young in the United States. When Ellison began leading walks in 2012, it was nearly unheard of. But the idea connected with something he’d learned about himself back in the late 1980s as a student at Western Carolina University. Ellison had never hiked much before enrolling at WCU, when he started taking solo walks in the woods.
“I just enjoyed the way I felt when I went out in nature that way,” he said. “But I also noticed, when I came back, I was able to think more clearly. I was better able to focus. And then my grades started improving.”
Research supports Ellison’s anecdotal experience. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a walk in the forest has been
shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Other research has shown an increase in the number of immune cells among people who spent three days and two nights in a forest, and improved self-reported health and well-being among people who spend at least two hours each week in nature.
Gaining steam
When Ellison first stumbled across the concept of forest therapy as a student at N.C. State, it was a concept without name recognition in the United States. A 2014 article in Oprah Magazine helped change that, and since then it’s continued to gain traction.
“I think it’s very much taking off,” Ellison said, comparing its trajectory to that of yoga, which began gaining popularity in
Forest therapy trails in Japan often have various structures like this one that support the forest bathing experience.
Mark Ellison photo
Hiking is one of the best ways to get out and commune with nature. With a quiet step you stand a great chance of seeing some of the multitude of wildlife Western North Carolina has to offer.
There are hikes for all kinds — climbs along the rocks to a high mountain waterfalls, casual strolls to expansive mountain views, all-day treks out into the wilderness and brisk jaunts to perfect picnic places. Wherever you go, trying making part of your hike a “soft walk.” Tread quietly and use your senses to experience the world around you without talking. If you see something worth pointing out, communicate without speech. The process will help you tune in to nature and how it communicates with us.
When hiking, you know best what you’re looking for and what you’re capable of — injuries happen when you take on too much or get too tired. Find a hike that suits your tastes and skills.
Easy
Panthertown Valley
Panthertown Valley is a 6,700-acre area in the Nantahala National Forest. It’s been nicknamed “the Yosemite of the East” and is home to granite domes, waterfalls, valley floors and rare high altitude bogs, as well as the headwaters for Greenland and Panthertown Creeks and the East Fork of the Tuckasegee River. Trails abound and primitive overnight camping and catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
Horsepasture River Trail
This out and back three-mile hike in Sapphire offers outstanding view of four large waterfalls and good camping along the way. The trail can be a little gnarly. Use extreme caution when viewing waterfalls, particularly Rainbow Falls, which can be viewed from the top. Falls are slippery and that closer look just isn’t worth the type of injuries that may occur. The trailhead is located approximately 10 miles east of Cashiers.
Boogerman Trail
This 3.8 mile loop hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park takes you past old growth hemlocks and Robert “Booger” Palmer’s home place (hence the name). There’s plenty of creek views and wildflowers. Nealry a mile in, you’ll see a sign for Boogerman Trail. To avoid a relentless and steep climb, continue further up Caldwell Fork Trail and take the upper loop of Boogerman Trail. The hike
begins near the Cataloochee campground.
Wayah Bald
Located near Franklin in Macon County, this paved trail suitable for the handicapped leads to the Wayah Bald lookout tower, which is a National Historic Landmark offering breathtaking, panoramic views of the area. The Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail intersect at the tower.
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Trail
Joyce Kilmer Forest, the last remnant of virgin forest in the Southern Appalachians, offers a spectacular 2-mile loop trail. Near Robbinsville.
Medium
Hemphill Bald
The Loop hike at Hemphill Bald is 13.7 miles in total, but just 4.7 miles in will get you to the Bald. The bald was named after a pioneer family.
Tsali Recreation Area
Located in Graham County the Tsali Recreation Area is known for its excellent trails. Hikers, bikers and horses all must share, but a bike/horse usage schedule keeps down the melee. Hikers may use any trail at any time. The Thompson Loop and Mouse Branch Looop are billed as easy to moderate and good for families.
Looking Glass Rock
This 6-mile hike through the Pisgah National Forest travels first through small cove, then steeply up the backside of Looking Glass Rock through many switchbacks, hardwood forests, Carolina hemlocks. At the top of the trail there are cliffs providing views of Pisgah Ridge from Mt. Pisgah
toward the Shining Rock/Black Balsam Area and the valleys below.
Hard Shining Rock Wilderness Area
Shining Rock became one of the original components of the Wilderness System in September 1964. A series of high ridges extends east and west from the north-south oriented Shining Rock Ledge. There are three main access points for trails within this Wilderness. First and foremost is the Black Balsam area near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Although this is not part of the Wilderness itself, The Art Loeb (moderate) and Ivestor Gap (easy) trails lead into the wilderness area from here.
Mount Sterling Gap Trail
This low ridge trail begins at Mt. Sterling Gap on Cataloochee-Big Creek Road. It’s only 2.8 miles to the firetower, but is rated extremely strenuous because of a 2,000-foot climb in 2.3 miles along an old jeep trail to the ridge just below the firetower. This firetower is one of three remaining in the Park. There are several excellent lookouts from the trail prior to reaching the main ridge, but the view from the tower is unequalled in the Park.
Fontana to Wesser
This 30-mile hike along the Appalachian Trails is full of ups and downs. There are shelters along the way, and in the end you’ll find yourself at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Or do the hike in reverse and end at Fontana Dam. To learn more about the Appalachian Trail visit appalachiantrail.org.
(Some hike recommendations courtesy of Danny Bernstein, author of “Hiking the Carolina Mountains.”)
the United States in the 1970s. Today, it’s mainstream —many people do it, and most people have at least heard of it.
In recent years, forest therapy has garnered increasing levels of interest and recognition. A quick Google search pulls up articles from publications such as National Geographic, The LA Times and CBS News.
