Carolina Mountain Life - Winter 2023/2024

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WINTER 23/24

Carolina Mountain Life

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The Magic of Winter . . . a wonderful read for 26 years!

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Embrace all seasons.

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What’s Inside: 19........ Winter’s Silver Lining – Slopes Report

By Tom McAuliffe

26........ Winter Fun

By Karen Rieley & CML Staff

43........ Bristol Ballet at 75

By Keith Martin

54........ Through the Lens

By Jim Magruder

58........ Reaching New Heights in Climate Science

By Brian Miller

64........ Middle Fork Greenway

By Karen Rieley

73........ Sugar Mountain Mayor—Gunther Jochl

By Steve York

76........ Better Communities for One and All

By CML Staff

80........ High Country Real Estate

By Steve York

Cover Photo

by Jim Magruder “I’ve struggled for years to capture an interesting image of these striking gnarly pines along the trail at the Flat Rock Overlook, but the shots were always too cluttered and flat.

But add a little snow to highlight the twisting limbs and de-clutter the ground, plus a golden sunset to warm the scene, and you have the makings of a keeper.”

Magruder’s work is included in two books, Good Walks and Grandfather Golf and Country Club 50th Anniversary by Lee Pace, as well as in publications by CML, The Nature Conservancy, Appalachian Voices, The Blue Ridge Conservancy, Elevations, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Our State and others. He has won multiple awards in the Appalachian Mountain Photo Competition and competitions at the Southeast Center for Photography, Wilkes Art Gallery, Ashe Arts Council, and North Charleston Arts Fest.

92........ Heating and Energy Tips from the Experts

By CML Staff

96........ Food Crawl Like No Other

By Gail Greco

98........ A Taste of Winter

By Kim S. Davis

100...... Winter Restaurant Guide

By CML Staff

103...... Sugar. Spice. Flaky Crust.

By Gail Greco

Cultural Calendar with Keith Martin . . . 36 Big Picture Show with Elizabeth Baird Hardy . . . 49 Book Nook with Tamara S. Randolph . . . 51 Notes from Grandfather Mountain . . . 52 Birding with Paul Laurent . . . 57 Blue Ridge Explorers with Tamara S. Randolph . . . 61 Blue Ridge Parkway Update with Rita Larkin . . . 63 Hardy on History with Michael C. Hardy . . . 67 Resource Circle with Tamara S. Randolph . . . 68 Wisdom and Ways with Jim Casada . . . 69 Humor with Estelle Brewer . . . 71 Local Tidbits . . . 84 Community and Local Business News . . . 87 Be Well with Samantha Steele . . . 95 Recipes from the CML Kitchen with Meagan Goheen . . . 108

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 — 9

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Give a gift of hope and healing in honor of a loved one this holiday season by visiting crossnore.org.

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Carolina Mountain Life

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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A publication of Carolina Mountain Life, Inc. ©2023 by Carolina Mountain Life Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher.

Babette McAuliffe, Publisher & Editor in Chief Deborah Mayhall-Bradshaw, Design Director Kathy Griewisch, Account Manager Meagan Goheen, Marketing Manager Tamara S. Randolph, Managing Editor Keith Martin, Cultural Arts Editor Contributors:

Estelle Brewer, Jim Casada, Kim S. Davis Brennan Ford, Morgan Ford, Gail Greco Elizabeth Baird Hardy, Michael C. Hardy, Rita Larkin Paul Laurent, Jim Magruder, Tom McAuliffe Brian Miller, Karen Rieley, Samantha Steele Tony Talley, Landis Taylor, Doug Winbon and Steve York.

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CML is published 4 times a year and is available by subscription for $35.00 a year (continental US) Just let us know which season to start with and send check or money order to: Carolina Mountain Life, PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646

Celebrate The Season

Winter’s silver lining is evident on each page in this issue. With my second cup of coffee in hand and looking at the sweet little Carolina Chickadees jockeying for position on the feeder, I am proofing the final pages to be shipped to the printer later today. It is always so much fun to see this big jigsaw puzzle come together. During the duration of this issue, I will mark a big birthday, and in saying that, I have decided to truly make our Winter magazine my personal guide to fun, adventure, exploration, shopping and dining experiences. I am also choosing to do things that might have been outside my comfort zone previously.

I endeavor to ski a more challenging slope, hike a more strenuous path, build the biggest snowman with my granddaughters, dust off the snowshoes and go explore a new trail, go see as many shows as my calendar can hold and cook my daughter’s recipes to see if I can match her flavors and style.

It’s been a while since I have gone below the earth to visit Linville Caverns or looked to the skies at Earth to Sky Park in Spruce Pine (see pages 16 & 32). I see in our winter fun guide beginning on page 26 that I need to add a lot to my agenda—from tubing and sledding with the grands, to visiting the Turchin Center, then taking a night out to dine and see a show with my hubby! The listing of upcoming events and shows is quite amazing!

X-country skiing on the Viaduct, taking a walk on the Middle Fork Greenway, fulfilling my promise to myself to be a regular at the YMCA of Avery County. I want to go back to the trail where I saw the architecture of local beavers and understand more about that species after reading Blue Ridge Explorers. Do the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather on a beautiful snowy day, and, with new tips from our cover photographer, Jim Magruder, try my hand at some new shots.

We are thrilled that we received permission to run National Geographic images in our story on Dr. Baker Perry and App State’s Climate Science program. That will be one hike I won’t be taking!

Grab a Kleenex while reading Wisdom and Ways—what a sweet tribute.

Hopefully writer Samantha Steele knows that the key points in her Sharpen Your Edge story could not have been better timed as we all plan our priorities in 2024.

We hope you find new ways to explore this area. Please let us hear from you about what you learned, tasted, or experienced. Email us at:cmlbabette@gmail.com

winter! cmlbabette@gmail.com CMLmagazine.online 828-737-0771

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 — 13

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14 — CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24

Brian Miller

Behind the Curtain Get to Know Our Contributors

Brian grew up in Boone, where he graduated from Watauga High School in 2012 and from Appalachian State University in 2016. With a bachelor’s degree in electronic media and broadcasting, Brian has made his mark in local media as a writer and reporter with Mountain Times Publications, as news director and air talent with High Country Radio, and most recently, as news and features writer for University Communications at App State. Brian now resides in Lenoir with his wife Jullia, and his two sons, Benny and Sonny. Outside of work he enjoys playing baseball, writing music and collecting records.

Samantha Steele After obtaining a degree from Appalachian State, Samantha began studying wild foods and herbalism. A lover of nature since childhood, she says, “I continue to be amazed by the marvelous bounty that God provides through His creation.”

She forages often and ferments with European methods. Samantha and husband Mike are currently working on a native-only landscape and an off-the-grid home design on their tract of undisturbed land in northeast Tennessee. Samantha also loves to travel abroad and is an avid hiker, covering parts of three Camino trails in Spain as well as the challenging Collado Jermosa trail.

Reach Samantha at listeningflower.org.

Tony Talley Tony has been trucking for over 20 years, and with Old Dominion Freight Line for ten. Old Dominion hauls 100,000 copies of CML each year and our staff is grateful for Tony’s expertise and assistance with each delivery. As he pulls his tractortrailer into the unloading area, he greets CML’s team with smiles and encouragement. Over the years, we have learned about his love for the great outdoors, extreme sports, and making handcrafted furniture. “I love trucking and not being at a desk in an office,” Tony tells us. “I am out seeing the countryside and being with great people.” He has won the State Championship title and Rookie of the Year award at the NC Truck Driving Championship (TDC). His two biggest loves are his wife and special needs daughter, Emma, and he is devoted to raising money and awareness for special needs children.

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Photo © Todd Bush / Courtesy of Sugar Mountain Resort

Photo © Todd Bush

Winter’s Silver Lining

By Tom McAuliffe

J

ust as Thanksgiving visitors left the mountains, many disappointed that the ski season had yet to begin, snowmaking kicked off in earnest on Monday, November 27. A day later Sugar Mountain opened to the top of its Flying Mile where the overnight low was 15 degrees. With all signs pointed toward a banner ski season, including oceanic temperatures three time zones away fomenting optimism for an epic El Nino snow dump, show time had arrived for local ski areas.

“It’s always great to open Thanksgiving,” said Beech Mountain’s leadman Ryan Costin, “but that’s not everything to a good ski season.”

“Everything” today is the two-ton elephant in the room. The post pandemic year finds the High Country in a new era of popularity, regardless the season. Local real estate broker Jim Fitzpatrick, who sits on the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) in the Village of Sugar Mountain, which manages the burgeoning windfall of lodging taxes collected from visitors, has had a front row seat to the unprecedented growth in the local tourism economy.

“For years our budget for TDA expenditures was about $250,000 and that was flat year after year,” Fitzpatrick said. “We look back on that time now as the time when we took Sundays off in the real es-

tate business. We watched the TDA budget grow to $650,000, $750,000, then a million. Will that growth sustain itself? I don’t know, but we don’t see it returning to $250,000 again. We have been discovered.”

Costin agrees. “We’ve all benefited directly and indirectly from the boon in real estate and capital development that followed,” he said. “It’s given us a new ability to benefit the community.”

The early days of the outbreak of COVID cast a dark shadow of doubt on a local economy tied to tourism. The six ski resorts of the North Carolina Ski Areas Association (NCSAA) joined in a united front adopting safety standards to avoid the shutdowns that impacted public education and other facets of society. At the lead were High Country Resorts at Beech, Sugar, and Appalachian Ski mountains.

“It was a tense time for sure,” recalled Kim Jochl of Sugar Mountain and acting president of the NCSAA. Jochl, along with her in-state colleagues immediately adopted the Ski Well—Be Well policies developed by the National Association of Ski Areas. Instead of a shutdown of the industry, precautions such as masks in lift lines, extra spacing in dining areas, staggered arrival times, and the relative safety of the great outdoors resulted in the largest crowds ever in southern skiing.

“As an organization we had to be on top of things and promote those safety measures as a unified body,” Jochl said.

“There was criticism at first, but we followed all the guidelines put forward in the Ski Well—Be Well campaign and those of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

To close down would have been catastrophic to everyone in the High Country.”

Just this month the NCSAA released the figures from an economic impact study last commissioned in 2019. Since then, the growth in skier visits, revenues, and subsequent capital investment proved staggering. Skier visits alone increased by 150 thousand people. Gross revenues at the six North Carolina resorts were up $17 million to an aggregate total of nearly $67 million.

Year-round and seasonal employment rose 30 percent and capital outlays for additions and improvements doubled in that span to over $16 million. All told, direct expenditures in the state by skiers and snowboarders was $148 million last season. The report identified a Total Economic Value, indirect and direct, of $244.3 million.

Those are mighty numbers indeed, but even those figures fall short of the mental, physical, and quality of life benefits a vital recreation sector delivered in a most uncertain and tragic time. continued on next page

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The Wonderful Paradox That Is Appalachian Ski MTN The neighborhood’s first ski resort, opening in 1962 with a tee bar and a rope tow, has come a long way since the late Grady Moretz claimed the failed enterprise in 1968 when risk-takers were nowhere to be found. Yet, on the strength of old-fashioned horse sense and attention to detail, App Ski Mountain grew into a thriving enterprise that defies its dimension and unlikely location south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Known for its prodigious snow-making system, family-friendly policies, (beer, wine and spirits are not offered for sale here), and celebrated instructor corps led by French national Benjamin Marcellin, the Moretz family continues to pile on luster to the gem that is App Ski Mtn. A new generation of the Moretz family is firmly ensconced and have taken the property to heights unimaginable in 1999 when the skiers-only resort first embraced an exploding snowboarding sector. While Grady was a manager keen on fundamentals, snowmaking, grooming, safety, and cleanliness, his son Brad as CEO is big on innovation.

The younger Moretz brought the ‘flex’ ticket to App Ski Mtn, which promised nine hours of skiing per session regardless of when your skis hit the snow. The one-time pause in operations at 4 p.m. went the way of the Pullman, and day and night sessions merged seamlessly, particularly advantageous to patrons during Friday and Saturday nights’ Midnight Blast session that ends only with the arrival of a new day.

Which is exactly what Moretz and company have brought to High Country skiing.

Visitors go online to book their lift tickets, equipment, clothing rentals and lockers. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards manage ten different categories, from parking to child care. Plan ahead and pick up your personalized QR card at the parking lot gate, which has been expanded by a third gatehouse. Family and friends sharing lockers can access them with their personal QR card. When boarding the lift chair, scanners can read your lift access through ski clothes from two and a half feet away. The scanner knows what you’ve been skiing and unused session time can be added onto to your next visit.

Since Appalachian Terrain Parks require completion of an etiquette and safety quiz accessible on-line, your RFID card opens the gate to a world of new features and hits.

“It’s an investment in a better streamlined experience,” Moretz explained. “We’re eliminating the bottlenecks to make the process more convenient. It’s the fastest and easiest straight line to the snow found anywhere. When we do that, we add value to your ski time. And isn’t that what we all want.”

The unparalleled growth in skier visits the past three seasons has provided the wherewithal to make even more improvements than typical from season to season. The outdoor ice rink, which opened Thanksgiving week ahead of the mountain, has a new Zamboni ice re-surfacer. The food service, always a strength under the direction of Carla Fitzwater, is adding a new smokehouse concept, prime rib, and a new fast service line. And more snowmaking has been brought to bear on heavy traffic areas.

“We may have added more snowmaking capacity this year than any year before,” Moretz said. And for those familiar with App Ski Mtn, that’s saying a mouthful.

Learn More at AppSkiMtn.com.

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App Ski continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Beech Mountain Resort Putting It All Together Anyone with even a cursory exposure to southern skiing must marvel at the improvements brought to Beech Mountain Ski Resort since John Costin handed the reins of the mountain to his son Ryan in 2008. Belying his youth, made wiser from a childhood spent at eastern America’s highest town and a recreation management degree from Western Colorado University, young Costin applied a patient, responsible approach to re-invigorating the four-season resort fondly remembered for its snowy winter carnivals of half a century ago.

Credit a return to the basics—water delivery systems, snowmaking and grooming—for a striking revitalization that has afforded the resort an opportunity to expand its offerings throughout the calendar year. A brewery, mountain biking, live entertainment summer and winter, snowtubing, a brand new lift network, and a restoration of the Bavarian Village designed by the late architect Claus Moberg have breathed new life and spirit fondly recalled by fewer and fewer old timers.

But this is a new day, for another generation of Beech Nuts, many making their first introductions wrought by the urban-tomountain migration spawned in 2019.

“Things are much different from five years ago,” Costin observed. “Beech Mountain has seen a complete transformation in the last couple of years. It’s given the entire community a shot in the arm.”

It’s helped that the three entities of the mountain—the resort, the town of Beech Mountain, and the Beech Mountain Club with its ridge top golf course, tennis, swimming and dining—have come together to advocate their respective causes as a collective.

TDA burgeoning tax dollars raised from rental properties in the recent boon times has spawned new capital investment in all sectors. The old cachet has been recaptured.

Taking from his successes, Costen has been free to think outside the box. On October 28, Beech hosted a Rail Jam, with snow

Beech

produced from an all-weather snowmaking machine housed in a building akin to a construction trailer. Inside, ice is made and chipped and spewed onto the ground with a surprisingly flaky texture. Left running for weeks in temperatures ranging from 35 to 55 degrees, a large pile accumulated. More than a hundred riders showed up to hit a few features located at the head of the snowtubing run.

“Ober-Gatlinburg Resort has been using them for years,” Costin said of the unconventional snow maker. “It will never replace traditional snowmaking methods, but it can help maintain marginal areas at the top and bottom at loading stations.” It did the trick for sure at the unlikeliest of Rail Jams this October.

Of course, as is the calling card of any successful ski resort, snowmaking capacity has been increased over the summer. But the most significant improvement at Beech is the expansion of the beginner area. The Play Yard, directly in front of the ski school, an undersized space serviced by an unwieldy ground conveyance, has been supplemented by a ten-acre slope used over the years for a snow tubing venue and most recently a terrain park. A conveyor belt enclosed in a weather proof canopy vastly improves the learning experience and won’t be lost on instructors or students.

Online bookings and Radio Frequency Identification cards are in place as the mountain moves forward into the New Age. “It’s a huge investment, something that made sense in Vail or Aspen, but we’ve had a couple of good years so we can,” Costin concluded.

“The core elements are now in place and we are putting out a good product and people see it. All you can ask for is to stay on par with the industry.”

So far Costin is doing just that. And that speaks volumes in this neighborhood.

Learn more at BeechMountainResort.com. continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Once characterized in a Mountain Times profile as a man “known to many, understood by but a few,” Sugar Mountain owner Gunther Jochl’s modus operandi has never been clearer than it is today. Insiders know the story of the 20-something engineering student from Germany who at the urging of friends came to a Virginia resort to teach skiing to a woefully unprepared public. His goal was to improve his English in pursuit of his degree at the University of Munich. The result was a ‘boy makes good’ story befitting his new country.

Entrepreneur Dale Stancil was Jochl’s boss at the small Virginian resort, and asked him if he’d join him for an inspection of the much larger facility at Sugar, which like Beech Mountain had fallen into receivership—crushed by sheer scale, the oil embargo of the mid-seventies, skyrocketing interest rates, and a pair of back-to-back winters with neither cold nor snow. A wide-eyed Jochl urged Stancil to enter a lease-to-purchase agreement and after one stunningly successful year, driven in large part by an aggressive snowmaking strategy, a mutually beneficial relationship was born. It was 1976.

For the next 35 years, Stancil and Jochl led Sugar Mountain, with its unmatched 1,200 feet of vertical drop, the biggest in the south, to a leading role in the industry. “We were the capital of beginner skiers,” he remembered.

Success fueled his ambition. He was once the North American Distributor for Kneissl and later Volkl Ski Companies. At Volkl he would sign his future wife Kim and her twin sister Krista to endorse his ski line as members of the U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team.

Kim Jochl would win a Junior Worlds Championship, and Krista performed in both the Lillehammer and Alberta Winter Olympic Games. Their brother Erich Schmidinger, a champion skier in his own right, proved indispensable in the management of the mountain. The high profile family brought bona fides and cachet to the mountain.

In 2010 Stancil retired, and Gunther bought out his mentor. The unlikely ski instruc-

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Photo © Todd Bush

The Sugar Mountain Story

tor, once with no English, now owned one of America’s most successful winter resorts lock, stock and barrel. “I can’t describe the pride I felt to own this land,” Jochl said at the time.

His dream realized, the resort embarked on a capital improvement campaign that continues to this day. In 2014 the resort completed Gunther’s Way, the most significant new slope to debut in the south in decades. A year later Governor Pat McRory cut the ribbon to dedicate the high-speed Summit Express, a sixseat detachable lift whisking riders to the 5,300 ft. peak in a third of the time of the original summit lift. Easy Street, a premier half-mile beginner/intermediate run, welcomed skiers with a new detachable quad.

The aging Green Lift servicing the popular Big Birch slope was replaced by a new fixed grip, four-seater. And just last year, Oma’s Meadow, formerly known as Big Red, received its own upgrade with a new detachable quad lift, too.

Over the summer, the expansive outdoor deck was replaced and the original lodge built in 1969 had an extensive makeover. As High Country resorts do each year, precious snowmaking capacity grows in volume. Testament to years of upgrades, Sugar opened its Flying Mile in 36 hours after the first guns fired up. The strength of southern skiing has never been more apparent than at the High Country’s biggest ski mountain, where snowtubing and ice skating round out the winter experience.

“It takes a team to make it work,” Kim Jochl said. A team joined in recent years by Gunther’s son Andrew who shares his father’s work ethic and engineering acumen.

As evidenced in the days following Thanksgiving, the team at Sugar has proven its mettle.

Learn more at Skisugar.com.

Sugar

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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CHETOLA RESORT Blowing Rock

WINTERFEST Blowing Rock

Winter ..

CelebrateFun the .Season

Endless Options for Winter Fun in the High Country Picture the High Country in the winter and undoubtedly you think of snow skiing and snowboarding. After all, the area boasts three great ski destinations, including Beech Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain Resort, and Appalachian Ski Mountain.

But wintertime offers countless opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages and interests—both indoors and outdoors. Here we provide a helpful directory of just some of the numerous winter activities available. Be sure to check websites and social media for each listing to find addresses, days and hours of operation, costs, age restrictions, advance reservation requirements and other specifics.

Festivals

Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock’s Festival of Lights in Blowing Rock becomes a Winter Wonderland through January 2024, with over 50,000 dazzling lights around Chetola Lake. Make the drive around the resort and Chetola Lake for a stunning winter lights experience—the warm colors against a cool mountain background makes for a view like no other and highlights the natural beauty of the High Country. The displays illuminate at dusk each evening. The festival is a High Country tradition that culminates in Blowing Rock’s Winterfest.

26th Blowing Rock Winterfest returns to Blowing Rock January 25 – 28, 2024. Jump into winter with the Polar Bear Plunge and Beer Garden. Keep warm with restaurant specials, a Chili Cookoff and family activities at area attractions. Shop till you drop on Main Street while enjoying the Ice Carving demos in Memorial Park. Whether you’re looking for a couple’s getaway or a family friendly weekend, WinterFest has something for everyone!

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Additional Holiday Festivities are offered in each of the High Country’s towns.

Holiday decorations and twinkling lights are especially magical against a background of snow in the High Country. Check out the parades and Christmas tree and art exhibits.

Blue Ridge Parkway has many trails to explore: Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Trails at Milepost 294 near Blowing Rock include 25 miles of historic carriage roads that are now wide, gravel trails. Three top hiking picks are: Flat Top Road Trail, about a six-mile hike from Flat Top Manor; Bass Lake Trail, an easy eighttenths of a mile loop that takes you around the lake that is accessed from the Bass Lake entrance on U.S. 221 just outside downtown Blowing Rock; and Rich Mountain, about a five-mile roundtrip hike from Shulls Mill Road.

loop trail in Julian Price Memorial Park, is five miles, taking you by many small waterfalls and through rhododendron tunnels. Tanawha Trail stretches 13.5 miles from Julian Price Memorial Park to Beacon Heights and parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway on Grandfather Mountain. The many accesses from the parkway let hikers choose as long a section as they like. Marked with white blazes, the Mountainsto-Sea Trail (MST) runs jointly with Tanawha Trail. The MST stretches from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the NC coast.

Rough Ridge at Milepost 302.8 is actually a part of the larger 13.5-mile Tanawha Trail, but it is also a popular trail in its own right. Beacon Heights Overlook Trail at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.2 near Linville is a short hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway to a stone summit with big views, especially nice for picnics.

Flat Rock Nature Trail at Milepost 308.3 is a mostly flat, ¾-mile loop that offers panoramic views from a “stone mountain” as you walk across the smooth rock summit. Linville Falls at Milepost 316 is the most popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is a spectacular, three-tiered waterfall plunging into Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.” The Falls Trail distance is 1.6 miles round trip and easy. The Gorge Trail distance is 1.4 miles round trip and strenuous. The Plunge Basin Trail is a one-mile round trip and moderate.

Julian Price Memorial Park at Milepost 296.7 is a majestic 4,200 acres at the foot of Grandfather Mountain. The park lies directly adjacent to Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.

Price Lake Trail at Milepost 297 is a 2.5-mile loop trail that is mostly flat with plenty of lake vistas. Green Knob/Sims Pond Trail, inside Julian Price Memorial Park, is a 2.4-mile loop trail by a pond and cascades, and through a highland pasture. Boone Fork Trail, another

Grandfather Mountain, the privately owned nonprofit nature park near Linville, offers access to 12 miles of premier hiking trails, some of which venture into the adjacent Grandfather Mountain State Park. The nature park offers access to 11 trails varying in difficulty from a gentle walk in the woods to a rigorous trek across rugged peaks. In-park trails include the Woods Walk, Black Rock Nature Trail and Bridge Trail. The nature park also

Hiking

Winter hiking offers crystal clear views, fewer people on the trails, and plenty of peace and quiet. And it’s worth braving the chill to make your way to one of the area’s waterfalls that transform into wondrous works of icy art during the winter season.

In Blowing Rock, Glen Burney Falls Trail is less than two miles long and offers several mini falls along the way that make for good photographs.

VX3 TRAIL RIDES Blowing Rock

CARRIAGE RUN CARRIAGE SERVICE Blowing Rock

By Karen Rieley and CML Staff provides access to backcountry trails within Grandfather Mountain State Park. Along the Grandfather Trail, a very strenuous trail that runs from the mountain’s Hiker Parking Lot out 2.4 miles to Calloway Peak, hikers use inplace cables and ladders for extra steep sections and at times are traversing the ridgeline of the mountain. If guests plan on hiking the backcountry trails, they’re asked to fill out hiking permits before setting out. These permits also give the hiker contact information to utilize if needed. Profile Trail is a 3.6-mile strenuous trail inside Grandfather Mountain State Park that takes you up the side of Grandfather Mountain to Calloway Gap. The trailhead to access the Profile Trail is located at 4198 NC Highway 105 North.

Williams Park in Sugar Mountain is a wooded 14-acre boulder-field forest with three short hiking trails that follow a cascading stream.

Beech Mountain Trails offer hikers of all ages and skill levels a number of options: Emerald Outback features more than eight miles of outstanding trails near the mountain’s summit. Upper Pond Creek Trail is Beech Mountain’s favorite trail with an easy one-mile hike and 15 different educational stations.

Wild Iris Trail is an easy 2.5-mile woodland trail with only a moderate elevation change. A trail for all seasons, Wild Iris is perfect for hiking and biking as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Lower Pond Creek Trail is a one-mile moderate to strenuous trail that offers some of Beech Mountain’s greatest natural beauty.

Elk Knob Summit Trail in Todd is 1.9 miles to one of the highest peaks of the Appalachians.

Otter Falls Trail in Seven Devils is a short 6/10-mile trail to a 25-foot waterfall.

Crab Orchard Falls Trail in Valle Crucis is a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike that takes you to the beautiful Crab Orchard Falls waterfall. Access to the trail is behind the Valle Crucis Conference Center.

Elk River Falls Trail in Elk Park is a short half-mile hike that leads you to a 50-foot waterfall cascading over a cliff.

Waterfalls Park in Newland is a small roadside park on NC Highway 194 across from Ingle’s grocery store with a 50-foot multi-tier waterfall for easy enjoyment for all, including picnic tables and a short trail.

Big & Little Lost Cove Cliff Trails near Newland are two sections of Lost Cove Cliffs in Pisgah National Forest and in the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River Area. You can hike to both Big Lost Cove Cliffs and Little Lost Cove Cliffs with this 5.5-mile trail combo.

Hawksbill Mountain Trail in Burke County is a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain offering panoramic views of the canyon of Linville Gorge Wilderness Area with the valley floor and Linville River 2,000 feet below you.

Parts of the Appalachian Trail run along the NC, TN and VA borders with popular access points on Roan Mountain (at the NC/TN state line) and in Damascus, VA.

Horseback Riding

Riding a horse or taking a carriage ride through snow-covered woods can be a oneof-a-kind experience. Two services offer 2.5hour guided tours with trustworthy horses on easy carriage trails throughout Moses H. Cone Memorial Park at Milepost 294 on the Blue

Ridge Parkway. VX3 Trail Rides offers custom rides for individual riders with experienced trail guide Tim Vines. Rides are limited to a maximum of five to give you the best experience possible. Carriage Run Carriage Service offers carriage rides on the 32 miles of carriage trails in the Cone Estate.

Ice and Snow ICE SKATING

While others are skiing or snowboarding on the slopes, you and your children may enjoy ice skating. Sugar Mountain Ski Resort has the added advantage of ice skating located next door to restaurants, retail stores and other amenities. At Appalachian Ski Mountain, families can watch the resort’s Zamboni scrape the ice floor to get the rink ready for skaters!

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING/SNOWSHOEING If you’re looking for fun, easy, and safe new ways to stay active and energized over the winter months, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing offer great alternatives for outdoor enthusiasts of every age and skill-level to get out and explore winter. They are much faster to learn, and are also more affordable as a sport. The region offers a variety of options.

Beech Mountain has an extensive trail system available for snowshoeing with all levels of difficulty. Experienced snowshoers might consider the Emerald Outback trails at the top of the mountain. An easier snowshoeing option is the 1/3-mile walking track surrounding the Buckeye Recreation Center.

Sugar Mountain Resort offers a snowshoe guided tour that can be a casual walk or an intense workout in a wonderful winter wonderland.

Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

27

Photo © Todd Bush

HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL Roan Mountain, TN

More Fun . . .

Boone Greenway Trail (Boone, NC) is a nice flat trail that meanders through the woods and mountains and along creek beds.

The trail is maintained by the Town of Boone, but it is “last on the list” to be scraped for snow after all town sidewalks and roads are clear, so there is a good chance you can get in some xcountry skiing if you arrive right after a good snow!

When the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed to vehicles due to ice or snow, it is open to hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Visit the National Park Service website for Blue Ridge Parkway road closures. Two good starting points are the gate on U.S. 221 near Beacon Heights to travel to the Linn Cover Viaduct, and off U.S. 221 just outside of Blowing Rock and south of the Cone estate on the parkway. In both cases, make sure to park without blocking the gates in case a park ranger needs to enter the area.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock offers some fine cross-country skiing in an attractive and historic venue.