“I think it’s going to continue to [grow] as people are looking to find ways to maintain mental health,” Ellison said. “This is a great way to disconnect from the things that can bother us now. Getting away from being on the internet all the time, getting away from all the noise, getting away from all the distractions and being able to connect with things are nurturing to us.”
Ellison has been involved with the U.S. forest therapy movement since its inception, collaborating with Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Founder Amos Clifford as well as “The Nature Fix” author Florence Williams within his first year or so of leading walks. By 2022, he’d worked with the Town of Sylva to get the half-mile trail at the bottom of Pinnacle Park certified as an official forest therapy trail — one of only 20 such trails worldwide.
The Pinnacle Park trail offers self-guided options to reap the benefits of forest bathing, in the form of paper brochures and a QR code at the trailhead. Visitors are encouraged to practice sensory awareness through both stillness and taking a slow and purposeful walk. They’re asked to find a tree that draws them in, find a spot to sit and be present and touch the waters of Fisher Creek.
But for those seeking a more intensive experience, there’s the guided option. Many people who hire Ellison to lead them
through have undergone some kind of trauma.
“I’ve had several families come out as a way to remember someone who’s passed,” he said. “A woman who came out here as a way to remember her husband who loved nature. This was a way for her to feel connected to him. A mother who lost her son, and another mother who’d lost her daughter. They felt like this was a way they could reconnect and remember them.”
In October 2023, Ellison was one of about 20 forest therapy guides to join the first-ever tour of shinrin-yoku trails in Japan, a joint event of the U.S.-based Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and Japanbased Future with Forest.
“That was one of the best experiences of my life,” Ellison said.
He elaborated on that sentiment in a blog post describing the trip.
“There was so much about this experience that pushed my edges, challenged my thinking, opened my eyes,” he wrote. “It changed me. I was expecting that visiting the forest therapy trails would be impactful, but more so it was the people … Returning home I visited one of my favorite trails to hike. I was noticing things I had not in a long time. Things seemed different in a place I have been hundreds of times. The journey recharged, inspired and touched me in a way that has not happened in a very long time.”
— Holly Kays
Mark Ellison prepares a tea ceremony featuring white pine tea on the forest therapy trail at Pinnacle Park. Holly Kays photo
A member of an October 2023 forest therapy tour in which Mark Ellison participated gestures toward a scenic view in Japan. Mark Ellison photo
Outdoors+Recreation
Wading In Starting a New Hobby With a Fly Fishing Class
When my wife told me she’d signed me up for a fly-fishing class, I probably let out an audible groan. I almost didn’t go — hell, Friday is usually my day to stay home and write. Why infringe on that?
I’ve always liked hiking in the Smokies, but who has the focus to stand in one place and flick a line around? I grew up fishing rivers in Washington State and have enjoyed it here and there in my adult life, but those ventures were the classic “set it and forget it,” a chance to enjoy some beer and idle conversation between tugs on the line.
But my wife figures fly fishing is a pastime that would probably suit me. Her underlying motivation may have been that the man who leads the class, Tommy Thomas, sells fly rods at the gallery she manages, Waynesville’s Twigs & Leaves. Thomas is a favorite of the gallery, and Tiffani always wants me to meet the people she respects. She arranged it so I would take the class with the gallery’s owner, Roger Reid, and his
next-door neighbor, Station On Main owner Kirk Noonan, as well as Dennis and Graham Hysom, the husband and son of Tiffani’s coworker, Lenora.
The first of two days, I arrived in the small, empty parking lot off Richland Creek near the Lake Junaluska Golf Course. As I sat eating my biscuit and sipping my coffee, I side eyed the geese, and the geese side eyed me. We’ve never gotten along, and there was an uneasy tension.
Roger pulled up next to me as I crumpled up the Chick Fil A bag and tossed it in my back seat. We chatted as a mother goose wobbled up with a few goslings behind her, a developing threat. A few minutes later, Dennis and Graham arrived, and then a woman named Cindy. We stood in the parking lot and chatted for probably a half hour when Roger finally said what we were all thinking.
“Maybe we’re in the wrong place?”
I followed the others who drove with a strong sense of purpose to the Waynesville Recreation Park — the other side of the
Richland Creek Greenway — where we encountered Thomas and the others. I was nervous about what I may have missed, partly because I wanted to make the most of the time and really learn the basics of fly fishing, but mostly because it sucks to write a story after feeling like you missed something.
Thomas welcomed us with no hesitation, and we set up our lawn chairs around a table displaying a bunch of books and some random fly-fishing equipment. Going clockwise around our little semicircle, we introduced ourselves. Once Thomas got to me, he excitedly spoke about my former coworker Holly Kays, who’d previously written about the class.
“I used to work with Holly Kays; she’s just a fantastic writer,” he exclaimed.
I chuckled to myself. He wasn’t wrong, but the pressure was on. Once the class began in earnest, I scribbled notes as other eager aspiring anglers did the same.
The class began with Thomas giving
REELIN’ IN APPALACHIA
WNC Fly Fishing Trail
All of Western North Carolina is renowned for its fly fishing, and its reputation continues to grow. Jackson County developed the first official, mapped fly fishing trail, and that has been emulated by Swain County. And of course there are plenty of outfitters and guides ready to take visitors to the best fishing holes in the mountains.
Below are the stops on Jackson County’s Fly Fishing Trail. Encompassing big rivers, small streams, easy access and backcountry hike-ins, the 15-spot trail was the first of its kind in the United States. For more information, click on flyfishingtrail.com.
Scott Creek
The Stretch: Roughly 10 miles from headwaters near Balsam down to Sylva
Access Point(s): Parking and access available via several pull-off areas along U.S. 23/74
Type of Water: Hatchery supported
Available Fish: Brown, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Stretch also includes North Fork Scott Creek and Buff Creek, which are very scenic
Small Streams: Moses Creek, Mull Creek, Rough Butt Creek, Chastine Creek, Piney Mountain Creek
The Stretch: Collection of small streams in eastern Jackson County, below Blue Ridge Parkway
Access Point(s): Via Moses Creek Rd (SR 1740) and Caney Fork Rd (SR 1737), avoid posted land
Type of Water: Wild Trout
Available Fish: Brook, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Mountainous terrain, includes several large waterfalls
Caney Fork
The Stretch: Roughly 10 miles from East Laporte
everyone his business card, not for self-promotion but to provide a vital resource for the future. As I’ve since learned, exploring the vast world of rods and reels and gadgets and gizmos can be overwhelming, so Thomas encouraged everyone to give him a call any time they have questions.
“Once you’re my students, you’re my students for life,” he told the class.
Thomas, absurdly spry for a 76-year-old, is not only an expert fly fisherman; he’s also an avid educator, a storyteller and a sort of modern-day philosopher. Clad in an array of gear ornamented with various flies and gear, he embodied what many in the group
Park to headwaters at fork of Mull Creek and Piney Mountain Creek
Access Point(s): Access via Caney Fork Road (SR 1737), avoid posted land
Type of Water: Undesignated
Available Fish: Rainbow, Brown, occasional Brook Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Respect private landowners
Tanasee Creek
The Stretch: Roughly 2-3 miles from Tanasee Creek bridge up to headwaters
Access Point(s): Parking and access available at bridge on Tanasee Creek Road (SR 1762)
Type of Water: Wild Trout
Available Fish: Brown Numbers or Size? Both
Noteworthy: Very scenic stretch in the Nantahala National Forest
Panthertown Creek
The Stretch: Entire stream, roughly 3 miles
Access Point(s): Parking and access at end of Breedlove Rd (SR 1121), with 2-mile walk to creek Type of Water: Catch and release single hook artificial lure
Available Fish: Brook Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Located in Panthertown Valley, which is known as the “Yosemite of the East” because of its bowl shape and rocky bluffs
Raven Fork
The Stretch: Starts at Blue Ridge Parkway bridge near Cherokee and goes north for 2.2 miles
Access Point(s): Parking and access via several pull-off areas along Big Cove Road; paths run along stream
Type of Water: Catch and release fly fishing only Available Fish: Golden, Rainbow, Brown, Brook, Donaldson Numbers or Size? Both
Noteworthy: This stretch is also called Cherokee Trophy Water and fish of 20-30 inches are common;
Cherokee annual permit and daily permit required
Whitewater River
The Stretch: Roughly 2-3 miles from N.C. 107 down to the South Carolina state line
Access Point(s): Parking and access along N.C. 107, a few miles south of Cashiers
Type of Water: Wild Trout
Available Fish: Brook, Brown, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Flows into Whitewater Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi
Scotsman and Fowler Creeks into Chattooga River
The Stretch: Roughly 2-3 miles of each stream flowing down into the Chattooga River
Access Point(s): Access available via Whiteside Cove Rd (SR 1107) or Bullpen Rd (SR 1100) in Nantahala National Forest
Type of Water: Wild Trout with Natural Bait
Available Fish: Brown, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Numbers (creeks), Size (Chattooga)
Noteworthy: The film Deliverance was shot on the Chattooga River
West Fork Tuckasegee River
The Stretch: From small reservoir at Thorpe Power House upstream several hundred yards
Access Point(s): Parking and access available both sides of N.C. 107 near Thorpe Power House
Type of Water: Hatchery supported
Available Fish: Brown, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Although hatchery supported, this has nice concentration of stream-raised fish
Tuckasegee River (East Laporte Park to N.C. 107 Bridge)
The Stretch: Roughly 2-3 miles from park to bridge
Access Point(s): Parking and access available at East Laporte Park and pull-off areas along Old Cullowhee Road
Type of Water: Hatchery supported
aspired to. He began by informing the students that they live in “fly fishing Mecca,” a beautiful place with pristine waters and plenty of trout. But that’s not what’s it’s about, Thomas said, invoking a famous Henry David Thoreau quote: “Many men go fishing their entire lives without knowing it isn’t the fish they’re after.”
Thomas estimated 95% have yet to reach the enlightenment Thoreau references.
“Once you cross over to the 5%, you’ll know what this sport is all about,” Thomas said.
And it’s the solitude he referenced, a chance to think clearly and honestly amid nature, which passes no judgment. Us students, there to learn the basics, were eager to experience what still may seem like an abstract concept.
When it came to the nuts and bolts, Thomas threaded humor and trivia throughout the lessons to keep people engaged. While he taught introductory techniques and explained the basic equipment, he also built in everyone a feeling of comfort and confidence. He offered the words of another great philosopher, who, when teaching a reluctant student said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” That philosopher, as some in the class seemed to know based on their quiet smiles, was Yoda.
But the message was real, and Thomas spent real time telling everyone that they can do this and do it well; it’s just a matter of repetition. Even when it came to tying flies, the part of the fly fishing that still feels most elusive to me, he offered encouragement — they don’t have to be pretty, he said.
“The fish will meet you halfway,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”
That first day, we also practiced casting without flies, which was for the best, considering most of us were flinging our lines around and no doubt would have hooked a limb — tree or human — at some point. The mechanics were simple, bring your elbow right into your side and move your arm from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock. Pay special attention to not throw the line as you would casting with a traditional rod and reel, but rather let the motion of the line drive things. The second you feel the weight shift back on the rod, move your arm forward and let the line drift down elegantly. More complex casts will come later, Thomas assured.
The next Friday was similar, with some time spent practicing casting and plenty dedicated to stream etiquette and navigating safety hazards, including falls, hypothermia,
stolen equipment, parasitic microorganisms, snakes, bears, elk, drowning and sudden bad weather.
“Did I scare you off from fly fishing yet?” Thomas joked.