Valle Crucis Park has a nice and flat ¾-mile paved loop that is great for cross-country skiing. (The park also offers excellent trout fishing locations that are accessible on snowy days.)

Elk Knob State Park in Todd is the only North Carolina State Park to offer cross-country skiing.

Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee sits at the foot of the soaring ridgetop for which it is named. Roan Mountain gets more snow than other local areas. It offers a variety of terrain—from scenic routes for novices to thrilling downhills for experts (though none of the trails are groomed).

28 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

KIDS’ CAMPS & LESSONS

If you want to expose children to the lifelong sport of downhill skiing, you’re in the right place. While you can learn at any age, kids have the advantage of being flexible, nimble and relatively fearless. Enrolling your child in one of the region’s ski or snowboarding camps is a great way to introduce them to a positive and fun first-time experience. Plus, while they’re in camp, you’re freed up to enjoy some adults-only time!

Appalachian Ski Mountain has SKIwee and Cruiser Camp programs designed to teach beginning skiers, ages 4-10, and snowboarders, ages 7-12.

Beech Mountain Resort offers several kids’ camps: Burton Learn to Ride Center for ages 6-12 to learn the basics of snowboarding; Snow Kamp for ages 3-5 to provide a positive and fun first-time experience; and Traxx ski instruction for ages 6-12. Also, Ski & Ride School offers hourly lessons for ages 4 and older and Snowflakes Childcare watches kids, ages 1-5, while adults hit the slope.

Sugar Mountain Ski Resort’s Children’s Snowsports School includes Sugar Bear Ski and Polar Bear Snowboard schools to teach skiing to children, ages 5-10, and snowboarding to children, ages 7-14.

SLEDDING Sledding is the easiest and most accessible winter activity for all ages. It can be done almost anywhere there is a hill and public property—an inexpensive plastic sled will do—and snow in the High Country is almost certain throughout the season! Beech Mountain has a popular sledding hill across the street from the Visitor Center and behind the Brick Oven Pizzeria. It can be accessed from Bark Park Way,

TUBING

SWIMMING YMCA / Newland

the paved road that runs beside the pizzeria.

Park in either in the public gravel lot just before the restaurant off the Beech Mountain Parkway, or the paved pay-to-park lot on Bark Park Way. Two state-of-the-art snow guns ensure a good base and quick coverage when the weather is optimal for snowmaking. Only plastic sleds may be used—no tubes or sleds with metal runners.

TUBING & ZIPLINING If snow tubing and ziplining are more your speed and comfort level, you have several great choices in the High Country. All offer sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, plenty of lanes, snowmaking, plus moving carpet lifts to quickly transport you back to the top. Check out Beech Mountain Resort, Hawksnest in Seven Devils, and Sugar Mountain Resort, all in the northwest mountains of North Carolina.

Indoor Climbing & Fitness

When being outside is less than appealing, indoor climbing can be a great alternative. Two facilities in Boone offer superb options. Center 45 Climbing & Fitness has 2,000 square feet of indoor climbing (bouldering) terrain. The walls are all 14 feet at the apex with varied terrain. Every week, talented and creative route setters craft new and exciting climbs. The facility also offers additional weightlifting and general fitness opportunities, along with a climbing-specific training area. Rock Dimensions Tower, next to the Footsloggers store in downtown Boone, stands about 40 feet tall and has more than 4,000 square feet of varying climbing terrain to accommodate both

APPLE HILL FARM Banner Elk

beginners and seasoned veterans. The “Tower to Rock” program combines a tower experience with climbing out on real rock all in a day! Staff belays as well as belay classes and certification opportunities for belaying at the tower are also offered.

The Fred and Margie Pfohl Buckeye Recreation Center in Beech Mountain offers non-members day passes for full access to the facility, including a weight room, regulation-size gym, indoor tennis courts and a soft playroom for kids eight and under. The lobby provides WiFi, cozy seating and an extensive lending library.

Fitness classes are offered as well. The recreation center also manages the free canoe and kayak rentals on Buckeye Lake.

YMCA of Avery County has something for everyone! Visitors can get a day pass and access everything the YMCA has to offer, including the indoor swimming pool with water slides and aerobics classes, a wide variety of group exercise classes, the Wellness Center with cardio and strength machines, basketball courts, indoor batting cages, golf simulators, drop-in childcare and more! If you’re staying longer, ask about YMCA membership opportunities. You can also see upcoming holiday programs and events on the YMCA website and social media accounts.

Mountain Attractions

Apple Hill Farm in Banner Elk features alpacas, llamas, angora goats, and more! Find joy and connection through the animals and the experience of a real working farm. Take the 60-minute guided tour and leave with a smile on your face and memories to share. Public tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday

HERO’S AXE HOUSE Banner Elk

MYSTERY HILL Blowing Rock

during the winter months, with private tours offered seven days a week. Tours by advance reservation only.

Earth to Sky Park, a venture of Mayland Community College, is an environmental educational park for those interested in learning about the natural world. Located in Burnsville, the Park includes the Bare Dark Sky Observatory, the Arthur Planetarium, and (coming soon) a Children’s Discovery Center. The Park is open to the public and there is 24-hour access to the parking area for stargazing.

Grandfather Mountain in Linville features the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. Weather permitting, the swinging bridge is the perfect spot to take in the endless winter vistas and capture the snowcapped mountains. Afterwards, head down to the Wilson Center for Discovery, and the animal habitats, where you can see how otter, cougars and eagles stay busy during the winter months!

Hero’s Axe House at Shoppes of Tynecastle in Banner Elk/Seven Devils, is a premier axe throwing venue with unique projected axe throwing targets. Hero’s hosts axe throwing birthday parties, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, team-building events, company events, and a variety of other special occasions.

Linville Caverns in Marion are the only show caverns in NC and have a constant yearround temperature of 52 degrees. This is a perfect place to visit on a cold and windy winter day! See the winter hibernation of granddaddy long-legs and unique limestone formations.

The caverns are open on weekends only during the winter. Bring a raincoat or a coat with a hood. The cave tends to drip!

Mountain Cat Off Road Adventures in Blowing Rock is the latest venture by Sky Valley Zip Tours, offering a new way to experience breathtaking landscapes. This exciting addition to the High Country’s adventure scene promises to redefine off-road exploration through exhilarating experiences while keeping environmental impact at a minimum.

Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock is a unique blend of indoor and outdoor adventure. Explore the mysterious Natural Gravitational Anomaly, and watch a ball roll upwards and water flow uphill! Have fun with weird science in the hands-on science attraction, the Hall of Mystery, or encase your friends in a giant bubble at Bubblerama. Try your hand at axe or knife throwing and brave the Bull Riding Challenge at Tomahawk Hill. This winter, experience Crazy Christmas at Mystery Hill with daily elf hunts, Christmas Crafts, Christmasthemed photos, gem mining for Christmas jewels, snowball fights and weekend activities, roaming carolers, Christmas light walk, Santa’s landing and more! (Also see “Museums” below.)

Sugar Creek Mining Company in Banner Elk lets you experience the thrill of prospecting for your very own authentic gemstones.

You’re guaranteed to find precious and semiprecious gemstones in every bucket. The expert staff will set you up on the heated flume line and then help you pan for gems and identify them. If desired, expert gem cutters can cut your rough gemstones and set it into a piece of jewelry.

The Blowing Rock in Blowing Rock is North Carolina’s oldest tourist attraction. Enjoy the endless winter views and read the legend.

Call ahead for hours, especially during inclement weather.

Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

29

JOHNSON COUNTY CENTER FOR THE ARTS Mountain City, TN

And More Fun . . .

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ART GALLERY Banner Elk

Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock celebrates the holiday season through Dec. 30 with Tweetsie Christmas, a winter wonderland and a nighttime train ride among thousands of dazzling lights! Enjoy the rides, shops, Santa, and much more.

Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster in Banner Elk is the first alpine coaster in the NC mountains. Each cart accommodates one or two people. Once the cart is pulled by a cable to the top, the remainder of the ride is downhill—fed by gravity—on multiple 360-degree loops, with riders using hand brakes to control the speeds, which reach up to 27 miles per hour.

Museums, Galleries, Art Trails & Workshops MUSEUMS

Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone offers free admission to the following permanent collections and rotating exhibitions: “Considering Carbon: Kathleen Thum” through May 4; “Revelation: Michael O/Neill” through May 4; “Trophic Cascade: April Flanders” Jan. 16 through June 1; “The Anti Uranium Mapping Project: Shayla Blatchford” Jan. 16 through June 1; “37th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition” through May 14; “Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition” Feb. 2 through June 1; “Campus Arts Corridor,” current displays through August 1.

BRAHM (Blowing Rock Art and History Museum) in Blowing Rock promotes the arts and Southern Appalachian heritage and histo-

30 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

ry through educational programs, exhibitions, activities and permanent collections. Current exhibitions include: “ GIFTED: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School, 19191956” through December 30; “Crafted Modern: The Collection of Rob Williams” through April 20; “HIGHLIGHTS: Selections from BRAHM’s Permanent Collection” through June 30; The Janet H. Wilson Collection, ongoing; Philip Moose, permanent collection; and “The Village of Blowing Rock: Exploring Our History,” permanent exhibit.

The NC High Country Fresco Trail throughout the High Country includes more than a dozen frescoes painted in small mountain churches in the 1970s by artist Ben Long, a NC native. Follow the trail to see the following: 1849 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Fresco, downtown Wilkesboro; Holy Trinity Church Fresco, Glendale Springs; St Mary’s Church Fresco, West Jefferson; and Sloop Chapel, Crossnore.

Beech Mountain History Museum is operated by the Beech Mountain Historical Society and operates seasonally with both permanent and rotating exhibits. The collection includes early life on Beech Mountain; chronicles on its earliest known visitors, the Cherokees; logging, milling and railroads on the mountain; the new Beech Mountain Music exhibit, with a featured area highlighting local storyteller Ray Hicks.

The Museum of Ashe County History, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic 1904 Ashe County Courthouse building as a county heritage museum for visitors of all ages. The museum features a number of permanent and revolving exhibits, such as “Mining,” “Virginia Creeper,” and “Moonshine and Music.”

Mystery Hill Museums include the 1903 Dougherty House: Appalachian Heritage Museum and Appalachian Fossil Museum in Blowing Rock. The Dougherty House was the

first home in the area to have electricity and running water. The home is being restored to its original 1903 condition. Guests can tour the home, which is filled with turn-of-the-century furniture, antiques and memorabilia. Appalachian Fossil Museum displays North Carolina’s largest private collection of fossils.

The Avery County Historical Museum in Newland is housed in the old county jail and features exhibits on railroads, local Civil War history, and country music stars Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman, among many others exhibits.

The museum is on the National Register of Historic Places.

ART GALLERIES GALORE Artists’ creativity never lets up. Winter can be a great opportunity to see some of the latest creations by local artists before the spring crowds arrive. Workshops and other events are also held throughout the year. Carlton Gallery is one of the foremost fine art galleries in the High Country of Western North Carolina exhibiting paintings, glass, sculpture, wood, clay, wearable fiber and jewelry. Crossnore School and Children’s Home has provided hope and healing for North Carolina’s children in need for more than 100 years. In support of their mission, the Crossnore campus invites the public to several arts and crafts venues, including an Appalachian weaving museum and gallery, Crossnore Weavers, and Crossnore Fine Arts Gallery. Mica Gallery in Bakersville is a cooperative gallery of fine crafts, showcasing the work of its 13 members whose creative lives have been nurtured by the energy of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Johnson County Center for the Arts in Mountain City, TN, features numerous artists from the area and offers a “Maker Space” for anyone who is feeling inspired to be creative.

The gallery at Jones House in downtown Boone showcases local and regional artists in changing monthly exhibits. Also in Boone, you’ll find Hands Gallery, Doe Ridge Pottery,

LIVE MUSIC Courtesy Beech Mountain Resort

THE CHILDREN’S PLAYHOUSE Boone

Blue Ridge ArtSpace, and more. Just east of Banner Elk, you’ll find the Sally Nooney Gallery, and in downtown Banner Elk check out the Art Cellar Gallery, It’s All About the Art Gallery, and the BE Artists Gallery (open by appointment only through the winter months).

ART TRAILS & WORKSHOPS Many other galleries and crafts venues are open through the winter season, and some offer hands-on opportunities to create art. One of the best resources for finding listings and details of all art venues in the region is the Blue Ridge Craft Trails website: www.blueridgeheritage.com/blue-ridge-craft-trails. You can also visit our local Arts Councils’ websites, including Ashe County Arts Council, Watauga Arts Council, Toe River Arts, the Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes, and the Johnson County Center for the Arts in Mountain City, TN. Let’s Be Artsy! in Boone unleashes your creative side. The talented team of instructors guides you step by step through the session’s featured painting. All painting supplies and artist instructions are provided. No art experience is needed. You can even take a fun, introductory belly dancing class, too!

Music, Live and Indoors

Check out the many restaurants, breweries and wineries mentioned throughout this issue to find live music, from jazz to traditional mountain jams, all season long. Also, check out this issue’s Cultural Calendar for winter and early spring concert opportunities.

The Blue Ridge Music Trails website is your guide to the traditional music of the North Carolina mountains and foothills. You will find a complete listing of events, including listening and playing opportunities, at blueridgemusicnc.com.

BEANSTALK COMMUNITY THEATRE Boone

Save the Date for Merlefest 2024! The annual MerleFest will be held April 25-28—it is considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serving as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest has 12 stages of “Traditional Plus” music and so much more.

River Fishing

If your passion is fly fishing, winter is an ideal season to stalk wily mountain trout in our many mountain streams. The crowds are gone, leaving you with solitude, spectacular scenery, and brook, brown and rainbow trout. There are guide services around the High Country offering outings and tips for successful winter fishing.

Reading & Educational Programming

Theatre

In downtown Banner Elk, be sure to visit the Banner Elk Book Exchange where you can “Bring a Book, Take a Book” (or jigsaw puzzle) throughout the year. The Book Exchange recently added to their regional collection— books written by regional authors or about regional subjects.

If the “Big Screen” is more your style, check out one of our restored historic theaters showing both new movies and classics—you’ll step back in time when you visit the Parkway Theater in Ashe County, and the Appalachian Theatre in Boone.

Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a book. The Appalachian Regional Library System is known for its wonderful collections, librarians and special programming throughout the year. Visit the Ashe County Public Library in West Jefferson, the Watauga County Library in downtown Boone, and the Wilkes County Library in North Wilkesboro.

The Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System also offers modern and cozy facilities, knowledgeable staff, and a variety of amenities, with branches in Newland (Morrison Public Library), Bakersville, Burnsville and Spruce Pine.

When the weather turns blustery and cold, a matinee or night at the theatre may be in order. Check out the offerings around the region, such as the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country; several groups at Appalachian State University (Department of Dance, Hayes School of Music, and the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts); Ashe County Little Theatre in West Jefferson; Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA; BeanStalk Community Theatre and Blue Ridge Community Theatre in Boone; CoMMA in Morganton; Ensemble Stage and Lees-McRae College performances in Banner Elk; and the Walker Center in Wilkesboro, among many others. See the CML Cultural Calendar for a complete listing of upcoming productions and contact information for each theatre.

The Children’s Playhouse in Boone provides children from birth to age eight with an enriching, educational play environment while at the same time offering their parents and caregivers friendly support in the important job of raising children.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

31

Stay with us at Sugar Ski & Country club!

Enjoy our Ski in/Ski out condos at the top of Oma’s Meadow!

We also have an indoor heated pool, hot tub, sauna and fitness room for our guests enjoyment!

Give us a call or check out our website to see availability!

The Bare Dark Sky Observatory lets you view the universe through the largest public telescope in NC or simply stargaze at an international dark sky certified park.

Come during the day and experience the wonders of the night sky at our Arthur Planetarium from the comfort of a zero-gravity chair. Laser/Music Light shows are available on the weekends!

The Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel is fifteen-minutes from the Mayland Earth to Sky Park and centrally located to Christmas tree farms, shopping, ski slopes, and area restaurants. Sitting above the Toe River, a foot bridge connects the building to downtown Spruce Pine.

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SAM BUSH at App Theatre

C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R

High Country Cultural Arts Calendar By Keith Martin There is a quote by Terri Guillemets that seems apropos for a cultural calendar encompassing performing arts events from December through April of each year: “The color of springtime is in the flowers, but the color of winter is in the imagination.”

With our High Country’s cultural treasures, there is no shortage of imagination—onstage or off—with the number of productions growing year after year, leaving locals, seasonal residents, and visitors with opportunities aplenty from which to choose.

Here is a selection of events that have been announced for “WinterSpring” (the period from now through mid-April), listed alphabetically by producing company, with dozens of productions on our college and university campuses listed separately. PLEASE NOTE that all the performances, dates, and times are subject to change; readers are strongly encouraged to check individual websites and/ or the theatre box offices for the most current information. See you at the theatre!

On New Year’s Eve, the APPALACHIAN THEATRE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY (ATHC) is ringing in 2024 by screening films with a party atmosphere beginning at noon for family-friendly events and again at 10 p.m. for those over age 16. More info is available on their website. The Local Night @TheApp series is back again this year on Thursday nights from January to May. This unique and muchneeded series showcases the talent of High Country musicians, most of whom are emerging artists making their debut performances at “The App.” ATHC’s Mast Store Americana Music Series is an ongoing, year-round program of artists and events celebrating the genre unique to our country. On January 13, Grammy

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Award-winning American country music singer, songwriter, and producer Dan Tyminski returns to the Doc Watson Stage. Sam Bush takes the stage on March 3; the theatre says, “There is only one consensus pick of peers and predecessors, of the traditionalists, the rebels, and the next gen devotees. Music’s ultimate inside outsider. Or is it outside insider? There is only one Sam Bush.”

Terrance Simien & Zydeco Experience appear on February 22. For over 40 years, twotime Grammy award winning, eighth generation Louisiana Creole Simien has been shattering the myths, and often misinformation, about what his traditional Zydeco roots music is—and is not. It most certainly is American roots music, born of the black and mixed race French speaking Creoles of South Louisiana.

Also from Louisiana, Lake Charles to be specific, is comedian Jen Kober, who has energetically bounded onto the national stage bringing crowds to their feet with her original blend of stand-up, storytelling, and improvised rock-n-roll comedy. Her performance is scheduled for April 5.

And then there are the films, whose screenings return the 1938 Art Deco venue to its original roots. On February 23 and 24, Boone Docs, a two-day film festival, celebrates life in Appalachia by featuring short format documentaries about the region, or made by people who live in the area. For more info, go to AppTheatre.org.

The big news at the BARTER THEATRE in Abingdon, Virginia, is that their main performance venue, the Gilliam Stage, will be closed from January through April for major renovations, but the shows will go on beginning in February on the stage of the intimate Smith Theatre with the Appalachian Festival

of Plays and Playwrights. This annual festival celebrates the richness of the Appalachian storytelling tradition by showcasing the stories of the region, both past and present, and the inspiration it provides the writers who live here.

Barter, the official “State Theatre of Virginia,” has announced 12 shows for calendar year 2024 with exact dates TBA. Their spring season includes Home by Samm-Art Williams, a story about a hardworking North Carolina farmer named Cephus Miles who has the whole world in his callused hands until he leaves his country life and answers the siren call of the city, a journey that leads him to discover his true home. Originally staged by the Negro Ensemble Company, this play is part of Barter’s Black Stories/Black Voices series.

Shakespeare’s As You Like It is one of his most famous comedies, where all the rules of conventional courtship are broken in an epic tale of love and disguise. Venture into the Forest of Arden with cousins Rosalind and Celia for a journey of self-discovery and zany mischief, where “all the world’s a stage” and anything can happen.

Ring of Fire - The Music of Johnny Cash reopens the Gilliam Stage with Richard Maltby, Jr. and William Meade’s fiery musical about “The Man in Black” himself, Johnny Cash. It follows the full story of Cash’s life from his early days in the cotton fields of Arkansas, the launch of his musical career in Memphis, his marriage to his beloved June Carter, and all the soul-stirring music he created along the way.

Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk is a new play by Catherine Bush about Emma Gatewood, a 67-year-old mother and grandmother, who told her children she was “going for a walk” but failed to mention that her

Peking Acrobats at CoMMA Photo by Tom Meinhold

TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS at MerleFest 2024 JOHNNY CASH CONCERT EXPERIENCE at CoMMA - Photo by Timothy Norris

“ T h e

c o l o r

o f

BEANSTALK COMMUNITY THEATRE is producing Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, a comedy-drama about the bond among a group of Southern women in northwest Louisiana. The title suggests that the memorable “female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel,” as we find out at Truvy’s in-home beauty parlor where a group of women regularly gather. Performances take place at the Appalachian Theatre from March 28 through 30. For info, visit BeanStalkNC. com and for tickets, go to AppTheatre.org.

No fewer than eight offerings are on the winter season schedule at the CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM (CoMMA) beginning on January 19 with Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., who first burst onto the national conscience as the Sinatraand-Soul singing season six winner of NBC TV’s “America’s Got Talent” with his incredible voice, undeniable charisma and unparalleled showmanship.

The national tour of the Broadway musical Annie stops at CoMMA for one night only on January 30, bringing with it Little Orphan Annie in a celebration of family, optimism, and the American spirit, which remains the ultimate cure for all the hard knocks life throws your way.

On February 16, Push Physical Theatre’s Generic Male is a masculinity satire by two well-meaning fools—arguing, dancing, and clinging to the status-quo characteristics of

i s

i n

t h e

i m a g i n a t i o n ! ”

men. Hilarious hijinks ensue as they examine assumptions that go unquestioned until they are spoken aloud. It’s about fathers and sons, war and death, and… James Bond.

Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience follows on February 25 with songs and stories from the “Man in Black” to the stage in a way that audiences haven’t seen or heard before. With video of Johnny from episodes of The Johnny Cash TV Show projected on a screen above the stage, a live band and singers will accompany him in perfect sync.

March 12 marks the return of The Peking Acrobats to CoMMA, performing daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and displaying their technical prowess at such arts as trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, brings its internationally beloved troupe of dancers to CoMMA as part of its landmark 50th anniversary season featuring gems from across the company’s groundbreaking repertoire. The performance is scheduled for April 9.

Morganton’s Alfreda Gerald returns to her hometown on April 19 as an international singing powerhouse who has performed with Cher, Celine Dion, Sir Elton John, Whitney Houston, Yanni, Warren Haynes, and many others. Alfreda Sings Aretha! combines Alfreda’s soaring vocals with three female backup singers, a four-piece rhythm section and three-piece horn section.

Finally, North Carolina native and spoken word artist Dasan Ahanu is a self-described introvert with a very public profession as a cul-

tural organizer, performing artist, and scholar.

His work focuses on critical writing, creative writing, hip-hop, and popular culture. Dasan appears on April 30. Additional information and tickets are available at commaonline.org or by phone at 800-939-SHOW (7469).

MERLEFEST 2024 has announced the line-up for their 36th annual event taking place April 25 through 28 on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Leading the breadth of can’t-miss performances this year are Grammy-winning rogue-folk ensemble Old Crow Medicine Show (celebrating both their 25th anniversary and nearly 25 years since their MerleFest debut in 2000), Red Dirt stalwarts Turnpike Troubadours, decorated blues-rock duo The Teskey Brothers, and recently reunited bluegrass sensation Nickel Creek. MerleFest favorites Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, and more are also set to appear with additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks.

Committed to illuminating the profound impact of its founding legend, Doc Watson, MerleFest continues to deliver one-of-a-kind programming that pays equal homage to pioneers of the folk movement alongside fresh and burgeoning voices. Drawing over 75,000 patrons to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains each spring, MerleFest’s well-attested “traditional plus” experience maintains its title as one of the most iconic musical pilgrimages of its time. For artist performance dates and tickets, as well as information about patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org.

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walk would be over 2,000 miles and take her through 14 states, making her the first woman to solo through-hike the newly formed Appalachian Trail. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Barter’s website at BarterTheatre.com.

w i n t e r

The Winter/Spring Seasons at our Colleges and Universities

By Keith Martin

ASHLEY MCBRYDE Schaefer Center

APPALACHIAN DANCE ENSEMBLE Valborg Theater

C U LT U R A L C A L E N D A R

O v e r Tw o D o z e n E v e n t s S c h e d u l e d f r o m J a n u a r y t h r o u g h M i d - A p r i l .

For the most part, the beginning of each academic year in the High Country features more popular, audience-pleasing fare that lures eager arts enthusiasts to our various college and university programs early in the season. Whether presented or produced, these offerings nicely complement works by our vital community and professional companies, and thankfully so.

However, the winter and spring productions are the shows that I most look forward to seeing; these events challenge artists and audiences alike, stretching each program to new heights of accomplishment. The eight series at four venerable institutions—including Appalachian State University, East Tennessee State University, Lees-McRae College, and Wilkes Community College—welcome local audiences and visitors to the High Country with innovative programming that greatly enriches the quality of life in our region.

The following is a brief overview of 26 events in the upcoming months from January through mid-April 2024. For more information, visit the websites listed at the end of each section.

The APPlause! K-12 Series at Appalachian State University presents affordable music, dance, film, and theatre events to students and their teachers from K-12 classrooms across the region. Students experience everything from high-energy acrobatics and Appalachian music to international dance and literary classics brought to life through theatrical productions.

In recent seasons, more than 8,000 students across our region have attended APPlause Series events. For a complete listing of all four school performances this winter/spring, visit TheSchaeferCenter.org/Applause.

The mission of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Appalachian State University is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public which cultivate compassionate, creative, and collaborative communities. T&D has announced four major offer-

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ings produced on their historic Boone campus.

The box office numbers are 828-262-4046 or 800-841-2787 and their website may be found at theatreanddance.appstate.edu.

Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus February 28 - March 3 Valborg Theatre Directed by Dr. Gina Grandi n Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. Men on Boats is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of loyal followers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River. Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.

Winnie-The-Pooh Appalachian Young People’s Theatre (AYPT) April 12 – 14 i Greer Studio Theatre Adapted and Directed by Gordon Hensley n For nearly a century, the timeless tales of Winnie-the-Pooh and his beloved companions have captivated hearts worldwide. Originally written by A.A. Milne as a gift for his son, Christopher Robin, these endearing characters come to life through AYPT’s lighthearted and interactive stage production. While devised for students from K-3 grade, all ages can revisit their inner child as Pooh weaves its charming narrative.

Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble April 3 - 7 Valborg Theatre Coordinated by Emily Daughtridge and Laurie Atkins n The Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble (SADE) is a popular semi-annual concert featuring Appalachian faculty and students showcasing their talents in choreography, design, and performance. The 2024 SADE includes a guest faculty piece choreographed by Carrie Plew, as well as pieces by student choreographers with as many as eight different pieces performed each night of the concert.

Carrie: The Musical Music by Michael Gore, Lyrics by Dean Pitchford, Book by Lawrence D. Cohen April 24 - 28 Valborg Theatre Directed by Kevin S. Warner Music Direction by Dr. Joby Bell n Adapted from Stephen King’s 1974 horror novel Carrie, this musical focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom, she unleashes chaos on everyone and everything in her path out of vengeance.

The Performing Arts Department at LeesMcRae College, housed in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Education, has scheduled an intriguing spring musical with performances in the Broyhill Theatre of Hayes Auditorium on their idyllic campus in Banner Elk, NC. The box office phone number is 828-898-8709 and their website is lmc.edu/theatreshows.

The Old Man and the Old Moon Book, Music, and Lyrics by PigPen Theatre Company April 11 - 13 and April 18 - 21 Directed by Joshua Yoder Music Direction by Kathleen Den Bleyker n The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody that sparks memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

The Schaefer Center Presents performing arts series, presented by the Appalachian State University Office of Arts and Cultural Programs,

JAZZ AT THE LINCOLN CENTER Schaefer Center FOUR PHANTOMS Walker Center

“ T h e s e e v e n t s c h a l l e n g e a r t i s t s a n d a u d i e n c e s a l i k e . . .”

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff Western Piedmont Symphony, Matthew Troy, Music Conductor Saturday, February 10 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Appalachian State University Singers, Dr. Jake Taylor, conductor Appalachian Chorale, Dr. DaVaughn Miller, conductor n One of classical music’s most spellbinding and immersive experiences, and the most frequently performed choral work of the 21st century, Carmina Burana is an epic, captivating choral masterpiece. A massive orchestra and huge choruses join forces for Carl Orff’s infamous ode to love, drink, and living life to the fullest.

Urban Bush Women Friday, February 16 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts n In honor of Urban Bush Women’s 40th Anniversary, “Legacy + Lineage + Liberation” celebrates the power of Women(+) in an evening of new and classic works that transcend genres and amplify the voices of Women(+) of color. This dynamic program features iconic works giving multiple dimensions of life that resonate in this time of reflection around equity and justice, and that lift up Black lives in inspiring ways.

Ashley McBryde Friday, March 1 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts n Grammy Award winner Ashley McBryde has made a name for herself with standout, critically acclaimed albums, all of which found the Arkansas native straddling lines between traditional country, rock-tinged roots and point-blank biker-bar riffs, leading American

Songwriter to boast that her “music balances gutsy rocking with classic country, folk and even slight bluegrass influences.”

Sing & Swing: A “Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents” Production Tuesday, March 5 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts n For over three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center, under the direction of Wynton Marsalis, has been a leading advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education globally. This new touring project celebrates the Great American Songbook, brought to life by two of this generation’s brightest stars. Vocalists and trumpeters Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III are joined by a who’s who of New York all-stars.

Indigo Girls Friday, April 12 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts n Released in 1989, Indigo Girls’ eponymous major label debut sold over two million copies under the power of singles “Closer to Fine”— which is enjoying newfound popularity to a new generation thanks to the Barbie movie— and “Kid Fears,” and turned Indigo Girls into one of the most successful folk duos in history.

Rolling Stone describes the pair as the “ideal duet partners.”

Snarky Puppy with Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini Saturday, April 20 The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts n Snarky Puppy is an American jazz fusion band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, they combine a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk, and have won five Grammy Awards, including “Best R&B Performance” in 2014, and “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” in 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2023. Snarky Puppy is a collective with as many as 20 members performing in rotation.

At Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, the John A. Walker Center is a vibrant civic treasure. Now in their 40th anniversary sea-

son, they offer six shows on their main season, three additional featured events, and six daytime school performances for local students throughout the region. Tickets and information available online at walkercenteronline.org.

DRUMLine Live Tuesday, January 23 Walker Center n This international tour is based on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band tradition. With riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy, the stage show is a synchronized showcase of the HBCU experience, incorporating original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40 hits, ranging from choreographed routines to heavy doses of drum riffs and cadences.

Michael Swenson – Hypnotist Thursday, February 22 i Walker Center n Celebrity Michael Swenson is one of the most successful stage hypnotists performing today. His comedy show twists reality and transforms audience volunteers into superstars live on stage. Michael’s work has been seen on numerous television shows, including cruise ships, theme parks, fairs, festivals, and the world’s largest stages.

The Four Phantoms in Concert Saturday, March 16 Walker Center n A celebration of the iconic music of Broadway and more, The Four Phantoms brings four leading men from the Tony Award-winning “The Phantom of the Opera” for an unforgettable evening of entertainment. Featuring an extraordinary quartet, including Brent Barrett, John Cudia, Franc D’Ambrosio, and Ciarán Sheehan, the show is under the musical supervision of two-time Grammy Award-winner David Caddick.

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offers a diverse array of country, folk-rock, and jazz fusion music designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding area. The box office numbers are 828-2624046 or 800-841-2787 with additional information available online at theschaefercenter.org.

Western Piedmont Symphony: Carmina Burana Saturday, February 10 at 7:30pm Urban Bush Women 40th Anniversary: Legacy+Lineage+Liberation Friday, February 16 at 7:30pm Ashley McBryde Friday, March 1 at 7:30pm Sing & Swing: A Jazz at Lincoln Center PRESENTS Production Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30pm Indigo Girls Friday, April 12 at 7:30pm Snarky Puppy Saturday, April 20 at 7:30pm

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James C. and Mary B. Martin Center for the Arts at East Tennessee State University

Jagged Little Pill

by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard with book by Diablo Cody January 10 in the Grand Hall (two performances) n A jukebox musical inspired by the 1995 album of the same name by Morissette, it deals with pain, healing, and empowerment. At the 74th Tony Awards, Jagged Little Pill won two awards on 15 nominations, the most nominations of any show of the 2019–20 Broadway season. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

My Fair Lady

by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

February 12 - 13 in the Grand Hall n The story, based on the 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her, as do many others. This tour is the brilliant Lincoln Center revival.

Jesus Christ Superstar: The 50th Anniversary Tour

by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice March 18 - 20 in the Grand Hall n A sung-through rock opera loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with much of the plot centered on Judas, who is dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus is steering his disciples. Stage productions contain many intentional anachronisms to connect with a contemporary audience.

Mean Girls with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Tina Fey April 29 - May 1 in the Grand Hall n This popular musical is based on the 2004 film of the same name written by Fey, which in turn was based on the 2002 book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman. The musical premiered in Washington, D.C., in 2017 and opened on Broadway in April 2018, playing to SRO audiences before closing in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but lives again in this fast-paced national tour.

Shrek The Musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire April 4 - 5 in the Grand Hall n This family-friendly musical is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film “Shrek,” along with elements of its sequels and William Steig’s original 1990 book “Shrek!” The Broadway show ran from 2008 to 2010. While audiences will fondly remember their favorite ogres (plural because Fiona more than holds her own against the title character), look for Tim Hatley’s clever Tony Award-winning costumes. n ETSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance offers comprehensive training within a liberal arts setting and believes an investment in the well-being of the whole student is how we best assist our graduates to achieve career goals. Their ambitious 2023-24 production season continues with the following shows: Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl February 22 - 25 in Bert C. Bach Theatre Directed by Ante Ursix n Eurydice reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice not through Orpheus’s infamous pilgrimage to retrieve his bridge, but through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. This well-crafted and intelligent play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

Heathers: The Musical with Book, Music, and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy April 10 - 14 in the Bert C. Bach Theatre Directed by Melissa Shafer n In a brilliant counter-programming choice to Mean Girls, ETSU T&D has selected the cult-favorite Heathers: The Musical. Based on the 1989 film of the same name written by Daniel Waters, the show is a high-energy black comedy and involves dark subject matter, including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault, and school violence in Westerberg High School’s hellish social hierarchy. Don’t miss it.

Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t i o n o n t h e E T S U D e p a r t m e n t o f T h e a t r e & D a n c e, v i s i t t h e i r w e b s i t e a t E T S U M a r t i n Ce n t e r. o r g.

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New to our college listings in this issue, at the urging of devoted CML reader Susan McCracken, is East Tennessee State University (ETSU) over in Johnson City, TN, less than 40 miles from the High Country, and so worth the lovely drive. They boast an impressive Broadway Series and dynamic programs produced by their Department of Theatre and Dance.

The beautiful new James C. and Mary B. Martin Center for the Arts is a $53+ million state-of-the-art venue that opened in October 2020 and became fully operational after the pandemic. The 93,000-square-foot arts center and instructional facility houses three unique performance venues: the 1,200-seat ETSU Foundation Grand Hall, the 200-plus-seat Powell Recital Hall, and a flexible staging/seating black box performing space known as the Bert C. Bach Theatre. Facing the southern exposure and ETSU’s main campus is the spacious 3,000-square-foot Tindall Lobby, featuring a box office, monitors offering live feeds from the venues, and a scenic view of the Sonia S. King Plaza that frames the front and eastern side of the facility.

Their winter/spring Broadway Series includes four national touring productions along with additional special events; for more info and tickets, visit ETSUMartinCenter.org.

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Annie 01.30.2024

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Push Physical Theatre’s Generic Male 02.16.2024 d

Photo Credit: Tom Meinhol

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42 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

The Bristol Ballet at 75 “A Bedrock Institution” in an Historic VA/TN Border Town

By Keith Martin ed original works for the company, including Robert Barnette, Richard and Christina Munro, and Norbert Vesack.

Hardinge was named Head of the Dance Department of Virginia Intermont College (VI) in 1972, and the ballet company expanded to include dancers studying at VI as well as local members. The company grew to its largest and most recognized presence during these years. VI’s Dance Department grew to about 60, the most the college had ever seen. Fourteen years later, the company returned to its origins and was largely a regional company of local dancers, still receiving recognition for its outstanding work in training dancers and educating the public about dance.

Bristol Ballet’s mission is to train and educate people about the art of dance, through exceptional ballet training for youth, and through productions for the public. During its long history, the organization has served tens of thousands of young dancers and enthusiastic audience members. Children are the primary focus of its educational efforts; however, educating and entertaining everyone in the public are important.

A year after Hardinge’s death in 1992, the school and company were incorporated as one non-profit entity, run by a board of directors and an artistic director. Michele Plescia returned to the Tri-Cities area in 2004 and became Artistic Director, and upon her retirement on July 1, 2022, became Artistic Director Emeritus and continues today as a part-time instructor. Amanda Hairston and Moira Frazier Ostrander took the reins from Plescia and continue to lead Bristol Ballet today.

A second generation BB dancer and instructor, Hairston began her studies at age three under the direction of Maryann Snyder, went on to study at Virginia School of the Arts, then became a trainee and merit scholarship recipient at Richmond Ballet, where this writer had the privilege of watching her dance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Giselle, Windows, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.

Concurrently, Hairston earned a Bachelor of

Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, joining the BB as an instructor in 2018 and rising to Artistic and Development Director in 2022.

Ostrander, Artistic and School of Ballet Director, grew up in Johnson City and danced with Highlands Ballet in Abingdon, performing in featured roles at Bristol’s Paramount Theater. She attended ballet summer intensives at Nutmeg Conservatory, Louisville Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet School in NYC. Ostrander attended Butler University, where she was a Dance Pedagogy major and member of Butler Ballet, dancing in productions of Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Coppelia. After an injury curtailed her dance career, she earned a master’s degree in art history and religious studies from Yale University.

The Virginia Commission for the Arts, during its 50th Anniversary celebration in 2018, recognized Bristol Ballet as “a Bedrock Institution” for its more than 70-year history as a non-profit organization providing quality dance education and entertainment.

Co-leaders Hairston and Ostrander strive to accomplish the BB mission through education about dance, including quality technique, artistry, production, and awareness of other art forms. Classes at Bristol Ballet focus on age appropriate technique, based on the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, both of which are recognized worldwide.

The dynamic duo were close friends before they came to BB, even sharing Bristol’s Paramount Theatre stage as dancers beginning in 2001. In an interview with CML, the pair spoke in unison, often finishing each other’s sentences. “Constance left an incredible legacy for us to inherit, and a tradition that we are both very proud to perpetuate.”

Hairston proudly stated that “all of my BB teachers growing up were taught by Miss Hardinge, a true visionary who I fondly remember watching in class and rehearsal as a young, aspiring ballerina.” continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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The regional ballet movement in America is a relatively recent occurrence in the performing arts world with most companies founded in the mid-1970s, ‘80s and even more recently. Bristol Ballet (BB) was created by the late visionary Constance Hardinge in 1948, the same year that the famed New York City Ballet was founded; both institutions are celebrating their 75th anniversary years this season.

By one estimate, there are currently 893 ballet companies in the U.S. that combine to employ 13,157 people, earn more than $916 million in annual revenue each year, and have assets of over $2 billion. An analysis of the entire list finds that a vast majority of these troupes are in major urban areas and population centers with large audiences that can support the art form.

Yet the twin cities of Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee, with a combined population of only 44,500+ residents, are proud that the Bristol Ballet calls their community home.

“Miss Hardinge” began with a school for the training of young people in the art of dance. In 1959, she founded a performing company, comprised of 12 young dancers—10 girls and two boys—between the ages of 13 and 15. This company grew in stature and became a leading regional ballet company in the nation. It has been a member of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, had many renowned guest teachers and choreographers, and trained many dancers who have gone on to professional dance careers. In 1965, Maria Tallchief, noted American ballerina and founder of the Chicago City Ballet, visited Bristol Ballet to select a handful of young students to receive Ford Foundation Scholarships to pay their tuition for studies at Bristol Ballet.

In 1966, Bristol Ballet produced the area’s first Nutcracker ballet, which has become a long-standing favorite of children and adults alike. Other productions have received regional acclaim, such as Mountain Ballad, The Cloistered, and Recess—all original works by Hardinge. Noted choreographers have creat-

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44 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

When asked about their plans for the next 75 years, Hairston mentioned the current capital campaign to further renovate and upgrade their facility, a former textile mill and steakhouse that provides over 10,000 square feet of studio and rehearsal space. Ostrander cited expanded outreach programs as a priority, such as BB’s recent performances of The Nutcracker to Southwest Virginia Community College in Cedar Bluff.

“Of course, we both plan to be here for the centennial celebration in our 100th year,” they promised, and in the interim plan “to elevate our performances and the experience of our students to even higher levels.”

Constance Hardinge would be very proud, indeed, of the current leadership team. For more information, please visit their website at bristolballet.org.

“If we are able to contribute one centimeter to the needs of a young girl, or boy, produce one moment of joy for an audience, or have a part in the development of just one artist we really can ask no more. In the constant daily crisis we face, it isn’t easy to remember our real purpose... that of the link that holds illusion and reality together for future generations.” ~Constance Hardinge, 1975

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

45

TOM'S CUSTOM GOLF

Providing advocacy, support, and education for kinship caregivers and their families.

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46——Winter Winter23/24 23/24CAROLINA CAROLINAMOUNTAIN MOUNTAINLIFE LIFE

828-832-6366 • www.highcountrycaregivers.com

Come spend the day!

Amy Brown, CPA Certified Public Accountant 828.898.7607 Avery County Chamber of Commerce 828.898.5605 / www.averycounty.com Creative Interiors by Darlene Parker 828.898.9636 Encore Travel 828.719.6955 www.encoretravelltc.com Hero’s Axe House 828-898-4376 / www.herosaxehouse.com Highlanders Grill & Tavern Open 7 Days a Week 828.898.9613 Peak Real Estate 828.898.1880 www.peakrealestatenc.com Rhapsody in Cabinetry Design Studio for Kitchens, Baths, Closets & Flooring 828.406.4348 Salon Suites at Tynecastle • SALON M 828.260.3791 Shooz & Shiraz A Shoe & Wine Salon at The Dande Lion Sky Mountain Nail Bar 828.783.9393 The Dande Lion Ladies Apparel, Shoes, & Accessories 866.222.2050 and 828.898.3566 Truist Financial 828-292-9219 / www.Truist.com Valle de Bravo Mexican Grill valledebravomexicangrill.net 828.898.4949 Walgreens Pharmacy 828.898.8971

SPACE AVAILABLE! Please Call 828.898.6246

SHOPPING • DINING • BUSINESS • At the Corner of Hwy 105 & 184 Tynecastle Hwy. • Banner Elk CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

Proof for full-page ad scheduled to run in CML’s Winter 23/24 issue. (same as Autumn ‘23 ad, with top circular photo replaced)

47

PHOTO BY SKIP SICKLER

Apple Hill Farm Store

Designed and handcrafted in New York

“Get back in touch with what's real.”

Largest selection of alpaca yarns & accessories in the High Country.

Vahan ®, Alwand Vahan ®, Moiré Pattern ® are Regd. Trademarks. Designs © Alwand Vahan Jewelry Ltd. Made in the USA with ethically sourced materials from around the world.

Winter Hours: Wed - Sat 10-4; Sun - Tues by appt.

Banner Elk, NC | (828)963-1662 www.applehillfarmnc.com

Military Surplus Knives • Tools Camping & Sporting Goods

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“Your Military & Outdoor Store”

Between the 2 stoplights in Newland NC 828.733.0186 || MountainJewelersNC.com Call for hours.

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Old Time Photos with a Modern Twist!

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PROFESSORFINNEGANS.COM

Free Admission

Six Galleries

Part of the Mystery Hill Family of Attractions

Contemporary Artists

Changing Exhibitions

Voted Best of the Best in Avery County 2021/2022

Winter Exhibition Celebration Friday Dec. 1, 2023

SCAN CODE Untitled by Michael O'Neill

5 to 8 p.m.

Petrolia by Kathleen Thum

Join us for a winter lled with the visual arts.

48 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Big Picture Show

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Elizabeth Baird Hardy

world inhabited by the District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), and her mentor, the charming and ambitious young Coriolanus Snow (Blyth). Audiences familiar with the original books or films will be fascinated by this prequel, as it shows the origin of many of the Games’ seminal features, and a method to punish enemies becomes can’t-miss entertainment for the victorious Capitol. At the same time, we see the regress of “Coryo” Snow into an eerily familiar dictator.

The film is, unsurprisingly, an impressive spectacle, like the Games themselves. The sets are remarkable, from the bombed-out sports complex that becomes an arena to the decadent buildings of a Capitol still rebuilding from a devastating war. Although largely filmed in Germany, not in Appalachia, the outdoor settings evoke those from the first film, a beautiful, natural contrast to the gorgeous and sterile world of the Capitol.

The cast is impressive; Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis give fantastic performances as pathetic Games-creator Dean Highbottom and chilling Head Gamemaker Dr. Gaul. Also of note is Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, the voice of moral outrage. Although Tom Blyth puts in a strong performance, his Snow is less clearly villainous than the one on the page. Readers are privy to Snow’s mental calculations, early revealing him as a dangerous, selfish sociopath. The film does hint at what this charming young man will become by initially showing a

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

49

BIG PICTURE SHOW

The 2012 film, The Hunger Games, based upon Suzanne Collins’s bestseller, was filmed here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with outdoor scenes shot near Asheville and the “District 12” sequences shot at the abandoned Henry River Mill Village in Burke County, NC. Many locals worked as extras. While the sequels were filmed elsewhere, our region set the tone for the successful series, and tourists and movie fans still enjoy visiting the filming locations. Since the novel’s District 12 is a future Appalachia, both the culture and the geography reflect our High Country.

In 2020, Collins published The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel set 64 years before the beginning of the initial trilogy. Starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, the new film adaptation brings to life Collins’s depiction of a future vision of our mountains and transmits the novel’s use of Appalachian culture. As one of the 12 Districts ruled over by the ruthless Capitol of Panem in a future, dystopian North America, District 12 is a place that looks and feels both familiar and unsettling.

While The Hunger Games featured a Panem in which the titular Games were a fixture of society, woven into the world of Katniss Everdeen and her nemesis, President Snow, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set only 10 years after the Treaty of Treason, which established the annual event requiring each of the 12 defeated Districts to send a boy and a girl to fight to the death on live television.

The Games are still a new concept in the

cockroach and a box of rat poison in his decaying penthouse, demonstrating the family’s challenges but also Snow’s true character. Filmgoers may be a bit surprised by the character, but readers may find Blyth’s version too remorseful. Rachel Zegler, as Lucy Gray Baird, is great, primarily because she does beautifully what Lucy Gray must do: she sings like a bird.

The music is clearly the star of the show. Lucy Gray’s singing becomes both her calling card and a remarkable survival tool, and the production team has done a fantastic job with the songs Collins wrote for the novel as well as traditional tunes. “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” is beautiful, but just too short. The songs performed by her family band, the Covey, are highlights of the film as well, and audiences will be hard-pressed to forget the haunting “The Old Therebefore” or the original version of a song well-known to those who have been to Panem before.

Although the movie is entertaining, it is, like Collins’s novel, a statement about war, about entertainment, and about the human capacity for cruelty, so it is an intense film that earns its PG-13 rating. The violence is often depicted offscreen, but the Hunger Games revolve around 24 children fighting to the death, with only one survivor allowed; some members of this group of Tributes are heartbreaking, including several who vividly depict the dangers of child labor and the results of poverty.

Readers may be impressed with some of the nice symbolic touches, like an unclaimed quiver of arrows, and generally this adaptation is more faithful than previous ones, but even non-readers may enjoy the film if they can just remember that, thankfully, these children are just actors, unlike the ones who really die as a result of war, cruelty, and selfish ambition like that of Snow, who always lands on top.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was released November 17, 2023, to theaters.

Sally Nooney ARTIST STUDIO GALLERY

Fine Art Paintings, Glass Creations & Heirloom Jewelry — Commissions Invited! —

100 High Country Square Unit 90 Banner Elk, NC 28604 (on Tynecastle Hwy) 619-964-0038 | thetwistedtwigantiques.com www.facebook.com/TheTwistedTwigAntiques thetwistedtwigantiques@gmail.com

Scenic Hwy 194 South Midway between Valle Crucis & Banner Elk Tuesday thru Saturday 10-5 828-963-7347 | Nooney@skybest.com sallynooney.com Frank Nooney Furniture Restoration, and Antiques at the Gallery, next door

Bring a Book, Take a Book

at the Historic Banner Elk School We offer books to swap, magazines, WiFi, puzzles, book discussion groups, music jams, and children’s programs throughout the year. Stop by and see us this season!

GABRIEL OFIESH

9 2 0 S h a w n e e h a w Av e n u e Banner Elk, NC 28604 HardinJewelry@gmail.com 828-898-4653

50 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Open All Year Tuesday-Friday 10-4 Saturday 1-4 (May - October)

Part of the Mystery Hill Family of Attractions

LEARN MORE

PROSPECTOR-HILL.COM

For a full schedule of events, visit: SCAN CODE

www.bannerelkbookexchange.com

Book Nook

Farm Family

A Solo Mom’s Memoir of Finding Home, Happiness, and Alpacas Jane Lee Rankin, Author —Reviewed by Tamara S. Randolph

Self-Doubt and Early Challenges “When are you going to grow up and become the person you were born to be?” This question from the author’s father planted a seed of doubt that haunted Lee for much of her early adulthood. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Lee was destined to be someone her father would never fully accept. Yet as disheartening as their father/ daughter relationship could be, it also helped her evolve into a strong, determined woman.

Her inner strength and spirituality—even if not fully realized in her early years—were forces that would sustain her through a series of poignant losses, from her mother’s untimely death, to a broken romantic bond, to the passing of one of her dearest friends, “Annie,” with whom she wrote and published a popular cookbook. A cancer diagnosis in her thirties added a heavy layer of uncertainty to Lee’s future and ultimately would become a major factor in several tough decisions she had to make.

One of those tough decisions was to raise a child on her own. Selfdoubt may initially have plagued Lee, especially given her relationships with an unsupportive father and a non-committal partner, but once she made the decision to have a baby, she never looked back. “I was fortified by the single best adventure of my life, motherhood,” writes Lee, “and I did the right thing to not listen to the voice of doubt on this.”

Single Parenting and Starting Anew The author reflects fondly on her life in Louisville, and the time she spent in the Catskills, where for years she owned a second home. But with the passing of Annie, the birth of her son, some chance encounters with alpacas, and several visits to the N.C. Mountains, the signs were adding up. Slowly she began realizing the life she had imagined for herself and her son, Will.

Much of Lee’s writings focus on the practical matters that come with starting anew: finding the right property, constructing barns and stables, building a “protection system,” learning the ropes of animal husbandry, integrating into a supportive community—all while solo parenting. But her book is also devoted to sharing the heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking, stories of the animals—not just her beloved alpacas, but the many species she and Will bring into their farm family: dogs, donkeys, horses, goats, llamas, chickens, pigs and more.

“Working with animals is as much about intention, tenacity and creative problem-solving as it is experience or training,” Lee notes.

The bonds they form with their animals, some of whom were rescued from dire situations, are not easily broken, and ultimately these sacred connections extend beyond the farm animals to the local wildlife—even the apex predators. High elevation farming is known to be somewhat unpredictable and she faces each challenge with grace, often with a sense of humor, and always with humility and a grateful heart.

“Who do you think you are, missy?”

This question, often asked by her father when she was growing up, churned in her head shortly after she began building her new life at Apple Hill Farm…

“This time my answer came back quick, with a strong sense of self and purpose,” writes Lee. “I am a mother, I am a nurturer, I am a lover of alpacas. I am a strong businesswoman. I am a farmer.”

Jane Lee Rankin is all that and much more. And her well-crafted memoir is a powerful and inspiring read.

Learn more about Apple Hill Farm and order your copy of Farm Family at applehillfarmnc.com.

“The beauty of Lee Rankin’s Farm Family is its honesty without pretension and the unintentional vulnerability of her voice. I felt the pain in her prose, the fear of her challenges, the heartbreak of her failures, and the absolute joy in her successes— as she shares intimate details of very personal milestones and gut-wrenching setbacks in her journey of creation of a family… and a farm. Her narrative gave me twinges of guilt! It made me feel as if I were snooping through the pages of a personal journal left on a bedside table. You will cheer for Lee and embrace her story…and feel a part of her Farm Family.” ­— Jim Hamilton, PhD, Watauga County Extension Director, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, and author of The Last Entry CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

51

BOOK NOOK

Farming—of any kind—is hard work, as all farmers are well aware.

So what drives a single mom to leave behind a “safe” life in her hometown and move, with a toddler in tow, to the rugged mountains of western N.C. to start an alpaca farm (having no prior farming experience)?

Author Jane Lee Rankin shares with us in captivating and deeply personal detail how a series of major life events, painful losses, family challenges, good omens, and one joyful surprise all came together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, to land her in Banner Elk, NC, where today she owns and operates a working alpaca farm and popular agritourism attraction, Apple Hill Farm.

Cougars

Skyline Charlotte

father

d from Gran

Winter Peaks

G R A N D FAT H E R N OT E S

Experiencing Winter Wonder at Grandfather Mountain Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, provides a unique experience for guests visiting in the winter months. While the rugged mountain is known for its wild weather this time of year, there are many magical moments to be had during what is often a quieter season.

Plan ahead to make the most of your winter visit to the park— whether you relish the brisk temperatures and crystal-clear views, or would rather spend some time connecting with the natural world from the comfort of Grandfather’s indoor spaces.

O U T D O O R E X P L O R AT I O N S Though mild days certainly occur at Grandfather during winter, it’s always a good idea to bundle up and bring extra layers of clothing for any fast-changing conditions while exploring the mountain. Here are some highlights of what to expect. n Long-range Views Winter brings many clear days with deep blue skies without the haze of summertime. On especially clear days, you might catch a glimpse of the Charlotte skyline more than 80 miles away. At times, you may even get to witness postcard scenes of trees covered in ice and snow. Take it all in from the Mile High Swinging Bridge, where you will often find fewer fellow onlookers during this season.

52— Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

n Habitat Animals Snow especially brings out the animals’ personalities in Grandfather’s wildlife habitats. The cougars frolic in the fluffy flakes; the elk look particularly regal against a backdrop of snow; and the mountain’s river otters really steal the show as they’re known to frolic, slide around on their bellies, burrow and even make tunnels.

Did you know? Black bears are not true hibernators. Grandfather’s bears go into a state of torpor, or light sleep, in the winter. Since those who reside at Grandfather Mountain are fed by keepers, the habitat staff simulate feeding patterns that the bears would experience in the wild to enable their innate instinct to go into a wintertime slumber.

However, on warmer winter days, it’s not unusual to see them sleepily wandering around their habitat. n Winter Birding Interested in watching our feathered friends? Many of the birds that are spotted on Grandfather are transient, but around 40 to 50 species call the mountain home year-round. A good starting point is the bird feeders on the deck of the Wilson Center! n Hiking Surprising to some, Grandfather does have milder days in wintertime that make for perfect hiking weather, with more of the trail to yourself.

Be sure to start your hike earlier given the shorter days (Grandfather’s trails close at 4 p.m. in the winter); familiarize yourself with the trail in

Mile High Swingi

ng Bridge Winter Hike

spheres Hall of Bio Center son in the Wil

I N S P I R AT I O N I N D O O R S For those looking to warm up with some time inside, the park has plenty of offerings. n Wilson Center for Nature Discovery The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery—located about halfway up the mountain, adjacent to the habitats—was thoughtfully designed to optimize Grandfather’s natural surroundings and bring the great outdoors inside. The new space, which opened in the summer of 2022, features a dozen state-of-the-art interactive exhibits showcasing the natural history, flora, fauna, geology and weather of the mountain. Guests can also check out a documentary about Grandfather that plays every half hour in the ADA-accessible Hodges Theater. The building also includes a gift shop and Mildred’s Grill!

P L A N YO U R V I S I T Keep the following information top of mind when it comes to preparing for your winter visit to Grandfather Mountain. Learn more at grandfather.com/winter-visits.

During times of inclement weather, including snowy, icy and windy conditions, the mountain may close entirely or halfway, meaning no access to the Mile High Swinging Bridge until conditions improve. If the park is closed halfway, guests may visit for discounted admission—even if the remainder of the mountain opens during their stay. Grandfather staff will post updates to the website’s homepage.

Check the weather forecast. As you drive up the mountain, the temperature often drops up to 5-10 degrees. The mountain is frequently 20 degrees cooler than the foothills below.

Make sure to wear adequate layers and prepare for sudden changes in the weather.

Winter Notes ...

Photos by Leslie Restivo and Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

53

G R A N D FAT H E R N OT E S

advance; check the weather forecast; tell someone your plan; dress appropriately; and bring plenty of water and snacks. Hikers should be prepared to encounter ice any time the trails are open during the winter months and even into early spring. At times, trails may be closed for safety.

Through the Lens Quick Snow and Ice Photography Tips

By Jim Magruder

From his home base in Linville, at the foot of Grandfather Mountain, Jim Magruder has worked to capture the beauty and wonder of Western North Carolina in unique and engaging images. In this Brave New World of AI-generated deepfake imagery, Magruder scours the mountains and woods for scenes that only Nature could concoct and no AI mashup could approximate.

BE READY to get out there as soon as the heavy snow stops flying. Clearing wind can quickly spoil scenes, blowing snow from branches and spreading twigs and debris across your pristine snow.

Bright sun will melt snow from branches, even at sub-freezing temps.

54 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

WATCH THAT STEP! When you approach a promising scene, pause to consider the best angle to shoot from, before you tromp through what would have been the best perspective.

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION: Camera autoexposure mode tries to achieve an ‘average’ exposure, leaving very white/bright scenes looking dingy grey (underexposed).