The group also ventured down to Richland Creek, so Thomas could point out the basics of reading the water, where to cast and how to let a fly drift. He even waded down into the creek to point out the nymphs that hide under the rocks.
At the end, Thomas donned his full getup, complete with waders and a fishing vest loaded with all kinds of stuff, including a pipe and tobacco. Ending the class with a gear breakdown was perfect — it showed everyone what it’s supposed to look like. Once all was said and done, everyone had all the knowledge they needed to at least get out on the water, and that’s what it’s all about.
I interviewed Thomas after the end of the second day, during which he spoke a bit about his pedagogical philosophy. While he’s been teaching this class for about five years, education has been a lifelong interest of his, even throughout his career which brought him to teaching construction management. He agreed that perhaps the most important thing is letting people know they can learn this great new hobby, no matter where they are in life.
“Everybody can do this,” he said. “I touched on every aspect of fly fishing to make sure that you were exposed to it, that you learn from it. I’ve had over probably
500 or 600 students come through here, anywhere from seven years old up to 85 years old, all who have just started out in it. They all learned that yes, you can do this.”
Thomas said many of his students do take to fly fishing and have come to realize that one of the truest joys is in the continuous learning and development inherent to the sport. Thomas, who himself has mastered the crafts of fly tying and bamboo rod refurbishment understands this concept well, and he’s also created his own trademark knot and fly cast — the aptly titled Tommy Knot and Tommy Cast.
“There’s no question about it, this is individualistic,” he said. “You get your favorite rod, your favorite fly and all that, and everything becomes second nature. It’s an extension of your arm. There’s no right or wrong. It’s just whatever you want to do yourself.”
This is similar to my view of writing. Fly fishing, like writing, is a craft. The goal is never to be perfect, it’s to always improve, always seek the next plateau. Finding your own innovations along the way is the treat. And so here I sit, having now purchased all the basic gear — cheap stuff that can be replaced as the need arises, as Tommy recommended — ready to give this thing a go. Like most times I feel hesitant about diving into something, whether because of anxiety or simply because I feel like I have other things to be doing, I am glad I showed up, and I plan to stick with this.
See you in the stream.
— Kyle Perrotti
REELIN’ IN
Available Fish: Rainbow, Brook, Brown Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: East Laporte Park has picnic tables and public restrooms
Savannah Creek
The Stretch: About 10 miles from headwaters in Pumpkintown into Tuckasegee River
Access Point(s): Parking and access available via several pull-offs along U.S. 23/441
Type of Water: Hatchery supported
Available Fish: Rainbow, Brown Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Access limited the closer you get to the Tuckasegee River
Tuckasegee River (N.C. 107 Bridge to Dillsboro park)
The Stretch: Roughly 4-5 mile stretch from bridge to the riverside park in Dillsboro Access Point(s):
Parking and access available via numerous pulloffs along North River Road
Type of Water: Delayed harvest
Available Fish: Brook, Brown, Rainbow Numbers or Size? Both
Noteworthy: Best place to achieve the Tuckasegee Slam (catch all three species in one spot)
Greens Creek
The Stretch: About 3-4 miles from Macon County line to Savannah Creek
Access Point(s): Various places along Greens Creek Road (SR 1370)
Types of Water: Wild Trout, undesignated, hatchery supported
Available Fish: Rainbow, some Brown Numbers or Size? Numbers
Noteworthy: Portion of the creek flows through the Nantahala National Forest
Tuckasegee River (in Dillsboro)
The Stretch: About 1 mile from Dillsboro park through town
Access Point(s): Various places between park and Best Western River Escape Inn
Type of Water: Hatchery supported
Available Fish: Rainbow, Brown Numbers or Size? Size
Noteworthy: Includes two lodging options: Best Western River Escape Inn and Dillsboro Inn
Lower Tuckasegee River (Barker’s Creek Bridge to Whittier)
The Stretch: Roughly 8-10 miles from bridge to Whittier
Access Point(s): Parking and access via pull-offs and businesses along U.S. 19/74 freeway
Type of Water: Hatchery supported, undesignated Available Fish: Rainbow, Brown Numbers or Size? Size
Noteworthy: The stretch is also home to smallmouth bass
Outdoors+Recreation
Swinging for the Smokies
Hhere’s nothing like playing a round of golf at high elevation to quicken the blood and make you feel alive. Golf courses in Western North Carolina have attitude as well as altitude, challenging golfers in the most gorgeous of settings. In this mountain region, there are a handful of top-notch public courses, including the Sequoyah National in Cherokee (designed by Robert Trent Jones II) and the historic 27 holes at Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa. In the Cashiers area of Jackson County, the scenic High Hampton Inn is regarded as one of the most picturesque courses in the country.
Other public area golf courses include:
n Cherokee Hills Golf Club
Murphy
828.837.5853
n Franklin Golf Course
Franklin
828.524.2288 • www.franklingolfcourse.com
n The Golf Club at Mill Creek
Franklin
828.524.4653 • www.thegolfclubatmillcreek.com
n High Hampton Inn & Country Club
Cashiers
800.334.2551 • www.highhamptoninn.com
n Lake Junaluska Golf Course
Lake Junaluska
800.222.4930 • www.lakejunaluska.com
n Maggie Valley Club & Resort
Maggie Valley
855.467.2430 • www.maggievalleyclub.com
n The Ridges Golf Club
Hayesville
828.233.5273 • www.theridgesgolfclub.com
n Sequoyah National Golf Club
Whittier
828.497.3000 • www.sequoyahnational.com
n Smoky Mountain Country Club
Whittier
800.474.0070 • www.smokymountaincc.com.
n Springdale Country Club
Canton
800.553.3027 • www.springdalegolf.com
n Waynesville Inn & Golf Club
Waynesville
828.456.3551 • www.waynesvilleinnandgolf.com
THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND
WNC Disc Golf
Alongside trail running, hiking and mountain biking, disc golf has become one of the most popular outdoor activities — it really is that much fun. Western North Carolina is home to several fantastic disc golf courses. Here are a handful of local favorites, for beginners all the way up to expert levels:
Beginner
Waynesville Disc Golf Course, Waynesville Recreation Center
Though plenty of holes are very welcoming for beginners, there are definitely some difficult ones. If you don’t know the 18-hole course, which can be a little tricky to navigate, ask the center for a complimentary map, or simply ask around (lots of folks play this course).
Key hole: #14. Quite possibly one of the nicest mountain viewpoints in town, the launch pad is absolutely gorgeous to throw from, especially nearing sunset.
Trouble hole: #14. As pretty as it is, this hole can also be a terror. Play it conservative if you’re not sure how to “attack” the bucket. Throw it too hard to the left, you’re in poison ivy. Too hard to the right and you’ll have to ask the center to help get your disc off their roof.
Intermediate
Haywood
Community College, Clyde
Tranquil, quiet course. Not too many folks around. Holes meander into the woods, which surround the school. Nice trails. The 18-holes are somewhat challenging, but not too far out of reach for intermediate players.
Key hole: #16. Launch pad is situated right in front of an apple tree grove. On a sunny southern afternoon, there’s no place you’d rather throw from.
Trouble hole: #17. Your love of #16 can quickly diminish if you throw your disc too hard and it winds up in the nearby pond bordering the bucket. Throw more to the right and play it safe.
Advanced
Richmond Hill, Asheville
Quite possibly the most beloved disc golf course in the region, it’s 18 holes of utter chaos looping around a wooded mountain ridge. One hole you’re throwing way uphill, the next it’s back down the other side. Very challenging, but if played with respect and caution (for intermediate players), one can have the time of their lives out there.
Key hole: #9. As rough and tough as this hole is, aesthetically it’s the reason (and ultimate goal) why we disc golf freaks play this sport day in and day out.
Trouble hole: #5. Simply put, you can’t see the bucket over the hill from the launch pad. With woods on both sides of the path, and with a bad throw, you could spend awhile tracking down your disc.
There are also courses at Heritage Park (18) in Andrews, Bethel Elementary (9); Meadowbrook Elementary (9) in Canton, Fire Mountain (18) in Cherokee, Fontana Village (18) in Fontana Dam, as well as the Bear Lake Reserve (9) and the Jackson County Recreation Center (18), which are both in Cullowhee. For more information on the sport of disc golf and course locations, click on pdga.org.
Outdoors+Recreation
Blue Ridge Parkway Serves up the Best of the Mountains
TThe Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road that winds for 469 miles from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive in Virginia to U.S. 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee.
It’s hard to get lost on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It only goes in two directions — north or south. Short, wooden posts along the edge of the road mark off each mile — the entire 469-mile length of the Parkway — making it easy to know exactly where you are. The mile-marker is listed for the recommended stops on the Parkway below, and should be easy to find by watching the mileposts. Hint: the numbers get bigger as you go south, so the end of the Parkway in Cherokee is mile 469.
The Parkway boasts more than 200 overlooks and more than 100 trails. The local section of the Parkway runs from the southern end in Oconaluftee to the Pisgah Inn on the Haywood, Transylvania County line. Along this stretch of scenic road you’ll find highlights such as the Parkway’s highest elevation overlook at Richland Balsam (6,053 feet), views of Cold Mountain made famous by author Charles Frazier, Waterrock Knob and Oconaluftee Visitors Centers, and Devil’s Courthouse Trail.
The Parkway is made for exploring. Here are few suggested highlights in our region, but feel free to ignore them. It’s all about the journey, not the destination.
SELECTED STOPS
Waterrock Knob Visitors Center, milemarker 451
A must for Parkway travelers. Stop here to get recommendations from park rangers on things to do and see, plus pick up a free Parkway map and browse the bookstore. Views are fabulous if you are looking for a picnic spot. Also, there is a one-mile hike to the summit of Waterrock Knob. Interesting fact: the visitor center is powered by solar panels.
Richland Balsam, milemarker 432
The views are great all along the Parkway, but there’s even a milestone achievement available for those don’t want to hike but prefer just getting out of their car to take a picture, enjoy the view, or have a picnic. Just about halfway between the Balsam Gap (U.S. 23-74) and N.C. 215 entrance to the Parkway, near milepost 432, is the Parkway’s highest point (6,053 feet), which is marked with a large sign and a great overlook. Just a mile away at milepost
431 is the Richland-Balsam Self-Guiding Trail, which is just one mile long and meanders through a spruce-fir forest. You’ll top out at an elevation of 6,410 feet, the 10th highest peak in the Eastern U.S.
Devil’s Courthouse, milemarker 422
This 1-mile round-trip trail leads to the top of stunning rock formation, a giant pedestal that seems to rise up magically from the mountains around it and makes you feel like you’re on top of the world looking out. Despite the sheer drop off all around you, rock walls provide a sense of safety — just don’t hop over them or let kids climb on the edge. Ecologically, visitors should stay off the cliff face, which is home to peregrine falcons and endangered rock-clinging lichens and plant life. The trail is steep but paved, making it accessible to anyone if you take it slow and steady.
Sam’s Knob, milemarker 420
Stellar hiking trails lead into the Shining Rock Wilderness, passing over grassy balds, rock outcrops, high elevation streams and fir forests. The area is
riddled with trails, some of which extend for miles into the Shining Rock Wilderness, so if you don’t have a map, watch the way you came carefully. To reach the parking area, turn down a gravel forest service road.
Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields, milemarker 419
A high-elevation bowl is home to two waterfalls, a swimming hole and crystal clear rocky stream. Unlike the dense forests that engulf most hiking trails in the Smokies, this area is defined by open meadows.