You can adjust some cameras via a ‘scene’ setting of snow or beach. Other cameras have an ‘EV’ (Exposure Value compensation) setting. Use EV +1 to +2, depending on how much of your scene is pure white.

FILL THE FRAME: Dull grey skies often accompany winter weather. In that case, frame your shots to minimize the sky and maximize that beautiful snow and ice.

LOOK FOR CONTRAST: Blue sky against frosted trees or peaks, dark bark outlined in white, deep shadows falling on white snow - these add magic.

AIM SMALL: Tight shots are often more powerful than wide scenes.

You can find a rotating selection of Jim Magruder’s prints on exhibit for sale at the photography-only Catchlight Gallery in West Jefferson, NC, and you can view and purchase his work through his website: MagruderPhotography.com.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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LO C A L C O F F E E PA S T R I E S & M O R E

Order Online Open Year Round Sun | 8:00a-4:00p Mon - Sat | 7:00a-3:00p

Large selection of gluten/dairy-free pastries

mountaingroundsnc.com Located in front of Lowe’s Foods in Banner Elk, NC

— ESTABLISHED 1903 —

WINTER CLOTHING & SHOES Columbia • Merrell Wolverine • Wigwam • Camelbak Seirus • Sherpani • Turtle Fur Sorel • Life is Good

Ski & Snowboard Rentals Information Available Online

BRINKLEY HARDWARE

A Store from Days Gone By. Downtown Elk Park, NC 828-733-2107 Tools, Hardware, Toys, Bedding Furniture, Sleds Galore and Much More!

Fred’s Backside Deli Open 7:30am-3pm daily

Celebrating 45 Years! Come visit us at Eastern America’s Highest Town Store Hours: 7:30am-10pm Daily

501 Beech Mountain Parkway Beech Mountain, NC www.fredsgeneral.com

56 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Boone’s Donate-What-You-Can Community Cafe “Where Everybody Eats” 617 W. King Street Across from Mast Store Lunch Mon-Fri, 11-2

farmcafe.org

Seed heads from fall wildflowers

Carolina Chickadee,

by Max Ramey

A Season to Survive—and Thrive have fallen and snow covers the ground—I couldn’t find my car keys this morning. We often marvel at the incredible journeys migratory birds make each year, but those who stay behind and endure the grueling winter are no less spectacular.

As I make my way down towards the Watauga River, the soft sound of rushing water replaces the quiet stillness of the mountainside. As the only unfrozen water around, rivers like this one become vital for all sorts of wildlife in the winter. A small, dark brown bird scurries over a fallen log as I approach. Winter Wrens look and act more like mice than birds.

They tend to stay low to the ground and in the shelter of thickets and fallen logs as they search for tiny insects, berries and seeds. These little birds nest in the highest mountains in our area, and then travel down the mountain to spend the winter at lower elevations, where they are joined by more of their brethren who have migrated south from Canada. I like to think that this bird is one of the ones I heard singing on the top of the mountain last spring, when their melodious, bubbly songs echoed across the mountaintops. Winter Wrens are quiet this time of year; only a soft chirp and a rustle of leaves give away their presence.

Compared to birds that will fly thousands of miles each year, this altitudinal migration of a few thousand feet seems insignificant, but the winter weather can be dramatically different on our mountain peaks.

My wandering brings me to a wild meadow. In the fall it was a chest-high sea of yellow goldenrod and purple asters. Bees, beetles and butterflies buzzed and flitted from flower to flower while migrating warblers bounced through the cherry trees along the meadow’s edge. It is a very different meadow today. The flowers are long gone, and only seed heads stand withered and crookedly gaunt above the snow. But there is life in this raggedlooking field. A flock of sparrows is picking its way across the field, the birds fluttering

from seed head to seed head. Most of them are Song Sparrows, striped with brown and white, and with three dark splotches on their thickly streaked chests. They are one of the most common birds in these mountains during the winter. As I keep looking, a few of the sparrows are a richer reddish-brown and dark gray—Swamp Sparrows are handsome little birds, but often overlooked. There are some larger sparrows further back, with bold white patches on their faces and throats. Whitethroated Sparrows are well named.

We get a remarkable influx of sparrows in the winter, coming from much further north for the marginally warmer weather down here, and the abundance of seeds in fields and meadows such as this one. For these sparrows winter is a time of plenty, and there are plenty of sparrows. Sparrows are often derisively called “little brown birds” because they are little and brown, and often very hard to tell apart. There are at least eight species of sparrows that can be found in these mountains in the winter. While their plumage tends to be a bit drab, they have beautiful and complex patterns and markings. What appears to be a little brown bird in the distance is actually a strikingly beautiful creature when you take a closer look.

The sun starts to dip lower in the sky and I begin the trek towards home. As the temperature falls, the birds seek shelter for the night.

Some take refuge in tree hollows, others in dense thickets of rhododendrons. Feathers are the best insulation on the planet, but it still takes a lot of energy for birds to stay warm throughout a cold winter night. Leaving seed heads standing in your yard and garden and maybe putting out a bird feeder or two can make a huge difference for the survival of wintering birds. We have changed these mountains so much over the last 300+ years—giving birds a little help might be the difference between life and death for some of them.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

57

BIRDING

A soft silence blankets the woods in wintertime. The thick layer of fallen leaves that crunched underfoot throughout the fall is muffled by the fresh snow, and the bare branches of the trees stand in stark contrast to the white that covers the forest floor. Everything seems still and peaceful as if the world is fast asleep.

But these woods are far from empty. A closer look reveals footprints of white-tailed deer, as well as the smaller tracks of a vole that briefly ventured out from the safety of its network of tunnels under the snow. Winter is both a time of intense beauty and intense struggle. I follow the tracks of the vole to their end, and a patch of disturbed snow and a tail feather from a Great Horned Owl tell me that this particular vole never made it back to the safety of his tunnels.

The stillness is broken by the buzzy calls of a Carolina Chickadee. The miniscule bird is perched in the low branches and peers down at us inquisitively. His black cap and chin are separated by a bright, white cheek, and his gray wings and pale belly make him remarkably well camouflaged in the snowy woods. If he were to sit still and quiet I doubt I would have spotted him—but that is not the way of a Chickadee. He bounces ceaselessly from branch to branch and chatters his way through the forest, inspecting every twig and scolding intruders like myself. Chickadees are common birds throughout the year, and their black and white plumage is often taken for granted— but this is a truly remarkable little bird!

Many of the birds that spend the summer in these mountains have long since migrated to the tropics. As the temperatures plunge, I can’t blame them for wanting to be in Costa Rica. The little Chickadee remains here in this frozen forest. He can survive because he has been busy caching seeds throughout his territory—a single Chickadee can cache over 80,000 seeds every year! Even more remarkable is the fact that he can remember all 80,000 hiding spots, even when the leaves

By Paul Laurent

A group of App State students participated in a study abroad program in Peru in 2023, which was led

by Dr. Baker Perry, pictured second from right in the back row. They are pictured at Machu Picchu.

Photo submitted

Dr. Baker Perry has led several successful expeditions to install and maintain weather stations on Mount Everest and around the world.

Photo by Dawa Yangzum Sherpa/National Geographic

Reaching New Heights in Climate Science

By Brian Miller

D

r. Baker Perry, a National Geographic Explorer and professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning, has taken climate research to new heights—literally.

Over the past several years, Perry has helped to lead the installations of some of the highest weather stations in the world, from the Tupungato volcano in Chile, to the peak of Nevado Ausangate in Peru, to the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, in Nepal.

It all started in 2019, when Perry and a National Geographic Society team scaled Mount Everest to carry out groundbreaking research in biology, glaciology, geology, mapping and meteorology—all of which are critical to understanding environmental changes and their impacts. The trip was part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition.

Further building upon that expedition with return trips to Mount Everest in 2022 and 2023, Perry, his colleagues and a group of elite climbing Sherpas have now successfully installed and maintained five weather stations on Mount Everest, ranging in elevation from 12,500 feet at Phortse to 28,904 feet at Bishop Rock—the highest weather station in the world.

“There’s so much snow and ice that’s found at these high elevations, and they serve as critical water towers that sustain

58 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

communities downstream,” said Perry. “We know the climate is changing, the glaciers are retreating and the water is diminishing, but we don’t fully understand the processes that are driving those changes. Now we have tools up there to really observe, study and investigate the processes and make better projections for future water resource availability.”

The weather stations offer real-time wind, temperature and precipitation measurements that not only serve to provide critical climate data but also offer more accurate weather updates to climbers to improve their safety and help them plan ahead.

Other weather stations installed by National Geographic Society teams— through expeditions led by Perry—include a station installed in 2021 near the summit of the Tupungato volcano in Chile, just above 21,000 feet in elevation, and a station installed in 2022 at the highest peak of Nevado Ausangate in the tropical Andes of Peru, just below 21,000 feet in elevation.

The trip to Peru was part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition.

“Before 2019 there was only one weather station in the world above 19,000 feet,” said Perry. “Our expeditions on Everest and the Andes have already made huge strides in filling some of the voids

and really advancing what we know about how glaciers and snow are responding to the climate.”

All of Perry’s expeditions were made possible by the National Geographic Society and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expeditions program.

“National Geographic Society is committed to advancing science and the scientists who are gathering new data about our planet’s most vulnerable yet understudied high-alpine environments,” said Nicole Alexiev, vice president of science and innovation programs at National Geographic Society. “We are thrilled to have a consistent partner in Explorer and climate scientist Baker Perry, whose expertise has introduced groundbreaking findings that will generate solutions to protect the future of these critical ecosystems.”

Grandfather Mountain provides pivotal starting point for Everest expeditions In addition to his work as a National Geographic Explorer, Perry has also conducted plenty of locally based research—including the operations of weather stations on Beech Mountain and Poga Mountain—but it was at Grandfather Mountain where he first found his footing.

In 2006, Grandfather Mountain reported a shockingly high wind speed of

App State’s Dr. Baker Perry, third from right, celebrates with his expedition team after setting up the world’s highest weather station on Mount Everest in 2019.

Photo by Mark Fisher/National Geographic

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, is pictured in 2023 with the Khumbu Glacier, Mount Everest and Mount Nuptse in the background. Photo by Ngawang Tenzing Sherpa/National Geographic

The South Col weather station is located at just over 26,000 feet in elevation on Mount Everest. Photo by Baker Perry/National Geographic

App State professor Baker Perry scales world’s tallest mountains as National Geographic Explorer more than 200 miles per hour—a measurement that sparked questions from the scientific community. Perry was called upon to organize a one-day wind summit on the mountain, which brought the community together to identify solutions to find a more representative location to measure wind speed.

“We identified that the swinging bridge was a much better site to measure wind speed than the Top Shop where that strong gust was recorded, because that additional acceleration that occurs at the roof was impacting results,” said Perry. “Our team at App State installed a weather station right there on the bridge, and I think we found the peak gust to be about 124 miles per hour.”

Perry said it was this experience that helped him prepare for his expeditions to some of the highest peaks in the world, especially Mount Everest.

“I gained a lot of knowledge at Grandfather Mountain about wind sensors in extreme environments and the challenges that come with it,” said Perry. “Those experiences were absolutely important in planning for the types of sensors and stations that we took up to Everest.”

Perry said that of all the high-mountain work he has done, from Grandfather Mountain to Mount Everest, “They’re all special places. They are magical, spiritual

and awe inspiring. When there are moments that I have a chance to stop and take it in and recognize the beauty of creation, it can be pretty amazing—literally on the edge of the world.”

Study abroad students make mountainous strides through hands-on education Since 1999, Perry has led 16 study abroad trips to Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, where students have learned about climate change, glaciers, water resources and local culture.

“It’s been totally transformational for students to go on these trips,” said Perry.

“They get to see what’s happening with their own eyes, but even just to experience the altitude and the thin air and to see these massive glaciers—that’s something you can’t get sitting in the classroom.”

Perry said many of his students have gone on to graduate from App State and land careers that have been directly informed by their study abroad experiences.

In the summer of 2022, a dozen App State students accompanied Perry and his National Geographic Society team during the acclimatization and preparation phase for installing the weather station on Nevado Ausangate in Peru.

“For me, as an educator, study abroad is certainly the highlight of what I get to do,”

said Perry. “To work with students out in the field is really special. It exposes them to very different places and experiences that take them out of their comfort zones and really demands a lot of growth and selfreflection.”

Perry is hoping to soon take students on the first App State study abroad trip to Mount Everest, where they would climb as high as Base Camp, situated at nearly 17,500 feet.

“We’ve got a group of students who are excited to go,” said Perry. “Hopefully this will become something that we can continue to do in the future.”

Perry said none of what he does would be possible without the support of App State colleagues and the university’s willingness to give him the time and flexibility to participate in these expeditions.

“Dr. Perry’s teaching, research and service represent a hallmark of an App State education. Especially for undergraduate students, having opportunities to work with a National Geographic Explorer can be life changing,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. “Thanks to his immersive teaching and exceptional scholarship, our students have unique opportunities to participate in hands-on research across the state, nation and world.”

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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BEAVER DAM / USFWS

One of the largest beaver dams on record measured over 2,500 feet long!

North American Beavers: Architects of High Quality Habitat

By Tamara S. Randolph

The Comeback Beaver Beavers have a long history on this planet. The first fossil records of beaver relatives are 10 to 12 million years old. We know they lived in the area of Germany, and are thought to have migrated to North America across the Bering Strait. The oldest beaver fossils found on our continent were unearthed in Oregon, and are around 7 million years old.

Their life history includes a more recent “dark” chapter. Because they were prized for their unique, waterproof fur, European settlers saw an economic opportunity and overharvested beaver until they were extirpated from much of the continent. By 1900, the beavers in North Carolina and surrounding states were all but gone.

In the 1930s, beavers were reintroduced into North Carolina by the agency that is now the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). This decision was a good thing for our land, in general. That’s because beavers play a key role in creating rich wetlands, and widespread wetlands are known to generate ecological diversity. The Native Americans knew this—and ultimately, our wildlife and land management agencies realized the benefits of having these useful rodents in our natural environments. Since their reintroduction, beaver populations have flourished.

Nature’s Builders for Hire Despite their ecological benefits, human-beaver conflicts will likely always exist due to overlapping territories and habitat. However, today there are regions all over the country that are trying to attract beavers to colonize local watersheds and put their unmatchable skills at naturebased restoration to work. And these eager beavers are ready to build.

Beavers’ important work includes what they do best—damming waterways. Behind dams, shallow ponds form that provide enough water in which beaver families can swim and build their lodges. Their dams help channel water to the stream’s natural floodplain while creating lush wetland and floodplain habitat. In turn, the surrounding wetlands filter excess nutrients and toxins and help control downstream flooding.

According to the NCWRC, in many cases “the positive impacts of beaver ponds far outweigh the negative impacts by slowing run-off

from drainage areas and retarding erosion. They also filter silt, agricultural chemicals and pollutants from streams, and generally improve water quality for fish, wildlife, and man.”

Several of our neighboring states have formed “working groups” to analyze the pros and cons of beaver activity. One had this to say: “[We are] seeing beavers becoming a key player in increasing wetland acreage, improving habitat for a myriad of different wildlife species, and promoting healthy watersheds for brook trout and other aquatic species in need of conservation.” Many areas with beaver populations are seeing a greater number of insect, bird, amphibian, fish and mammal species.

Researchers in the Pacific Northwest add, “Beaver dams are like speed bumps in the streams and help slow down the water as it moves through a system. Slower water means less erosion and in some cases less flooding from storms.” Beaver-engineered ecosystems also create natural fire breaks, store water—even in times of drought—and sequester carbon dioxide, all of which become more critical with the effects of climate change.

Coexisting with Beavers Beavers live in our streams and other bodies of water throughout the High Country. Yet many people are unaware of the benefits that beavers can provide to landowners. It’s easy to see the short-term negative effects, such as the loss of streamside trees and areas of light flooding near structures. Without an understanding of how beavers can positively impact an ecosystem, especially over the long-term, a landowner might be inclined to destroy beaver habitat and the beavers themselves.

But one thing to know is that beavers will usually rebuild a dam in the same location or nearby within a couple days—they certainly live up to the “busy beaver” label. Each time a dam is removed, a beaver family will cut new material to rebuild their dam, so repeated dam removal results in more vegetation removed from the riparian buffer. Beyond that, removing dams can result in the loss of habitat for many fish and wildlife species.

In places where beavers must be controlled, a number of beaver management practices can help protect trees and remedy unwanted flooding. Note that it is illegal to disturb an active beaver lodge—their family home—which is a separate structure from the dam. If a lodge must be disturbed to assist in resolving a conflict, please contact the NCWRC for a permit to do so.

This winter, get outside and explore—look for the telltale signs of beavers at a stream, pond or lake near you. The more we learn about nature, the greater our appreciation and understanding of our interconnected world.

Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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BLUE RIDGE EXPLORERS

The evidence is clear when beavers are nearby. A flowing body of water interrupted by a wall of logs and branches… a dam. A large, rounded mound of sticks and mud breaking through the surface of a stream or pond… a lodge. North American Beavers (Castor Canadensis) are known as “nature’s architects,” and while they have a reputation for being somewhat destructive, they are actually constructive on many levels. As they busy themselves designing dams and lodges for their tightknit families, or “colonies,” they’re also building more balanced ecosystems that naturally benefit us all.

BLUE RIDGE EXPLORERS

B E AV E R B I T E S : n The beaver is the largest rodent (order Rodentia) in North America, weighing up to 80 lbs. They mate for life and live in families, or “colonies,” consisting of their kits and yearlings (up to three generations at one time); the colony’s territory is well defined. n Beavers are herbivores—they eat leaves, buds and the inner bark of live trees, and a variety of aquatic vegetation (but not fish!). n Some tree species, such as willows, regrow and even thrive when they’re gnawed by beavers. n Beavers are active year-round, even when their pond freezes over.

They are nocturnal and do most of their work at night. n One of the largest beaver dams on record measured over 2,500 feet long! n Beavers may also live along bigger streams and lakes where they don’t build dams; rather they make dens in the banks of streams and lakes. They also sometimes dig canals and construct trails for easier food transport. n Their paddle-like tails are completely hairless and are used for swimming, support, communicating, and storing fat. n A beaver has a double claw on the second toe of its webbed hind feet that it uses to comb its fur. n Learn more about the American Beaver at ncwildlife.org.

Reportwildlife violations at 800-662-7137.

BEAVER LODGE

onders, can do w em to work.” y e h t “… h t allow t rces if we jus pt. of Natural Resou e D d n – Maryla

References: https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Mammals/Beaver2 https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2021/01/01/leave-it-to-beavers-keystone-speciesprovides-nature-based-restoration/ https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/services/environment/animals-and-plants/beavers/benefits Tamara S. Randolph, CML’s Managing Editor, is a N.C.-Certified Environmental Educator and Blue Ridge Naturalist. You can reach her at tamara@NCexplorers.com.

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News

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY NEWS

Blue Ridge Rising: Connecting Parkway Communities

By Rita Larkin

Linville River Bridge NPS/Abbie Rowe

Horseback riding was a popular activity at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, located at Milepost 294 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. NPS/Abbie Rowe Blue Ridge Rising Meeting, Yancey County, NC

Blue Ridge Rising Meeting Patrick County, VA Campfire Program. NPS/C. E. Westveer

Facts: At 469 miles, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the country’s longest linear park and passes through 29 counties—17 in North Carolina and 12 in Virginia.

15,711,004 visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway spent nearly $1.3 billion in communities near the park in 2022.

17,824 jobs supported by visitor spending in nearby communities, including 5,840 jobs in lodging and 4,040 jobs in restaurants.

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B LU E R I D G E PA R K WAY

From its inception, the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed to connect small mountain communities and uplift their economic fortunes. Starting in 1935, the scenic route linked more towns and cities as construction progressed. Visitors came in droves to explore the lengthening motor road. The communities along the way, including those in the North Carolina High Country, played a vital role in creating rich experiences for travelers, sharing the music, history, culture, craft traditions, and natural wonders of the mountains. They still do today.

Over the past year, the Foundation’s Blue Ridge Rising initiative drew those communities even closer together to determine strategies that hold the potential for wideranging regional benefits. With funding provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Foundation hosted meetings in each of the Parkway’s 29 counties for a brainstorming and planning process with the goal of building stronger relationships with the national park and each other.

The input from leaders in each community yielded a wealth of ideas, including dark skies protections, youth conservation education, regional event coordination, trails and greenway connections, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian safety, and more.

“The Blue Ridge Rising project is working to find the best way to help communities capitalize and harness the power of the Parkway not only from a tourist aspect but also from a cultural identity and preservation aspect,” said Rebecca Adcock, Executive Director of the Patrick County (VA) Chamber of Commerce.

The financial impact of the Parkway is undeniable, generating $1.7 billion in economic output for gateway economies, but there is also a deeper relationship between the park and the people and places that surround it. The communities are intertwined in the care of the landscape, encouraging future park stewards, fostering responsible recreation, and facing challenges such as climate change.

In 2024, the Foundation aims to set these plans in motion, working hand in hand with neighboring communities.

“We all share the Blue Ridge Parkway in our backyards, and the country’s most visited national park can become an even more powerful unifier for our region,” said Foundation CEO Carolyn Ward. “Blue Ridge Rising is allowing us to take action as a group to create a stronger and more sustainable future for this place we love.”

To learn more, visit BlueRidgeRising.com.

Middle Fork Greenway You can enjoy the Middle Fork Greenway Trailhead this winter!

The completed portions of the trail are open year-round for walking, hiking and biking. Don’t forget to wear layers and come prepared for changing weather. There are no snow removal services, so plan accordingly.

T

he past five years have been busy ones for staff and volunteers working on the Middle Fork Greenway, a project of the Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC). While some of the work has by necessity been behind the scenes, evidence of the efforts is becoming visible to the general public with more opportunities to experience the Greenway planned for 2024.

The Middle Fork Greenway is a seven-mile, multi-use, recreational trail in progress from Blowing Rock to Boone, providing residents and visitors of all ages safe and healthy access to the natural world while protecting the environment and strengthening the local economy. Middle Fork Greenway is a BRC Project in partnership with Watauga County, the Town of Boone, the Town of Blowing Rock, Tourism Development Authorities and many federal, state and community partners.

“Having a safe trail/greenway connecting Boone and Blowing Rock is a tremendous asset for tourism as well as

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for local residents,” said Wright Tilley, executive director of Boone and Watauga County TDAs. “The portions of the greenway that are already complete are very popular.”

The Greenway was a concept of founding members and High Country enthusiasts who felt that while the widening of US 321 to four lanes between Blowing Rock and Boone in the late 1970s made for more efficient transportation between the two towns, it hindered neighbors being able to easily walk or bike to see each other. The group became the nonprofit Greenway Association in 2000 and completed one segment of the Greenway. In 2015, the association partnered with Blue Ridge Conservancy, knowing that their staff understood how to acquire land and build the trail..

“We partner with local communities to protect valuable resources and construct spaces the public desires. Connecting Boone to Blowing Rock along the Greenway advances the health and recreational interests of those two communities and the area in general,” said Charlie Brady, BRC Executive Director.

“The Greenway is a connector trail,” he added. At its northern most point, the Middle Fork Greenway Trail will meet with the Boone Greenway. From Boone, the Northern Peaks State Trail (NPST, also under construction) will connect to Elk Knob State Park, West Jefferson, and Mount Jefferson State Natural Area.

By Karen Rieley The 40-mile NPST is primarily a hiking trail with lots of entry points. Toward the south end at Blowing Rock, the Middle Fork Greenway connects visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST), which links westbound hikers to Moses Cone Memorial Park, and ultimately Clingmans Dome and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hikers who head east on the MST can follow the trail all the way across the Piedmont and Coastal regions of NC, ending at Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks.

Continuing Forward “Middle Fork Greenway has always been a grassroots, ground-up project,” said Wendy Patoprsty, project director for the Greenway. “It is communitydriven with funding from a diverse array of organizations and people.”

For the last six years, BRC has worked to raise funds for land acquisition and to develop parks, trailheads and the trail.

“We only work with willing landowners and would never pursue eminent domain,” Brady explained.

In 2022, the Conservancy purchased 33 acres of land, including 2,000 feet of frontage along the Middle Fork South Fork New River. The frontage will be known as Boone Gorge Park and will connect to Payne Branch Park, a popular

The Natural Connection between Blowing Rock and Boone Becomes Reality spot for fishing, picnicking and enjoying nature along the mile-long nature trail.

“The restoration will improve the stream habitat for trout and other aquatic insects and animals,” Brady said. “This part of the Middle Fork of the New River has the most heavily fished trout in Watauga County.” According to Brady, trout fishing brings in more money into the northern part of North Carolina than any other recreational pursuit.

Boone Gorge Park construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2024. In addition to providing public access and recreational opportunities, protecting this portion of the New River is important to Boone, as it is located just upstream from the city’s primary source of drinking water.

Payne Branch Park is about one mile south toward Blowing Rock on Hwy 321. Access the park by turning right onto Payne Branch Road. In a few hundred feet, you can park off the road in one of the gravel parking spots on the right side, before a very large rock.

“The conservation easements ensure that, not only will people be able to experience nature, but also natural resources will be forever protected,” Patoprsty said.

“We conducted a river restoration prioritization plan with funding from the State of North Carolina to inventory the river and determine what segments need restoration or planting,” she added. The Greenway will parallel the Middle Fork

South Fork New River from Boone to Blowing Rock.

As noted, segments of the Greenway have already opened. Walkers, hikers, fishermen, and bikers have begun to experience the beauty of the land between Blowing Rock and Boone, and an increasing number of visitors is attracting new business activity.

A good example of a new business is Birdies Coffee & Treats located in a little camper between Boone and Blowing Rock, at 3737 US Hwy 321 South. The coffee shop offers a walk-up and drivethru option for those on the go by car or those on foot as they travel the newly opened portion of the Middle Fork Greenway.

Sterling Creek Park, a 3.7-acre park at 1 Whitener Mountain Road near Blowing Rock, is already open and is a part of the emerging Middle Fork Greenway. Visitors can enjoy a picnic there and then walk along the one-mile segment of the Greenway to reach Mystery Hill, Tweetsie Railroad and High Gravity Adventures Aerial Adventure Park.

To experience the completed sections of the Greenway, travel south on Hwy 321 towards Blowing Rock, past Tanger Outlets to the Blowing Rock Trailhead on the right at the “Welcome to Blowing Rock” sign. As part of the NCDOT 321 widening project, the 321 Trailhead and its mile-long trail was developed and funded through NCDOT, NC Division

of Water Resources and private donations. It will connect to the 1.2-mile section of the Greenway currently in the design, engineering, and permitting phase. An underpass is under construction to connect trail sections on either side of Hwy 321 at Tweetsie Railroad in the spring of 2024.

The Watauga County Arts Council has received a $5,000 grant to construct pads on the Greenway where sculptures from local artists can be placed. Primary areas of interest for the placement are the new trailhead on Hwy 321 and Sterling Creek Park across from Mystery Hill. Interpretative signage will be added to the Greenway, as well, to tell stories about the 8,000-year archeological history of the land.

The Conservancy has worked to make the trail as accessible as possible for everyone. For example, Boone Gorge Park to Payne Branch Park will be wheelchair friendly, including the fishing pier.

“Topography is admittedly a challenge but wherever possible we have created the trail with no more than a five percent grade and 10-foot-wide paved asphalt,” Brady said.

This winter, explore the Middle Fork Greenway’s finished sections for yourself, and learn more about the future of the project at blueridgeconservancy.org and middleforkgreenway.org.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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The Smithsonian Solar Observatory on Hump Mountain, Avery County (Smithsonian Institute)

The Hale Telescope Mirror being constructed (Palomar Observatory)

The Rankin Science Observatory, Appalachian State Teacher’s College (Appalachian State University)

Reaching for the Stars in the High Country!

By Michael C. Hardy for the voyage. Looking for an alternative, they settled on Hump Mountain in Avery County.

Property was leased from Huff Brothers and Reynolds; a local contractor, W.H. Shores, was hired to construct two frame buildings. One building was built for observation, with a level platform on top of the building, while the other included living quarters. The equipment was installed and calibrated, and observations began on June 15. The weather, however, was against the scientists. The Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institute for 1917 reported that, “Unfortunately the most cloudy and rainy summer in the recollection of the old residents” hampered their work. It was not until August 1 that observations began, and even then, they were hindered by “changes in atmospheric transparency.” During the winter months of 1917-1918, the equipment was sent to the Smithsonian to undergo an overhaul, but it was back in place by March 1918.

“The work includes measures of the solar constant of radiation, measures of the brightness of the sky, measures of nocturnal radiation, and experiments bearing on frost prediction.”

It appears that by the summer of 1918, the equipment at the observatory on Hump Mountain had been boxed up and transported to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Depot at Elk Park to continue on its journey to Chile. What was the outcome of the research? The scientists at the Smithsonian believed that the “temperature of the earth is materially affected by the variation of

the sun’s output of radiation; that is, the daily change in the radiations from the sun, which become heat when they reach and penetrate our atmosphere, indicates forthcoming changes in the temperature of the year for the next few days.” They believed that monitoring these solar changes could help with accurate meteorological predictions.

Almost two decades later, the High Country made a greater impact on the world of astronomy. The quartz for the mirror in the Hale Telescope was mined at the Chestnut Flat Mine in Ledger, Mitchell County. In 1934, after being hand-inspected for any flaws, four boxcars of Toe River Valley quartz from that mine were loaded onto a Clinchfield train and first transported to Consolidated Feldspar Corporation in Erwin, TN, to be ground into a fine mesh. The quartz was shipped to the Corning Glass Works in New York where it was poured into a mold and heated to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. The heating process fused the quartz into the large mirror. It took a year for the almost-fifteen-ton mirror to cool. World War II delayed the installation of the mirror until 1948. The Hale Telescope was the largest in the world until 1976, and the second largest until 1993. It is still used in research, with the quartz mirror from Mitchell County.

The oldest observatory in continuous operation in North Carolina is the Rankin Science Observatory, which opened at Appalachian Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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HARDY ON HISTORY

We have some amazing skies in the High Country of western North Carolina. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Boone and other populated areas, it is easy to spot the Milky Way, and in certain seasons, planets, star clusters, and maybe even a different galaxy.

Looking at the night skies in western North Carolina has garnered some interest for a long time. When the Burnsville High School opened in 1853, it was advertised as having “a planetarium and tellurium.” That early planetarium might also be called an orrery, or a mechanical model of the solar system. It had gears, and someone could crank it and move the models of the planets and moons around in their individual orbits. The principal of the school, S.D. Adams, actually traveled to various locations, giving astronomy lectures to interested parties.

Following the Civil War, the educational system in the U.S. was in shambles. It took time to rebuild. That is not to say that there was not an interest. Doctor Wiley Gentry, who operated a store in the Watauga Falls community, traveled and gave lectures on astronomy in the 1890s.

The area attracted the attention of outside scholars as well. In 1917, the Smithsonian was in the process of shipping the equipment for an astrophysical observatory to Chile. That same year, the U.S. entered World War I. With German submarines plying the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Smithsonian did not feel comfortable loading the equipment on a ship

RESOURCE CIRCLE

Resource Circle By Tamara S. Randolph In this installment of Resource Circle, we share some snippets that can help you make more informed choices about the products you buy and the resources you manage on a daily basis.

Great Balls of Dryer Goodness, gracious… there’s now a highly effective way to soften clothes naturally: dryer balls! The most popular reusable dryer balls are made of sheep wool and other animal fibers. You can find them at local retailers and gift stores, including Apple Hill Farm, where their top-selling dryer balls are made from 100% alpaca fibers. Just two balls work magic and they can last up to five years! Think of how many chemical-based dryer sheets you’ll never need.

Care More about Personal Care Products Some of the ingredients in our beauty and skin care products are known to be less than healthy—in fact some are downright toxic— yet the industry has been under-regulated for decades. When you look at the ingredients on your bottle of body lotion, what do you notice? Often the long list includes unrecognizable chemicals. One of the best resources for learning the truth about cosmetics, sunscreens and skin care products is the Environmental Working Group’s website at ewg.org.

Here you’ll find consumer guides on personal care products and information on what’s really inside that bottle.

Make the Leap to Better Lighting In the last decade, our country has made great strides in energy efficiency improvements. Energy use for lighting is one area that has excelled in helping homeowners spend fewer dollars and require less energy. According to Blue Ridge Energy, you can reduce energy use from about a third to as much as 80% with today’s increasing number of energy-efficient halogen incandescents, CFLs and LEDs. And these bulbs can last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting.

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Solid Waste Goes Wild In the High Country, we experience wild weather and coexist with wild animals year round. Winter and early spring are especially wild—winds pick up our trash and transport it miles away, while wildlife emerge from slumber in search of anything that resembles food. Bags and debris that are not securely contained are likely to be scattered about, unintentionally trashing our landscape. Be mindful of your solid waste containment methods and make sure your garbage is always fully secured—if bears and raccoons are in the neighborhood, invest in bear-proof containers that are known to work. Accidentally attracting wildlife to garbage is bad for both the scenery and the animals.

Nix the Weeds, Save the Bees With the arrival of unwanted “weeds” in early spring, consider a better way to get rid of them—one that doesn’t damage other organisms in the process. Natural weed killers that use a blend of inexpensive, non-toxic ingredients are just as effective as chemicalbased products, yet are harmless to the plants and animals you’d like to keep around (such as red clover, honeybees, and many beneficial organisms in the soil). Mix as you need: four cups white vinegar, one-half cup Epsom salts and one Tablespoon Dawn dish soap, then spray directly on the weeds when the weather is cool and cloudy.

And About those Weeds and Bees…

In early spring, bees become active. Dandelions are some of the earliest bloomers, and bees (and other pollinators) heavily rely on the pollen and nectar from these brightly colored flowers until other flower sources are available. Please don’t spray these beauties, especially in early spring—save them for the bees!

The Bare Dark Sky Observatory (Earth to Sky Park) State Teachers’ College in 1963. There had been an observatory at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the 1830s and 1840s, but it fell into disuse for many decades after the Civil War. The Morehead Observatory in Chapel Hill was opened in 1973.

Summer camps in the area, like the Mount Mitchell Camp for Girls in Yancey County, offered astronomy in the 1930s.

In November 1944, an astronomy club was organized in Boone. Members included Almarea Greene, Harry Clay, Harold Steelman, Kathleen Miller, and Ada Belle Moretz.

This club appears to have been attached to Appalachian Hill School. Members gave reports on various stars, planets, and constellations, and in 1949, visited the Morehead Planetarium.

Today, the High Country boasts some amazing stargazing opportunities. A simple drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway will produce some marvelous dark sky vistas. A simple free app on a phone, like SkyView Free or Stellarium, will allow viewers to understand what they are seeing. Appalachian State University’s Dark Sky Observatory, with a 32-inch telescope, is open once a month for public viewing (ticketed event).

Mayland Community College’s Earth to Sky Park, with its Bare Dark Sky Observatory, an International Dark Sky Association certified park with a 34-inch telescope, is open just about every weekend for public viewing (also a ticketed event). There is also the recently created Earth to Sky Park Astronomy club, located in the Toe River Valley, a group ready to help people with new telescopes.

For more information, please check out Appalachian State’s web site at dso.appstate. edu or the Earth to Sky Park website at mayland.edu/esp.

The Grandfather Factor By Jim Casada grand sire or grandfather) run through the literary world like sparkling diamonds of frost bedecking a winter field of broom sedge.

Anyone who came of age with the benefit of loving and tolerant grandparents with whom they were able to spend a great deal of time has been truly blessed. They were privy to fonts of wisdom who tolerated much of their waywardness, shared in a fashion parents couldn’t, and served as meaningful mentors along with being true friends.

Maybe the best way to get a handle on all of this is through reflecting on my own mountain boyhood and some of the countless moments of pure joy, accompanied by the sharing of a grand accumulation of wisdom, spent with Grandpa Joe. At heart he was a boy trapped in an old man’s body, and during my formative years we shared adventures, worked hard and played harder, all the while somehow managing to squeeze an incredible amount of delight out of daily life.

Youthful days spent with Grandpa Joe served as foundational building stones for key aspects of my life. Tough as leather and strong as a well-seasoned hickory shaft, he seldom showed emotion. Yet for all his curmudgeonly exterior, he was wonderfully patient and tenderhearted with his adoring grandson. Fiercely independent, he wouldn’t labor under the supervision of another man. Yet Grandpa possessed an admirable work ethic comprised of pure grit, keen understanding of the wisdom inherent in “making do with what you’ve got,” and sharply honed skills developed during a lifetime of living in close harmony with the land. He introduced me to storytelling, provided hands-on exposure to traditional means of subsistence, and was a walking encyclopedia of mountain folkways.

While I idolized him, Grandpa was unde-

niably a character—at times exasperating to his wife and children, out of touch with the mainstream in every imaginable manner, and obstinate as only the most mule-headed of those of Scots-Irish descent can be. Yet with me he was seldom judgmental, never critical, and ever willing to listen to a pesky, eternally curious youngster. Highly eccentric, his idiosyncrasies only endeared him to me, and much of his perspective and general approach to life closely resembled those of a youngster.

He had no tolerance whatsoever for a goodly portion of the adult world yet was incredibly tolerant of his rambunctious understudy. He was distrustful of most of mankind, highly individualistic, perfectly comfortable in his own skin, religious after his own fashion, self-sufficient, a devoted sportsman, and full of tricks as a pet ‘coon.

Thanks to him I know how to make a slingshot and select the right type of wood for the task; have solid understanding of down-toearth subjects ranging from pulling weeds for pigs to dealing with free-range chickens; can find fishing worms; know all the tricks of catching night crawlers and spring lizards; hold an advanced education in the finer points of fishing for horneyheads and catfish; realize that formal education is by no means the only measure of a man’s intellect or his worth as a human being; am deeply permeated with traditional southern Appalachian culture; and have an abiding appreciation of the meaning of seeking oneness with the natural world. Those qualities provided me a mighty fine legacy.

In terms of physical possessions there’s little to recall the man other than the rocking chair that served as his storytelling throne now adorning my study, a single photograph Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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W I S D O M A N D WAYS

I flat-out worshiped my paternal grandfather, Joseph Hillbury Casada. Countless things endeared him. Of particular note were Grandpa Joe’s soft-spoken, folksy wisdom; magical hours spent in his company; and his unlocking doors to the natural world while teaching, by example, the joys of living close to the good earth. He died more than a half century ago, and having now reached the age where he was when we were staunch allies in all sorts of adventures, awareness has finally dawned on the blessings of what might be styled the grandfather factor.

There’s something about a skipped generation that makes a huge difference. Grandparents have decades of accumulated wisdom they can gladly share, yet they don’t have to exercise the same degree of discipline as parents. Similarly, interaction with grandchildren offers a bit of an opportunity for them to recapture their own long vanished youth. Nor should the fact that they often have ample opportunity to share that most precious of all commodities, time, be overlooked. In short, the linkage between a grandparent and the children of their children can be a thing of pure wonder.

A famous North Carolina writer, Robert Ruark, captured that magic in what are unquestionably two of the finest outdoor books ever published, The Old Man and the Boy and The Old Man’s Boy Grows Older. If you haven’t read them, a treat awaits you. Ruark lived at the other end of the state, but closer to home, that bard of the High Country, John Parris, wrote dozens of columns for the Asheville Citizen-Times focusing on his grandfather.

Neighboring Tennessee’s Gary Cook has given us The Old Man, and works written about the timeless interaction between young boys and their grancers (traditional “mountain talk” for

W I S D O M A N D WAYS

Grandpa’s chair in Jim Casada’s studio of Grandpa by himself, a few grainy snapshots showing him with family members, and a push plow with which he worked his garden. That’s all and it doesn’t matter. I have a storehouse of rich memories.

Grandpa was a dreamer. In some senses he spent a lifetime dreaming, although his wanderings in the realm of wishful thinking lay outside normal approaches. Financial affairs meant little to him other than regular usage of the quaint term “cash money.” He had so little of it that the redundancy was richly deserved. He lived a life partly cast in the past and for the rest looked to the future rather than being preoccupied with the present.

Grandpa Joe never saw the ocean, but he fished pristine streams and drank sweet spring water so icy it set your teeth on edge. He never drove a car, but he handled teams of horses and understood meaningful application of the words gee, haw, and whoa. He never once ate in

a restaurant, but he dined on sumptuous fare—pot likker, backbones and ribs, fried squirrel with sweet potatoes, country hams he cured from hogs he had raised and butchered, cathead biscuits with sausage gravy, cracklin’ cornbread, and other fixin’s the likes of which no highprofile chef ever prepared.

He never drank a soda, but he “sassered,” sipped, and savored pepper tea prepared from parched red pepper pods like a connoisseur of fine wines. He never tasted seafood, but he dined on fish he caught battered with stone-ground cornmeal from grain he grew fried in lard rendered from hogs he raised. He never ate papayas or pomegranates, but he grew cannonball watermelons so sweet they’d leave you sticky all over and raised muskmelons so juicy you drooled despite yourself when one was sliced. He never had crepes Suzette, but he enjoyed buckwheat pancakes made with flour milled from grain he grew, adorned with butter his wife churned, and covered with molasses made from cane he planted. He never ate eggs Benedict, but he dined daily on eggs from free-range chickens with yolks yellow as the summer sun.

In short, Grandpa Joe was not, in the grander scheme of things, an individual who garnered fame, fortune, accolades, or notable achievements. Yet he was, in my small world, the most unforgettable character I’ve ever known or will likely ever know. Sure, his life was one of limitations in many ways—geographically, technologically, economically, in breadth of vision, and at least some eyes, accomplishments. But he epitomized love, the magic of mentoring, liberal dispensation of the precious gifts of shared time and hard-earned knowledge, and downto-earth wisdom that constitutes true common sense. Those qualitiess are what make the grandfather factor a thing of pure, enduring wonder.

To learn more about Jim Casada’s work, including his many books, visit his website at www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.

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Boomer Vision

By Estelle Brewer celebrating a marker in life completely vanished? I cannot “see” condoning such selfishness in adults. I thought I had raised them to be more empathetic than that. Later, however, I received a hilarious email video card which I played over and over. No paper to dispose of or decision to be made on how long to keep the card before tossing it. (Hubby was thrilled to not have the mantle cluttered with greeting cards on our last celebratory occasion.)

Speaking of empathy, I have learned to navigate a “meal train” for a needy friend. The process is much less time-consuming for the organizer, who is able to contact multiple people to prepare home-cooked meals for our friend and schedule times for delivery. I can “see” how this has been of great benefit to those in need. When examining the younger generations’ way of helping others, we must include the use of GoFundMe pages online.

This is brilliant! The page gets information out to a wide range of people about a need but doesn’t put pressure on individuals to contribute. No one knows if you “saw” the page or not. Contributions are made from the heart and amounts and names need not be “seen.”

There is one activity that I still see very clearly with my Boomer Vision and that is shopping. Yes, I am grateful for online access to products. What would we have done without that during the pandemic? My grandson learned the color “blue” by watching for the Amazon Prime truck turning into his neigh-

borhood. But my vision is still very fuzzy when I see so many brick and mortar stores all over the country standing vacant. Can’t we enjoy both ways to shop?

I do understand the many business advantages of online commerce. But one of my most favorite fantasies is taking my granddaughter out for a day of shopping, like I recall doing with my mother years ago. It was such a special day to visit all kinds of stores and have lunch downtown. Often, there would also be an afternoon snack of ice cream once we had acquired our treasures.

My granddaughter right now is too young for that shopping excursion. When I asked her recently about a day of shopping with me once she’s a big girl, she informed me that “Mommy and I shop at dot com.” However, I foresee that the tactile experience of shopping in person—especially here in the High Country—will undoubtedly win her over.

And there you have it!

As far as I can see with Boomer Vision, some things do tend to disappear, yet other things get sharper and brighter.

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HUMOR

Those of us in the Boomer category may be familiar with fuzzy vision that can accompany the aging process. We are prime candidates for cataract surgery. After which our vision sharpens and we can enjoy vibrant colors again.

However, the physical act of seeing is not the only thing we as Boomers may need to sharpen. (Is there such a concept as emotional sight?)

Let’s begin with family holidays. As a Boomer we often feel that the success or failure of the gathering depends on us. Did we cook the right thing for everyone? Did everyone feel comfortable? Were the decorations right? Now, consider how younger generations handle the family gatherings: Everybody brings something.

Arrive whenever you can.

Don’t worry about decorating the table.... we’ll bring paper products.

Hmmmm. I’ve watched my own sons, who could not find the kitchen, much less the dishwasher while living at home, now help cook and clean up. Can it be that I have more time to visit with guests when I am not cooking the entire meal? I am “seeing” that this may be a better way to host family gatherings.

My previously mentioned sons recently informed me at a relative’s birthday party that they thought greeting cards were a waste of money. Has the thoughtfulness of sending a greeting to a friend who is sick, bereaved, or

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Gunther Jochl

Gunther and Kimberley Jochl with John Carter of WBTV News

Sugar Mountain Mayor Gunther Jochl O

ne story goes like this: Some early 1900s Avery County settlers—who, upon first seeing their mountain’s snowcovered slopes in winter—noted how much that snow looked like a sparkling blanket of sugar grains sweeping down the mountain.

And so, they named their mountain “Sugar Mountain.” Another story attributes that name to the fact that many of those settlers also happened to work in local “sugar camps,” where they collected sap from the mountain’s abundant sugar maple trees and boiled it down to make maple syrup.

Either story makes sense. And either story makes for a good historical anecdote.

One of the most picturesque peaks in Avery County, Sugar Mountain rises up to over 5,300 feet in elevation at its summit, and over 4,000 feet at its base. Sugar sits strategically and gracefully between neighboring Grandfather Mountain and Beech Mountain in the middle of Pisgah National Forest and stands amidst the highest elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountain range.

It is a premier worldwide resort destination, a seasonal and fulltime residential community and one of Avery County’s major mountain recreational and tourist attractions. As such, it contributes significantly to the overall tourism revenues for Avery County—revenues which translate to a total of $247.69 million in visitor

spending as of 2020. That spending includes lodging, food and beverages, recreation, rentals and transportation services.

Yes, the Sugar Mountain community is all that and yet…the official village municipality itself occupies a mere 2.4 square miles and is home to only about 388 fulltime village residents, a population that has grown from only 198 in 2010. And to those 388 fulltime folks, Sugar Mountain is “a very special and cozy mountain village that we love to call home.”

The mayor of this special village is as much a fixture of the community as is the mountain itself, as well as being a fixture of the mountain’s namesake recreational and tourist destination, Sugar Mountain Resort, Inc. His name, to those yet to discover, is Gunther Jochl. As much as any, he is a proper face of both the community and its resort. And, despite his authentic reluctance to pursue recognition, he’s a much-respected, highly awarded, strongly influential community leader and business entrepreneur; accomplished skiing competitor; winter sports innovator and icon in Austria, Germany and here in the U.S.; a devoted High Country citizen; and, since 2019, mayor of Sugar Mountain.

Jochl was born in the small ski country village of Aschau, Germany, and grew up in Sachrang, Germany, two communities literally next door to Wildbichl, Austria,

By Steve York

and now referred to as Sachrang/Aschau.

His parents, however, were Austrian, which officially made him an Austrian citizen as well. And, today, he holds citizenship in both the U.S. and Austria.

Jochl graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Technische Hochschule (the Technical University) of Munich, Germany, in 1974. After moving to the U.S., and while serving as general manager for ski resorts in Pennsylvania and Virginia, Jochl teamed up with Dale Stancil to help rescue Sugar Mountain from a series of virtual failures. They shared a commitment for seeing the resort and community become a solid and highly successful venture that would shine as a true gem in the family of southeastern mountain ski, recreation and tourist attractions.

Ultimately, Jochl’s vision for Sugar Mountain has been an unstoppable force in its ultimate growth and success ever since.

Jochl served as General Manager of the Sugar Mountain attraction in 1976 and ultimately became President and Owner of Sugar Mountain Resorts, Inc. in 2010. He was a High Country Host Board Chairman, served on the Sugar Mountain Village Council for several years, was mayor pro-tempore from 2010 to 2019, was elected mayor of Sugar Mountain Village

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

73

The completion of Gunther’s Way in 2014, the most significant slope addition in southern skiing in decades, signaled the beginning of the resort’s ten-year expansion and modernization campaign.

in 2019, and has always been hands-on and earnestly involved in the town’s growth.

In between all that, he met and married his wife, Kimberley. She began working at the resort in the early 1990s and has since become Vice-President and Director of Marketing and Merchandising. Then, in 2015, their son, Andrew Jochl, became the resort’s Director of Operations.

Gunther Jochl’s resume and list of awards, achievements and accolades, both in the ski industry and as a community leader, are as impressive as it gets and almost staggering to the imagination. So, given his ski industry legacy and his nearly 50-year history with the Village of Sugar Mountain, Jochl’s credentials for role as mayor bring a uniquely qualified perspective to this thriving four-season resort community; a community that is famous across the mountain south for its scenic beauty, its challenging 18-hole golf course, its year-round festivals and recreational activities and its exquisite ski and winter sports setting.

That said, Jochl is quick to note that in his role as mayor, there’s a distinct separation between his resort connection and his responsibilities to the village community.

“The town and the resort do work well together, with everyone working to help with the growth and success of the overall community. And we have a great family of people in our village council team,” he stated.

Jochl began his term as mayor on the eve of the COVID outbreak. That would be challenging enough for anyone who would have held the mayoral position for

74 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (second from left) was on hand to dedicate the opening of the hi-speed six seat Summit Express lift in 2015 with Sugar Mountain owners Gunther and Kim Jochl.

some time, but especially so for a brand new mayor. “It was tough, at first, for everyone trying to manage the community’s needs under the COVID situation,” he noted. “But we have a very capable group on our council, our committee members and our Board of Adjustments, as well as our citizenry and those who help manage the town’s many recreational attractions.

It’s a good, strong group who pull together to make things happen.”

Aside from the resort’s skiing, tubing, snowboarding and other winter sports attractions, a big drawing card for Sugar Mountain during the warmer months is the town’s picturesque golf course. In his 24th year as Director of Golf, Tom McAuliffe has been a key player in both the golf course’s exceptional ratings and its contribution to Sugar Mountain’s overall popularity. And he’s been around long enough to see how effective Jochl has been in establishing the community as a premier destination of choice for visitors as well as seasonal and permanent residents.

“I can point to the Sugar Mountain golf club being where it is today, celebrating its 50th anniversary next season, to Gunther Jochl,” noted McAuliffe. “Gunther believed that preserving the resort’s original design as a four seasons resort was important to everyone on Sugar Mountain.

And the ski resort kept the flame alive and burning well into each spring. Fifty years later that has never been more apparent than in the success of public golf and tennis.” As for Jochl’s many years devoted to Sugar Mountain’s success and in his cur-

rent role as mayor, McAuliffe added, “He was the right guy for the job.”

That is a common sentiment throughout the community. But Jochl will immediately offer due credit to everyone on the village team for their role in handling all the normal and unexpected challenges of managing a special municipality like Sugar Mountain. And he has come to find his role as mayor to be highly rewarding.

“With such a great group of people on our team and in our community, I’ve found it to be easy to be mayor of Sugar Mountain.

I look forward to our council meetings, hearing people’s input, and am very proud of everyone involved.”

One ongoing issue on Jochl’s radar— and that of many in the area—is the need for local municipalities to regain control of development from the state legislature so as to preserve the area’s natural beauty and heritage. “It’s a real challenge. While we are proud of our big developments and all our beautiful homes, maintaining some local control over growth and the quality of construction is of key importance to everyone. I am truly concerned about running the risk of ruining our beautiful mountains,” said Jochl.

With that in mind, Jochl’s vision for the future of his community can be stated very simply: “We want to see the Village of Sugar Mountain continue to be the very special little jewel that it is.”

For more information, visit www.seesugar.com and www. skisugar.com.

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AMOREM groundbreaking

Working to Make Our Mountain Communities Better for One and All By CML Staff Our High Country region depends on a variety of non-profit organizations to serve and support the people, places, animals and environments that are most in need. We have an abundance of effective organizations who rely on support from neighbors and businesses to realize their missions.

Here are just some of these noteworthy organizations—and our list keeps growing!

AMOREM, the only not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider in Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, and Watauga Counties, specializes in palliative medicine, hospice care, advanced cardiac care and grief support. 828-754-0101, amoremsupport.org Anne Ministries offers free and confidential pregnancy support services and recovery support services for those suffering from a past abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss in a Christ centered environment. 828-742-1973, anneministries.com Appalachian Mountain Leadership uses adventure programming to foster and inspire servant leadership. 828-278-9499, amlnc.org Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is a historic 629-seat, 1938 Art Deco Theatre for live entertainment and film located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 828-865-3000, apptheatre.org Appalachian Voices is a leading force in Appalachia’s shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, healthy communities and 21st-century local economies. 828-262-1500, appvoices.org Ashe County Arts Council is committed to promoting the arts as a hallmark of an active, engaged community. 336-846-2787, ashecountyarts.org Ashe Food Pantry leads the fight to end hunger in the surrounding community by acquiring and distributing food to those who seek aid. Their vision is “No one should go hungry.”

336-846-7019, AsheFoodPantry.org

76 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

A Simple Gesture

A Simple Gesture provides a simple, convenient way to help end hunger in the High Country. Supporters get a bag and fill up that bag every two months with non-perishable items; on a designated day their team picks up the bags. 828-262-1628, asimplegesturehc.org Avery Association for Exceptional Citizens (Yellow Mountain) serves adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities living in Avery County. Yellow Mountain Enterprises is an adult day vocational program that operates under the umbrella of Avery Association for Exceptional Citizens. 828-733-2944, yellowmountainenterprises.org Banner Elk Book Exchange offers opportunities to bring books and exchange them for the same number of different books. In lieu of a book to exchange, patrons can make a small donation. An academic tutoring program and summer enrichment classes are also offered through the Book Exchange. bannerelkbookexchange.com Banner Elk Fire & Rescue’s volunteer firefighters protect life and property in the communities of Banner Elk, Sugar Mountain, Elk River, Diamond Creek, Eagle’s Nest, Tynecastle, The Farm, Balm, and Lees-McRae College. 828-8984623, bannerelkfire.org Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation creates a spirit of stewardship to address the challenges faced by this national treasure. With your help, theycan ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, and educational outreach now and for future generations. 336-721-0260, brpfoundation.org Blue Ridge Partnership for Children serves and supports the children, parents, and childcare providers of Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties. 828-733-2899, blueridgechildren.org Casting Bread’s mission is to increase food security within the High Country. In their free, self-choice Market, people choose foods they want, rather than a pre-selected box. Meals

served in the Café are prepared using food from the Market and seek to model healthy eating habits. 828-783-3510, increasefoodsecurity.org Children’s Council of Watauga County works to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the wider community. 828-262-5424, thechildrenscouncil.org Community Care Clinic is a community-supported medical clinic that provides free primary care, mental health and behavioral health services, select specialty services and health education to low income, uninsured persons. 828-2658591, ccclinic.org Crossnore Communities for Children provides residential foster care homes, community-based foster care and adoptions, and clinical services for children and families in North Carolina. 828733-4305, crossnore.org D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a collaborative program in which local law enforcement and local schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse and violence.

828-733-6006, dare.org/north-carolina/ Ensemble Stage Theatre is a professional theatre in Banner Elk dedicated to culturally enriching the lives of residents and visitors by providing a broad range of live theatrical presentations of the highest possible quality at an affordable price. 828-414-1844, ensemblestage.com F.A.R.M. Cafe builds a healthy and inclusive community by providing high quality meals produced from local sources, served in a restaurant where everybody eats, regardless of means. 828386-1000, farmcafe.org Feeding Avery Families (FAF) in Avery County is dedicated to eliminating hunger, including monetary donations, volunteerism, and food donations. 828-783-8506, feedingaveryfamilies.org Girls On The Run after-school program for 3rd8th grade girls is centered around self-esteem

Spirit Ride

Hospitality House Food Pantry High Country Breast Cancer Foundation Polar Plunge

enhancing lessons and uplifting workouts, based in Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes and Avery Counties. 828-262-7557, gotr.appstate.edu Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation was established to preserve Grandfather Mountain, operate the nature park sustainably in the public interest, provide an exceptional experience for guests, and inspire them to be good stewards of the earth’s resources. 800-468-7325, grandfather.com/support/non-profit-foundation/ Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. Learn more about the work Habitat for Humanity does in Avery County (828-733-1909, averycohfh.org), Watauga County (828-268-9545, wataugahabitat. org), and Ashe County (336-846-2525, ashehabitat.org) Hebron Colony has been helping men and women break the bondage of addiction through a Christ-centered approach to substance abuse treatment. 828-963-4842, hebroncolony.org High Country Breast Cancer Foundation has an all-volunteer board where 100% of the money donated or raised goes to those in need who have been impacted by breast cancer in the NC High Country. 614-928-6544, highcountrybreastcancerfoundation.org High Country Caregivers provides advocacy, support, and education for kinship caregivers and their families. 828-832-6366, highcountrycaregivers.com High Country Charitable Foundation, Inc. has the mission of helping the Avery County, NC, community by providing for neighbors and animals in need. 828-898-3810, highcountryfoundation.org High Country United Way serves Avery, Watauga, and Mitchell counties with the mission of uniting people and resources to

improve lives in the High Country. High Country United Way also serves as the fiscal agent for donations in Ashe and Yancey counties.