Mount Pisgah (5,749 feet)
Located near milepost 408, this mountain with the Biblical name used to be part of the George Vanderbilt Estate (he’s the man who built Biltmore Estate). A parking area is well marked, and the hike is only about a mile but it is relatively strenuous to the platform atop the mountain. Once there, however, the 360-degree views are fabulous. Nearby campground and one of the only restaurants on the Parkway at the Pisgah Inn.
Why do we seek the high places?
The easiest explanation for going to the mountains is for the scenery. Even so, there must be something ingrained in the human experience that draws us to lofty summits and places where we can look out over the landscape. The reasons vary from the practical to the spiritual.
High places represent safety and security. Elevated vantage points have been used throughout history for human survival. From the heights, an approaching enemy can be detected from a long distance, or an attack more easily fended off. A path through unknown territory might be scouted out as waterways and passes can all be seen better from a high perch. Hunters are better able spot herds of animals from an overlook. Migratory animals often use mountain ridges to travel long distances. Surely the Cherokee utilized ridge tops in their network of trails connecting villages and hunting grounds. There is something about the Appalachians that evokes a deep emotional response in most folks. When you are able to get an encompassing view of your surroundings, you automatically know more about your place in the world. For many, this serves to stimulate the curiosity to learn about nature or to seek wilderness. Others find the experience to be humbling, reveal-
SELECT PEAKS
Mount Pisgah (5,749 feet)
Located near milepost 408, this mountain with the Biblical name used to be part of the George Vanderbilt Estate (he’s the man who built Biltmore Estate). A parking area is well marked, and the hike is only about a mile but it is relatively strenuous to the platform atop the mountain. Once there, however, the 360-degree views are fabulous.
Tsali’s Fontana Lake overlooks (2,000 feet plus)
If you’re a mountain biker, too often you are in the trees or too dog tired after a climb to enjoy the views, but there are several in Tsali that are worth getting off your bike and using as a rest break, photo-op or both. All of these are just above 2,000 feet in elevation, but because of the lake’s backdrop they make for stunning views. Tsali Recreation Area is located 12 miles west of Bryson City in the Nantahala National Forest. Go west on U.S. 74 and turn right on N.C. 28. Tsali is about five minutes down the road. Once there, the Mouse Branch, Right and Left loops all have great overlooks. According Timm Muth, author Mountain Biking North Carolina, the
ing the relative insignificance of the individual in the vastness of creation.
The religious and spiritual connection with natural heights is easily explained in the context of being closer to Heaven, the gods and spirits. On Mt. Sinai, God presented Moses with the Ten Commandments and on Mt. Pisgah, Moses got a glimpse of the Promised Land. Native Americans attached sacred significance to high places. The Incas performed human sacrifice on sacred peaks in the Andes. Monks of various Eastern religions have built almost inaccessible monasteries on high precipices.
At times, mountain travel involves personal challenge and extraordinary risk. When asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, George Mallory replied, “Because it is there.” Whether Mallory reached the summit in 1924 is still in question, but the same adventurous spirit still drives many to climb the most difficult mountains. Even in Western North Carolina, the most remote peaks require no small amount of effort to reach.
Visiting the high places can even be a social event. In Japan, large numbers of hikers may crowd a summit trail. The camaraderie of sharing the journey and the view with good friends or a loved one is definitely a bonding experience and often requires cooperation to get there. On the other hand, the sense of solitude one experiences
Mouse Branch overlook 4.5 miles into that loop is the most stunning. On the Right it’s Windy Gap Overlook and the overlook on the Left trail isn’t named. All are fabulous.
Mount LeConte (6,643 feet)
The vistas are endless in the Smokies, but getting to the top of this mountain has the added advantage of being to check out LeConte Lodge, the only commercial lodging facility in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are five trails to the lodge, the shortest and steepest being Alum Cave Trail at 5 1/2 miles, which a hiker in good condition can do in approximately four hours. None of these trails can be considered a stroll and you occasionally encounter ice and snow as late as May or as early as October. The other trails are Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap, each 6.5 miles, a hike of about five hours; Bullhead at 7.2 miles and about five hours; and Boulevard, 8 miles and about 5 1/2 hours. Parking is available at the start of each trail. Once at the top signs lead to the best overlooks.
Wayah Bald (5,342 feet)
The Nantahala Mountains are not as tall as the Smokies, but the views are every bit as stunning.
when standing alone on a lofty wilderness summit is difficult to describe or explain. (Ed Kelley is a photographer, musician and outdoorsman who lives in Waynesville)
This is a land of 4,000- and 5,000-foot mountains in one of the region’s wildest areas. Follow State Route 1310 out of Franklin until you pass Wayah Crest, where there is a camping area. A forest service road, with signs, leads to the parking area at Wayah Bald, where there is an old Civilian Conservation Corps firetower made of stone. Views from the platform are wonderful, and the Appalachian Trail passes right by.
Max Patch (4,629 feet)
This may be the most scenic bald in the Smokies as well as one of the most accessible. From the top, the 360-degree views, the sheer vastness of the bald (which is mowed by the Forest Service) and the beauty is well worth the trip. Since the trail to the parking area is about a quarter of a mile max, it’s a great place to picnic and watch the sunset. Take Exit 7, the Harmon Den Exit, off Interstate 40 and turn right off the exit onto Cold Springs Creek Road. The dirt road goes into Pisgah National Forest. Stay on the main road for several miles until you come to a sign for Max Patch. It is a left-hand turn. Stay on the road until you come to a parking area with an unobstructed view of the bald. Follow the trail to the top of the bald and it intersects with the Appalachian Trail.
VisitNC.com photo
Outdoors +Recreation
From mild to wild, paddlers can find whatever kind of river experience they’re looking for in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
The area around Western North Carolina has earned a reputation as one of the premier whitewater regions in the country, for many reasons.
In addition to rafting becoming one of the top activities sought by visitors to the area, the region has become a magnet for top kayakers and white water canoers. The Nantahala Outdoor Center located in the Nantahala Gorge south of Bryson City is the leader of the rafting and paddling industry in the region. The Nantahala Outdoor Center is more than an outfitter and guide companybut a support network for the many world.class paddlers — including members of current and past U.S. Olympic paddling team and the World Cup champions — that come here to train and live. Many of them work for NOC. The center hosts several top competitions each year that draws international paddlers.
The NOC has also solidified its reputation as one of the top teaching centers in the country. It has a “Rapid Progression, Learn-to-Kayak guarantee” that promises those who sign up will learn to kayak. If the boater does not feel they have mastered all the techniques necessary to feel comfortable, they are allowed to come back for additional training at no extra expense.
Recreational rafters should consider several factors before embarking on a trip.
• Are you looking for a mild trip or a wild ride?
• How long do you want to be on the river?
• Are their any children in your party, and how much do they weigh?
• How comfortable are the members of your party in the water should they take a fall out of the raft?
These are questions you should have at least partially answered for before contacting a rafting company.
Many of the raft companies operate their own lodging facilities, from campgrounds and rustic cabins by the river to luxury cabin rentals secluded in the woods.
Expect $10 to $30 per person for rafting trips depending on the trip and how much is included, such as guided versus self-guided and what type of water craft you’re traveling in.
The types of watercraft include:
• large group rafts
• smaller four-person rafts
• even smaller rafts holding one or two people called Duckys or Funyaks
• sit-on-top kayaks — the person is not strapped in as with regular kayaks; these are sometimes called Funyaks as well
• kayaks
• canoes
THE RIVERS
Nantahala
The Nantahala River in Swain and Macon counties has been called every man’s river. It is an eight-mile run of basically Class II rapids (19 of them) with Class III Nantahala Falls waiting at the end. There is a slalom course on the river at the Nantahala Outdoor Center as well as “the wave” for playboaters. It is a wonderful river for rafting and beginner kayakers. Several outfitters on the river allow raft rentals without guides, and they’ll also shuttle you to the put in.
Tuckasegee
For beginners, tubers and those looking for a leisurely river trip, there is the Tuckasegee River in Jackson and Swain counties. There are five sections, almost 40 miles of navigable waterway from the tiny community of Tuckaseigee to Bryson City. The Tuck is great for family outings. Calmer water allows for a minimum weight requirement of 40 pounds.
Other rivers in the region:
French Broad
The French Broad River through Buncombe and Madison counties offers opportunities from flat water to waves for surfers to the class IV Frank Bell’s rapids. The most popular run on the French Broad is section nine from Barnard to Hot Springs. There is also a kayakers’ playground at the Ledges Park in Asheville.
Chattooga
The Chattooga River winds up in Lake Tugaloo. This scenic, free-flowing river offers a variety of whitewater experiences. Section II from N.C. 28 to Earl’s Ford is basically Class II with one Class III rapids, Bull Shoals. Section III begins at Earl’s Ford and runs 10 miles to U.S. 76. There are six rapids on this section ending with Bull Sluice, which is class IV or V depending on water level. Section IV is eight miles, from U.S. 76 to Lake Tugaloo. This section includes the difficult and potentially treacherous Woodall Shoals and finishes with “Five Falls;” First Falls, Corkscrew, Crack in the Rock, Jawbone and Sock.Em.Dog.
Nolichucky
One of the most scenic paddles in the region would be the Nolichucky. Born out of the confluence of the Toe and Cane rivers, the first few miles of the Nolichucky are full of big water and challenging rapids. The run from Poplar to Erwin, Tenn., is eight.and.a.half miles of Class III and IV rapids, provided the river is up. The Nolichucky is not dam controlled and is dependent on rainfall.
Pigeon
The Pigeon has scheduled releases from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, with Class III and IV rapids. It has become a popular whitewater trip for paddlers and rafters in recent years, providing a shorter but exciting trip. A number of outfitters are located in Hartford, Tenn.
Ocoee
The Ocoee is the furthest west of the whitewater rivers, flowing through a beautiful gorge in east Tennessee. Rafters must be at least 12 years old to go on either the upper or lower Ocoee, and it has Class III and IV rapids for the entire ride.
Waterfalls have long had an almost spiritual appeal among humans.
Whether one is an avid outdoorsman or an occasional hiker, there is something special about making a gorgeous waterfall the destination for a hike.
Among the Cherokee Indians, rivers were known as “The Long Man” and special ceremonies were often held at waterfalls.
There are hundreds of waterfalls in Western North Carolina, and we’ve compiled a fairly extensive list and an interactive map on our newspaper website www.smokymountainnews.com (navigate to the Outdoors section and you’ll find it).
The following waterfalls are just a few of the more popular falls in the region.
Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls is fairly easy to get to and impossible to miss. If you are headed west from Highlands through the Cullasaja Gorge on U.S. 64, the falls will go over a small pull off road on the right. Bridal Veil Falls is 2.3 miles west of Highlands on U.S. 64. You’ll see a pull off road on the right side of U.S. 64 under the falls. From Franklin, it’s a 14.5-mile drive toward Highlands on U.S. 64.
Dry Falls
Dry Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Western North Carolina and an easy stop if you are seeing the other falls on U.S. 64 through the Cullasaja Gorge. Visitors can walk behind the falls and to the other side. The powerful waterfall is about 65 feet tall.
Dry Falls is in between Quarry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls about three miles west of Highlands on U.S. 64.
Cullasaja Falls
Cullasaja Falls is the final waterfall on the Cullasaja River before leaving the Gorge. The falls, a 200-foot cascade, is powerful and beautiful. You can get a good view of it from the road, but it would be a hike to get to the base, and I haven’t seen any trails that lead down to it. The downside to Cullasaja Falls is that the pull off is small and is a dangerous place for traffic to stop. Cullasaja Falls is about two and a half miles west of Quarry Falls on U.S. 64.