828-265-2111, highcountryunitedway.org Holston Camp and Retreat Center in Banner Elk has hosted summer camps for kids since 1959. Now a year-round facility, today’s campers play together and explore creation, try new activities, build community, develop physical, social, psychological, and spiritual skills, and make memories to last a lifetime. 844-4657866, holstoncenter.org Hospitality House of NW North Carolina, founded in 1984 and based in Boone, Hospitality House serves seven counties and helps those in crisis, poverty and homelessness rebuild their lives using housing, prevention, nutrition and myriad supportive programs and services. 828-264-1237, hosphouse.org Humane Societies provide food, shelter, medical care and lots of love to the homeless animals as they work to find permanent, loving homes for them. Avery County 828-7339265, averyhumane.org; Watauga County 828264-7865, wataugahumane.org; Ashe County 336-982-4297, ashehumanesociety.org; Mitchell County Animal Rescue 828-765-6952, mitchellcountyanimalrescue.org Hunger and Health Coalition’s mission is to be a resource for individuals and families within our community who are struggling to provide themselves with basic needs. 828-2621628, hungerandhealthcoalition.com Johnson County Center for the Arts in Mountain City, TN, serves to empower the local community and bring residents and visitors together through teaching, encouraging and supporting a variety of artistic forms and experiences. 423-460-3313, jocoartcenter.org Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk Foundation is dedicated to helping the youth in our community. Over the past 40 years the service

organization has given out over a million dollars in grants to support organizations that focus on youth. bannerelkkiwanis.org Lees-McRae Summer Theatre provides top quality, professional theatre in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This non-profit theatre company specializes in big stage musicals including Broadway classics and newer hits, plus some outstanding original works.

Their season runs from late June through early August. lmc.edu/community/summer-theatre/ LIFE Village is dedicated to meeting the ongoing residential needs of adults with autism and related challenges. 828-406-2855, thelifevillage. net Linville Central Rescue Squad is an all-volunteer rescue squad serving the people of Avery County by responding to accidents; medical emergencies; wilderness, mountain and water rescues; searches for lost or missing persons; and calls to assist county EMS and fire departments. 828-733-2346, linville-centralrescue.org Linville Volunteer Fire Dept. proudly serves and protects the citizens of Avery County, NC, through fire protection and emergency services. 828-733-2188, linvillevfd@gmail.com Mediation & Restorative Justice Center works to reduce the physical, emotional, and financial harm caused by unresolved conflict, litigation, and incarceration by providing mediation, alternative sentencing, and other restorative processes that increase the respect, peace, productivity and safety in the communities served. 828-264-3040, mrjc.us Mountain Alliance for Teens provides free service and adventure trips after school and on weekends for high school students. 828-2631770, mountainalliance.org Mountain True & Watauga Riverkeeper are dedicated to protecting, preserving and restoring the Watauga and Elk River watersheds continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Samaritan’s Purse Ukraine Relief

“because everyone has a right to clean water.”

828-406-2429, mountaintrue.org NAMI High Country supports those living with mental illness as well as their families and loved ones. They strive to increase public understanding of mental disorders and give hope to those experiencing them. 828-278-9293, namihighcountry.org OASIS, Inc. (Opposing Abuse with Services, Information, and Shelter), founded in 1978, is dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in Watauga and Avery Counties.

828-264-1532, oasisinc.org Parent to Parent Family Support Network provides free support, caring connections, information and hope to families who have a premature baby, a child with a disability, an emotional or behavioral challenge, a mental illness, a chronic health condition or to families who are grieving the death of a child. 828-262-6089, parent2parent.appstate.edu Pisgah Legal Services pursues justice by providing legal assistance and advocacy to help low-income people in Western NC meet their basic needs and improve their lives. 800-4896144, pisgahlegal.org Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary is one of the most successful, longest existing facilities for horses in the U.S. which seeks to provide as natural an environment for the horses as possible. 336-984-4252, horsesofproudspirit.org Quiet Givers Inc. serves the people of Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties in the NC High Country; it is a source for people to find out about specific needs in the community and help meet needs through creative ways in order to change the reality of local people who are genuinely struggling. quietgivers.org Reaching Avery Ministry (RAM) has served Avery County for over thirty years through their Ram’s Rack Thrift Store and Emergency Food Pantry in Newland. 828-733-5095, facebook.com/RAMsRackofNewland/

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W.A.M.Y. Community Garden

Wine to Water

Resort Area Ministries is an ecumenical organization providing ministries/services to the residents of and tourists to the High Country. The RAM’s Rack Thrift Shop in Boone provides financial support for RAM and also provides clothing at no charge to those in need working with other nonprofits. 828-264-6605, facebook.com/resortareaministryRAM/ Samaritan’s Purse stands ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. They specialize in international disaster relief, meeting critical needs for victims of conflict, disaster, famine, and epidemics throughout the world, often working through ministry partners on the ground. 828-2621980, samaritanspurse.org Southern Sun Farm Sanctuary is a horse rescue located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC with the mission of providing a safe, secure place for abandoned, abused, neglected or unwanted equines; they also work to find them loving forever homes. 336-977-8966, southernsunfarm.com The Spirit Ride Therapeutic Riding Center is committed to helping children with disabilities and other health concerns achieve their full potential through equine related therapeutic and educational activities. 828278-7464, spiritridenc.org The Jason Project/ “The Grandfather Project” is a program for at-risk kids suffering from mental problems and/or drug addictions. The program also seeks to assist any special kids who are struggling with adversities, including family, school, or other personal problems or challenges. 828-765-6561 Volunteer Avery County finds resources to aid families and individuals who do not qualify for public assistance and fall through the cracks.

VAC also matches volunteers with opportunities to help in the community. 828-737-0718, volunteeravery@gmail.com, averycountync.gov

WAMY Community Action’s mission is to partner with communities and families to provide the disadvantaged the support and tools they need to become self-sufficient. 828-264-2421, wamycommunityaction.org Watauga Arts Council fosters a thriving, diverse, and vibrant creative community through arts advocacy, education, support, and inspiration. Serving professional and emerging artists, WAC facilitates and provides a structure for arts initiatives that enrich the lives of artists, residents, and visitors alike. 828-264-1789, watauga-arts.org Western Youth Network (WYN) is a relationship-focused resource for at-risk youth in the High Country. Through prevention and intervention programs, WYN specializes in providing youth with the tools they need to reach their potential and discover their place in our world. 828-264-5174, westernyouthnetwork.org Williams YMCA of Avery County serves the community in the areas of Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. The “Y” strives to help create a community where people have the opportunity to live healthy, all youth can be safe and reach their potential and the elderly have support to live quality, independent lives. 828-737-5500, ymcaavery.com Wine to Water is an international non-profit organization committed to building a holistic, community-based model by supporting the life and dignity of all through the power of clean water. 828-355-9655, wtw.org Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge is a collective giving organization formed to make a positive impact on the lives of women and girls in the High Country through grant making, advocacy, and community building. 828-2644002, womensfundoftheblueridge.org If you know of a local non-profit that serves our region and should be included in our annual guide, please email CML’s Managing Editor at tamara@seymourcc.net.

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High Country Real Estate Market: Today and Tomorrow

By Steve York

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nquestionably, the past few years have seen a real see-saw experience for real estate buyers, sellers and builders. The COVID epidemic injected a unique and unanticipated dynamic all its own, increasing demand while challenging availability and normal buyer/seller interactions. And that challenge further complicated normal community-wide social gatherings, a big part of the High Country lifestyle which is key in attracting newcomers to the area.

Yet, despite the ups and downs, there’s always a continuous undercurrent of enticement that draws people from all over the state, the southeast, across the country—and yes, other countries—to have their own special place in these western North Carolina mountains.

There’s just something uniquely inviting and refreshing about this part of the world, the southern Appalachian Mountain range in general, and especially our backyard Blue Ridge Mountains setting.

It’s downright beautiful, a sensory wonderland and often magical…literally any time of year.

The scenic splendor, the abundance of nature all around, the clean air, the quaint mountain communities steeped in histori-

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cal character, the natural attractions, and numerous outdoor recreational activities all lure people to this region. Add a full palette of dining venues; a rich offering of cultural arts—theatre, festivals and music; friendly people; the relative silence; and the four distinctive seasons—each with its own seductive allure. On top of that, the High Country is home to the toprated Appalachian State University, LeesMcRae College, excellent community colleges, and a broad network of exceptional regional hospitals and medical care centers.

Together, these attributes suggest a unique and uncompromising lifestyle with surroundings that many yearn to experience and, if possible, call “home.” And… so they do. When they do—whether as a permanent resident looking to upgrade or downsize, or as a seasonal resident looking for that idyllic mountain getaway—they become the driving force behind the area’s ever-changing and always dynamic real estate market.

Nationwide, current key target markets for relocation include Florida, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. There are several geo-economic-political factors affecting those preferences. But,

clearly, North Carolina remains a desirable destination for those looking for a change in lifestyle and an attractive change in environmental scenery. Undoubtedly, the High Country meets all of those criteria.

Of North Carolina destinations projected to see rising housing prices by July 2024, coastal, foothills and mountain towns rank highest, with Boone riding that rising wave right along with the rest. The state and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) housing market data forecast this wave to rise from 9.4 percent to 11.1 percent during this period, with no real estate crash in the foreseeable future. Those same forecasts also paint a broadly favorable picture for real estate investors and buyers.

According to several NC real estate reporting sources, while there had been a notable increase in home prices, there has also been a slowing of that trend—a trend driven by a hot COVID era housing market that seems to be stabilizing.

Statewide, the housing market began slowing down in 2023 following that rapid post-COVID growth from the previous year. Despite an active home sales market, those same homes were spending a little more time on the market. As of last April,

the median sales price across the state showed an annual increase of 4.4 percent with an average sale price of a little over $300,000, increasing to almost $380,000 as of July. However, the actual number of homes sold year-over-year decreased by 16 percent.

Closer to home, the High Country Association of Realtors reports a busy 2023 in both home and land sales across Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Avery counties. Although year-end statistics weren’t tabulated as of this writing, October’s combined median sales prices were $522,000 and average days on the market were 58. Available residential inventory (both active and new) across the four-county market was up modestly; closed sales were down as of that same reporting period.

In canvassing a few area realtors, including Engel & Völkers of Banner Elk, Century 21 of Foscoe, and Banner Elk Realty and Premier Sotheby International in Boone and Banner Elk, the general consensus confirmed a common experience across the High Country.

“The real estate market started strong in early 2023 but has switched to a buyers’ market, meaning more supply of homes,

more negotiating power for buyers, except for rapid-fire or multiple offer situations,” noted Natalie Geist of Engel & Völkers.

“Interest rates have had a huge effect on the slowdown of the market in our area.

Our market is a million dollars or higher, so most people end up getting financing for at least a portion of the purchase price.”

She added, “Many experts—from bankers to developers—are up in the air on their feelings about 2024. Buyers are looking for deals…so sellers will need to assimilate with the new buyers’ market differently from the past three years.”

John Davis of Banner Elk Realty painted the same up/down sales activity picture for 2023, citing the generally lower than normal inventory and rapidly rising interest rates compared to previous years.

“2024 will definitely be impacted by what happens to interest rates and property inventory, as well as builder activity, general economic activity, the stock market, geopolitical events, etc.—just like any year.”

That said, he also offered a counter point to current interest rate concerns by stating, “Although for historical perspective, I clearly remember several of my customers getting mortgages at 20 to 21 percent

in 1980/81 when I started my real estate career!”

Putting it all in a positive and pragmatic light, Davis also echoed that same aforementioned undercurrent which has always driven mountain home-buying demand.

“My 44 years in business in the High Country has taught me that our summers will always be cooler and our mountain views will always be better than ‘off the mountain.’ And people will continue to visit and fall in love with our beautiful area and want to have their own place in these mountains!”

For current High Country real estate activity reports, see www.highcountryrealtors.org.

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The First Sunrise of 2024

New Mural Unveiled in Ashe County

Congratulations to the Town of Jefferson for their beautiful new mural, located on the side of the Town Offices building. Local acclaimed artist Whitney Stuart Landwehrmann painted the mural, which depicts the local flora, fauna and fungi of our mountain region. This new mural joins many other murals and barn quilts displayed on buildings throughout Ashe County. Photo by Germain Media

On Monday, Jan. 1, you can ring in the new year with views of the sun coming up from the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

The Mile High Bridge is America’s highest suspension footbridge, which provides easy access to the spectacular views atop Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak at elevation 5,305 feet. The 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation (hence the name!). For tickets to this special event and more information, visit grandfather.com/event/sunrise. Photo, below,

by Leslie Restivo Photography | GMSF

Laser Holiday Christmas

Celebrate on the Slopes of Our Ski Mountains As in past years, both Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain will ring in the New Year on Dec. 31 with fireworks, live music, food, and a variety of entertainment for the whole family. For details, visit skisugar.com and skibeech.com. Photo: Fireworks on Sugar Mountain

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Tea Time & Holiday Shopping

Winning Woolly Worm Predicts the Weather

At the 2023 Woolly Worm Festival, winning woolly worm “Jeffery” became the official weather forecaster for the ’23-’24 winter season. According to the bands on Jeffery’s body, which correspond with the 13 weeks of the winter, our winter weather was predicted to be as follows: week 1, colder than average and SNOW; week 2, colder than average and SNOW; week 3, colder than average and SNOW; week 4, colder than average and SNOW; week 5, colder than average and light snow; week 6, colder than average and light snow; week 7, colder than average and light snow; week 8, above average temps and no snow; week 9, above average temps and no snow; week 10, above average temps and no snow; week 11, colder than average and light snow; week 12, colder than average and light snow; week 13, colder than average and SNOW. Keep your own records and see how they match up with Jeffery’s prediction. Then plan to attend the 2024 Woolly Worm Festival, always the third weekend in October.

This season, have some fun shopping for your favorite tea drinker or gourmet foodie. Appalachian Apothekary & Tea Room is an apothecary, tea room and gift shop all rolled into one. In addition to every flavor and type of tea, they offer healing oils, tinctures, high end crystals, French artisan soaps, Hillhouse Naturals candles, diffusers, a variety of gourmet treats, and so much more. Book a “tea party” event for your friends or family and enjoy full service High Tea with scones and other fresh-baked goodies. Located at 10543 Highway 105 South, Suite 2, Banner Elk, NC. Facebook @ whittonanne2001/.

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On Friday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m., head to the Mayland Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville to enjoy holiday songs with lasers dancing to the classic tunes of the season!

Located in the Glenn & Carol Arthur Planetarium, your favorite tunes are brought to life with gorgeous laser choreography.

Vibrant animations and abstracts dance above your head, as the music takes you away from the hustle and bustle. It might be cold outside, but it’s nice and toasty under the dome. Additional laser shows are offered throughout the year. Visit mayland.edu/laser-light-shows for more information.

Banner Elk Named Top 10 Ski Town

Banner Elk has officially made the list of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice 2023 Top 10 Ski Towns in North America, coming in at 6th place on the list (between Stowe, VT, and Jackson Hole, WY). Besides convenient access to the slopes, other aspects of a “best ski town” include access to great restaurants, bars, and shops, plus excellent accommodation options, a small-town vibe, and a historic atmosphere.

T’was the Day After Christmas: The End of Christmas Tree Season is Just the Beginning, was featured in our Winter ’22-’23 issue. Many people who buy Christmas trees are unaware of the years-long process it takes to get that tree from seedling, to the farm, to the living room.

Hamilton’s article described the many steps in the journey of our Christmas trees. Read Hamilton’s award-winning article by clicking on the “Back Issues” link at CMLmagazine.online.

According to the USA Today 10Best write-up, “Banner Elk offers excellent mountain terrain ideal for skiing. Two different ski resorts (Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain) are located within Banner Elk [area], both of which provide commendable lodging and add to the overall ski experience. Besides hitting the slopes, you can browse exhibits in the Beech Mountain History Museum, take a ride down the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, go wine tasting at the Banner Elk Winery, indulge in great food, or go snow tubing.”

Banff Mountain Film Festival Returns

CML Contributor Jim Hamilton Wins Journalism Award

Female Firefighters Make History

CML congratulates Jim Hamilton, Watauga County Extension Director for the NC Cooperative Extension, for being the NATIONAL WINNER of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Communication Awards— Feature Story Category. Hamilton’s story,

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The Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Appalachian State University at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts from Thursday, March 21, to Saturday, March 23, and tickets are on sale now.

Hosted by App State University Recreation, the festival’s World Tour has been making stops in Boone for 27 years, inspiring audiences with the world’s best films that highlight mountain adventure, culture and the environment. Tickets can be purchased online at theschaefercenter.org/tickets, by phone at (800) 841-2787, or in person at the Schaefer Center Box Office.

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dispatched to a late night multiple sprinkler alarm/possible structure fire. Megan Burr was performing shift coverage and using the opportunity to train two of the Department’s new recruits when the dispatch went out. The three sprang towards the bay, donned their gear, and climbed aboard the truck. These were just three young firefighters, who responded to their community’s call for help while, coincidentally, making history and paving the way for future female firefighters!

Facebook @ BannerElkFireDepartment/.

Artist Accolades & Art Events

Painter Cristy Dunn, Executive Director with the Johnson County Center for the Arts, recently won national acclaim for one of her original works. Dunn’s “Finding Freedom” (pictured above) was featured in the American Artists Professional League’s Grand National Exhibition, which featured 100 artworks by top realism artists in a landmark show at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Back in Mountain City, TN, the Plein Air in the Mountains Show held this fall at the Johnson County Center for the Arts was a great success, with Daniel Wornicov winning Best in Show for his landscape painting. Pictured below is Temple Reece, event organizer and curator, with Daniel Wornicov and his winning work of art.

Banner Elk History was made this past fall with Banner Elk Volunteer Fire & Rescue’s first all-female “first due” engine response! Banner Elk Fire Fighters were

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Community & Local Business News . . read all about it!

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Valle Country Fair: Giving Back to the Community If you attended the Valle Country Fair this past October, you got to experience a fall harvest festival that celebrates hand-made crafts, home-cooked food and live mountain music.

But permeating the festivities each year is a spirit of caring and generosity that calls hundreds of members of the Valle Crucis community together to raise monies that are used to help our neighbors in need.

Last year, the Valle Country Fair channeled $55,000 back into the community through grants to local non-profit human-service organizations and through emergency assistance to families in crisis. The Mission and Outreach Commission (MOC) of Holy Cross Church approved ten High Country non-profit organizations to receive grants from 2023 Fair proceeds.

The organizations selected will use the funds for an array of life affirming and community building programs.

Following are the 2023 recipients: AMOREM Hospice, The Children’s Council of Watauga County, The Community Care Clinic, The Hearts of Hospitality House, Hunger and Health Coalition, The Jason Project, Inc., Mountain Alliance, Parkway After School Program, W.A.M.Y., Valle Crucis School PTA and Valle Crucis Elementary PTSO. “The success of the Fair is people helping people from the heart,” said VCF ’23 Chairman Tav Gauss. He noted that fall 2023 marked 45 years of the Valle Country Fair—in those 45 years, the festival has generated more than $1 million for 122 non-profit groups.

Every year, the single-day harvest festival is held in a large hayfield located alongside NC Highway 194 between Valle Crucis and Banner Elk. Plan in advance to attend the 2024 Valle Country Fair to be held on October 19. Learn more and follow organizers at vallecountryfair. org.

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Anne Ministries: A Support Option for Hope & Healing Founded by in 2018 by director Chastity Ogburn, Anne Ministries offers free and confidential pregnancy support services and recovery support services for those suffering from a past abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss in a Christ-centered environment. The organization is an outreach ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newland, NC, and relies on volunteers and donors to help the organization serve community members in need.

“In 2018, the Lord put on my heart the calling to reach out to those hurting from loss,” Ogburn writes. “Anne means ‘grace’ and that is what this ministry is about. . .”

Anne Ministries’ outreach efforts include a variety of Bible study groups for both women and men, and Support Groups, such as the “New & Expectant Mothers Support Group,” and the “Miscarriage, Stillbirth, & Infant Loss Support Group.” While much of the work they do focuses on emotional and spiritual support, Anne Ministries also helps secure necessary items that new mothers need but may not be able to afford. This extra support might include free diapers, free clothes, and free pregnancy tests. In addition, Anne Ministries provides free learning opportunities through BrightCourse lessons, video-based and interactive lessons on pregnancy, infancy, toddlers, parenting, life skills, and more.

“We [also] make care packages for those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. If you or a friend have experienced this loss please reach out to us.”

Donations of items on Anne Ministries’ “needs” list and monetary donations are always welcome. To learn more about the organization and the resources they offer, visit anneministries.com or find them on Facebook @ anneministries/. You can reach them by phone at 828-742-1973 or text to 919-499-3083. Anne Ministries is located at 305 West Mitchell St. in Newland, NC 28657.

CO M M U N I T Y

AMOREM Partners with YourChange Mobile App AMOREM, formerly Burke Hospice and Palliative Care and Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, has partnered with the mobile app, YourChange, to make it easy for community members to donate to the organization’s Quality, Compassion, Support campaign.

AMOREM has already raised more than $4.8 million toward its capital campaign to bring a patient care unit to the High Country. The patient care unit will be located on Moonstruck Lane in Boone, off Archie Carroll Road. The unit will have seven beds in a home-like environment for patients and families that call the High Country home.

“Currently, High Country patients and their families must travel more than an hour to reach the closest patient care unit,” says Director of Development, Jake Benfield. “By utilizing our partnership with YourChange, individuals can easily donate to help bring a unit to the High Country.”

Each time you use your credit or debit card, YourChange automatically rounds up your spare change for you. When your spare change equals $5, the mobile app will donate those funds to AMOREM. AMOREM staff recently tested the secure app themselves. Benfield said that at the beginning of the launch, “Three people on my team [used] the YourChange app for a little more than two weeks and [in that time] raised more than $50 to AMOREM’s campaign. Can you imagine the impact that we can all have on this project if we all rounded up our change?”

Signing up for YourChange is simple. Download the app on your smartphone or tablet, safely and securely link your debit or credit card to the app, select AMOREM as the nonprofit organization of your choice and begin rounding up your spare change.

For more information about AMOREM’s Quality, Compassion, Support campaign, visit amoremsupport.org/donate/high-country-capital-campaign.

CO M M U N I T Y

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Community & Local Business News

New Animal Shelter in the Works Mayland Community College is pleased to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with Avery and Mitchell counties to develop a joint animal shelter on the college’s main campus in Spruce Pine, NC. This facility will cater to the needs of both Avery and Mitchell counties, creating opportunities to better assist the communities and their animals.

While the facility will be located on Mayland’s main campus, it will continue to be operated by the NCDA*-licensed animal shelter, currently known as Mitchell County Animal Rescue (MCAR) and its nonprofit Board of Directors. A new dual-county Board of Directors will eventually replace the current board, and the name will change to reflect the collaboration between the two counties. This distinctive partnership aims to meet the sheltering needs of both counties while supporting Mayland’s Veterinary Assisting program.

Amber Lowry, Executive Director of Mitchell County Animal Rescue, expressed her gratitude for the project. “We’re thankful for the state’s approval of a grant for the new facility.

Working with Mayland Community College and Avery County at a central Mayland site benefits both Mitchell and Avery residents. It also provides greater opportunities for expanding humane education,” Lowry said. “Volunteers can utilize the beautiful walking trails at Mayland to walk shelter dogs, and we can collaborate on the Veterinary Assisting program. We hope this partnership serves as a strong model of counties working together to share resources and responsibilities. The needs of our animals and communities extend beyond the county line.” * North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture

UNC Health Launches My UNC Chart UNC Health Appalachian has transitioned to an electronic medical record system called My UNC Chart. My UNC Chart provides patients personalized online access to portions of their medical record. Patients securely use the web to help manage and receive their health information. With My UNC Chart, you can: n Request medical appointments and make payments for services. n Review summaries of your previous appointments, including issues addressed during each visit, your vital signs, and tests or referrals that were ordered. n View your medications, including dosage information and instructions, and request a refill. n View new lab results, as well as trends over time. For example, view results for your past cholesterol tests on a graph to see if you’re close to meeting your target number. n Access your family members’ medical records.

For example, you can view your child’s growth charts, immunization history, and upcoming appointments. n Access trusted health information resources. n Connect with your providers to ask a question about a non-urgent need. n Complete your medical history and questionnaires prior to your appointment.

Many features are also accessible on the MyChart app available for iOS and Android.

For more information or to sign up for My UNC Chart, go to myuncchart.org, call the UNC Health Outpatient Access Center at 888-9962767 or use the QR code provided on UNC Health’s “My UNC Chart” advertisement in this issue of CML.

. . read all about it!

88 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Lees-McRae Summer Theatre Nominated for 2023 BroadwayWorld Awards Congratulations to Lees-McRae Summer Theatre (LMST) on being nominated in several categories for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards. Their production of the Steve Martin and Edie Brickell musical Bright Star received nominations in the Charlotte region for Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Gabriel Vanover), Best Scenic Design (Rebekkah Meixner Hanks), and in the highly competitive category of Best Local Theatre Company.

Now in their 20th year, the BroadwayWorld Regional Awards include over 100 cities across America, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. The awards honor local and regional productions, touring shows, and other events which had their first performance between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023. Local editors set the categories, and readers submit their nominees, with audience members getting to vote for their favorites.

Voting continues through December 31, 2023, with winners announced in January 2024.

Vanover acknowledged that these awards, “are essentially a popularity contest,” but said, “‘It is an honor to be nominated,’ as the old adage says.” To vote for the Lees-McRae nominees, go to broadwayworld.com/charlotte/ voteregion.cfm.

Lees-McRae Summer Theatre is led by Managing Director Gabriel Vanover, Operations Manager Pamela Joslin, and Artistic Director Janet Barton Speer. It is funded by ticket sales, grants, and donations.

“It’s a well-known fact that ticket sales don’t cover the costs of productions for nonprofit theatre companies like LMST, so we must depend on the generosity of sponsors and donors to bring you the quality productions we’ve prided ourselves in offering for nearly four decades,” says Artistic Director Janet Barton Speer.

If you’d like to support LMST and their work of bringing “Broadway to the Blue Ridge,” visit lmc. edu/community/summer-theatre.

. . read all about it!

& LO C A L

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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N E W S

Festival of Lights at Chetola Resort Each year, Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock features a sparkling display of lights, adding a festive touch to a wintery mountain landscape.

This year’s Festival of Lights continues through January 28 and is free and open to the public.

Enjoy thousands of dazzling illuminations throughout the resort—as you and your family drive or stroll around Chetola Lake, view glittering ice skaters, “Rudolph” reeling in a big fish, strolling carolers, and many more traditional holiday scenes. The “Festival of Lights” illuminates at dusk each day and remains displayed through the Blowing Rock “WinterFest” event the last weekend of January.

Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock offers a variety of accommodations, dining, and spa and wellness options, as well as adventure outings at the Chetola Sporting Reserve. Learn more about all of the winter happenings at Chetola Resort, and throughout the town of Blowing Rock, by visiting chetola.com and blowingrock. com.

B U S I N E S S

Woolly Worm Festival Featured on CBS Sunday Morning The 46th annual Woolly Worm Festival took place this past October in Banner Elk, NC. The annual fall festival, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce, is always a news making event. But this year, the festival received special national coverage, with a five-minute segment about the festival airing in mid-November on the award-winning news program, CBS Sunday Morning, hosted by Jane Pauley.

In the news clip, reporter Conor Knighton provides an overview of the festival, then goes on to introduce the woolly worm caterpillar and its thirteen orange and black segments that, according to local legend, are indicators of the upcoming winter weather. The video covers a short history of the festival, and interviews Avery County’s own NBA basketball star (and Woolly Worm Festival veteran), Tommy Burleson, who discusses how woolly worms “race” up long strings that top out at seven feet high. With Burleson’s height, he is the natural person on stage to help monitor and then “retrieve” the caterpillars that finish the race.

The clip goes on to briefly explain the multiple heats of the race leading to a final event, in which the winning worm becomes the official weather forecaster, and the owner wins $1,000. The video features a large crowd of race participants in action, interviews attendees and organizers, and highlights the friendly, festive atmosphere.

The 2023 Woolly Worm Festival brought over 20,000 people to the High Country region—each year, the event raises money that is given back to the community to enhance our schools, children’s programs, and to promote business and tourism in Avery County.

View the video on YouTube by typing in: The Woolly Worm Festival, inching to predict winter’s weather.

CO M M U N I T Y

Boone Native Julie A. Richardson Receives National Arts Award Julie A. Richardson of Boone was recently awarded the prestigious Mark R. Sumner Lifetime Achievement Award in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY, at the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the National Conference on Outdoor Theatre.

The honor is presented annually, “to individuals who have played a major role in the production of a specific outdoor drama, or they have made a noteworthy impact on the movement; this award exemplifies the highest standards of American outdoor drama.”

Richardson has been involved with at least nine outdoor theatres over a 48-year career that dates back to 1975, including the following companies: American Stage, “Beyond the Sundown,” “Blue Jacket,” “Horn in the West,” “The Lost Colony,” Montford Park Players, “The Passion of Dracula,” and Orlando Shakespeare. She was recently named the new artistic director of “Tecumseh” in Chillicothe, Ohio, beginning with their 2024 season.

“Let me tell you about why Julie is so important to our industry,” said Brandon Smith, producer of “Tecumseh” and CEO of the Scioto Society. “In the mid ‘70s Julie broke ground all over the country as a female. From pyrotechnics to stage management, she did it all. This was no easy task for a woman in what was then a very masculine driven industry. She led the way for hundreds and likely thousands of strong, smart, brilliant women who came after her, making everyone around her stronger as artists and people.”