Mingo Falls
On the Qualla Indian Reservation in Cherokee, you’ll find the popular Mingo Falls. A small creek falls about 150 feet over mossy rocks. Access to the falls is good – if you can handle lots of steps. A small bridge goes across the creek, giving hikers a face on view of the falls.
Coming from Cherokee, head north on U.S. 441. You’ll turn right onto Acquoni Road. There will be signs telling you to turn there for Big Cove Road. In about .1 mile, turn left on to Big Cove Road. Again you’ll see signs pointing to Big Cove Road. Drive about 5 miles and turn right into Mingo Falls Campground. The parking area is straight ahead. .
Soco Falls
Soco Falls is one of the closest large falls to Waynesville. From Waynesville, drive north on U.S. 19. You’ll pass under the Blue Ridge Parkway. After passing the Blue Ridge Parkway, drive 1.4 miles to a pull off on the left. At the corner before the pull off you want, you’ll see a large gravel pull off. This is actually a private driveway and not the way to Soco Falls. A sign on the right side of the road will tell you to go another half mile. You want a pull off with a guardrail. A short, steep path goes down between the guardrails. Follow the trail, which leads to a wooden
platform. The trail beyond the platform is steeper and more difficult but will take you to the top of one of the falls. A dirt incline leads to the bottom of the falls that you’d have to slide down. It looks like it would be a challenge to get back up.
Midnight Hole
There’s not much of a waterfall at Midnight Hole, but if you’re looking for a good place to jump in the water, this is it. Midnight Hole is very popular and crowded at times. There’s a rope that goes up one of the boulders so swimmers can jump off the rocks into the pool.
Take I-40 Exit 451 in Tennessee. It will be the first exit after you cross the state line. Stay left after crossing the Pigeon River and follow the road 2 miles. You’ll drive by a power plant and community park. You’ll come to a stop sign at an intersection. Go straight through the intersection and enter the Big Creek section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Follow the gravel road .8 miles to a picnic area and campground entrance. From the parking area, walk back up the road. You’ll see a sign on the left for the trailhead. The hike to Midnight Hole is about 1.5 miles.
Waterfall on West Fork Pigeon River
The waterfall on West Fork Pigeon River runs under an old stone bridge on N.C. 215. Although this waterfall isn’t one to plan a trip around, if you’re driving to the other falls on N.C. 215, it’s worth a stop. You can take shots from the road and the bridge but watch out for traffic.
The waterfall is under a bridge on N.C. 215, 4.2 miles from where N.C. 215 crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s 13.6 miles south of where N.C. 215 intersects with U.S. 276.
Dry Falls. VisitNC.com photo
Outdoors +Recreation
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has an amazing array of mini-ecosystems within its borders — from peaks over 6,000 feet to low valleys, from moist densely forested coves to dry meadows. A walk from mountain base to peak compares with traveling 1,250 miles north. Several resident plants and animals live only in the Smokies.
The park has more than 100 species of trees and 4,000 species of plants. Some people say if you throw a rock and then trace its path, you’re likely to walk by at least 30 different kinds of trees.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses more than 500,00 acres, making it the largest national park in the East
Here are a few of the highlights on the North Carolina side of the GSMNP.
PARK HIGHLIGHTS
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Along with knowledgeable rangers who can help you plan your time in the park, fabulous exhibits will take you back in time among the early settlers and Cherokee who called these mountains home. The visitor center chronicles the culture and history of the Smokies, from exhibits on the Civil War in the Smokies to moonshine making. Located on U.S. 441 at the North Carolina entrance to the park, north of Cherokee and near the terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. 828.497.1904.
Mountain Farm Museum
This stroll through an historic Appalachian farm offers a window on the ingenuity and self-reliance of early mountain people and Cherokee. A blacksmith shop to make everything from barn door hinges to horseshoes, a spring house to keep milk and butter cool, and sundry buildings for storing the food they raised, from corn cribs to apple houses to smoke houses. The outhouse is a guaranteed eye-opener for kids. Located at the entrance to the park on U.S. 441 just north of Cherokee.
Deep Creek
Enjoy a little of everything at Deep Creek. Hiking to waterfalls, picnicking, mountain biking, camping and what Deep Creek is famous for: tubing. Several outfitters rent inner tubes for just a few dollars to float all day in the creek. This is a fantastic place to visit for a few hours because you can do so many different activities without having to go to different places. If you are in the Bryson City area, treat yourself to a visit.
Mingus Mill
The rumble of mill stones, the whistle of corn meal sliding down the wooden shoot, the slap-slap-slap of water falling over the giant paddle wheel. Explore this historic site just one mile from the park entrance on U.S. 441 north of Cherokee.
Clingmans Dome
A paved half-mile trail leads to a soaring lookout tower atop the highest peak in the Smokies. At 6,643 feet, the panoramic view offers spectacular scenery and is one of the best examples of the region’s famed blue mountain ridges marching endlessly across the horizon. The tower features a spiraling 375-foot ramp to the top.
Cataloochee Valley
History and nature intersect in this picturesque meadow, a long, narrow valley cradled by mountains on all sides. An elk herd has been re-introduced into the park and calls the valley home. Cataloochee Valley is also home to a former mountain settlement, with intact farm houses, churches, schoolhouse and cemeteries that can be toured by car and short walks. Pick up an interpretive brochure at the campground on the left after you get down to the valley floor that describes the historic buildings.
Big Creek
This relatively isolated area is a favorite of locals, with a campground, bathroom, picnic area and jumping off point for some great hikes into the Smokies, including the all-day hike up to Mount Cammerer look-out tower. One of the coldest, clearest swimming holes in the Smokies — aptly named Midnight Hole — is a short one-mile-hike up the wide Big Creek Trail.