Billy Ralph Winkler, former General Manager of “Horn in the West,” remarked that, “Julie Richardson has dedicated her life to the theatre. In so doing, she has consistently exhibited a desire for excellence and a passion for advocating for the treatment and well-being of the cast and crew in her care. Her style of leadership and organizational skills contributed greatly to the success of our endeavors.”

Locally, Richardson directed “Horn in the West” for five seasons, having previously served as production stage manager for five summers.

During her tenure, the outdoor drama received the 2011 Sue Wilmoth Advancement of Tourism Award presented by the Boone Chamber of Commerce. Richardson has directed productions for the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre in Mars Hill and Blue Ridge Community Theatre in Boone, and studied theatre at Appalachian State University, receiving three Excellence in Theatre awards while a student.

In her acceptance remarks, Richardson said, “I am honored and delighted to become the recipient of the 2023 Mark R. Sumner Award. My first professional job in theatre was at ‘Horn in the West,’ and somehow outdoor theatre has stayed a big part of my life.”

– contributed by Keith Martin

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89

Heating & Energy Tips from the Experts

T

here’s no time like the winter to consider the best ways to stay warm and safe in our homes and offices. Whether you heat with electricity, propane, natural gas, or fuel oil, there are best practices to bear in mind so that you stay comfortable—even on the coldest nights—while also being mindful of your finances.

CML checked in with several of our local heating and energy experts, including Scott Boyles of Avery Heating & Air/BE Heating & Air, Patrick Howard of Blue Ridge Propane, and Renee Walker of Blue Ridge Energy. Here we share their perspectives and advice on efficiency, technology, safety and more.

CML: What are some of the choice options High Country residents and second homeowners have to heat their homes (and businesses)?

Boyles: Electric heat pumps can be a very efficient and safe option, especially if you prefer not to use a fossil fuel source.

Propane is a good and cleaner burning option; however, natural gas and propane may not be available everywhere.

92— Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Howard: The most efficient way to heat homes in our specific climate is a propanefired furnace. Because our temperatures frequently fall below 32 degrees outside, this type of system keeps heating. There are certain heat pumps that are considered a ‘dual fuel’ system, which are also an option for High Country homeowners. With a dual fuel system, electricity is utilized until the temperature reaches 32 degrees, then the system switches over to a propane backup, providing warm heat when it is needed most. Propane supplemental heat can also be utilized in the form of unvented gas logs, or wall heaters, which can warm up cool spots in the home, and also be used in the event of a power outage.

CML: What is the number one thing a homeowner can do to make sure the heat stays in and the cold stays out?

Walker: Make sure your house is insulated well. A less expensive but important option is to also caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air. These steps are not only efficient, they help keep your energy bill lower, now and over time.

Boyles: Sealing or caulking cracks, crevices, and all nooks and crannies—if you feel cold air coming in, the warm air is going out. Make sure exterior doors have a good threshold so they seal at the bottom. Focus on windows, doors, and even recessed can lights, where the heat may go to the attic.

CML: What newer products or technology have come onto the market that residents might want to consider?

Howard: Many homes in the High Country are second homes or rentals. We

suggest when homes are being managed remotely to install a smart thermostat that can be controlled when the house is unoccupied. This way, temperatures can be maintained with no excessive temperature fluctuations.

Walker: A ductless mini split heat pump is an energy efficient heating and cooling system for homes looking to replace a nonducted heating system. Advantages: they are small in size and great for heating and cooling individual rooms.

Boyles: WiFi-enabled thermostats are great if you’re traveling, so you can adjust the settings and make sure the system is not offline while you’re away, which can cause pipes to freeze. Winter is a good time to consider adding a humidifier, which adds moisture back into the air so that your indoor air is not too dry, which can affect breathing and dry out the skin. Also consider a higher efficiency air filtration system to remove pollutants and allergens.

CML: When it comes to thermostat settings, what advice can you offer CML readers?

Walker: This depends on each individual’s comfort level but to save money on your bill, we recommend keeping it as low as you are comfortable with (households with babies or elderly often need to keep homes warmer). Heating can account for the majority of your energy bill in winter—the lower the thermostat is set, the more energy you save and therefore the lower your bill.

To help stay cozy at a lower setting, dress in layers and put an extra blanket on the bed for warmth.

By CML Staff Boyles: Typically, energy companies may recommend, for maximum efficiency, 66 – 68 degrees for winter heating. The comfort point is more of a personal preference. Remember that the warmer you keep it inside, the drier the air is going to be.

Howard: Maintain even thermostat temperatures that aren’t excessive for the outdoor temperature. Most energy companies offer payment plans, such as a Budget Plan, that can average your annual usage into a 10- or 12-month period. This way, you can pay even payments all year, and not have large bills during the winter months when usage is at its peak.

CML: What steps can customers take to ensure their service is not interrupted?

Or, in the case of an extended power outage, how can they maintain their homes and stay safe?

Howard: The best thing [propane] customers can do is to remain on a ‘Keep Full’ basis. This means we fill your tank each time we are in our efficiently designed route system. ‘Will Call’ customers must keep up with their own usage, and usually don’t call until they are almost out, or have run completely out of propane. Preferably, we would like to deliver when we are in their neighborhood, which is easier for the customer and the gas company. Another key component to getting timely deliveries in the winter months is to keep your driveway clear of snow, debris, other vehicles, etc. Also, keep a clear pathway to your tank so that the driver can easily access it while pulling a hose to complete your delivery.

Boyles: Preventive maintenance is first

and foremost. Being proactive vs. reactive is always a better plan when it comes to your HVAC. Have your system inspected each season, especially if a fossil fuel is the heating source. Anything that’s over 15 years old could be a candidate for replacement from a safety/efficiency standpoint. Keep an eye out for operational issues that you haven’t noticed in the past, like your system not heating up as fast, or bills going up substantially. An improperly maintained furnace can cost up to 20 percent more in a season.

Walker: Always keep an emergency supply kit handy with items such as bottled water, nonperishable food, and flashlights (find more details in Blue Ridge Energy’s Storm room at BlueRidgeEnergy.com).

During a power outage, utilize the sun for warmth: stay in a south facing room during the day with blinds open but close them at night. Do not open refrigerator or freezer doors so that food will stay cold longer. If you require medical equipment that relies on power, please have a backup plan to relocate if needed and someone who can transport you if needed.

CML: Is there any additional guidance you’d like to offer on energy savings and/or energy safety?

Walker: If the heat is turned down at night or while you are away from home, only adjust the thermostat up two degrees at a time to avoid the unit’s strip heating from kicking on. Strip heat is resistance heating which is the most expensive. Many more tips for saving money on your energy bill is available at: blueridgeenergy.com/

resources/101-easy-ways-to-save-energyand-money. If you have a wood burning fireplace, have the chimney checked for buildup of creosote to avoid a fire.

Boyles: Install a carbon monoxide detector if fossil fuels are your energy source, and smoke detectors if using electricity, just in case of any malfunction of your heating system. Portable type heating sources should not be left unattended or used when a homeowner is not at home.

Howard: Don’t tamper with your system; leave it to the experts. If you feel like something isn’t working properly or if you smell propane, contact your propane provider immediately. It isn’t advised for customers to run new lines, connect new appliances or abandon old lines. It is always smart to have an expert help you with appliance switch outs.

Have questions or concerns you’d like to discuss with these heating and energy providers? Reach out to them this season.

Avery Heating & Air/Banner Elk Heating & Air 828-373-8866 | averyheating.com Blue Ridge Energy Customer Service: 800-451-5474 Report Outage: 800-448-2383 24-Hour Propane/Gas/Fuel Emergency, 800-726-0405 blueridgeenergy.com Blue Ridge Propane 828-733-3603 blueridgepropanenc.net Photos courtesy of Blue Ridge Energy, Avery Heating & Air, and Blue Ridge Propane CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

93

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Sharpen Your Edge and Maximize Your Potential!

By Samantha Steele

time, maybe even doing some landscaping, is very restorative. For others, sitting or lounging while reading or watching something is very restful.

Increase your opportunity for focus by grouping activities together so that you are not scattered with your hands in many different things all day long. For example, your focus day could have you immersed in studying wild mushrooms from 9-12 p.m. in your library, and then in the afternoon you could work on pruning your bonsai trees. And then on a social day you can make all your phone calls within the morning hours, and in the afternoon go to doctors’ appointments, work at your job or visit with friends.

I hope these tips have shed light on the opportunities that await you in this next season of life. You have a lot to look forward to and your potential is in your hands—it’s limitless, so get started today!

Samantha Steele has a degree in Food Science and Nutrition and is passionate about promoting the treatment and prevention of disease through diet, lifestyle and supplementation. She can be reached at cmlmag3@gmail.com or her website, listeningflower.org.

Manage your time: Once you have eliminated and added many things to your life, let’s talk about time management. “Time block” on your paper calendar room for: Rest and rejuvenation (after both “good” and “bad” stressors) Time for focus, study, introversion, and social interaction What is considered “restful” can be different for each person and some require more than others. For me, rest is always necessary after we visit family or when company visits us; hiking on our property for several hours at a CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Minimize the following: Possessions—Reduce your volume by 50 percent or more. Methodically empty all closets and spaces and remove half before you put back the items you are keeping.

Recurring Commitments—Reevaluate all subscriptions and memberships. What served you in the past might not be serving you currently or in the future.

Finances/Bank Accounts—Consolidate for the sake of simplicity and for future heirs.

Priorities—”If you have more than three priorities, you have none at all!” says Jim Collins, Entrepreneur. Make a list of priorities in which you are feeling impressed to invest your time, energy, and resources for this year.

Extract the ones that are most important to you and put them at the top of the list. Make a strategy to reach the goals within these set three priorities before you move on to another area of priority. Be diligent to stick to these top priorities first.

Technological Distractions—Create spaces in your home and environment without technology to be still, quiet and calm. Convert your electronic calendar to hard copy. I am a strong proponent of limiting the use of electronics. I use a paper calendar that also doubles as a professional/creative/spiritual journal with plenty of free space included for my notes. Utilize your phone’s settings to enable “Focus Mode” periodically to make space for your priorities. Reduce the “noise” in your space by turning off talk radio and the television, and turning down the volume on your phone.

Maximize these things: Big Dreams—Shoot for the stars! Setting lofty goals forces you to say no to the things that do not align, leaving room for big growth. You will end up achieving fewer but greater things. Embrace your unique design while discovering and fostering your unique abilities. Consider who you want to be in the future and walk in that new identity. To do this, jot down qualities and circumstances you are hoping for one year from now, five years, ten years. What will it take to accomplish these things you are hoping for?

Movement—Be creative about how to add more movement and exercise to your daily routine. Movement is vital for circulation, lymphatic health and strength, and increases blood flow to your brain. Moving can also promote strength and bone density. Challenge your body to see true gains.

Pursuit of Healthy Relationships—Adjust the company that you are keeping. You are the average of the five closest people to you. It’s wise to periodically reevaluate both personal and business relationships. Choose to keep the company with the types of people that emulate admirable qualities and attributes that you are striving for.

Optimism—People who are optimistic live longer and happier lives. At least I hope so!

Gratefulness—Try starting a gratefulness journal and read it to yourself weekly. Make notes about how you have grown and overcome obstacles that previously held you back.

B E

Wow how time is flying! I have been pondering a lot these days about my life and what I might be remembered for when I am gone. Seems a bit dismal, but it is certainly a valuable exercise when contemplating stewardship. I am embracing the fact that I have more control than I realized over my time, influences and even future, so here are a few things I have applied to my own life that have proven to be very instrumental in sharpening my edge and maximizing my potential.

Let’s take a look at some key areas that you may want to tweak in order to be your best “future self.”

The Mill at Rock Creek

Reid’s Ricotta Compote

Winner, Best Small Bites, Gamekeeper

(Photo courtesy of FARM Cafe)

A High Country Food Crawl Like No Other BIG BUCKS FOR F.A.R.M. CAFE’S BIG CAUSE Wearing a ball cap about-faced—his preferred edgy ‘woot’ on cooks’ headgear— eightpointfive’s personal chef, Ross Aglialoro, epitomized the 10 chefs determinedly prepping ingredients for the Boone-based F.A.R.M. Cafe’s (Feed All Regardless of Means) Small Bites (and Small Sips) for a Big Cause competition last Fall. Some 200 attendees and three selected judges (myself included) ambled table-to-table, sipping, sampling and scoring food based on Taste, Creativity, and Presentation. Ultimately, the event, held at The Mill at Rock Creek, raised $35,000 through ticket sales, donations, and auctions.

GRIST FOR THE MILL While working mills rumble and groan from the rotational force of grinding stones, here at The Mill at Rock Creek, those sounds would be only from the crushing of food with marble mortar-andpestle, or from the shaking of woody cocktails. Any vibrations—in the reception/ dining room with weathered barnwood beams, scented of honeysuckle, sun-plump figs and adorned with boughs of greenery lit by tiered chandeliers—were from the excited and energetic spirit of our top local chefs, uniquely gathered under one roof, faces beaming broadly to be involved in the giving, never mind the winning.

Located in a fairytale hilltop setting just beyond Boone’s bustling town center, the new charismatic knotty pine ‘mill’ with charming waterwheel and soaring silo was the vision of Ginny Gadzia, who deemed it fitting to build (with husband Joe) a banquet center, reflecting her deep-running Higgins-family roots here, when working grist mills dotted our mountain waterways.

So, instead of turning wheat into flour, this mill churns get-togethers: weddings, myriad parties, and special events like Small Bites (and Small Sips) for a Big Cause.

96 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

GRINDING OUT GRATITUDE From attendees to judges, appreciation for cooking with local ingredients scored high on everyone’s rubric. Tasting their Small Bites, I could almost hear the rumble of farm market carts rolling into their kitchens; hand-kneaded bread sliding into ovens; and the bright, happy clank of whisks, like brushes on a drummer’s cymbals, swirling up local eggs and dairy. Here’s how it all unfolded so maybe you can get to hear—and almost taste—some of it too!

eightpointfive, Boone Ross Aglialoro’s entry, the Vietnamese sandwich Bahn Mi, took voters “on a culinary journey,” the stated mission of his business as personal chef. Kinda like that spin on his chef ’s cap, he twisted the traditional Asian dish onto wooden skewers instead of building it inside a baguette and re-jiggered ingredients and seasonings, creating his own brand of kimchi. Lemongrass (from Hedge Family Farm, Lenoir) with gingermarinated pork jowl (from Daffodil Spring Farm, Valle Crucis) was braised with mirin and skewered with arancini-style fried rice balls flushed with tamari and an apple kimchi chow-chow. Peaches (Brushy Mountain Orchard, Moravian Falls) were pickled and impaled with cukes (Mountain Roots Farm, Lansing), finished with a squeeze of cashew crema seasoned with lime/basil (Laughing Springs Farm, Boone) and tomatillos (Fire from the Mountain, Zionville). My score: Satisfyingly cutting edge. Impassioned!

Café Violette, Blowing Rock Le soleil brillait, I logged, meaning as bright as Sunshine Martin’s name and her assimilated flip on the 19th-century, folksy, multi-layered Appalachian Stack Cake she turned cocktail! Apples were muddled in molasses/chai/bourbon and rim-dipped in hazelnut-cookie crumbs. I chased it down with husband Chef Kyle Martin and team’s distinctive—avec memorable— Cheddar Gougere of apple bacon chutney

By Gail Greco

and sweet-corn mousse in a swirled flaky cheese roll. Am I in France? I booked a table on the spot, at Violette’s sophisticated cottagey bistro on Main Street.

Azafrán Catering, Boone Chefs Liza Mackinnon and Trovon Quetant’s Small Bite was complemented by their table motif, An Ode to Appalachia Preservation, with put-up jars of veggies, vintage dishes, and in particular, framed art they chance-discovered in an antiques shop, depicting—of all things—an old mill! It’s now hanging in their Valle Crucis catering kitchen. Carolina heirloom grits (Jimmy Red, Rocky Mount) were placed for “sustenance and legacy,” under shredded short ribs (Shipley Farms, Vilas) simmered with Grandfather Vineyard & Winery’s (Foscoe/Banner Elk) Cabernet, and a confit of cherry tomato and crispy shallot. They nailed it. Comforting. Historic taste!

The Cardinal, Boone A beef slider by Chef Reese Gamble was all-in-local down to the sourdough bun from Between the Trees (Boone), baker of crusty country and rye loaves, soft pretzels, sweet pastries, and more, that has shoppers in long lines at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. Under the bun was Shipley Farms’ dry-aged beef with apple chow-chow, leafy greens from Against the Grain (Zionville), and horseradish Cheddar and pimiento aioli from Ashe County Cheese (West Jefferson). I sketched that smiley face emoji with outstretched hands on either side of the chin: Could’ve had a whole size of this!

Over Yonder, Valle Crucis Chef Ken Bell’s mini pork-cheeks empanada, blushed with Anaheim peppers, cilantro (Carringer Farms, Beech Mountain) and 20 ingredients that comprised a black mole he mixed with roasted corn kernels and grated Cotija cheese. It was so good looking with neat pleated-edge, I hated to break open the delicious petite fixins’ in-

Azafran’s Short Rib and Grits

Chef Aglialoro’s Small Bites entry

Cafe Violette chefs Kyle Martin, Ali Nava, Isabella D’Aurizio (Photo courtesy of Cafe Violette)

S m o ke d I ce C re a m ? C h i c ke n - Fr i e d Ve n i s o n ? A p p a l a c h i a n E m p a n a d a s ? side, but alas I did: As always great flavors from this distinguished destination restaurant, directed by Chef/Owner Andy Long, who at time of this publication, was opening another restaurant, The Holloway Corner Kitchen in Foscoe.

Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola, Blowing Rock “We were rewarded by amazing comments from attendees that we usually don’t hear from being locked up in the kitchen,” laughed Sous Chef Patrick Collins. He echoed the other chefs: “Thrilled to be in the distinguished company of our peers,” including Timberlake’s own Executive Chef Scott Ottinger. Collins’ tender venison loin, battered up fried-chicken style with peach chutney on an asiago/black pepper biscuit, was topped with a creamy umami foam of wild local scallions. Crisp met cloud, I scripted. Gotta check out this new culinary team at Chetola.

LeJayFilet, Boone Personal chef Jay Meier’s fave cooking technique is “smoking food,” including— yes—ice cream! Meier, is often surrounded by smoke, grilling smashburgers at local events and cooking for High Country Food Hub or private dinners. He was at it again this day, serving vanilla ice cream he had set on fire with a log of hickory wood, and then—get this—dropped the red-hot bark into the ice cream, snuffing the heat while infusing the sweet with a delicate smoky essence. His entry, a thing now in culinary culture, was playfully roguish. I like smoky anything!

Reid’s Cafe, Banner Elk Reid’s Small Sip of beet juice with Chef Alek Schober’s garden-harvested ginseng and wild elderberry he foraged locally accompanied Apple Cider Poached Peach Compote and Crisped Okra. The Small Bite was artfully served in jaunty amuse bouche ceramic spoons nested in a field of cushy green moss. The compote covered a dollop

of house-made Ricotta, checking positively all the competitive Small Bites characteristics. I submitted, this little gnaw was—like everything they do at Reid’s, including so many community give-backs—most inspiring.

THE SHOWDOWN Best Small Bite: The Gamekeeper, Boone “Hard to pick just one winner,” was the rallying cry by attendees and the other selected judges: Todd Carter, Chief Development Director for Hospitality House (Boone) and Sheri Castle, TV cooking host of PBS-NC’s The Key Ingredient. But, one winner did emerge with Chef Ken Gordon’s sorghum-smoked North Carolina trout. Simply rich. Elegant. I went back for seconds. Gracing rosemary crackers with apple butter horseradish and a frizzled garnish of what the chef called “roots and branches” was a cool, subtle nod to the restaurant’s forestial setting on Shulls Mill Road. The road, named after the Phillip Shull family, once hosted—how symbiotic—a working grist mill that started the town of Shull’s Mill circa 1835. Wow!

Best Small Sip: Vidalia, Boone Just two months in as bartender at the restaurant, an effervescent Jeff Hardin snagged the Best Small Sip award with his ambrosial Peach Apple’chian Shrub. A mixture of macerated peaches, fermented with apple cider vinegar, was shook with bourbon and hit with a splash of sparkling cider and a whiff of mint. Crisp. Lively. I can only top this by sipping it on the restaurant’s lazy side porch with Sous Chef Terrence Heyboer’s cornmeal sorghum hoecake Small Bite, hosting pork shoulder BBQ with a spicy peach compote.

DAILY LIFE AT THE F.A.R.M. One of the busiest restaurants around, diners pay what they can afford, or want to pay, for in-house cooked meals at the

F.A.R.M. Cafe: Thai beef noodle soup, bacon-and-potato chowder, farm brats with mustard aioli, to mention a few of the more than 200,000 meals served since opening in 2012.

“We believe in—and fully function in— an economic system of reciprocity,” notes Renee Boughman, who led the Cafe’s formation and has worn many hats, including a ball cap—but facing front—as former chef there, and today is F.A.R.M.’s Director of Community Development, having turned the executive directorship over to Elena Dalton in 2022. The Cafe purchases $25,000 annually from local growers “for the highest quality food” and closes the loop by partnering with area businesses for operational needs, “putting the money right back into the economy,” she reports.

After Small Bites, I met with Dalton who promptly offered a beverage. I looked up from my notes to see she was no longer sitting in front of me, but a chilled drink was. Instead of delegating the task to a crew member, executive Dalton rose herself to serve me, prompting one last comment from this judge, albeit off my score-grid, but heartfelt: The mission of F.A.R.M. Cafe was echoed by our area’s passionate chefs, also wanting to help narrow the gap between those who have and those who don’t. Well now, that describes how everyone is a winner then, doesn’t it!

This winter, try out some of these chefs’ specialties for yourself—check out our Winter Restaurant Guide for more information. The 2024 “Small Bites” competition will again be held at The Mill at Rock Creek in September. Details at Farmcafe.org.

Gail Greco’s distinguished writing career, includes producing shows on PBS-TV and the Discovery Channel.

She’s the author of 16 cookbooks, including the latest, Afternoon Tea is the New Happy Hour, containing many of her own small-bite style recipes!

Photos by Gail Greco

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Grandfather Vineyard

Banner Elk Winery

Linville Falls Winery

A Taste of Winter:

Get Cozy at Our High Country Wineries

Linville Falls Winery

By Kim S. Davis

W

ith a chill in the air and frost on the vines, winter is an enchanting season for visiting the High Country’s wineries. Each establishment welcomes winter in unique ways and with a variety of experiences to warm you up while you taste their selections of flavorful wines. Here, we share what to expect when visiting the High Country American Viticultural Area (AVA) wineries during wintertime.

Linville Falls Winery Just north of the Blue Ridge Parkway on

Highway 221 in Avery County, Linville Falls Winery is open seven days a week.* One unique feature of Linville Falls Winery is its proximity to the family Christmas Tree Farm; during the holiday season when the tree farm opens for chooseand-cut, visitors can select a Christmas tree and taste featured wines, all in one stop. (But be sure and take care of the tree chopping first, as ceilings tend to get taller after imbibing.)

During colder weather, the winery offers warm inside-seating alongside a roaring fire, and this year, in addition to a featured cinnamon spiced wine, they are releasing a sweet riesling made from their award winning flagship grapes that pairs nicely with holiday menus. Linville Falls Winery’s cold-weather featured wine, Jack’s Cherry Bounce, has evolved from a recipe that family patriarch Jack Wiseman found in the Wall Street Journal over 45 years ago. The published recipe was one of Martha Washington’s, and Jack has throughout his life made many different versions of this delicious “holiday stress relief.” The current iteration is made with brandy from the vineyard’s grapes, cherry wine, and a hint of cinnamon, and is reflective of the Appalachian region. For the youngsters,

98— Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

or those who prefer non-alcoholic toddies, the winery serves JoAnn’s hot cider, another family recipe. Pairing Jack and JoAnn’s concoctions together is yet one more delicious way to stay warm.

Additionally, during the chillier months, Linville Falls Winery offers winter guided tastings geared more toward their red wines. A winery representative will lead guests through a tasting menu describing each of the wines, and pair them with locally sourced cheese, chocolate, and charcuterie. Although reservations for the Winter Guided Wine Tasting are required, walk-ins are welcome and encouraged for purchasing Wine Flights, bottles and glasses. Reservations can be made online at linvillefallswinery.com. *Linville Falls Winery will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Grandfather Vineyard & Winery Between Boone and Banner Elk in the shadows of Grandfather Mountain, Grandfather Vineyard and Winery welcomes guests to the property year-round.

During the winter, the winery is open every day of the week (closed only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). And, unless old man winter is really wicked, their goal is to feature live music all season as well as host Claudia’s Taco Truck.

Since Grandfather Vineyard is predominately an outdoor venue, they add several amenities during the cooler weather to keep guests toasty. In addition to propane heaters and fire pits throughout the property, they put up vinyl walls around the pavilion and set up a large heated tent on the patio. They also have blankets and sell “hot hands” to keep fingers warm while holding tasting glasses.

During the gift giving season, a visit

to the winery’s shop might lead to inspiring gift ideas. Also in the winter months, guests can purchase S’mores Kits and create delicious treats while huddled around the fire pits. For those who prefer beverages without a kick, GrandfatherVineyard offers warm apple cider and winter mocktails featuring maple syrup, honey, and seasonal juices. Along with their usual wine offerings, wintertime additions include mulled wines and the release of a new label series of Bordeaux style wines called Hair of the Dog. Each wine in the series features a label showcasing one of the family’s pups, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Watauga County and Avery County Humane Societies.

Guests and residents of the High Country understand that winter can usher in very fickle weather, so be sure and check out their website at grandfathervineyard. com for events, schedule updates, and additional activities.

Watauga Lake Winery and Villa Nove Farm and Vineyard Watauga Lake Winery is situated a little over five miles across the state line into Tennessee in a restored 1940s era school house. This popular winery is open Thursday through Sunday (as well as the Wednesday after Christmas). Additionally, Watauga Lake Winery is hosting a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball with a buffet dinner, DJ, and a champagne toast at midnight. Enjoy live music on Saturday evenings throughout the winter from 5 to 8 p.m.

The intimate winery is a comfortable destination year-round with fire pits and patio heaters for added warmth in cooler weather. In addition to tasting the flavorful estate made wines, winter is a perfect time

Old Barn Winery

Villa Nove Farm & Vineyard

Watauga Lake Winery

to attend a painting class, listen to live local music, or enjoy some friendly competition with one of the available board games. To satisfy the appetite, try one of their award winning pizzas, drawing visitors from miles around for the delicious pies made from dough delivered directly from New York City.

Three miles away, where the grapes used in Watauga Lake Winery’s wines are grown, Villa Nove Farm and Vineyard is another great winter destination. The Vineyard is a cozy spot to snuggle around the fireplace with a glass of wine and watch the snow fall—and the views are spectacular any time of year. During wintertime, you might enjoy a tasting alongside some charcuterie or one of their featured soup specials. This season ushers in the new release of two Villa Nove Vineyard favorites. Bonita, a medium-bodied Italian style white blend, and Cielo Rosso, a slightly oaked velvety red, are back for pairing with hearty winter meals. Stop by and sample one or both of these wines, or make a day of it with a dual tasting at both Watauga Lake and Villa Nove Vineyard. For details and the latest information, visit waterfrontgroupwatauga.com.

Eagles Nest Winery Centrally located between Elk Park and Banner Elk on Old Beech Mountain Rd. is Eagles Nest Winery. Although affiliated with the Eagles Nest gated community, the winery is open to the public through an annual membership, or the purchase of a day pass membership. The day pass is $25 and includes a tasting or, if you prefer, $10 off a bottle.

The quiet location nestled amid remote mountain vistas is a great place to spend a winter’s day by the tasting room fireplace.

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

The winery is open Thursday through Sunday to guests sixteen years and older, with open mic on Thursday night and live music on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Eagles Nest Winery rings in 2024 with a reservation-only Dutch Style Gourmet Cooking Event on New Year’s Eve. Throughout the chilly months, you can sample winter inspired wine cocktails, mulled wine, and several new releases, including a bold red wine and a 2021 vintage Chardonnay made in the High Country with grapes sourced from California. For more information, check out the winery on social media or at eaglesnestatbannerelk.com.

Banner Elk Winery High up in the Blue Ridge Mountains just a few miles from downtown Banner Elk is the inviting Banner Elk Winery.

With fire pits scattered throughout the property and a crackling fire ablaze in the tasting room’s fireplace, you’ll find warmth and your favorite flavors from 12-6 p.m. daily.

Banner Elk Winery welcomes guests of all ages, including pets, with beverages available for every palate. During the winter, there is hot cider and hot cocoa for those who are not wine drinkers, and mulled wines, wine flights and tastings for wine lovers.

In addition to their usual offerings, Banner Elk Winery is releasing a new Sauvignon Blanc this season. On Saturdays and Sundays guests might enjoy a glass of the new release while listening to live music. For event schedules and information visit bannerelkwinery.com.

Old Barn Winery The High Country AVA’s newest winery is located in Ashe County just a few

Eagles Nest Winery

miles from downtown West Jefferson. Old Barn Winery opened on July 4, 2022, in the barn that was previously the owners’ choose-and-cut tree farm retail site. The Sexton family, fourth generation farmers, still run Frosty’s Tree Farm and have also now achieved their dream of opening a winery on the property. The Sextons’ goal of welcoming everyone, including pets, with open arms and a warm smile is evident as soon as you arrive.

To further warm up guests, Old Barn Winery has a huge outdoor stone fireplace blazing throughout the chilly season. The barn also has inside seating, both upstairs and down, with tables and plush chairs, along with couches and intimate nooks for tasters to relax and enjoy their libations overlooking beautiful views. Surrounded by rolling hills of Christmas trees, the cozy setting is reminiscent of a Hallmark movie.

In addition to wine tastings, Old Barn Winery offers mulled wines, red and white sangria and mead. During the winter season, the winery transitions in a new cranberry, pomegranate, and raspberry mead and introduces two new varietals, a Cabernet Franc and a Viognier. But the most special winter release is the first of the Old Barn Winery’s Heritage Collection.

The release of the first in a series of Heritage Collection wines is Byron, named for the first generation family farmer Byron Sexton, known as one of the pioneers of the Fraser fir industry in our area. Byron is a blend of old vine zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, and Malbec, and is a very sentimental release for the Sexton family and Old Barn Winery. Upcoming for 2024: “The Vintner’s Circle,” with unique tastings and intimate experiences for friends and family at Old Barn Winery. To find out more visit oldbarnwinery.com.

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Winter Restaurant Guide n Casa Rustica 1348 NC-105 Boone, NC 28607 828.262.5128 | casarustica1981.com “Casa Rustica fuses old-world Italian cuisine with the fresh flavors of the High Country.

They’re called classics for a reason.”

n Cobo Sushi Bistro and Bar 161 W Howard Street Boone, NC 28607 828.386.1201 cobosushi.com

n Jack’s 128 Pecan 128 Pecan St SE Abingdon, VA 24210 276.698.3159 | 128pecan.com

“How do you like your Bistro Sashimi? Some like a spicy array and others, sweet and mild.”

“Local, quirky, fun little restaurant with simple good food and friendly professional service.

Serving lunch and dinner, and caries a full bar.”

n Fred’s Backside Deli 501 Beech Mountain Pkwy Beech Mountain, NC 28604 828.387.4838 | fredsgeneral.com

n Gamekeeper Restaurant 3005 Shulls Mill Rd Boone, NC 28607 828.963.7400 | gamekeeper-nc.com

n Bistro Roca 143 Wonderland Trail Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.4008 | bistroroca.com

“Fred’s Backside Deli serves breakfasts, sandwiches, homemade soups and salads, beverages, including beer and wine, and freshly made desserts.”

“The Gamekeeper features a selection of perfectly prepared game, fish and vegetarian selections using humanely farm-raised meats, and locally grown organic produce.”

“Bistro Roca serves inventive American Bistro cuisine. Try the Habi Burger—local beef basted with house-made Habanero sauce, topped with cheddar, bacon & crispy onions.”

n Banner Elk Café, The Lodge and The Tavern 324 Shawneehaw Ave S Hwy 184 Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.4040 bannerelkcafe.com

n Bayou Smokehouse & Grill Restaurant 130 Main Street East, Village Shops Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.8952 facebook.com/BayouSmokehouse

n Stick Boy Kitchen 211 Boone Heights Drive Boone, NC 28607 828.265.4141 stickboybread.com/kitchen

“Open since 2003, The Bayou Smokehouse & Grill restaurant offers authentic Texas and Louisiana cuisine transported to the High Country. Enjoy this Evangeline Po’boy with blackened shrimp, blackened crawfish, fried green tomatoes and our house-made remoulade sauce. YUM!”

“At Stick Boy Kitchen we use all-natural meat on all of our sandwiches. All of our dressings, spreads, cream cheeses, hummus, and other sides are made from scratch using quality ingredients. Rest assured, when we make food at the “Kitchen” it’s just like you would make food at home in your kitchen.”

“The place to BE in downtown Banner Elk. Serving the best burger in the mountains made with fresh hand-pattied 100% beef served with choice of toppings. Also serving pastas, salads, breakfast, coffee, fresh baked goods and more.

Practically everything you need in one location.”

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n Lost Province Brewing Company 130 N Depot Street Boone, NC 28607 828.265.3506 | lostprovince.com

n Williams Deli & Bakery 101 High Country Square #28 Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.2300 | williamsdeliandbakery.com

“We serve authentic and innovative craft beer and savory wood fired fare where pizza is always in season.”

“Keep it simple! Providing great gourmet sandwiches, baked treats, fresh ingredients, and a friendly atmosphere!”

n Gideon Ridge 202 Gideon Ridge Rd Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.3644 | gideonridge.com

n Reid’s Cafe & Catering 4004 NC-105 Suite #8 Sugar Mountain, NC 28604 828.898.9200 | reidscafeandcatering.com

“Our menu changes week to week or day to day depending on climate and seasonal growth length. From ramps and morels to soft shell crab and local beef, we strive to provide the absolute freshest ingredients. “

“We love the intentional, the specific, the well-cared-for. Just as we value beautiful ingredients in our catering, we procure the highest quality ingredients for seasonal menus.”

n Pedalin’ Pig 4235 Hwy 105 S Banner Elk 28604 2968-A Hwy 105 Boone NC 28607 Banner Elk: 828.898.7500 Boone: 828.355.9559 | thepedalinpig.com

n Stonewalls 344 Shawneehaw Ave S Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.5550 stonewallsrestaurant.com

“We smoke our meats low and slow, up to 16 hours, using hard woods and seasoned with our house made, hand crafted rubs. All sauces and sides made in-house with careful attention to consistency and quality. Enjoy a local craft beer or a signature craft cocktail with the best High Country BBQ. We’re also in Blowing Rock!”

“We the finest cuts of beef found in prime rib, sirloin, rib eye, New York Strip and Filet Mignon. Our chicken & ribs are second to none and we have a great lineup of seafood. Our chefs have been performing for years, and our buyer selects the best cuts available. Our salad bar is a destination for locals and for tourists.”

n Sorrento’s Italian Bistro 140 Azalea Cir SE Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.5214 bannerelkvillage.com/sorrentos-italian-bistro/ “This upscale eclectic gourmet Italian Bistro is a combination of visual and culinary celebration.”

n Timberlake’s Restaurant and Headwaters Pub 185 Chetola Lake Dr Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.5505 | chetola.com/dining-2 “Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola Resort features fine dining with décor inspired by artist Bob Timberlake.”

great food! n Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria 402 Beech Mountain Parkway Beech Mountain, NC 28604 828.387.4209 | famousbrickoven.com

“We have been making and baking pizza for over 25 years. We have beers from around the world, cinema under the stars, hand crafted candies, fresh baked cookies, large flat screen TVs, full bar menu, polar golf, and an arcade.

We are the place to eat, play and drink.”.

continued on next page

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Guide

Continued from previous page

n The Italian Restaurant 2855 Linville Falls Hwy Pineola, NC 28662 828.733.1401 theitalianrestaurantnc.com “Why make a mess in the kitchen…let us cook for you tonight at the Italian Restaurant. We offer savory, tasty appetizers, perfectly cooked pastas, and hearty specialty dinners.”

Enjoy these restaurants in our area, too!... n Blowing Rock Ale House 152 Sunset Drive Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.414.9600 blowingrockbrewing.com n Carolina BBQ 500 Pineola Street Newland, NC 28657 828.737.0700 carolinabbqnewland.com n Chef’s Table 140 Azalea Cir SE Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.1940 bannerelkvillage.com/chefs-table n Coyote Kitchen & Lost Cantina 200 Southgate Dr Boone, NC 28607 828.265.4041 coyotekitchen.com

Judge Genevieve Sanders with Most Creative Pie

n Elk River Depot 6460 Banner Elk Hwy Elk Park, NC 28622 828.742.1980 facebook.com/elkriverdepot n F.A.R.M. Cafe 617 W King St Boone, NC 28607 828.386.1000 farmcafe.org

n Highlander’s Grill & Tavern 4527 Tynecastle Hwy Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.9613 highlandersbannerelk.com

great food!

“F.A.R.M. Cafe builds a healthy and inclusive community by providing high quality meals produced from local sources, served in a restaurant where everybody eats, regardless of means.”

n The Best Cellar 203 Sunset Drive Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.3466 ragged-gardens.com/best-cellar-restaurant

Chef Robert Back, judging Larson Smith’s romantic chocolate apple pie

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The Winning Pie By Nadine Wynarczyk

Sugar. Spice. Flaky Crust.

But What’s Love Got to Do with It? Story and Photos by Gail Greco

Apple pie contest bakes up romance, a way to cozy up winter and maybe a new bakery!

Their gazes direct and curious, onlookers gathered to hear the contest winners announced, when suddenly the impassioned wail of a young woman—gripping a weighty black-iron skillet with hot pads—broke through the pie-eyed crowd, now parting a pathway for her to the judges’ table.

“I’m sorry I’m late. But my car … I ran out of gas. Really...on 321,” she cried.

Nadine Wynarczyk (Win-are-chick) of Blowing Rock, brows furrowed and cheeks blushing, swept through the throng, careful not to bruise or blister a bystander. But the wafting of tree-ripened apples baked-in-apie—woodsy with cinnamon, and marshmallowy with the nuance of vanilla—was knocking them over anyway!

Intoxicating aromas are harmless, but final tallying was already underway for the first-ever Watauga County Farmers’ Market (WCFM) Apple Pie Contest last fall, and so she needed to hurry to the judges including Culinary Arts Instructor Chef Robert Back of Caldwell Community College, and small-batch Baker Genevieve Sanders, owner of The Hive Bakery, Boone.

“Apples cooked to perfection…” chef

scribbled. The baker let out a breath: “Yum, the cinnamony whipped cream,” then quickly messaged WCFM Manager Michelle Dineen: Incoming late pie entry. Please hold off final tallies.

The Apple Never Falls Far from the Tree A few weeks before the contest, Dineen had accepted a marriage proposal that sparked the contest, reminiscing how fiancé Larson Smith once made an apple pie to woo her. “It highlighted for me how nostalgic apple pies can be,” said Dineen. “A contest would be comforting for our market shoppers.” (Smith had entered a chocolate apple pie for this contest, earning high marks, and even though baked in a charming heart-forward shaped dish, he only won the continued apple of her eye!)

As scores were being calculated however, a pie by Grace Neely of Boone was emerging as front-runner to the delight of four-year-old daughter Daisy, who already knows good taste. (Dad owns Appalachia Cookie Company on Faculty Street). The youngster helped pick orchard apples and

may have learned that nothing in life’s as easy as apple pie—including apple pie! Many contestants told CML they spent weeks perfecting their pies and have suggestions: Choose tart apples, our farm markets sell many varieties. Use European butter (has less water) for flakier pastry. A squeeze of lemon balances flavors. Avoid soggy crusts by managing browning with clear glass baking dishes.

The Big Apple Competitions often trigger under-thewire drama: A horse registered the day before the 2022 Kentucky Derby won with 80 to 1 odds; a woman at a recent State Fair yodeling contest (who had never yodeled before), blurted out an unregistered warble and won. In 2022, App State’s thrilling 53yard Hail Mary pass as the clock ran out won their football game against Troy, making international news!

So, not surprising how Wynarczyk, late to the contest, had never baked a pie before, yet ultimately won First Place Best Continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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Banner Elk Winery & Villa Experience Luxury in the High Country’s Original & Most Acclaimed Winery Savor award-winning wine and pamper yourself at The Villa, a luxury B&B. Spend your days exploring the local golfing, fishing, and skiing. Or recharge with a spa treatment and a glass of wine in front of the magnificent stone fireplace.

A weekend getaway, corporate retreat, family vacation, engagements, elopements, rehearsal dinners, or special events...it’s the perfect place to relax, re-inspire, and rejuvenate – both inside and out.

• Weddings • Special Events • Corporate Retreats • Family Reunions 135 Deer Run Lane, Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.260.1790 www.BannerElkWinery.com 104

— Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE BannerElkWVSep/Oct2012.indd 1

Grace Neely’s Second Place Best Pie

Pie for what she described as “a pie not just made by me, but by our community”: her grandmother’s rolling pin leading her way; apples donated by Sunset Tee’s & Hattery, Blowing Rock; whipped cream and gingersnap recommendations from friends Karen Stocking and Lynn Pace. The iron skillet idea came from her sister and friend (so Wynarczyk spent hours resurfacing anew her father’s antique pan); and Diane and Rob Moore, First Baptist Church prayer group, solved her out-of-petrol fiasco.

Awards for Second Bite of the Apple Deep Gap’s Lindsey Shapiro, who also had never baked a pie, had never been in a pageant before, either, but was crowned Miss North Carolina by America’s Teenage Scholarship Organization in 2011. Today, she’s a family physician at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Jefferson, and reflected, “I wanted the challenge to do something I’d never done before.” So she wrote herself a prescription for a pie—layers of apples with oats, cream cheese, and caramel, covered in a puffy lattice topping—that won Most Creative Pie. Second Place Best Pie went to Grace (and Daisy) Neely who won something else—reuniting with Shapiro, as the two App State grads had not seen each other for ten years until the morning of the contest!

An unusual pie ingredient—cayenne pepper—won Patti Allison of Morganton, Best Flavor Pie. The crumbly, streuselmounded pie needed something, “so since I cook with my nose, my scent had the answer,” and Allison announced to CML, “The contest’s validation is allowing me to fulfill my plan to open a bakery here.”

Judge Back intoned, “I’m impressed by the thought and quality of this pie...” Judge Sanders added, “A lot of love here, bringing our community together. I’m inspired to get to my kitchen and create a new apple pie.”

Hmm… for Sanders, a professional baker, that wouldn’t be hard, right...a piece a cake?

Maybe—as long as you know how to pick dem apples!

8/14/12 10:56 AM

Bringing CML’s Classic Apple Pie to Your Table Recipes and photo

by Meagan Goheen

A Classic Apple Pie INGREDIENTS PIE CRUST

11 medium granny smith apples (about 3 ½ lbs), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (more for dusting)

½ tsp cardamom ¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated is best) 1 TBSP vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) 8 TBSP unsalted butter 3 TBSP all purpose flour ¼ cup water ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed 1 egg, + 1 TBSP water, for egg wash Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 double pie crust – recipe below (or you can use store bought)

n Prepare the pie crust and chill. n Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

PIE FILLING

1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

½ TBSP sugar ½ tsp salt ½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, diced 4 TBSP ice cold water 3 TBSP ice cold vodka

n Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, spices, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, whisking frequently, then remove from heat. n Peel, remove cores and thinly slice apples and place them in a large bowl. Zest and juice lemon over the apples.

DIRECTIONS:

n Pour sauce over the apples and stir to coat the slices.

n In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. n Add COLD diced butter and pulse until coarse crumbs and pea sized pieces form.

n Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out bottom pie crust to a 12-inch diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding in the center.

n Add ice water and cold vodka and pulse just until moist clumps of dough form. If needed, add more ice water 1 tsp at a time.

n Roll second crust into a 11-inch round and cut into 10 even thickness strips. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top.

n Transfer dough to a clean work surface and gather into a ball. Do not knead, but divide in half and flatten into 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.

n Beat together 1 egg and 1 TBSP water and brush the top with egg mixture. n Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown or until crust is golden and filling starts to bubble through the lattice. n Let cool before serving.

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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BRAITMAN

CARLTON

ANTONACCIO

DENNIS

CarltonGallery Celebrating 42 Years!

WINTER GROUP AND SMALL WORKS EXHIBITION: Continues through April 30

A GALLERY FILLED WITH EXQUISITE GIFTS

www.CarltonGallery.com | 10 miles south of Boone Grandfather Mtn.Community 10360 Hwy 105 S., Banner Elk, NC 28604 | 828.963.4288 | Wed-Sat 11-5

Our 6th generation family farm makes farm- fresh cheese on site from our own happy dairy cows.

Our farm store also offers other local goods!

828-756-8166 Fri-Sat, 10am-6pm, year-round 19456 US 221 North (.5 miles south of Linville Caverns) Marion, NC 28752

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RODEORAMPAGE.COM Calling the number above will direct you to a licensed sales agent.

106 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

SCAN CODE

...showcasing Chef’s Table, “Banner Elk’s little hidden gem of fine dining.”

Our Chef’s Table features gourmet fine dining with new tapas, sushi, cocktail menus, private dining, veranda, and VIP seating. Visit our website for our live entertainment schedules!

The Village of Banner elk in the heart of Downtown Banner Elk, NC BannerElkVillage.com 140 Azalea Circle, Banner Elk, NC

Sorrento’s Bistro | Chef ’s Table | Primo |

Arcade

The Village of Banner Elk has something for everyone’s tastes—traditional Italian, gourmet fine dining, and international cuisine. And don’t miss our famous Sunday Brunch at Sorrento’s Bistro!

We have indoor and outdoor entertainment, stocked bars, a wine room, private dining, art galleries, and a family-friendly arcade!

Call 828.898.5214 for reservations.

Special Events & Catering: Corporate Events, Weddings, VIP Dining Parties Call 828.898.5214 | Email Sorrentoscatering@gmail.com

R E C I P E S

Beef Tenderloin

WITH A MUSHROOM SAUCE AND HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE

Made w

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

4 to 4 ½ lbs of trimmed beef tenderloin 1 TBSP kosher salt 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 TBSP olive oil

n Remove the beef tenderloin from the fridge, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.

Let it come to room temperature prior to cooking, about 1 ½ hours.

GARLIC HERB BUTTER 6 TBSP butter 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme MUSHROOM SAUCE 1 TBSP unsalted butter 1 TBSP olive oil 1 large shallot thinly sliced 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme ½ tsp salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ cup dry red wine 1 1/2 cups beef broth HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup prepared horseradish 1 ½ TBSP dijon mustard 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp sherry vinegar Salt and pepper to taste

n To cook the beef evenly, cut into two pieces and use butcher’s twine to tie each tenderloin, making the shape as uniform as possible on the ends. n Season with salt and pepper.

n In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for garlic herb butter, set aside. n In another bowl, mix together horseradish cream sauce, cover and chill until ready to serve. n Preheat oven to 425 degrees. n Heat a large cast iron skillet to high heat; add 2 TBSP olive oil and sear tenderloin on each side until browned, 2-3 minutes per side. n Once seared, slather on the garlic herb butter and bake for 20-25 minutes. n To ensure correct temperature, use a meat thermometer: Rare - 115°F-120°F Medium Rare - 120°F-125°F Medium - 130°F-135°F n Remove tenderloin and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. n In the same skillet prepare your mushroom sauce. Over medium-high heat, add butter and oil. n Add sliced mushrooms and shallots and sauté until browned, about 5-7 minutes. n Add minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté until fragrant and transfer to a separate bowl. n Add ½ cup of wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Cook until 2 TBSP of wine remain, about 2 minutes. n Add beef broth and boil until reduced by half, 5-7 minutes.* n Add mushrooms back to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. *Optional – remove sauce from heat and finish with 1/4 cup of cream or 2 TBSP of butter for a creamier sauce. n Slice beef, serve with mushroom and horseradish sauces.

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Root Vegetable Gratin

Italian Chocolate Bundio

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS:

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP butter 2-3 parsnips 3-4 beets 2-3 sweet potatoes 2-3 russet potatoes 1 TBSP softened butter 1 cup heavy cream, divided 8 oz grated parmesan, divided 5 tsp fresh minced thyme, divided 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese Salt and pepper to taste

n Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.

5 large egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 pinches salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 TBSP instant espresso powder

From CML’s Kitchen

Photos & Recipes

by Meagan Goheen

n Peel and slice root vegetables into very thin rounds using a mandolin and transfer each vegetable to its own bowl. n Pour 4 TBSP of cream over each of the vegetables. Top each bowl with 1 oz of grated parmesan and 1 tsp of minced thyme, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss together until vegetables are coated. n Line your baking dish with each of the root vegetables, standing them up. n Season top of gratin with salt, pepper, and remaining parmesan. n Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until root vegetables are soft. n Uncover and top with shredded Gruyère. n Place gratin back into the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until fork tender and cheese has slightly browned.

DIRECTIONS: n In a medium sized pot, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Place over medium heat, whisking continuously while slowly adding the cream until it starts to thicken, around 5 minutes. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, take pot off the heat. n Whisk in the chocolate chips until combined and smooth. n If needed, pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Pour the mixture into vessels of choice and transfer to the fridge. Allow to set for 2-3 hours.

n Finish with remaining thyme.

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R E C I P E S

with love!

Gather for a Good Time!

ILLIAMS W

The Banner Elk Cafe and The Lodge Espresso Bar & Eatery Are Under One Roof!

Located in the Heart of Banner Elk

Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

SANDWICHES SOUPS & SWEETS

Daily Drink & Food Specials Expansive Menu Indoor & Outdoor Dining Large Bar with Comfortable Seating ...and a Warm Fireplace!

Trivia | Live Music

D

Y

I & BAKER

EL

828.898.2300 NC 184, High Country Square Plaza Banner Elk NC

828-898-4040

Schedule & Specials: Facebook, Instagram and at www.bannerelkcafe.com

Fresh Ingredients Handcrafted Dough

~ WORLD CLASS PIZZAS ~

BAKERY . FULL BAR ARCADE/MINI GOLF

Carolina Mountain Life TM

Did you know you can read us online at CMLmagazine.online

110 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

402 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604

www.famousbrickoven.com . 828-387-4209

INTELLIGENT CHOICES FOR THE COMMON CRAVING

AFTER ALL, LIFE IS SHORT AND TIME REALLY DOES FLY

Gideon Ridge Inn Lunch: 11 AM to 3 PM. | Dinner: 5 PM to 10 PM. Sunday Brunch: 11 AM to 3 PM.

10 wonderfully comfortable bedrooms with evening turndown service Serving Dinner Tuesday - Saturday from 5:30pm - 8pm Reservations Required Dining & Cocktails Alfresco and the view...

143 Wonderland Trail, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

202 Gideon Ridge Road, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605

bistroroca.com / 828-295-4008

gideonridge.com / 828-295-3644

A N A DV E N T U R E I N F I N E D I N I N G EMU VENISON ELK BISON MOUNTAIN TROUT BOAR DUCK A DVA N C E R E S E R VAT I O N S S T R O N G LY R EC O M M E N D E D

gamekeeper-nc.com

3005 SHULLS MILL ROAD BETWEEN BOONE & BLOWING ROCK | (828) 963-7400 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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The Region’s Largest & Finest Selection of

WINE & BEER Since 1978

SUSHI BISTRO AND BAR Tuesday-Saturday Dine-In: 4pm - Close | TOGO: 4pm - 8pm

161 Howard Street, Boone 828-386-1201 | www.cobosushi.com

1104 Hwy 105 • Boone, NC 828-264-9476 www.PeabodysWineAndBeer.com

SEASONINGS • FINE TEAS SUGARS • SALTS • SPICES • HERBS DOWNTOWN WEST JEFFERSON | 336.846.8327

FRIENDS | FAMILY | FARMING “Home of Frosty’s Choose & Cut” 2152 Beavers Creek School Rd West Jefferson, NC 336-846-6060 OldBarnWinery.com

112 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

Gifts They will Use!

Banner Elk: 4235 Hwy 105 South Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.7500

Boone: 2968-A Hwy 105 Boone, NC 28607 828.355.9559

Blowing Rock: 8304 Valley Blvd.

Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.295.3651

EAT, DRINK, BE SOCIAL...

Lunch • Dinner • Full Bar Tues-Sat, 11am-9pm 128 Pecan Street Abingdon, Virginia (276)698-3159

100+ VARIETIES

JERKY • SEASONINGS • HOT SAUCES

Open Daily in Historic Valle Crucis, NC and Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC 828-260-6221 | www.JerkyOutpost.net CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

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OUR SPONSORS: 25 .............Alpine Ski Center 20,21.........Alpine Ski Shop at App Ski 83 .............Amorem 47..............Amy Brown CPA 62..............Appalachian Apothekary 18..............Appalachian Ski Mtn 40..............Appalachian Theatre of the High Country 48 .............Apple Hill Farm 94..............AppOrtho 33 .............Ashe Chamber of Commerce 82..............Ashe Memorial Hospital 75..............Avery Animal Hospital 47..............Avery County Chamber of Commerce 86..............Avery Heating & Air 50..............Banner Elk Book Exchange 110............Banner Elk Café, Lodge & Tavern 72..............Banner Elk Heating & Air 83..............Banner Elk Realty 44..............Banner Elk Trading Company 4................BannerElk.com 104 ...........Banner Elk Winery & Villa 45..............Barter Theatre 45..............Beech Mountain Brewing 22 .............Beech Mountain Resort 111............Bistro Roca 32..............Blowing Rock Winterfest 91..............Blue Ridge Energy 7................Blue Ridge Mountain Club 82..............Blue Ridge Propane 56..............Brinkley Hardware 106............Carlton Gallery 113............Casa Rustica 107............Chef’s Table 70 .............Classic Stone Works 112............COBO Sushi Bistro 42..............CoMMA 90..............Compu-Doc 35..............Cornerstone Cabins & Lodge 48..............Coyote Kitchen 11..............Craftsman Cabinets & Furniture 47..............Creative Interiors by Darlene Parker 10..............Crossnore Communities for Children 2................Dewoolfson 3................Dianne Davant Interiors 44..............Doe Ridge Pottery 66..............Eagles Nest Winery 32..............Earth to Sky Park 45 .............Elevated Metals 47..............Encore Travel

106............English Farmstead Cheese 6................Explore Boone 110............Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria 56..............F.A.R.M. Café 102............First Chair Coffee Shop 12..............Footsloggers 83..............Fortner Insurance 56..............Fred’s General Mercantile 111............Gamekeeper 111............Gideon Ridge Inn 82..............Glen Davis Electric 115............Grandfather Mountain 46..............Grandfather Vineyard 18..............Gregory Alan’s Gifts 50..............Hardin Fine Jewelry 33..............Hawksnest Snow Tubing & Zipline 32..............Hemlock Inn 47..............Hero’s Axe House 46..............High Country Caregivers 86..............High Country Pain Relief 47..............Highlanders Grill & Tavern 75..............Hunter’s Tree Service 72..............Incredible Toy Co 45..............It’s All About the Art Gallery 113............Jack’s 128 Pecan 113............Jerky Outpost 42..............Johnson County Center for the Arts 90..............Life Care Center of Banner Elk 106............Life Store 16..............Linville Caverns 6................Linville Falls Winery 8................Linville Land Harbor 48..............Lost Province Brewing Company 82..............Lucky Lily 116............Mast General Store 32..............Mayland Community College 56..............Mountain Grounds 48..............Mountain Jewelers 72..............My Best Friend’s Barkery 94..............My UNC Chart 18,33,40,48,50,106..........Mystery Hill 112............Old Barn Winery 90..............Organic Hair Design 48..............Pack Rats 112............Peabody’s Wine & Beer 72,47.........Peak Real Estate 113............Pedalin’ Pig BBQ 90..............Premier Pharmacy 107............Primo

thank you!

114 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE

72..............Ram’s Rack Thrift Shop 47..............Rhapsody in Cabinetry Design Studio 106............Reid’s Cafe 60..............Root Down Hair Studio 50..............Sally Nooney Art Studio Gallery 47..............Salon Suites at Tynecastle 45..............Sassy Curated Consignment & Gifts 5................SeeSugar.com 47..............Shooz & Shiraz 47..............Shoppes of Tynecastle 33..............Ski Country Sports 47..............Sky Mountain Nail Bar 90..............Skyline/Skybest 107............Sorrento’s Italian Bistro 79..............Stick Boy Bread Co 34..............Stonewalls Restaurant 34..............Stonewalls Catering 24..............Sugar Mountain Ski Resort 32..............Sugar Ski & Country Club 90..............Sunset Tees & Hattery 75..............Tatum Galleries 35..............The Barn at Cornerstone 17..............The Bee & The Boxwood 16..............The Blowing Rock 14..............The Cabin Store 44..............The Consignment Cottage Warehouse 47..............The Dande Lion 60..............The Inn at Shady Lawn 72..............The Italian Restaurant 40..............The Schaefer Center Presents 79..............The Shoppes at Farmers 112............The Spice and Tea Exchange 79..............The Summit Group 50..............The Twisted Twig 5................The Village of Sugar Mountain 46..............Tom’s Custom Golf 47..............Truist Financial 48..............Turchin Center 94..............UNC Health Appalachian 47..............Valle de Bravo Mexican Grill 66..............Villa Nove Farm & Vineyard 42..............Village Jewelers 47..............Walgreens Pharmacy 40..............Walker Center 66..............Watauga Lake Winery 60..............Wealth Enhancement Group 110............Williams Deli & Bakery 79..............YMCA of Avery County

Get outside.

Get

Folks come to Grandfather Mountain for all sorts of reasons — from a family getaway to the thrill of the Mile High Swinging Bridge. But after a day on the mountain, and some hands-on time in the new Wilson Center For Nature Discovery, everyone leaves inspired.

g r a n d fa t h e r. co m

Inspired.

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN ®

Wonders Never Cease

CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 23/24 —

NEW Wilson Center for Nature Discovery

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116 — Winter 23/24 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE