High Country Magazine | Vol 7 Issue 2 | October/November 2011

Volume 7 • Issue 2 October/November 2011

Autumn Allure

Discovering the Dark Sky Observatory The Science of the Brown Mountain Lights A Photographic Journey Through Appalachia

DI A N N E DAVA N T & A S S O C I AT E S Excellence By Design Since 1979

B A N N E R E L K , N O RT H C A R O L I N A 828.898.9887 S T U A R T, F L O R I D A 772.287.2872 W W W. D A VA N T - I N T E R I O R S . C O M

B

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

1

2

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

-Larry Nance

Director of Personnel Services | Appalachian State University, 1970-1997 Avid Golfer | Chairman Piedmont Federal Savings Bank Advisory Board

My pitch shot for the bank is better than mine on the course.

Anyone who plays as much golf as I do knows that consistency is key to a good game. And that’s why I’ve been proud to be associated with Piedmont Federal for nearly 30 years, first as a customer and then as an Advisory Board member.

During my long career at Appalachian State, I always felt comfortable recommending Piedmont Federal for first and second home loans, and for everyday banking needs like checking and savings accounts.

I still send customers their way, because I know they’ll be treated like family. All decisions are made right here in NC. They always have competitive rates, fast closings, local servicing, and will not sell your mortgage to another bank.

Piedmont Federal will keep you on course with simple, straightforward mortgage and banking solutions with local, friendly people. Now that’s a great pitch shot.

Visit us on your mobile device.

Straightforward, commonsense banking.

MEMBER FDIC

©2011 Piedmont Federal Savings Bank | 1399 Blowing Rock Road/ November | 828-264-5244 October 2011 H i g| hpiedmontfederal.com Country Magazine

3

TILE & STONE SHOWROOM

From slate, travertine, and porcelain to reclaimed stone from Jerusalem... we have it all!

Design Consultation 25 different floor displays to help you visualize your tile dreams Select Porcelain 10%-20% Off We have you covered from start to finish

Located in Grandfather View Village at the base of Grandfather Mountain • 9872 Hwy 105 across from Mountain Lumber in Foscoe

828-963-TILE www.stonecavern.com EXPERIENCE IS THE DIFFERENCE

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING, SELLING, OR INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE, CONTACT

TODD A. RICE BROKER / REALTOR

BLUE RIDGE REALTY & INVESTMENTS, LLC

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION!

HOMES , LAND , STUDENT HOUSING , COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

877/ 962-1986 LOCAL : 828/ 263-8711 MOBILE : 828/ 773-9491 EMAIL : TRice@BRRI.net www.ToddRiceRealEstate.com TOLL FREE :

4

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

YOUR NATURAL PET FOOD HEADQUARTERS

FREE $5

GIFT CARD

WITH ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE

Valid at Boone store only.

Gift Card to be used on your next purchase.

STORE COUPON

Come visit the new Pet Supplies Plus location today!

OFFER EXPIRES 11/30/2011

LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. OFFER EXPIRES NOVEMBER 30, 2011.

ZIP CODE:

PLU #89566

2575 Highway 105,105, BooneBOONE 2575 Highway next to Ingles grocery store Store Next to Ingles Grocery 828.266.2100 828.266.2100 Mon - Sat 9A.M. - 9P.M. Mon - Sat 9A.M. - 9P.M. Sun - 11A.M. - 6P.M.

Sun - 11A.M. - 6P.M.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

5

20

C O N T E N T S

20 Dark Sky a Secret No More

ASU has an observatory? A lot of people don’t know about the Dark Sky Observatory, but students and faculty have used the facility about 45 minutes northeast of Boone since 1981. With the opening of the Don Cline Visitor Center this fall, the public finally gets the chance to peer through the observatory’s main telescope.

Mountain Club 30 Beech Saves Old School Through planning, grant funding and many volunteer hours, Kelley McGuire and Tammy Jones spearheaded an effort to save the WPA-era Beech Mountain Elementary School and preserve it for continued use by the Old Beech Mountain Community.

Mountain 52 Appalachian Photography Competition Thumb through past selections for the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC). Approaching its ninth year, the AMPC is one of the more prestigious photo competitions in the Southeast and is accepting submissions until November 18.

64 Building Rocky Knob Park

Built to enhance the lives of residents and to entice visitors to the area, Rocky Knob Park in Boone would not be a reality without the work of volunteers, who have thus far contributed more than 2,000 hours building mountain bike trails. The park is now open to the public for biking, hiking and running.

92

Science, Not Fiction 74 Seeking on Brown Mountain For some 20 years, a team of scientists have been working to explain the Brown Mountain Lights, a mystery for centuries. Joshua Warren shares some of his findings and theories about the strange phenomena.

82 Custom-Built Perfection

Take a tour through the Johnston home at Glens of Grandfather in Banner Elk. Completed in 2006, the 5,700-squarefoot house has four bedrooms, four baths, 2.5 powder rooms and four fireplaces spread over three levels.

a Destination 92 Primland, Golf Course While many High Country golf courses close in late October or November, area golfers can extend their golf season by heading off the mountain to Primland, located in the Dan River area near Mt. Airy. An expansive property with woodlands, open fields and greens, Primland’s outdoor playground offers much more than golf.

6

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

52 on the cover Tommy White Tommy White provided us with our cover shot of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Moses Cone Manor seemingly floating in a sea of fall colors. Tommy specializes in fine art portraiture. His portfolio includes weddings, families, children, babies, seniors, architecture and custom commercial design. Local landscapes are available upon request and are custom framed for your home or office. Visit his website at www. photographybytommywhite.com

READER SERVICES ABOUT US

The first High Country Press newspaper was published on May 5, 2005, and the first issue of High Country Magazine went to press in fall 2005. We publish the newspaper weekly and currently publish the magazine seven times a year. Both are free, and we distribute the newspaper and magazine in Watauga and Avery counties. Our newspaper is packed with information that we present and package in easy-to-read formats with visually appealing layouts.

The magazine represents our shared love of our history, our landscape and our people. It celebrates our pioneers, our lifestyles, our differences and the remarkable advantages we enjoy living in the mountains. Our guiding principles are twofold: quality journalism makes a difference and customer care at every level is of the greatest importance. Our offices are located in downtown Boone, and our doors are always open to welcome visitors.

Chilly Nights are HERE

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

BACK ISSUES

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

natural. comfortable. home.

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

ADVERTISING

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

Contact us at:

High Country Press/Magazine P.O. Box 152 130 North Depot Street Boone, NC 28607 www.highcountrypress.com info@highcountrypress.com 828-264-2262

M

anufacturing fine down comforters, adjustable down pillows & support featherbeds in the NC High Country . . . since 1982.

9452 Hwy. 105 between Boone & Banner Elk 828.963.4144

Linens.com :: www.dewoolfsondown.com

www.dewoolfson

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

7

FROM T H E PUB L ISH ER

A Publication Of High Country Press Editor & Publisher Ken Ketchie Creative Director Courtney Cooper Graphic Artists Tim Salt Advertising Sales Beverly Giles Amber Smith Associate Editor Anna Oakes

Past and Present

Ken Ketchie

A

fter living in these mountains for over 35 years, I’m still finding places in the High Country I’ve never seen. A photo assignment for a story in this month’s issue took me to a new discovery—the old elementary school in Beech Mountain.

For most of us when we think of Beech Mountain, you think of ski slopes in Eastern America’s highest town. Right? Well, long before there were the ski slopes, golf courses and thousands of vacation homes on the mountaintop that became the official Town of Beech Mountain, there was—and most importantly—still is a close-knit community of families residing on the backside of Beech Mountain near the Tennessee line.

They called it the Beech Mountain Community. I’d never been there before. What a beautiful area to visit! I’ve since learned it’s a place where generations of families have lived since the first settlers arrived in the High Country. And being somewhat off the beaten path—away from the hustle and bustle of fast food, shopping centers and traffic lights—it seems to be a place where tradition and the past still matter.

Our story is about how the community responded to the 2010 closing of the elementary school that had served the Beech Mountain Community since 1940, and how two women found the strength and determination to rally their community around saving the school building so it could continue to serve as a community center. Kelly McGuire and Tammy Jones overcame many obstacles, eventually convincing the Avery County Commissioners to lease the building back to the community for 99 years for a $1 a year. Now they’ve rolled up their selves for the next phase of fundraising to help preserve and maintain the building and expand its uses for the community.

The school had always been the gathering place for the community, a place where everyone knows everyone, and where culture and tradition remain strong, and in some ways, time seems to have stood still. I found this text on the school’s website. “It was from such mountain communities the cultural values of the Appalachian people were formed—traits of personal independence, loyalty to family, and a strong work ethic that were developed in response to the often extreme hardships that people in the mountains faced. Taking care of one’s own was necessary for survival in rural Appalachia.”

It was easy to tell from the enthusiasm of the people I met that day, they were ecstatic to have their school building back as the center of their community. So many kids have sat on the doorsteps leading up to the school’s front door in its 71 years.

That entrance way is a place of many memories for the families of the original Beech Mountain Community.

8

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Contributing Writers Jesse Woods Eric Crews Kristian Jackson Harris Prevost Becky Alghrary-McRee Linda Kramer Contributing Photograhers Todd Bush James Fay Kristian Jackson Eric Crews Finance Manager Amanda Giles High Country Magazine is produced by the staff and contributors of High Country Press newspaper, which serves Watauga and Avery counties of North Carolina

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE P.O. Box 152, Boone, NC 28607 828-264-2262 Follow our magazine online where each issue is presented in a flip-through format. Check it out at:

HighCountryMagazine.com Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Issues are FREE throughout the High Country. © 2010 by High Country Press. All Rights Reserved.

PICK-ME-UP

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

9

Calendarof Events Calendar # 1

OCTOBER 2011 5-9

ASU Theatre: Mother Hicks, Valborg Theatre, ASU,

15

Valle Country Fair, Valle Crucis Conference Center grounds, 828-963-4609

15

Harvest Celebration, Jefferson United Methodist Church, 336-846-9512

828-262-3028

6

North Carolina Symphony Performance, Walker Center, Wilkes Community College, 919-733-2750

6

The New River Boys, Legends, ASU, 828-262-3030

7

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

7-8

Ghost Train Halloween Festival, Tweetsie Railroad,

www.tweetsie.com 7-8

Lansing Haunted House, old Lansing School, 336-384-9021

8

Boone Heritage Festival, Boone, Hickory Ridge Homestead, Horn in the West Drive, Boone, 828-264-2120

8 8

Todd New River Festival, Cook Park, Todd, 828-964-1362

8 8 8

8-9

Holiday Market, Tate-Evans Town Park, Banner Elk, 828-773-1906

21

Lonesome River Band, Hayes Center, Blowing Rock, 828-295-9627

21-22 21-22

ASU Homecoming, homecoming.appstate.edu Ghost Train Halloween Festival, Tweetsie Railroad,

www.tweetsie.com

Lansing Haunted House, old Lansing School, 336-384-9021

22

ASU Football vs. Samford: Homecoming, Kidd Brewer Stadium, ASU, 828-262-2079

22

Mayview Madness 5K and Fun Run, American Legion Post 256, Blowing Rock, 828-264-2511

22

Valle Crucis Punkin Festival, Mast General Store,

Ghost Train Halloween Festival, Tweetsie Railroad,

Valle Crucis, 828-264-5174

Lansing Haunted House, old Lansing School, 336-384-9021

KANSAS with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-4046

Blowing Rock Jazz Society: Todd Wright All Stars,

www.tweetsie.com 14-15

20

21-22

Meadowbrook Inn, Blowing Rock, 828-295-4300 14-15

Lees-McRae College Hayes Auditorium, Banner Elk, 828-898-8709

Fall Wildflowers and Fungi Presentation,

Elk Knob State Park, Meat Camp, 828-297-7261 9

Lees-McRae Performing Arts: Much Ado About Nothing,

Oktoberfest, Sugar Mountain Resort, 828-898-4521

17-19

Mountain Home Music: Piano Man of the Blue Ridge,

8-9

9

Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk, 828-898-5605

Blowing Rock School Auditorium, 828-964-3392

15-16

Snyder Family Band, Ashe Civic Center, West Jefferson,

336-846-2787

Mountain Home Music: Banjo Jubilee, Blowing Rock School Auditorium, 828-964-3392

Katona Twins, Hayes Center, Blowing Rock,

828-295-9627

15

Festival of the Frescoes, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Glendale Springs, 336-877-3607

KANSAS with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra, October 20

22

Mountain Home Music: Celtic & Classical,

Blowing Rock School Auditorium, 828-964-3392

10

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

DON’T FORGET

EVENTS

Ghost Train Halloween Festival The most thrilling train ride of your life awaits at Tweetsie Railroad’s annual Ghost Train Halloween Festival, taking place Friday and Saturday nights until October 29. Prepare for heart-racing, harrowing experiences if you dare to set foot in The Boneyard, the 3-D Maze, the Black Hole, the Freaky Forest and the Haunted House.

There’s trick-or-treating and fall festival delights for the entire family, too!

OCTOBER 7 to 29

Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9, are the dates for this year’s Oktoberfest celebration at Sugar Mountain Resort. Celebrate the beautiful season of fall in the mountains at one of the area’s highest peaks. Enjoy scenic lift rides up the mountain, delicious Bavarian food, a live oom pah band, handmade arts and crafts and plenty of German beverages. Best of all, admission and parking are free.

OCTOBER 8&9

105 in Linville at the Foot of Grandfather Mtn • 828-733-3726

www.mountaineerlandscaping.com • www.mountaineerlandscapinglinville.com October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

11

11th ANNUAL

Monday, October 31st Boone Boo!, October 31

Lonesome River Band, October 21

Holiday Craft Market, November 26

4:00-4:30pm Storytelling & Goodies at the Watauga Library

OCTOBER 2011...continued 4:30-4:45pm Parade to the Jones House 5:00-6:00pm Trick or Treating

5

Watauga Community Band, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU,

10

Comedians Dov Davidoff and Bret Ernst, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-262-4046

Haunted Horn Trail, Horn in the West, Boone,

12

ASU Football vs. Western Carolina, Kidd Brewer Stadium, ASU, 828-262-2079

North Carolina Dance Festival, Valborg Theatre, ASU,

13

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

Ghost Train Halloween Festival, Tweetsie Railroad,

15

Visiting Writers Series: Mary Doria Russell, Plemmons

Lansing Haunted House, old Lansing School,

16-19

(828) 262-4532

23

www.dbda@boone-nc.org

828-262-3020 24-31

828-964-2383 27-29

828-262-3028 28-29

Student Union Blue Ridge Ballroom, 828-262-2871

www.tweetsie.com 28-29

29

336-384-9021

29 29

31 31

19

Holiday Market, Ashe Farmers’ Market, Backstreet,

25

Christmas in the Park, Memorial Park, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5222

26

Christmas Parade, Main Street, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5222

Newland Halloween Extravaganza, Newland, 828-260-3205

Wedding Show of the NC Mountains,

West Jefferson, 336-877-4141

Boone Boo!, Watauga Public Library and downtown

Dr. Dog with David Vandervelde and Quiet Life,

Meadowbrook Inn, Blowing Rock, 828-295-4300

Boone, 828-262-4532

18-20

Ghoulish Gala, Crestwood Reosrt and Spa, Boone,

855-234-6242

Fall Dance Concert, Valborg Theatre, ASU, 828-262-3028 Legends, ASU, 828-262-3030

Children’s Halloween Celebration, Ashe Farmer’s

Market, Backstreet, West Jefferson, 336-877-4141

17

ASU Football vs. Georgia Southern: Black Saturday, Kidd Brewer Stadium, ASU, 828-262-2079

Adam Growe Comedy Quiz Show, Ashe Civic Center,

West Jefferson, 336-846-2787

at participating Downtown Boone Businesses* Sponsored by: Downtown Boone Development Association

26

Holiday Craft Market, Buckeye Recreation Center, Beech Mountain, 828-387-3003

26

Thanksgiving Wood Kiln Opening, Bolick and Traditions Pottery, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5099

27-12/4 Advanced Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat, Valle Crucis Conference Center, 828-963-4453 Art Crawl, November 4

NOVEMBER 2011

3

Visiting Writers Series: Robert Goolrick,

Plemmons Student Union Table Rock Room, 7:30 p.m., free, 828-262-2871

3-12

4

ASU Theatre: How I Learned to Drive,

DECEMBER 2011 1-3

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

Downtown Boone Art Crawl, downtown Boone

2

galleries and studios, 828-262-4532

I.G. Greer Studio Theatre, ASU, 828-262-3028

3

Downtown Boone Art Crawl, downtown Boone

3

12

5

Peabody’s Charity Wine Expo, Broyhill Inn & Conference Center, Boone, 828-264-9476

9-11

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

An Appalachian Christmas, Grace Lutheran Church,

Boone, 828-864-3392

galleries and studios, 828-262-4532

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

Studio K: The Nutcracker, Farthing Auditorium, ASU, 828-265-4111

DON’T FORGET

EVENTS

Valle Country Fair SATURDAY October 15

BUY ONE PAIR OF GLASSES AT REGULAR PRICE...

GET A FREE PAIR OF SINGLE VISION SUNGLASSES* EXPIRES 11/11/11 NO OTHER SPECIALS ACCEPTED WITH THIS OFFER.*FRAMES FROM A LIMITED SELECTION. INSURANCE PLANS DO NOT APPLY. *EXCLUDES OAKLEY BRAND.

BLUE RIDGE

VISION

There’s a reason more than 10,000 people travel to Valle Crucis every October for the Valle Country Fair; with 140 fine art and crafts vendors, it’s one of the best places to do Christmas shopping for friends and family. Taking place at the Valle Crucis Conference Center on Saturday, October 15, the fair also offers hot apple cider and apple butter, homemade jams and jellies, Brunswick stew, barbecue, live music and dancing and much more.

OPTOMETRY

Woolly Worm Festival If you love the thrill of a crowd and the excitement of a spectacle, head to Banner Elk on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, for the famous Woolly Worm Festival, taking place as always on the grounds of the old Banner Elk Elementary School. One of the quirkiest events in the Southeast, the festival’s main event is the racing of woolly worms to determine which of the furry critters will forecast the coming winter’s weather. There’s arts and crafts, food, live music and much more.

OCTOBER 16 & 17

IN THE BOONE MALL CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

828/264-2020

CLOTHING BOARDS BOOTS SKIS HELMETS

AREA’S NEWEST & BEST

SKI & BOARD

RENTALS EVERYTHING TO GET YOU ON THE SLOPES!

Great People.

Great Equipment.

Great Service.

Reserve Your Gear Online: www.SkiCountrySports.com

Thanksgiving Wood Kiln Opening Bolick and Traditions Pottery, located south of Blowing Rock off of Blackberry Road, fire up the old-fashioned wood-fired kiln twice a year to create oneof-a-kind pieces. You’ll want to get there first thing in the morning on Saturday, November 26, for the best selection. Shoppers can also enjoy food, entertainment and more.

SHAPE SKIS DEMOS PERFORMANCE JUNIOR SNOWBLADES

SATURDAY November 26

ACROSS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO SUGAR MOUNTAIN IN BANNER ELK October / November 2011

828/ 898-9786 800/ 528-3874

www.SkiCountrySports.com High Country Magazine

13

mountain

echoes

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

Now Open: Blowing Rock Art and History Museum aA fter more than a decade of planning and two years of construction, the Blowing Rock Art and His-

tory Museum’s (BRAHM) doors are open for art viewing.

Admission is free for BRAHM members and kids 4 and

under; $8 for adults; and $5 for students, military and kids 5 and up.

The museum held its grand opening on October 1.

The theme of the opening exhibitions is “What Draws You Here?” The exhibits in the 23,000-square-foot building, which has 4,500 feet of gallery space, include Historic Hotels of Blowing Rock, Elliot Daingerfield: Art and Life in North Carolina and Blowing Rock: A Natural Draw.

BRAHM, which opened on October 1, rests

“It won’t be all high brow art,” BRAHM Executive Di-

behind the art gallery Edgewood Cottage, which

rector Joann Mitchell said during a tour of the museum

was Elliot Daingerfield’s old home.

in August. “It’s going to be very interesting and fun for everybody.”

Elliot Daingerfield: Art and Life in North Carolina includes artifacts, drawings and photographs and 86 paintings by

ARTS

the late artist, who was a North Carolina native and summer resident of Blowing Rock.

Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The museum has seven membership levels: individual ($40), young

Blowing Rock: A Natural Draw will include artifacts such as old photos, vintage postcards and other memorabilia that explore myths and facts surrounding the geologic feature and rock outcropping known as The Blowing Rock.

professional ($50), family ($75), friend ($150), business/sponsor ($250), patron ($500) and founder ($1,000).

For more information, call 828-295-9099 or click to www.blowingrockmuseum.org.

The museum will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and

The Red, White & Bluegrass Jam Performing Arts Venue in Boone, next to the Boone Bowling Center.

Organized by John Tester, the jam takes place every first and third Tuesday of the

By Jesse Wood

Remaining 2011 Schedule October 18

Diana & Sarvis Ridge

November 1

Dollar Brothers

November 15

Carolina Crossing

month from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The jams last three hours, with a featured

Tt

he Red, White & Bluegrass Jam has been a fixture in the region for 10 years, but

recently it has settled into one of the High Country’s newest venues—the Harvest House 14

High Country Magazine

group in the middle of two one-hour jam ses-

Food and beverages are sold. Admission

sions. Tester said that 20 to 30 musicians show

of free, but a donation of $4 is suggested. For

up each week to play. Cloggers and contra

more info, click to the jam’s Facebook page at

dancers are also welcome to join.

www.facebook.com/rwbj.boone.nc.

October / November 2011

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

15

mountain

echoes

Like to Scare People?

HAPPENINGS

Volunteers Make Local Halloween Attractions Come Alive

tT

info or call Brenda Reeves at 336-384-9021.

Lansing Haunted House

tainer, remembers dressing up as a lot of differ-

o scare the bejesus out of thrill-seekers each Halloween season, local attractions rely on

the efforts of volunteers and paid actors.

Ghost Train Halloween Festival Scott McLeod, a Tweetsie Railroad enter-

For more info about next year’s auditions, click to www.tweetsie.com or contact Joe Clark at 828-264-9061.

Haunted Horn Trail Each year, ASU Teaching Fellows along with

Last year, volunteer Andy Elliott spent

ent spooky characters for Tweetsie’s Ghost Train

his weekends in October dressed as a psycho

Halloween Festival, but his favorite was Frankie

community volunteers produce the Haunted

hillbilly, wearing overalls with long hair while

Frankie, a cartoonish Frankenstein loved by

Horn Trail at Horn in the West in Boone. This year’s

scaring people who dared to enter the Lansing

children. The festival runs from September 30

event, which runs from October 24 to October

Haunted House. Now in its third year, this fam-

to October 29 on Friday and Saturday evenings

31 from dark (approximately 7:30 p.m.) until mid-

ily friendly haunted house will open its doors

beginning at 7:30 p.m., for $28 per person.

night is $10 for adults and $8 for students.

every Friday and Saturday between September

Actors for speaking and nonspeaking roles

Anyone interested in volunteering next

30 and October 29 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Ad-

are selected through an audition process and

year as a costumed actor should attend the

mission is $5 per person.

are judged on stage presence and vocal quali-

interest meeting in late September to plan

ties, among other criteria. These paid perform-

costumes and props for the trail. For more info,

who were selected to participate as an actor.

ers go through rigorous rehearsals, preparing

contact Freda Greene at 828-964-2383 or email

Volunteers also build haunted backdrops. For

for a role in the haunted house, on the ghost

her at george31654@yahoo.com.

more info about this year’s event or volunteering

train or as a puppeteer or dancer.

Elliott is one of approximately 30 volunteers

next year, click to www.lansinghauntedhouse.

By Megan Northcote

Be a Dansko Diva at all your tailgating events!

The Dande Lion Mon-Sat • 10am-5pm

FINE LADIES APPAREL, SHOES, HANDBAGS AND Shoppes of Tynecastle NOW INTRODUCING EXTENDED SIZING 4501 Tynecastle Highway • Banner Elk, NC www.dandelionstyles.com • 828.898.3566 FOLLOW US ON

16

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

17

mountain

echoes

Junior Rodeo in Deep Gap on October 8

dD

eep Gap hosts the second annual High

on foot and milk a 1,200-pound cow that has

Country Rodeo on Saturday, October 8.

nearly six-foot wide horns.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the rodeo begins

The rodeo will feature about 100 con-

at 6:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5

testants with 300 entries into the various

for children under 5. Makoto’s will serve a $6

events. Children between the ages of 6 and 17

plate dinner at 4:30 p.m.

participate in the events, and many local kids

Last year’s event was

have registered for the

an overwhelming suc-

rodeo. Fairchild said

cess. More than 1,800

performing in rodeos

spectators attended

is no different than any

the event—more than

other sport; it takes hard

quadruple what was

work and commitment

expected.

to excel.

“It’s a team sport

“By the time perfor-

between you and

mances started, we had to turn people away—couldn’t get them in,”

your horse. At this age, it teaches you a lot of

Chad Fairchild, High Country Cowboys and

responsibility—the fact that you have to care

Cowgirls (HC3) committee member, said.

for something that is living and breathing,”

The High Country Rodeo is a Junior Southern Rodeo Association (JRSA) event organized

FAN FARE

Fairchild said.

The High Country Rodeo is located east of

by the HC3. Events include bull riding, barrel

Boone on U.S. 421 directly across from Laurel

racing, tie-down roping, mutton bustin, team

Springs Baptist Church. Parking is free. For

roping, pole bending and more. This year’s

more information, contact Fairchild at 828-

special intermission event is wild cow milking,

963-3646 or cfairchi@clgco.com.

where six three-man teams will try to catch

By Jesse Wood

Three Join Lees-McRae 2011 Hall of Fame Class

oO

n September 30, Lees-McRae College inducted three former Bobcat athletes

into the Fred I. Dickerson Hall of Fame as part of its Homecoming festivities, welcoming Carla Swart (’11), Allison McDonald Norris (’93) and Leonard Wheeler (’89).

Swart quickly became the most decorated collegiate cyclist in history before passing away in a tragic training accident in January 2011 in her native South Africa. Swart collected 19 individual and team national titles while becoming the first cyclist in collegiate history to win a national title in each of the four disciplines, accomplishing the feat during the 2008 season.

A native of Hendersonville, Tenn., Norris starred for the women’s soccer team and garnered all-region and conference player of the year honors as a senior, while finishing her career ranked second in program history in total assists (36), third in match-winning goals

A New Retreat at Whispering Waters

a A

(12), fourth in total points (108), and tied for seventh in total goals (36).

Wheeler played six seasons in the NFL after

fter more than 20 years of caring for animals, Dr. Maggie Feder-

a four-year college career that included stops

hart is now extending her holistic approach to people with the

at Mississippi, Troy and Lees-McRae. A native of

opening of the Whispering Waters Mountain Retreat, located east of Boone.

cinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1992 NFL Draft, where he spent the first five years of

Working with Dianna Lee, Federhart is opening the new retreat center next to her Whispering Waters Animal Clinic, located on Pine Run Road off of U.S. 421. With

BODY & MIND

Toccoa, Ga., Wheeler was drafted by the Cin-

a vision for a place of creativity, friendship, learning and healing, the two invite teachers and students to participate in a broad

his career. Wheeler went on to play one season with the Minnesota Vikings and one with the Carolina Panthers before retiring in 2001.

Wheeler is now the CEO and founder of Wheeler Enterprises, Inc., a company that spe-

range of classes that will include instruction in cooking, painting, dog training,

cializes in personal and executive coaching. He

yoga, horsemanship, personal weight training and more. For more information or

is also an active member of the NFL Players As-

directions, call 828-355-9233 or click to www.animalsnaturally.org.

sociation, serving on the association’s financial committee, and has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the NFLPA.

18

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

19

Discover

Dark Sky

For the first time, you can take a peek at the universe at North Carolina’s Observatory.

W

hen raccoons rustle through the dense Blue Ridge undergrowth and moths flutter away from their afternoon perches, when it’s quiet enough to detect the screech owl’s whinny, when the last seams of sunlight succumb to Earth’s shadow over the mountain ridges, that’s when the day begins at Dark Sky. About 45 minutes northeast of Boone on a ridge atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment, Appalachian State University faculty and students have been watching the skies since 1981 at a facility that, although not well known to the general public, is the paramount research observatory in the state of North Carolina. With the opening of a new visitor center this fall, however, the High Country community will have the opportunity to view the universe through a new lens.

‘Darkest Skies…East of the Mississippi’ Dan Caton, professor of physics and astronomy and director of observatories at Appalachian State, said the land on which the Dark Sky Observatory sits—in Phillips Gap, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway—was donated to the university in 1943, but it sat without a purpose until the late 1970s. Faculty,

Story by Anna Oakes 20

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

including Caton, began using the observatory in 1981. According to a printed program from the May 24, 1982, dedication ceremony for the observatory, the facility was a joint project of the university and the ASU Foundation, and construction was financed by the foundation through the sale of timber and the use of unrestricted funds.

“The Appalachian State University Dark Sky Observatory has the darkest skies of any major observatory east of the Mississippi River,” the 1982 program read. “Its remote location, high elevation and local topography insulate the site from light and heat pollution and, therefore, make it an ideal observatory installation.”

At the time, the instrumentation in use at Dark Sky included an 18-inch diameter telescope, a microprocessor-controlled telescope guidance system and equipment to make computer-analyzed observations, the program stated. In addition, Lowe’s Companies donated a 1,200-square-foot house to serve as the observer’s quarters—a place for observers to sleep after an all-night observation or for visiting astronomers. “Much of the labor required to assemble the observatory dome and to design the computer controls has been provided by

photography by Todd bush

The Whirlpool Galaxy, photographed by the 17-inch Dean Glace telescope at Dark Sky Observatory.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

21

“Those visual connections that you make looking through a telescope really open the mind to the endless possibilities that are out there.� ~Adam Smith, ASU astronomy lab instructor

22

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

the university physics and astronomy faculty,” the program added.

In conjunction with the dedication of the observatory, Owen Gingerich of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University delivered a lecture at ASU’s Rankin Hall titled “Will the Universe end with a bang or a whimper?”

Over time and with the aid of grant funding, a few smaller telescopes and domes joined the 18-inch at the small Dark Sky campus, and in 1995, the current 32-inch model replaced the 18-inch as the main telescope at the observatory.

“It’s the best university telescope that’s actually in North Carolina,” remarked Caton. “As far as active telescopes that are really used for research, we are the leader.”

Other observatories in the state include the Three College Observatory (jointly operated by UNC-G, N.C. A&T University and Guilford College) near Burlington, which also features a 32-inch telescope, and a 24-inch telescope on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. (UNC-Chapel Hill also has a 4.1-meter telescope in Chile that it shares with other institutional and government entities). Dark Sky is not plagued by the light pollution that hampers visibility in the Piedmont.

Each telescope is equipped with

“We are helping shore up the foundations of astrophysics.” ~ Dan Caton, director of observatories at ASU digital cameras and other instrumentation and is operated by several different software applications. The telescopes can be controlled remotely and have quite a long shelf life. Some telescopes will last a century or longer—unless destroyed by a natural disaster, that is. Only four months

ago in June 2011, lightning struck the Dark Sky campus, inflicting significant damage on three of the four domes and telescopes at the research facility. The main scope, the 32-inch, was spared.

“All of those telescopes are down for now,” said Caton, but fortunately, the

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

23

Banner Elk Realty “THE ONLY NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW IN MOUNTAIN REAL ESTATE”

When you get serious about wanting superior, knowledgeable service in buying or selling real estate in our beautiful High Country, then contact Banner Elk’s oldest full time brokerage firm. Put 31 years experience in our local real estate market to work for you!

We are committed to professional service.

John D. Davis, III Owner/Broker

31

YEARS

Dean Glace, an amateur astronomer in South Carolina, operates a 17-inch telescope at ASU’s Dark Sky

828.898.9756 (O) 828.260.1550 (C)

PO Box 336, 415 Shawneehaw Ave Banner Elk, NC 28604 Downtown • Beside The Red Caboose www.bannerelkrealty.com

Observatory remotely from his home. Using this telescope, he photographed (from left on this page and next page) the Trifid Nebula, the Horsehead Nebula and the Sombrero Galaxy.

high-dollar instruments were insured, and the department hopes to bring the scopes back online within the coming months.

Observatory engineer Lee Hawkins and lab instructor Adam Smith were at Dark Sky when it was hit. “It was really dangerous in retrospect,” said Caton. “We’ve had nearby hits [in the past] that have induced spikes that made minor damage.

This was a direct hit.” To help ward off similar strikes in the future, the department is installing a fiberglass pole to act as a lightning rod, Caton noted.

A Research Facility, First and Foremost Although conditions at Dark Sky are not as ideal as those enjoyed by large observatories out West—which have higher elevations and/or less water vapor in the atmosphere—clear nights afford ASU faculty and students the rare opportunity to conduct substantial research without having to travel great distances.

“There are many, many schools who really don’t have facilities like this,” noted Michael Briley, the new chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at ASU. He should know. Briley comes to ASU from the University of WisconsinOskhosh, which was a member of consortium that shared use of an observatory in Arizona. The Arizona observatory lacked 24

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

remote control capabilities, meaning Briley had to travel there to conduct research. The prospect of a facility such as Dark Sky played a role in his decision to come to Appalachian.

“It’s just great to have something so much closer,” he said. ASU astronomy professors don’t have to compete with researchers for time at some of the nation’s largest observatories, and even undergraduate students gain valuable experience from using the equipment at Dark Sky—and also at a small observation dome and telescope at Rankin Hall on the main campus.

“We have a very, very unique facility,” said Adam Smith, who earned undergraduate and master’s degrees at ASU and has been an astronomy lab instructor since 2004. “First off, it’s a unique experience for undergrads to use telescopes at all.

Most don’t typically do that.”

The research produced at Dark Sky isn’t leading the pack in astronomical research—rather, like many other observatories across the world, its data fulfills the very important function of corroborating discoveries and supporting theories. “We’ve made small discoveries here and there. It’s a different kind of role when you’re not on the frontier,” said Caton. “We’re filling in the chinks in the foundation…we are helping shore up the

Dark Sky Observatory www.dso.appstate.edu Donations may be made by sending a check made out to “ASU Foundation - Friends of the Observatory� to ASU Foundation, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608. The ASU Foundation is a nonprofit foundation, and your donation is tax-deductible. Alternatively, funds may be easily donated online to the same account by sending a PayPal payment to DSOdonations@appstate.edu. w

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

25

Clues About the Universe SkyNet and Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow

D

ark Sky Observatory is one of many facilities around the world collecting data on gammaray burst afterglows—one of the most important research subjects in astronomy today.

Until recently, gamma-ray bursts had astronomers perplexed.

U.S. military satellites stumbled upon the phenomena in the 1960s while on the lookout for Soviet nuclear activity. Believed to be the most powerful explosions in the universe since the Big Bang, gamma-ray bursts are short, intense flashes of gamma rays that can last from a few milliseconds to a few hundred seconds.

Gamma-ray bursts are followed by an afterglow—first detected in 1997—of longer wavelength radiation that can last for weeks or even years. Studying the afterglow allows scientists to piece together what caused the burst. Scientists believe the bursts occur during the death of a large star, resulting in the formation of a black hole.

Gamma-ray bursts have the potential to tell us a lot about how the universe formed. Recently, scientists from the University of Warsaw used data from gamma-ray bursts to, for the first time, assess the speed of space-time expansion even in the early periods after the Big Bang, according to Astronomy magazine.

Because of the importance of gamma-ray bursts to the field, many groups of astronomers and astrophysicists around the world have combined their efforts to record data from afterglows, and one of these groups is SkyNet, a network of robotic telescopes operated by UNC-Chapel Hill. When NASA’s Swift satellite detects a gammaray burst, it transmits a message to SkyNet’s telescopes, which are 26

High Country Magazine

In April 2009, NASA’s Swift satellite detected the most distant gamma-ray burst to date, at 13.14 billion light-years from Earth. Photo courtesy NASA/Swift/Stefan Immler

programmed to immediately stop what they’re doing, swing around to the burst’s location in the sky and begin collecting data from the afterglow. While SkyNet’s scopes are not imaging GRB afterglows, researchers can use them remotely through the internet to observe targets of scientific interest.

As part of his master’s thesis, ASU lab instructor Adam Smith constructed a 14-inch robotic telescope at Dark Sky and coordinated with UNC-Chapel Hill to place the scope on the SkyNet network.

He documented the process in his thesis, which is meant to serve as a guide for others. “We’ve detected three gamma-ray burst afterglows so far,” Smith said—the first from a burst 10 billion light-years away.

Dark Sky soon hopes to place a second telescope—the 17-inch Dean Glace telescope—on SkyNet.

w

October / November 2011

foundations of astrophysics.”

Caton focuses his telescope on binary stars (two stars in orbit around each other) and monitors several binary systems suspected of having a planet (imagine the scene from Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker stares pensively toward two suns setting over the Tatooine horizon). It’s believed that about half of the stars in the galaxy occur in pairs, and, Caton says, “it’s fundamental to know that binary stars can have planets. We now know that they can.”

That’s because on September 16 of this year, Science Magazine published an article revealing the discovery of Kepler-16b—a gas planet, similar to Saturn in size, which orbits a set of binary stars.

Now, he said, “I’m more optimistic about detecting one.”

Caton also studies asteroids. When an asteroid travels between Earth and a star, it temporarily can block the star’s light from reaching the Earth, effectively casting a very narrow shadow on Earth for a brief amount of time. By measuring the length of time in which the star is eclipsed from Earth’s view, Caton can determine the size of the asteroid. Joseph Pollock, another professor at ASU, studies the light curves of asteroids as they tumble past the Earth, while Richard Gray’s

Some planets and bright stars can be viewed through telescopes during the day.

The Dean Glace Te l e s c o p e

I

n 2009, Dark Sky Observatory donated the telescope and a digicollaborated with amateur as- tal camera to Dark Sky. He uses tronomer Dean Glace to install a the telescope primarily for imag17-inch telescope at the observa- ing, targeting deep sky objects tory campus, which Glace oper- such as galaxies, nebulae and star ates remotely from his home near clusters. Often, a space object is Charleston, S.C. A retired Navy not bright enough to detect color captain, Glace decided a few through the telescope lens, but by creating images years ago that he in grayscale and wanted to build processing them an observatory through red, blue for his 17-inch and green filters, telescope, but his Glace can prowife questioned duce realistic colthe idea—what or photographs. about burglars, or Sometimes this insurance, or acprocess can take quiring the land more than 12 for an observatohours. ry? Both his wife M4 globular cluster “I’ve been inand daughter are graduates of ASU, and they men- terested in astronomy for over tioned the university’s astronomy 20 some years,” Glace said. “You know that there’s millions of stars program.

Glace contacted Dan Caton, in those galaxies, and there’s mildirector of observatories, and lions of galaxies.” two and a half years later he

w

by Charleston Forge

Opening Soon 251 Industrial Park Drive Boone, NC 28607

828.264.0100 www.charlestonforge.com

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

27

work is in stellar spectroscopy. The primary telescope at Dark Sky is equipped with a spectrograph, which splits the light from stars into a color spectrum.

“Biologists classify plants and animals.

Geologists classify rocks. Astronomers classify stars by examining their spectra.

We can tell a star’s temperature, its age, if it’s a dwarf, giant or supergiant by analyzing the spectrum,” Gray said in a 2009 ASU article.

Briley, the new chair, is eager to begin collecting data for his own research at Dark Sky—“every night I’ve been scheduled has been cloudy,” he laughed. One project includes locating new, hot stars to map out the reach of the Milky Way’s spiral arms.

“We’re sort of in the forest trying to figure out where the trees are,” Briley said.

“It’s constantly changing,” Briley said about the field of astronomy. “The difference between what we thought was going on when I started and what we think is happening today is just remarkable.”

Sharing the Skies The new Don Cline Visitor Center is an addition to the largest observatory dome at Dark Sky, and it’s been more than a decade in the making.

The new visitor center will allow Dark Sky Observatory to host monthly public viewing nights that are commonly offered as outreach programs at other observatories, including Three College Observatory. Until now, public viewing nights have not been held at the 30-year-old facility primarily due to a lack of restrooms and adequate parking, Caton said. The visitor center was conceived more than a decade ago (one design dates back to 1998) but has been hampered by changes in university leadership (chancellors, deans and department chairs), economic recessions and design changes. Finally, the center was completed this year—thanks to the efforts of ASU Physical Plant Director Mike O’Connor and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Tony Calamai, Caton said—before the ax fell on the state university system budget this fiscal year. “If we didn’t finish it this year—I don’t know when it would be finished,” said Caton, with sincere relief in his voice.

The facility features a large gallery and reception room, restrooms, a control room and an area for merchandise sales. The 32-inch telescope has been equipped with an electric lift and eyepiece that can be lowered for the disabled, meeting Americans with Disabilities Act 28

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Above:

Observatory

Engineer

Lee Hawkins (left) and astronomy lab instructor Adam Smith make adjustments to a telescope at Dark Sky Observatory. Three of the four telescopes at Dark Sky were recently damaged by lightning.

Left: The Veil Nebula, photographed

by Dean Glace using a 17-inch telescope at Dark Sky.

(ADA) regulations. Caton estimates about $400,000 has been spent in construction of the Visitor Center. Don Cline, for whom the center is named, has been the lead donor for the project.

Cline, who lives in Greensboro, spent a career as an engineer for Bell Telephone Laboratories and Micro Computer Systems before founding the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in 1998. He serves as PARI’s president and board member and on a number of advisory boards, including the advisory board for ASU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

PARI’s mission is to offer research and educational opportunities for all levels of students in radio and optical astronomy and in the related disciplines of physics, engineering, chemistry and computer science. “We touch some 12,000 students a year,” said Cline. “Astronomy is something…young people can get excited with.

I’m very much about hands-on science.

“Dark Sky was an opportunity to bring…science to everyday people and also younger people,” Cline added. “I think that it will serve the Boone area very well in having a resource that’s unique on the East Coast.”

T

he Don Cline Visitor

Center at Dark Sky Observatory is named for Don Cline, who received the Champion of Science,

Mathematics and Technology Award from the North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center in 2008.

The first viewing night took place September 24—and even though the Physics and Astronomy Department didn’t widely publicize it, both sessions were filled to capacity.

“We’re going to ease our way in,” explained Caton. Public viewing nights at Dark Sky will be first-come, first-served events for which attendees can register online. A small fee will be charged at the gate on viewing nights to help pay for the outreach program and for student guides.

In the future, the observatory could

install a new telescope in the center for use by visitors while faculty and students are using the larger telescope. Public programming will likely expand with the implementation of a partnership between ASU and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which will hire an astronomer who will split time between the museum and ASU. Like Cline, Caton hopes the public viewings and other outreach programs at Dark Sky could serve as a gateway to science careers for children—“let’s hook them with what they’re curious about. Astronomy is a great interest to everyone.”

That’s how it happened for Adam Smith, who as a young kid—maybe around first grade, he says—stumbled upon a local astronomy club on the Norfolk, Va., riverfront after dinner with his family one night. Pausing at one of the club’s telescopes, Smith peeked through the eyepiece and saw Saturn.

“You could see the rings and the moons…that was essentially it for me,” he recalled. “Those visual connections that you make looking through a telescope really open the mind to the endless possibilities that are out there.”

w

Always Great Savings on Broyhill

Now Featuring Henredon, Lane, Laneventure and Maitland-Smith Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Mon. - Sat. 10 AM - 6 PM • Sun. 1 PM - 5 PM

8486 Valley Blvd. (Hwy 321) Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828• 295• 0965

Your Sealy Posturepedic Headquarters October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

29

A Labor of Love

This painting of Beech Mountain School by artist Erma James hangs in the home of longtime school supporter, Dewey (Cyclone) Brett of Beech Mountain.

Beech Mountain Community Development Club

Breathes New Life into Old School

Story by Becky Alghrary-McRee

D

uring the Great Depression and the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the United States Congress created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with the goal of creating employment for unskilled workers while at the same time constructing needed buildings like schools to benefit rural communities. In Avery County, a number of these WPA schools served Avery County’s mountain children for many years, but as time marched on, they were replaced with more modern facilities. Usually this left the various communities in a quandary as to how to use the old school buildings. Structurally sound for the most part, these stone schools still had a lot of life left in them. One such school in this area is the old Beech Mountain Elementary School, which closed in 2010 due to low enrollment and resultant financial difficulties.

30

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Kelley McGuire (right) and Tammy Jones (left) have made the Beech Mountain Community Development Club their main focus since 2009.

When the local school permanently closed in 2010, the women vowed to make the old building a welcoming community gathering place.

The attractive stone school building, built in 1939, has not changed very much in its appearance over the years.

1953

2011 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

31

32

High Country Magazine

”

Built in 1939 and opened in 1940, the pretty stone building had been the center of the community for approximately 70 years. Children from the Old Beech Mountain Community now attend other elementary and middle schools in both Avery and Watauga counties.

The Old Beech Mountain Community has always been closely knit. The traditions and customs of the families who have lived there for generations have been passed down to their children and grandchildren. These families have always enjoyed social events and gatherings— mostly at the old Beech Mountain school building.

Thanks to the hard work of a number of committed members of the Old Beech Mountain Community, and especially to two very devoted women—Kelley McGuire and Tammy Jones—this old school has once again become a hub of activity that involves this 400-plus member community and residents in surrounding Watauga and Avery counties as well.

Jones, president of the Beech Mountain Community Development Club and McGuire, former president and now vice president, devote every minute of their spare time to working on behalf of the Beech Mountain Community Development Club, Inc. These two dynamic ladies, who happen to be best friends and who grew up together attending Beech Mountain School through eighth grade, have put their minds—and hands—together to not only acquire the school building for the Beech Mountain Club, but to organize its social events, oversee its maintenance and everything connected to the running of this historic structure. But acquiring the old school as the club’s own building did not come easily.

Originally founded in 1986 with the help of the Avery County Cooperative Extension office, the early Beech Mountain Community Club was very active

The more people told us we couldn’t do it, the more determined we became. ~ Tammy Jones

Beech Mountain School 1951

October / November 2011

”

and competed in community and state competitions, including Western District competition for youth in essay writing, public speaking and more. Members also worked on beautification and held senior citizen dinners, among numerous other projects. All the club’s meetings were held at the school.

Directors of the club at the time of incorporation in 1990 were: Boyd McCloud, Melvin Jones and Omer Trivette.

“My parents Omer and Faye were involved in the club for many years,” said McGuire, “and others involved in the work and development in the early club

The Beech Mountain Community consists of five smaller communities: Mt. Gilead, Fall Creek, Flat Springs, Beech Valley and Beech Mountain. The view along the Old Beech Mountain Road looks west toward Tennessee and Roan Mountain.

years were Regina Jones, Ruth McCloud, Allen and Shirley Harmon and Cathy and Katie Trivette.”

But age and illness began to catch up with the older founding members, and the club lay dormant from about 2000 to 2009. “When we realized that the K-6 school was going to close, we knew we had to do something,” the two said. “The school had always been the heart of our community with all neighborhood parties and social events held there. We were afraid the building would be turned into low-income housing or something else that wouldn’t allow us to use it anymore.”

With money that the formerly active club had invested in a money market account, they did not start out empty-handed but found that only under certain circumstances were they allowed to use that club treasury money.

“In 2009, the club re-formed, against a load of opposition,” said Jones. “But the more people told us we couldn’t do it, the more determined we became.”

“We had to go to the County Commission and the Board of Education to show them that we could take this old school and could take care of it and afford it,” said McGuire. “Or, we would have to give the treasury money to churches and disband our community club.”

The call to action was answered and McGuire, Jones and the late and much respected Boyd McCloud went to the County Commission with their plea. “We went along with other community members when we appeared before the commission numerous times. We actually started planning a year before the school closed.

The commissioners asked us to present

a ‘business plan,’” said the two. “They wanted to know how we planned to obtain money or grants.”

The two worked on the plan and later McGuire’s daughter, attorney Tracy Frick, presented their business plan to the commission.

Both said that the Avery County Commissioners could not have been more helpful and cooperative. “They eventually

leased us the building for 99 years for $1 a year. And they gave us a $2,500 grant,” said McGuire. The Beech Mountain Community Club was the first to receive this grant from the county, but according to the two, it is available to other communities that qualify as well.

“We were really hoping to keep all the kitchen equipment and appliances in the old school because we prepare the senior

Old Beech Mountain Road, which leads to the historic building, winds past mountains, pastures, woodlands and valleys with breathtaking views.

Inviting signs welcome visitors to the Beech Mountain Community along the way.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

33

citizens’ lunches two times a week there, and also the Meals on Wheels program was cooked and sent out from there. We didn’t get to keep all the kitchen equipment, but we’ve learned to make do and hope to renovate our kitchen when we have sufficient funds,” the women said.

The club, which had been incorporated in 1990, is classified as a nonprofit and is now up and running in full swing with a full schedule of social events, community fundraisers and civic responsibilities. With a set of bylaws in place, every meeting is conducted using Roberts Rules of Order. “Everything must be voted on,” said McGuire. Current officers are Jones, president; McGuire, vice president; Jason Jones, secretary; Tanya Surgeon, treasurer; and Tonya Estep, reporter. Each officer has a two-year term.

“The school building is officially called the Beech Mountain Community Center. It is really going good, but it is a lot of work,” McGuire said. But the two are encouraged because they have received a grant from Mountain Electric from Operation Pocket Change and several sizeable donations from anonymous donors. They have also received a $10,000 grant from the Thoreson Foundation and various other donations.

The club regularly applies for available grants, and Jones and McGuire have spent hours researching and writing these

grants. One of these is from the Golden Leaf Foundation and is worth a little over a half-million dollars. “Since the Old Beech Mountain Community was the biggest burley tobacco growing region in the eastern United States, with over half the residents with tobacco allotments, we feel we have a good chance for this grant—we certainly hope so,” said McGuire.

“If we got this grant, we could use it to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms and to upgrade our heat source from oil heat to propane gas,” said Jones. “Yes, last winter we had to shut the building down the day after our Christmas party and winterize it until the end of March because of the heating expense,” McGuire added. Next year they won’t have the luxury of closing the building during the coldest winter months because they are already scheduling numerous usage and rental dates for various groups and individuals.

A longtime supporter of Beech Mountain School and now of the Beech Mountain Community Club is Cyclone Brett of Beech Mountain. Last Christmas he and Kiwanis Club members provided gifts and gift cards distributed at a Christmas party to all the school age through high school youth in the community. Brett has also donated books to the club’s lending library, as has the Avery-Morrison Library, which donated 24 boxes of books.

Both of these smart women are

The school’s old gym is now used for concerts, revivals and the Beech Mountain Community Development Club’s big Harvest Festival. The space can be rented by the public for special occasions like family reunions or wedding receptions.

34

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Piles of collected clothing lie waiting in a former classroom. A new club program is a clothing closet, especially helpful for those whose home has burned or those in need of assistance. One room of the old school now serves as the club’s lending library for adults. There is also a library with books for children.

constantly busy and sometimes stay up until 1:00 a.m. working on club business. “But, oh my goodness, we are so fortunate to have all these volunteers,” McGuire said. “When we got the building we did have concerns about taking the best care of it, but this most wonderful couple, Carolyn and Lynn Marshall, volunteered to take over as custodians. He does the maintenance, grounds and lawn and we just can’t thank him enough.” The women said the maintenance on the old

building has been very low with the exception of repairing a few leaks and adding new guttering. They stressed that the building, including the gymnasium, the cafeteria area, or even one classroom is available for use by the public for a reasonable fee. “We will allow anyone to use or rent a part or the whole of the building if they apply and are willing to pay the nominal fee,” they said. Of course, members, being those living in the Old Beech Mountain Community, use the club’s

facilities for free when the event is club sponsored. For a private affair, they too pay the usage fee.

Club Secretary Jason Jones has been posting a schedule of the club’s activities in the Avery Post newspaper weekly. The current schedule is as follows: The club’s monthly meeting is every third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the school.

The meeting is open to the public. At the meeting the club conducts a business meeting talking about old and new issues,

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

35

Anna Mae Baynard and Nell Cook were dedicated cafeteria workers at Beech Mountain School for many years. Nell’s husband, Lance Cook, (below) and Jack Guy, stand with the 1950s North Carolina school buses that carried children to and from school for many years.

N.E. Johnson, a former principal at Beech Mountain Elementary, spent 39 of his 44 years in education at Beech Mountain School. Johnson also served as a teacher as did his daughter, Sharon Johnson,

Class Size Through the Years

who was on the faculty when the school closed in June 2010.

1951

2010

1977

Enrollment at Beech Mountain School declined through the years from large groups of students to the 15 students enrolled at the time of closing. Younger students often left the school to follow their older siblings to new middle school districts. This last school picture included the faculty of three who remained. Sharon Johnson (left), Jason Jones, (middle) and Melanie McLeod (right).

36

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

fundraisers and more.

“It’s really a social event for our community,” said McGuire. “Sometimes we have to tell the folks to stop their talking about canning, etc. and get back to business,” she laughed. Every week on Mondays and Thursdays, Zumba classes are conducted, and on Tuesdays, participants can enjoy crocheting, line dancing and rug hooking. Every third Friday night there is a community dinner and bingo beginning at 5:30 p.m. “We may serve spaghetti, barbecue, or a pinto bean dinner for example, and we always have homemade desserts.” they said. There are about 15 women in the area who usually do all the cooking for the club’s events.

Every second Saturday of the month, the club conducts a yard sale, also featuring crafts, and a farmers’ market. “If it rains, it’s no problem, we have it rain or shine and just move indoors,” said McGuire.

In July, the Old Beech Mountain Heritage Festival was held as a part of the Avery County Heritage Festival. The day was filled with crafts, music, antiques and a display showcasing the growing of burley tobacco in the area.

A club-sponsored golf tournament was held at Sugar Mountain Golf Course in September that hopefully will become an annual event. In October the club sponsors a haunted house, and on Saturday, October 22, will hold their Fall Festival with games, food, bingo and more, their biggest event and moneymaker of the year.

The club also has a youth and an adult lending library available in the school building. Recently a five-night youth revival for the churches in the area saw attendance of 80 to 100 every night. “And we do the free senior citizen dinner on the second Saturday of November for the seniors who live in our community,” they continued.

A monthly concert also takes place, and in July, the Whip Daddies performed. The women said those interested can check the concert schedule that will be listed weekly in the Avery Post. As if that is not enough, the Community Club is a designated Red Cross emergency shelter for the American Red Cross of Watauga County, the voting precinct for the area, the location for the Grange’s monthly meetings and is a WINGS emergency site. But these two ladies are always thinking of what they can do next to make their Community Club the best.

“We would like to have some classes for credit take place in some of the classrooms,” they said. “And we’ve been trying to get some of our elders in the community

CURTIS R. PAGE, DDS, PA & STAFF WELCOME LARRY J. COOK, DDS TO OUR DENTAL PRACTICE ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

For Adults & Children

Crowns • Bridges • Veneers • Implant Restorations • Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry Dentures and Partials

516 NEW MARKET BOULEVARD • BOONE, NC • 828-265-1661 (Located Across From Boone United Methodist Church)

Newly Expanded Office Hours Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

37

The Fates of other WPA Schools in Avery County

O

ther WPA schools in Avery County have faced similar fates as the Beech Mountain Elementary School, and their community leaders have devised ways to continue use of these valuable historic buildings.

The Elk Park WPA School, which was built about the same time as the Beech Mountain building, has become a part of Northwestern Housing Enterprises, Inc. The building underwent renovations and a new structure was added at the rear to become 40 units of affordable housing for the low income, elderly and disabled.

The Minneapolis School, also a WPA school, was purchased by the Minneapolis Baptist Church, whose parking lot adjoined the property. This historic school has been turned into the Candlestick Retreat Center. According to an internet article by Norman Jameson, the church bought the building with the help of other Baptist groups and offers its 72-bed facility for the Retreat and Enrichment Center used by camps and for other church-related retreats and events.

The Town of Banner Elk is currently looking at options for its historic WPA school built in 1939 and opened in 1940. Since the opening of the new Banner Elk Elementary in August, the building sits unused. “We are in conversation with the county and actively trying to find a way to preserve the school and property for the community’s use,” Town Manager Rick Owen said recently. Whoever takes over the school building will need hard workers and organization to get it up and going as a community building and center.

involved with the concerts and perhaps dancing. I think they had a good time at the last concert,” said McGuire, “Even though they’re not used to this kind of music.”

“We have an outside playground open to the public for basketball and volleyball if anyone is interested. But if the child is 12 or under they must be accompanied by an adult,” said Jones.

What a wonderful facility this club headed by these two women has brought to the Old Beech Mountain Community, not to mention surrounding areas.

Through their ingenuity and hard work they’ve kept this old school from being neglected and forgotten. As for the old Beech Mountain School, a plethora of good memories come to mind when local folks speak of it. Long-time principal of the school Phil Shomaker of Banner Elk said, “I just love that school—it was the best in the state. That community is just wonderful and all the children were the best. I was honored to be there.”

Shomaker recalled old stories about the school’s early days, especially one about

w

38

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

famed musicians Flatt & Scruggs. “They came to play at the school, and there was no electricity so they played by lantern light,” he said.

It’s hard to see how McGuire and Jones have been able to accomplish all that they have.

Jones, who is the mother of one son, has worked in the health care profession in the past and now has gone back to school at Mayland Community College to study nursing. McGuire, who is married to stonemason Jeff McGuire, is the mother of three and works full-time as a unit rental manager at Sugar Ski and Country Club. She has worked in hospitality for many years. Both women are also heavily involved in their church, Beech Mountain Baptist.

How do they keep up with it all? “The summer has been very busy, but we don’t consider it work—it’s a lot of fun and we’re so used to doing it that it’s automatic,” said McGuire. The women want everyone to know that the club is in the process of setting up their website and is now on Facebook, and donations to

Generous contributors Ben and Lemma Apple became involved through Beech Mountain School’s kind, supportive friend, Cyclone Brett, who enlisted many from the Beech Mountain Resort Community to assist the elementary school. The Foundation lent financial assistance to purchase playground equipment.

This group of Community Development Club members volunteered at the recent club sponsored golf tournament at Sugar Mountain Golf Course. They are (back row, from left) Bradley Estep, Carla Estep, Janice Surgeon, Tammy Jones, Kelley McGuire, Bruce Guy and David Norris.; and (seated, from left) Betty Lou Stansberry, Carie Lee Estep, Cathy Trivett and Tonya Surgeon.

Club facility will be in good hands.

“We will go on strong. This is our heritage and our kids’ future,” both said. the club are tax deductible. They will accept goods or monetary donations. Jones and McGuire said they would love to have someone staffing the building several hours every day but have not yet reached that point. They do have an answering machine so that folks can call and leave a message to which they will respond. The number is 828-898-5051.

“We just take it a day at a time. We’re like the Lucy and Ethel of Old Beech Mountain,” they laugh together. “We’ve never had a cross word and are very supportive of each other. We just say, ‘Yes, we can, and here we go.’”

As long as McGuire and Jones are around, the Old Beech Mountain Community and the Beech Mountain Community

For directions to the Beech Mountain Community Center, from the community of Heaton on N.C. 194, between Banner Elk and Elk Park, turn up Old Beech Mountain Road; drive eight miles on that road until you reach the old school building, which has a sign out front. Telephone: 828-898-5051

w

EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY OF LEATHER .

Wesley Hall VISIT OUR SHOWROOM THURS-SAT OR BY APPOINTMENT • 828-898-6110 • TOLL -F REE: 1-866-561-5858 V ILLAGE OF S UGAR M OUNTAIN • BANNER ELK, N ORTH C AROLINA Located in the Village of Sugar Mountain, on Hwy 184. Turn at the entrance of Sugar Mountain Ski Resort onto Sugar Mtn Drive, second right onto Dick Trundy Lane, first building on the left.

October / November 2011

www.maplesleather.com High Country Magazine

39

Fall Dining Guide F

all in love with the High Country’s restaurants this season and enjoy the area’s best dishes, desserts and drinks. From French-Italian cuisine to genuine Southern soul food, these local eateries are gearing up for the cooler weather with hot eats. Read more about these dining destinations to see what’s new with this flavorful fall dining guide . . . Bon appétit!

40

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

fall dining bandana’s bar-b-que & grill boone. Serving Boone and the North Carolina High Country since 1996, Bandana’s is a local favorite for great food, service with a smile, and exceptional dining value. All of their Bar-B-Que items are smoked on premises using a unique blend of local hardwoods.

Best known for their Baby Back Ribs, the Bandana’s culinary team smokes the ribs until they are tender and juicy. After marinating in their signature Bar-B-Que sauce, the ribs are grilled to perfection!

Also, be sure to check out the fresh Salad Bar, which has over 40 items from which to choose. n 828-2652828 www.bandanasbarbeque.com

The Best Cellar Blowing Rock. The Best Cellar restaurant has been a favorite among locals for decades. Located in The Inn at Ragged Gardens in downtown Blowing Rock, The Best Cellar offers 11 elegant rooms, seasonal gardens and serves lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are suggested. n 828-295-3466. www.ragged-gardens.com.

BLOWING ROCK GRILLE blowing rock. Blowing Rock Grille provides an upbeat, exciting dining experience offering a wide variety of prices and choices.

Enjoy your meal outside on the scenic sidewalk garden courtyard or dine in the warm and inviting atmosphere found inside.. The Grille serves lunch and dinner and offers homemade soups, vegetable plates, delicious sandwiches

and salads. Along with fabulous nightly specials, you will find a consistent, quality meal among the dinner menu options, including fresh fish, pasta, pork, and aged premium steaks. Bert’s Bar offers a unique wine list, as well as your favorite beverage! n 828-295-9474. www.theblowingrockgrille.com

BOONE DRUG Boone. Celebrating 90 Years!

The downtown old soda fountain and grill features “handdipped ice cream, real cherry and vanilla Cokes and old-fashioned grill items made to order.” Boone Drug also offers gift cards and gifts for any occasion. n 828-264-3766.

CAFÉ PORTOFINO BOONE. Café Portofino offers a casual atmosphere and truly 5-star dining. The self-described “Garlic House” menu is a creative mix of

two great locations serving the high country

Downtown Blowing Rock

155 sunset drive

✦

blowing rock

828.295.3399

Downtown Boone

beautiful new downtown location!

805 W. King St. boone n.c.

828.865.1515

pizza. hoagies. salads. beer. more...

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

41

fall dining Thai, Eurasian and Italian influences. For after-hours entertainment, check out the adjoining taproom with billiards, darts, and fifty bottle and draft beers from around the world. n 828-264-7772. www.cafeportofino.net

Canyons Blowing Rock. This historic restaurant and bar is known for its spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and its scrumptious southwestern and ordinary American eats. Make a trip out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings to enjoy live, local music that will keep your toes tapping all night. n 828-295-7661. www.CanyonsBR.com

Bienvenido s a

Dos Amigos

n

/

Restaurante Mexicano Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Daily Drink Specials

Every Wednesday

Breakfast served from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday – Saturday!

is

Margarita Night!

42

High Country Magazine

Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm / Sun: 11am-9:30pm

2082 Blowing Rock Road Boone, NC 28607

828-265-1674 • New Market Center www.dosamigosmexicanrestaurant.net

www.cfarestaurant.com/boone

October / November 2011

Call: 828-264-4660

fall dining Capone’s Boone. Capone’s has been voted “Best Pizza in the High Country”, and for good reason. With a great beer list, pizzas, strombolies, calzones, and pastas, Capone’s is a great place to stifle your hunger and quench your thirst. Try the Super Supreme Pizza, which has pepperoni, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, fresh garlic, and onions.

The staff favorite is MachineGun Mike’s, which is composed of a mouthwatering combination of teriyaki chicken, pineapple, bacon, and teriyaki sauce. n 828-265-1886

CASA RUSTICA BOONE. Casa Rustica offers some of the finest Northern Italian-American cuisine in the High Country accentuated by a cozy, fireside atmosphere. Casa Rustica’s extensive wine list is updated every 30 days to include interesting vintages and new organics. Enjoy live jazz every Thursday night and classical guitar every Sunday. All ABC permits. n 828-262-5128. www.casarustica1981.com

Cha Da Thai Boone. Cha Da Thai is the only authentic Thai cuisine in the area. Cha Da Thai offers an extensive menu and daily specials. A few favorites inclue Pad Thai served with Tamarind base red sauce and Pad Gra Pow with special Thai basil leaves.

From sweet to sour and from salty to spicy, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your taste. Located on Howards Street. n 828-268-0434. www.ChaDaThai-NC.com

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

43

fall dining Char modern american restaurant BOONE. char...where New York

City meets the Blue Ridge Mountains! A unique, contemporary bistro located in downtown Boone, offering diverse, creative and delectable brunch, lunch and dinner cuisine in a warm, open, cosmopolitan setting. char also features a covered deck and a sleek modern bar.

Serving modern American cuisine including signature dishes – Low Country Shrimp & Grits... Angus hand-cut Ribeye Steak...Turkey & Brie Sandwich and Grilled Tilapia Fish Tacos. Nightly Entertainment.

Come join us at char for Food • Drinks • Music • Art • Fun... n 828-266-2179. www.char179.com

Exquisite Authentic Thai Cuisine

Daily Lunch Specials Lunch Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-3:00 Sat-Sun 11:30-3:00

Also Open for Dinner Every Day: Mon-Sun 5:00-10:00

* Serving beer and wine * 173 Howard Street in Downtown Boone 828-268-0434 Fax: 828-268-0439 chadathai-nc.com

It’s Always Trout Season

In Blowing Rock!

SERVING A VARIETY OF FRESH SEAFOOD, POULTRY, LOCAL MOUNTAIN TROUT, ANGUS BEEF, SARA’S BABY BACK RIBS, HOMEMADE SOUPS AND SALADS.

LOBSTERFEST - Every Thursday

Call Ahead By Tuesday To reserve Your Lobster

828.295.9819 • Main Street, Blowing Rock

Serving Dinner

Tuesday - Saturday 5:00pm - 9:00pm 44

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

fall dining Chick-fil-a Boone. With so much to do in the High Country, you’ll want to refuel quickly to have time for it all. Whether it’s a pre-hike breakfast or a lunch break during your epic, daylong shopping extravaganza, you can count on Chick-filA for a delicious way to fill up fast. n 828-264-4660. www.chick-fil-a.com

EAT CROW EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE

Sandwiches • Pies • Cakes Gourmet To Go • Catering Now Taking Orders For Holiday Pies and Side Dishes Call for our many selections

Fabulous British Chef/Owner

crippen’s Blowing rock. Chef Stan Chamberlain is making a name for himself as diners post opinions on tripadvisor.com and opentable.com keeping Crippen’s the #1 restaurant in Blowing Rock and Top 5 in Western North Carolina! Enjoy the casual atmosphere and fine dining restaurant, with a daily menu featuring a variety of Artisan breads, homemade soups, creative appetizers, fresh seafood, meats and game, and delicious homemade desserts. Be sure to ask your server about the eclectic wine list too! n 828-295-3487.

Scones • Shepherds Pie • Steak & Ale Pie • Pudding etc

Meryle & Dominic Geraghty EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm 828.963.8228 • 9872 Hwy. 105 S. in Foscoe (across form Mountain Lumber)

www.crippens.com

eat crow foscoe. Having been an executive chef for the last 30 years, in places as far away as England, Scotland, Alaska, New Mexico, and most recently Hound Ears Club, Dominic Geraghty has found a home at his restaurant Eat Crow, along with his wife Meryle. When not making delicious sandwiches on homemade bread they are busy baking pies, cakes and entrées to go - Plus English specialities! n 828-963-8228.

Bringing together delicious fare, top-notch service and a stylish, new atmosphere!

Can’t you just taste it?

Blowing Rock is Crippen’s...

Crippen’s is Blowing Rock.

LUNCH & DINNER:

Tuesday–Sunday, RESERVATIONS:

828/295-3487

239 SUNSET DRIVE

CHEF DE CUISINE:

(Just off Main Street)

Stan Chamberlain

www.Crippens.com

Carolyn & Jimmy Crippen

October / November 2011

HOSTS:

High Country Magazine

45

fall dining

Celebrating 4 years in the High Country

Foggy Rock BLOWING ROCK. Opened in October 2010, Foggy Rock Eatery and Pub is chef Burt Myers’ next original restaurant in the High Country. Enjoy a casual dining experience for both lunch and dinner and great food at low prices. Foggy Rock has a Blowing Rock décor and the pub has the most TVs in town, with all the sports channels and more. Check out the 15 drafts that include local breweries! n 828-295-8084. www.foggy-rock.com

• The High Country’s only made from scratch, boiled & baked on premises • All Natural Recipe • No Fats or Preservatives

BREAKFAST & LUNCH

828-265-4141 Mon- Fri: 7am - 2pm • Sat: 8am - 2pm & Sun: 9am- 2pm

www.mountainbagels.com 211 Boone Heights Drive • Boone (Turn at Burger King on Hwy 321)

Olde est. 1919

Sundries

“Step back in time… Walk along the worn wooden floor and plunk yourself down at one of the two J-shaped counters...” ~New York Times

Enjoy one of our daily lunch specials!

Treat yourself to an old fashioned chocolate soda, a real vanilla coke or fresh squeezed orangeade!

617 W. King Street 828-264-3766 YOUR PRESCRIPTION FOR A GOOD DAY! 46

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

fall dining Gamekeeper Blowing Rock. Housed in a 1950s stone cottage, The Gamekeeper is an upscale restaurant that offers an eclectic mix of Southern foods and mountain cuisine, including mountain trout, buffalo rib eye, ostrich, duck and beef tenderloin. The friendly staff literally waits on you hand and foot, assuring that you’ll leave happy and satisfied. The restaurant is located off Shulls Mill Road near Yonahlossee Resort. n 828-963-7400. www.Gamekeeper-NC.com

JOY Bistro Boone. Purveyors of Fine Food & Drink. Chef/Owners Melissa Joy and Gary Claude welcome you to come in and enjoy delicious food and delightful cocktails in a casual, warm and inviting setting. Fresh and always seasonal ingredients are used in our nightly specials as in our superb menu. Full bar, extensive wine list, & craft beers. n 828-265-0500 www.joybistroboone.com.

LOS ARCOIRIS Boone. On a search for the perfect Mexican meal? Los Arcoiris is just the place. This restaurant not only offers incredible, fresh Mexican cuisines, Los Arcoiris has a welcoming atmosphere and great service. Imagine enjoying freshly prepared Mexican dishes like burritos and chimichangas tucked away in a cozy booth surrounded by authentic Mexican murals. Los Arcoiris is able to satisfy any craving with vegetarian and childrenfriendly dishes also available. n 828-264-7770 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

47

CAPONE’S uNtOuChAblE!

Specializing in NY Style & Chicago Style Gourmet hand-tossed Pizza!

Pizza like No Other !

fall dining MELLOW MUSHROOM BLOWING ROCK & BOONE. Mellow Mushroom opened up its beautiful new location in downtown Boone this summer, with delicious pizzas, hoagies, calzones and a great beer selection. And don’t forget the Blowing Rock location on Sunset Drive. n Boone 828-8651515.Blowing Rock 828-295-3399. www.mellowmushroom.com.

Mountain Bagels

828-265-1886

454b West King St. Downtown boone across from the turchin Center

Boone. Known as serving up the “Best Bagels south of New York”, Mountain Bagels has been feeding hungry mouths with quality fresh food for everyone. From homemade Quiches and signature deli sandwiches made with Boar’s Head meats & cheese to made to order salads and a Lebanese menu featuring Hummus, Babaganouch (seasonal), Falafel & more, Mountain Bagels has something for everyone. n 828-265-4141. www.mountainbagels.com

NICK’S RESTAURANT & PUB BANNER ELK. Offering our new Summer menu with your choice of great Summer salads, wings, burgers, quesadillas, steaks, salmon and much more in Nick’s Restaurant. Nick’s has all ABC permits and a relaxed atmosphere. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. n 828-898-9613

mr. original GYROS BOONE. Once a Week, Go GREEK! Mr. Original’s gyros are made in the original style that the Greeks invented. The meat is cooked to order on a unique vertical broiler. This cooking process, along with the restaurant’s nutri48

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

fall dining tious handmade pita, gives Mr. Original Gyros an authentic taste found nowhere in town. n 828268-9899

The Painted Fish BANNER ELK. The Painted Fish Café and Beer Bar prides itself on its upscale environment with a relaxed, casual ambiance. The café features inspired food, fun beers, and superb wines all at surprisingly reasonable prices. Organic and locally grown and raised ingredients are used whenever possible. Enjoy the outdoor dining area perfect for friends and family! n 828-898-6800.

ining 5 Star D he Prices without t al in a Casu re!

Atmosphe ining All Day D

KIDS MEAL

FREE

Kids 10 and under eat free with purchase of adult entree.

Lunch or Dinner.

Tues-Thurs

www.paintedfishcafe.com

PAPA JOE’S Blowing rock. Locally owned and operated since 1982, Papa Joe’s offers casual dining in a warm, friendly atmosphere. The menu is made up of Italian-American cuisine, steaks, seafood, pastas, chicken, pizzas, sandwiches, and more. Papa Joe’s bar has all ABC permits and is fully stocked. This is a great place for fun and food with friends or family! n 828-295-3239.

970 Rivers Street • 828-264-7772 • w w w. c a f e p o r t o fi n o . n e t

F  

Red Onion Café Boone. The Red Onion Café has created its niche in the High Country for more than 30 years by offering a welcoming atmosphere and an extensive menu at affordable prices. The café has something for every member of the family, including burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta, fish, steak and delicious homemade desserts. The Red Onion Café also offers several of the region’s top beer and wines to compliment any meal. The outside patio is perfect for lunch or for warm evenings. n 828-264-5470. www.theredonioncafe.com.

Modern Mountain Cuisine

TOP 50 U.S. Restaurants As ranked by over 7 million OpenTable reviews

Shulls Mill Rd beside Yonahlossee

www.gamekeeper-nc.com

(828) 963-7400 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

49

fall dining Speckled Trout Café & Oyster Bar Blowing Rock. Since 1986, the Speckled Trout Cafe & Oyster Bar has been pleasing both locals and visitors with its exquisite choices for dinner. The house specialty is smoked rainbow trout from local waters, but the extensive menu covers everything from steak to roast duckling to catfish. Reservations are recommended. n 828-295-9819. www.speckledtroutcafe.com.

STICK BOY BREAD CO.

Truly one of the most romantic settings in The High Country.

Prime Rib Special on Tuesdays • Wing Special on Wednesdays • Thursday Night Music Series

&

Table At Crestwood Dawg Star Bar & Grill

7

OPEN NIGHTS A WEEK.

www.crestwoodnc.com | 3236 Shull’s Mill Road | 828.963.6646 50

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Boone. This small, family-owned artisan bakery is where you can find high quality baked goods along with great service for a special experience you surely will not forget. Stick Boy Bread Co. offers everything from freshly baked breads and steaming cappuccinos to delicious cinnamon rolls and decadent chocolate tortes.

The best part is that everything is made right there in the bakery using the best ingredients and methods. Nothing served is shipped frozen from thousands of miles away like in most “supermarket” bakeries. Nothing is taken out of a box, put in the oven for 10 minutes, and then labeled “fresh baked.” Be sure to check out the real-deal bread makers in Boone! n 828-268-9900. www.stickboybread.com

The Table at Crestwood Blowing Rock. The menu is a creative mix of Southern fare with a European touch. The spectacular views will captivate you while you enjoy fireside dining. Try the Garlic Stuffed Filet, Creek Stone

vidalia Boone. Vidalia is a casual, upscale restaurant featuring “creative American cuisine.” It offers daily specials, various events, wine tastings and special nights. Vidalia holds all ABC permits and has an extensive, 60+ bottle wine list, craft beers, martinis, whiskeys, scotches and cordials. Vidalia’s menu changes twice a year to keep it seasonal and practices farmto-table food, using local vendors as much as possible. n 828-263-9176. www.vidaliaofboone.com

Over 120 Small Tapas Plates

Farms all natural filet of beef stuffed with black garlic, topped with tomato confit and truffle oil, served with mashed potatoes and vegetables or North Carolina Mountain Trout, Carolina Mountain Farm trout encrusted with almond flour, served with balsamic-glazed sweet potatoes & crisp baby spinach. n 828-963-6646. www.crestwoodnc.com

Progressive Alternative Dining

Every Game.

Every Sunday.

Football at Zuzda!

Open Daily 4pm-until...

502 West Main St. Banner Elk www.zuzda.com 828-898-4166

Two Fabulous Bars • All ABC Permits

fall dining

Extensive Wine Selection • Live Music Fri. & Sat.

Zuzda Banner Elk. Zuzda is a “tapas style” chef-owned restaurant that offers over 125 small plates of all cuisines. The “progressive alternative dining” offers the opportunity to taste and share small portions of food in a random order of presentation. Zuzda offers inside and patio dining and two bars, all of which is nonsmoking. Zuzda holds all ABC permits, and the wine list is as extensive as the menu, offering many wines by the glass. n 828-898-4166. www.zuzda.com.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

51

A Southern Appalachian Exposure Photo Competition Accepts Submissions Until November 18 Over the next 12 pages, experience Southern Appalachia’s culture, people and magnificent landscapes through the lenses of the region’s most talented photographers. We share with you past finalists in the esteemed Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

1 52

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

T

2

3

he ninth annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) began accepting submissions on August 1. The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers 13 years or older, and registration ends on Friday, November 18, at 5:00 p.m. It costs $6 per image entry.

Eight years ago, the AMPC attracted 100 entries.

Last year, more than 700 photographs were submitted, and 10,000 people viewed the final selections at the Turchin Center for the Arts last spring.

“With the number of submissions and where those submissions are coming from and the prize packages, this has grown into one of the most prestigious photo competitions in the area,” Rich Campbell, associate director for ASU Outdoor Programs, said.

In past years, the AMPC has received submissions from 20 states, as well as some international entries.

This year’s prize packages amount to $4,000.

This year, the AMPC offers seven separate categories: Best in Show, Blue Ridge Parkway, People’s Choice, Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, Landscape and Our Ecological Footprint. Participants may enter up to three images per category.

The photo competition is paired with the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour screening in Boone every spring with the intention of personalizing the tour stop for the High Country community, Campbell said.

“During Banff we get transported and experience a variety of different places in the world,” Campbell said. “[For AMPC] we really tried to create a mechanism where people could look at their own mountain culture…here in the Southern Appalachians.”

After the submissions are narrowed down to 46, the selected entries will be displayed at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts from February 3 to June 2. Then the winning entries will be selected from the narrow field and announced on stage during the local screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

“It’s a lot of fun. Part of the goal is to encourage people to interact with the Southern Appalachians… [and it] encourages you to grab your camera and get out there and have people rediscover their own backyard,” Campbell said.

AMPC is a program of ASU’s Outdoor Programs in partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and the Turchin Center. For more information, call 828262-2475 or click to www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

4

1 2 3 4

Jesse Hawk, “Tree Project,” 2009 Colby Rabon, “Rooftop,” 2010 Robert & Shiiko Alexander, “Dave Duke Sorts Tobacco Leaves,” 2008 Bob Peterson, “Sunrise After Ice Storm,” 2008 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

53

5

8

6

9

7

5 Eric Heistand, “Splash or Trash,” 2009 6 Lynn Willis, “Catch of the Day!” 2008 7 Dale Forrest, “First Color,” 2009 8 Scott Hotaling, “Going Big,” 2010 9 Sonny Hedgecock, “Like Father…” 2007 10 Nicholos D’Amato, “Hanging Rock Sunset,” 2010 54

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

10

Category Descriptions for 2012 AMPC The AMPC website describes the characteristics of each category as follows. Images must be taken on or after August 1, 2006, to be eligible for the 2012 AMPC.

11

Adventure: Imagery depicting mountain sports such as climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, etc.

Blue Ridge Parkway: Photographers are encouraged to capture images of the Blue Ridge Parkway that incorporate some aspect of the actual roadway.

Culture: Imagery depicting the people, their customs, traditions, architecture and ways of life unique to the Southern Appalachian region.

Our Ecological Footprint: Imagery documenting environmental concerns in Central and Southern Appalachia.

Flora/Fauna: Imagery of plants and animals common to the Southern Appalachians.

Landscape: Scenic imagery capturing the rich diversity and natural beauty of the Southern Appalachian region.

12

14

13

11 Kent Kessinger, “Butterflies,” 2010 12 Scott Hotaling, “Forgotten Chair,” 2011 13 Zack Wilson, “Viaduct Stars,” 2011 14 Scott Hotaling, “Winter Flame,” 2011 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

55

15

18

16

19

17

15 Dale Forrest, “Night Life,” 2007 16 Dale King, “Leave Only Footprints,” 2010 17 Clayton Joe Young, “Arlie’s Beard,” 2011 18 Garner Dewey, “Star Trails,” 2004 19 Jayne Caruso, “Camoflauge,” 2009 20 Dale King, “Goldenrod Sunrise,” 2011 56

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

20

24

25

21

22

26 23

21 Carl Stearns, “Castaway,” 2004 22 Cory Barlow, “Stone Mountain Pano,” 2009 23 Chris Fletcher, “Gathering,” 2006 24 Steven McBride, “Cowee Overlook,” 2010 25 William Haun, “Local Color,” 2010 26 Brian Clevenger, “Flight of the Butterfly,” 2011 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

57

27

30

28

29 31

27 R. Kevin Combs, “Wild Ponies,” 2005 28 Andrew Tau, “Left Behind,” 2005 29 Pat Pilchard, “Autumn,” 2007 30 Corey Barlow, “Untitled,” 2005 31 Marty Hulsebos, “Frosty Afternoon on the Blue Ridge Parkway,” 2005 32 Keith Lisk, “Whitewater Falls,” 2009 58

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

32

“This has grown into one of the most prestigious photo competitions in the area.”

Rich Campbell, associate director of ASU’s Outdoor Programs

Seven Devils IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL! Sugar Top Resort Sales Dennis Lacey–Broker

Enjoy outdoor activities like tennis, hiking, the Zip Line or just plain relaxing! From nature lovers to adrenaline junkies, there is plenty to do and see around the town of Seven Devils.

And, an array of lodging choices...for a weekend or a season!

Enjoy Breathtaking Views Prices Starting at $149,000

DISCOVER SEVEN DEVILS For Zip Line: 828/963-6561 For a Brochure or Information on the Town of Seven Devils: 828/963-5343 or www.SevenDevils.net Ad Sponsored by the Seven Devils Tourism Development Authority

828-898-5226

www.SugarTop.com

303 Sugartop Drive • Sugar Mtn, NC October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

59

Listed below are the local businesses and organizations that sponsor the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC). The prize packages for the AMPC amount to $4,000. For more information, call 828-262-2475 or click to www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

Primary Sponsor Virtual Blue Ridge Sponsor Mast General Store

33

34

Supporters: Footsloggers Bistro Roca Peabody’s Merchants Stick Boy Bread Co. Appalachian Voices

33 Bob Peterson, “Sunrise over the Blue Ridge Mountains,” 2009 34 Richard Rapfogel, “Fallen Tree,” 2004

CARLTON GALLERY Celebrating 29Years

Mountaineer Medical Services PLLC

Autumn Exhibition

October 9 – November 15 Opening Reception: Sunday October 9 – 2-5pm

Featured Exhibits

Kate Worm and Andrew Braitman: September 24 – October 18 Ray Byram: October 22 – November 20 Artists Receptions: Saturday, September 24, October 22, 2-4 pm

PAINTINGS • CLAY • GLASS • FIBER • WOOD • SCULPTURE • JEWELRY 10 Miles South of Boone on Hwy. 105 Grandfather Community

Call or check our website for workshop dates

828-963-4288

Open Tuesday – Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5, Closed Mondays

www.carltonartgallery.com • info@carltonartgallery.com 60

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

College Students Waived Co-Pay FAMILY PRACTICE

Weight Management CDL Physicals Drug/Alcohol Testing Ben Fann, MD Thomas Church, FNP

828-386-1001

838 State Farm Rd, Suite #2 Boone, NC Dr. Freeman’s old building – In the back –

36

37

35

35 Derek DiLuzio, “Edge of a Dream,” 2010 36 Dale Forrest, “First Light,” 2007 37 Daren Sheely, “The Center of Attention,” 2009

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

61

38

41

42

39

43

40 38 Dale King, “Solitary Cloud,” 2008 39 Brenda Ellis, “Autumn Water,” 2007 40 Richard Rapfogel, “Boone Mennonite Brethren Church,” 2004 41 Travis Goodwin, “Night Ride,” 2007 42 Banister Pope, “The High Road,” 2007 43 Jessica Maceda, “No End in Sight,” 2010 62

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

47

48 44

45

49

46 44 J. K. York, “Coal Kills,” 2010 45 Jeff Hallyburton, “Safety First,” 2010 46 Maren Robinson, “Teeth,” 2010 47 Bob Peterson, “Swimming leaves on Wilson Creek,” 2010 48 Eric Heistand, “White Snake,” 2010 49 Beth Dyer, “Oh, Deer!” 2010 October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

63

64

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Rocky Knob: Boone’s Homegrown Park Story and photos by Kristian Jackson

T

he spirit of a community can often be observed in how its members give of themselves. Perhaps nowhere in the High Country is this more evident than at Rocky Knob Park. With more than 2,000 volunteer hours of labor, Rocky Knob Park is emerging as Boone’s homegrown adventure playground.

A small mountain located just east of town on U.S. 421, Rocky Knob Park follows the example of many communities who desire an expansion of recreational activities close to town. With a seemingly endless supply of climbing, mountain biking and hiking activities surrounding Boone, the mountain town has long been known as a hub of outdoor recreation.

But many hiking, biking and climbing trips from Boone require a drive to a neighboring county.

Mike Boone, owner of Magic Cycles, puts it this way: “Out-of-town folks come to the shop over and over and ask ‘where do we go to ride some of the great trails we’ve heard about?’ and we have to say ‘you’ve got to drive to Wilkesboro or Wilson Creek.” In fact, prior to the opening of Rocky Knob Park, mountain bikers had no legal access to trails in Watauga County.

“It just didn’t make any sense,” says Eric Woolridge, outdoor recreation planner for Watauga County. In 2009, Woolridge set out to change this. He along with the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority (WCTDA) set a priority to build a multi-use park, near town, that would help bolster Boone’s already solid reputation for outdoor recreation.

That year, Woolridge accomplished three major items that would result in the creation of Rocky Knob Park. First, he created a vision of a park that would become a destination-quality multi-use recreation facility that is anchored by nine to 10 miles of single track mountain biking trails. A place where the entire family can spend the better part of the day together, outside and close to town, while experiencing an authentic level of adventure.

Second, he helped create the Boone Area Cyclists (BAC). The BAC formed as a nonprofit to develop, coordinate and promote safe and accessible bicycling opportunities in the Boone area. The BAC then would be responsible for helping manage the development of the park.

Third, Woolridge wrote and received two $5,000 grants from the Bikes Belong Foundation and Specialized Bicycles, made possible through the WCTDA’s partnership with BAC. These grants then

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

65

(top) ASU students lend a hand to complete the trail through another rocky area. (bottom) ASU Graduate Student John Matthew pauses in the midst of causeway construction through a mud bog.

Last fall, continuous heavy rains exposed springs on the mountain not present during construction. Volunteers pitched in to build structures, move rocks, and haul gravel to make a sustainable trail.

helped leverage a more potent $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF).

Knowing that these grants would not be enough to fund a superior trail system, an adventure playground, shelters, picnic areas, bathrooms and a parking lot, the BAC and WCTDA made a crucial decision. Following a model used around the country, they chose to take a hybrid approach to building the trail system. This model entails hiring a professional trail builder to design, lay out, and rough-in the trail. Volunteers would then be responsible for removing trees and brush ahead of the rough-in and using hand tools, finishing the trail. This approach is cost effective but often depends solely on the spirit, enthusiasm and commitment of the community.

During the summer of 2010, the county hired Trail Dynamics to begin a hybridbuild of the first trails at the park. That

66

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

O

ur 30 years of log home industry experience gives us the unique ability to mesh your lifestyle needs with a quality log and structural heavy timber design to create the perfect log home for you.

Give us the opportunity to bring your log home dream to life.

Call us at (800) 564-8496 for more info or an appointment to show you first hand our products and workmanship.

2999 US Hwy 221 NortH JefferSoN, NC 28640 (800) 564-8496 www.LogSAmeriCA.Com iNfo@LogSAmeriCA.Com

Oohs

and

Aahs

come standard in our log homes October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

67

i d f e n r e o l us p S Gallery and Gifts

Splendidly Different Art & Gifts 641 West King Street Suite 4 Downtown Boone 828-386-1005 SplenDiferouSGalleryanDGiftS.com

Style

FIND YOUR

REFINED

DISTINCTIVE

BOLD

On Sale Now!

LAMINATE

CARPET • HARDWOOD • TILE • LAMINATE 221 Boone Heights Drive • Boone, NC 28607 828-265-3622 • www.abbeycarpet.com David Warren, Store Manager

ASU students contribute a large portion of the volunteer effort at the park. Here students work to hand-build a section of trail through a rock field near US 421. All told, this 200 foot section took 30 volunteers over 4 hours to complete.

68

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Volunteers Alex Waterworth “I was very excited about the possibility of having a mountain bike area right here in town and simply wanted to be involved. It was also a great opportunity to learn trail building firsthand, and meet some new folks.

“Rocky Knob belongs to the community, but it also requires help from the community to complete and maintain the trail system. The more people that come out, the sooner we can ride, and the better the trail system will be! It is hard work, but it is also rewarding, and honestly—pretty fun.

There’s something extremely satisfying about riding the very berms, rock gardens and other features you helped build.”

Jenny Primm “I love to bike and trail run. I wanted to be a part of the movement, the building of these trails that myself and so many other people would be able to enjoy for years to come. What I had not expected was that Rocky Knob would

give so much back to me. The sense of pride I have when I am running on the trails or have a moment looking at the foliage at dusk is very special. It is simply a beautiful place. Volunteering is also a way for me to give back to the community that I call home.”

Paul Stahlschmidt, President of Boone Area Cyclists “Rocky Knob is contributing to our area becoming a top-notch outdoor destination. I am proud of our local leaders who have realized that investment in this brings grand returns. It is happening.

Tourists are using the park. I encounter this frequently, and it is often the same story: ‘We’re from Florida; we just rented bikes and [are] staying at the B&B down the road; Thank you.’ I’m amazed at how positive the user interaction has gone. The park has been built primarily for mountain biking but also with other uses in mind. Bikers and trail runners and hikers, dog walkers and bird watch-

ers and photographers and everyone else I have encountered seem to respect each other and do so with enthusiasm.”

Martin Kandl “The cause is one that brings people a fun way to exercise and be healthier, more outgoing and inspired individuals.

Volunteer work of this kind is good for the volunteer as well, as the essence of a life well lived has a large portion of it that is devoted to helping others.

“The volunteers themselves receive a richer, fuller life because of what they are giving out to the community. Their efforts will be felt even by generations to come with a project such as RK.”

John Matthew “The sense of ownership I have now at Rocky Knob adds to the experience of riding there. It’s a great feeling to ride across a bridge that I helped build. Now I have a local place to ride. If I’ve got a half hour, I’ve now got a place to ride.”

October / November 2011

w

High Country Magazine

69

“Rocky Knob is contributing to our area becoming a top-notch outdoor destination. I am proud of our local leaders who have realized that investment in this brings grand returns.” Paul Stahlschmidt, President of Boone Area Cyclists

(top) The Professionals. Deno Contos (Bench Mark Trails; Left) and Woody Keen (Trail Dynamics: Right) run the show when it comes to machines at the park. Keen’s outfit planned and built the first 3 miles while Contos took on the second phase of the park. When complete, riders will enjoy over 8 miles of trail. (bottom)Magic Cycles owner Mike Boone reshapes the dirt of the opening turn to make it more user-friendly.

summer, the BAC began hosting “Dirty Thursdays”—when volunteers come out to work for a few hours to finish trail. Volunteers worked almost every Thursday from August to November.

Even with Trail Dynamics working every day and over 1,000 volunteer labor hours that fall, only a mile and a half of trail was completed.

“The mountain is aptly named,” says Woody Keen, former Boone resident and owner of Trail Dynamics. Keen, one of the country’s leaders in trail design and construction, is referring to the fact that Rocky Knob is rocky—really rocky.

There area areas on the mountain that are just rock, no dirt. “It made for exceedingly difficult trail building,” says Keen. The volunteers sweated away, too, moving rocks and brush, building crib walls and carrying bridge materials until the first snows of winter covered the trail that year.

In the spring of 2011 after the snows melted, the volunteers first went to work

70

High Country Magazine

repairing the damage of winter. They moved tons of gravel to reinforce wet areas. They built causeways and stone bridges to keep the trails dry in any weather. Later in the spring, Benchmark Trails received a hybrid contract for the second trail system at the park.

The park held a “soft opening” on May 1, 2011. Now many people are enjoying the dividends of sweat equity.

Three miles of trail are open that provide for good hiking or running, nature watching and excellent biking. Funds will be released this fall to begin construction of the adventure playground, a mountain bike skills area, shelters and other amenities. Soon individuals and families will be able to spend most of a day recreating at Rocky Knob. Says Boone Area Cyclist volunteer Jenny Primm, “Rocky Knob

October / November 2011

Part of the vision at Rocky Knob is to create a park for adventure enthusiasts of all ages. The park will feature an adventure playground. This is the Beanstalk Journey in Morganton, NC and was built by Beanstalk Journeys of Jonas Ridge, NC.

is a great place for friends and families to come together to enjoy our beautiful backyard without having to travel any great distance to get there, and it encourages people to get out and be active and enjoy their surroundings.”

All told, more than 2,000 hours of volunteer labor have built the park.

Groups such as Watauga High School’s Mountain Alliance, Appalachian State University’s Cycling Team, Recreation Management Association, ACT, and Campus Crusade have volunteered.

“The volunteer effort has far surpassed my expectations,” say Woolridge. “Without their passion, the con-

sistency of their effort, and the quality of their work, the park would not be nearly as far along in such a short period of time. Volunteers led by Boone Area Cyclists are responsible for saving the TDA a tremendous amount of time and money. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I will consider myself in-

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

71

State Senator Dan Soucek addresses the crowd for the opening of Rocky Knob Park.

credibly lucky if I ever see anything like it again in my career.”

It might be tempting to look at Rocky Knob Park as the story of a bunch of mountain bikers building trails for themselves to enjoy. It is also a story of stoking the county’s economic engine. The real

story, however, might be one of investment in the community. At the opening ceremony in May, state Senator Dan Soucek spoke on the importance of recreation in our community. Through public support, a professional approach and an outpouring of volunteers, the park is

poised to be a testament to our community’s values. Through recreation and parks we can connect to and appreciate nature, and we can live healthier lives. Through volunteering we demonstrate a commitment to our community and a desire to have an incredible place to live.

w

“Volunteers led by Boone Area Cyclists are responsible for saving the TDA a tremendous amount of time and money. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Eric Woolridge, outdoor recreation planner, Watauga County TDA 72

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Visit Rocky Knob Rocky Knob is located east of town on U.S. 421. The entrance is on the right just past the landfill. Look for the Rocky Knob Park sign set back off the four-lane. A timber frame gateway is planned to be constructed this fall.

Rocky Knob Park is not fully open.

Three miles of trails are open for hiking, running and mountain biking. The Rocky Branch Trail is a 1.6-mile trail rated as an intermediate difficulty. It is not for a firsttime mountain biker. However, riders from advanced beginners to experts will enjoy the trail due to its design. The trail is a modern trail that flows with the natural terrain. Advanced riders will find hidden jumps and technical features to challenge themselves. The 1.5-mile Lower Knob Trail provides more of a challenge. The climb to the Lower Knob is steep in places, but the reward is great. Riders will find the berms, jumps and rock gardens challenging but rewarding. For safety, hikers and walkers travel in the opposite direction of riders. A few narrow parts of the trail exist. All users should yield to each other. You must bring

your own water for now and you can bring your dog, but it must stay on a leash.

Get Involved According to volunteer Jenny Primm, “There’s no better way to discover what Rocky Knob is all about then to volunteer. It isn’t hard; you do not need any tools. Just come out for a Dirty Thursday or a Saturday Trail Day and

bring a water bottle...they will supply the rest.”

Volunteers meet in the parking lot at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The BAC will supply crew leaders and tools. Plan on being out for a couple of hours, and wear sturdy shoes.

Several Saturday workdays are planned for the fall. For more information and to stay up to date, check out booneareacyclists.com and rockyknob.wordpress.com.

October / November 2011

w

High Country Magazine

73

Explaining the

Brown Mountain

Lights

Story by Eric Crews

Photo illustration 74

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

F

or centuries the Brown Mountain Lights have intrigued, haunted and perplexed those who have witnessed the strange and inexplicable lights hovering over the long, broad peak of Brown Mountain in Burke County. One of the earliest recorded sitings of the lights was by Geraud de Brahm, a German engineer who explored the region in 1771. Since then, thousands of people are believed to have seen the lights, and countless legends have attempted to explain what many scientists and geologists could not.

October October // November November 2011 2011

H H ii g gh h C Co ou un n tt r r yy M M aa g g aa zz ii n n ee

75 75

H

owever, a recent study of the lights led by Joshua P. Warren, president of the League of Energy Materialization and Unexplained Phenomena Research (LEMUR) group, has produced a compelling new explanation that he believes could help finally solve the mystery. Warren believes that a number of unique environmental factors specific to the region surrounding Brown Mountain all coalesce to trigger the phenomena. In 2004, after 15 years of research, the LEMUR group produced its study and determined that “the most likely explanation was that those primary illuminations traditionally known as the “Brown Mountain Lights” are a form of plasma, the fourth state of matter, naturally produced by the mountain,” the study explained. “Plasma is the product

76

High Country Magazine

of so much energy being added to a gas (including air) that one or more electrons are ripped from each atom producing a swirling, luminous mass of free-floating electrons and atoms that have a positive charge (positive ions).”

The study gained wide acclaim within the scientific community, was featured on the cover of a leading scientific journal and was hailed by the U.S. Naval Physics Laboratory.

While Warren acknowledges that he has yet to fully understand and predict exactly what causes the lights to happen on some nights and not others, he has discovered several factors that he believes increase the likelihood of seeing the lights.

The probability of the lights appearing increases with the amount of activity in the magnetosphere, the mag-

October / November 2011

netic field that surrounds earth, Warren said. “When I look back over the years at the times when we saw the most remarkable lights, every single time the magnetosphere was unstable,” he said.

“So, to that extent it reminds me of the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis. These are the product of something that is cosmically oriented. There are massive amounts of energy constantly coming into and going out of the earth.

I think that Brown Mountain is one of those spots that conducts a lot of energy.

Because of that, sometimes we get to see these remarkable little anomalies that illustrate just how strange and powerful our universe really is.”

The flickering lights that have puzzled everyone who’ve seen them are actually caused by buildups of electrical

This illustration is depicted on the Brown Mountain Lights sign on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Big Lost Cove Cliff Overlook.

“There are only a handful of places on the earth that seem to consistently produce these kinds of effects.

We are very lucky to have one right down the road.�

Joshua Warren

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

77

“We believe the mountain might be acting as a large capacitor or conductor of electricity.” Joshua Warren

Joshua P. Warren and members of the LEMUR group survey the rugged landscape of the Linville Gorge from Wiseman’s View during their study of the Brown Mountain Lights.

The Area’s Best Foods, Treats, and Nutritional Supplements. Plus Toys, Beds, Bowls, Grooming Supplies, Coats, Sweaters, Raingear & More!

energy, Warren believes.

“We believe the mountain might be acting as a large capacitor or conductor of electricity,” Warren said. “In our research we discovered that in many cases when the lights appeared they were accompanied by electromagnetic interference, the sort of thing you would not get from a normal light.”

Warren wasn’t the first to come to this discovery. In the 1970s a research group named ORION comprised of scientists from the Oak Ridge Laboratory studied the lights and came to the same conclusion. “It appears the very structure of the mountain is able to store up small electrical charges up to a critical point when they then discharge,” Warren said. “The end result is a natural phenomenon that produces an effect very similar to ball lightning.”

The mountain is composed of different layers of rocks like granite, magnetite

MARK J CROWELL Interior Design Services

SHOP LOCAL.

"

MTN. DOG IS MTN.-OWNED. MADE IN USA IS OUR MISSION."

Centrally Located on Highway 105 in Foscoe

MOUNTAIN and nds DOG Frie 828-963-2470 The Dog and Cat Store

78

High Country Magazine

Open 10-6 • Sunday 1-5

October / November 2011

Free One Hour Consultation www.markjcrowelldesign.com 828-719-1550 • markcrowell@live.com

(Top images) A video screen captures the Brown Mountain Lights. In 2000, LEMUR group cameraman Brian Irish shot the first known footage of the Brown Mountain Lights with an infrared video camera. Since that time the footage has appeared on numerous television shows and reports on the phenomena.

(Below) Warren works in the field monitoring equipment used to detect electrical interference. The research group determined that the lights were usually preceded by electrical interference, which led them to believe that the phenomena were caused by electrical discharges.

and quartz, he explained. “Quartz is a non-conductor, magnetite is a conductor,” Warren said. “So when you layer these things on top of one another there is the potential to store up small electrical charges that build up in the rocks.”

Add in flowing ground water that happens after a period of rain, and the electric current becomes that much stronger, Warren said.

Ads 2_Ken Half Page 9/7/11 3:20 PM Page 1

FOR SALE: 693 THUNDERHILL TRAIL

• Lodge-type home with approximately 8,000 heated sq. ft. open floor plan • Six bedrooms, six full baths, two half baths • Multiple decks and porches with views, plus outside fireplace/cooking area • Many extras including 3-stop elevator and dual fuel zoned heat systems • Main level: gourmet kitchen, dining room, living room with fireplace, large master suite with fireplace and deck • Second floor: four bedrooms, all with private baths and covered balconies, plus loft area • Lower level: bedroom with private bath, half bath, great room with fireplace, bar, game or theatre room, 2 decks at ground level • Three car attached garage with bedroom, full bath, and living area above

Offered at $2,750,000

Firethorn is a gated community, just one-and-a-half miles outside the resort village of Blowing Rock, is undeniably the last, best residential land in the area.

Only 96 distinctive single family homesites will ever be available, ranging in size from one to three-plus acres. Come see why Firethorn isn't a plan or a promise; it is a dream come true, here and now.

MLS # 85049

Karen Lewis, Realtor • 828 / 964-2388 MOBILE karenandbobby@bellsouth.net www.FirethornBlowingRock.com

828 / 264-8062 OFFICE

The Last, Best Place.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

79

Wiseman’s View

Photo by Todd Bush

Big Lost Cove Cliffs

Photo by Eric Crews

Lower Brown Mountain Overlook

Best Places to View the Lights • Wiseman’s View Overlook, located five miles south of the village of Linville Falls on Kistler Memorial Highway a.k.a Old N.C. 105 or State Road 1238.

• Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 310, two miles north of the N.C. 181 junction.

• The Brown Mountain Overlook on N.C. 181, located 20 miles north of Morganton and one mile south of the Barkhouse Picnic Area.

Photo by Eric Crews 80

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

During their research, which consisted of hundreds of visits to the area over several years, Warren found that the lights were seen most often in September and October. “I think that when the leaves are decaying on the ground they add extra tannic acids to the ground water, which causes the water to become more of an electrolyte and makes it more apt to conduct electricity,” Warren said. “It could be that as rain water is running through the mountain it builds up a charge on those layers of different rock.”

Warren also believes that autumn’s cool nights and warm days also have a big impact on the lights. In October, the mountain cools and contracts much more drastically in the evening because there is a bigger temperature difference between day and night, which causes the mountain to squeeze the layers of different types of rock together and ultimately cause the discharges of electricity to occur, he said.

“It is at those spots where those discharges intersect where we see the lights,” Warren said.

The third element that Warren believes is an important and necessary aspect to the cause of the lights is smoke from woodburning fires. Warren said, “The extra car-

bon in the air is a source of fuel that allows these lights to continue to burn longer.”

Once the lights happen, Warren said they begin to move parallel along the shelves of earth where the charges originate and also rise straight up into the air.

The way the lights move and react still puzzles Warren.

“They could rise due to their own heat, a sort of Jacob’s Ladder effect, or it could be that they are at times even more influenced by charges in the atmosphere,” Warren said. “They appear to be an actual visualization of the charges interacting between the mountain and the atmosphere, which is perhaps similar to some of the upper atmosphere phenomena that occur at times.”

Warren said he is continuing to do experiments in the lab with the same type of setup to learn more about how the plasmas are behaving. Warren said the next step he would like to see is a project with enough funding to record the mountain for 24 hours a day with a video camera so that they can study where the lights are most likely to occur.

“I think what we have done is solved more of this mystery than anyone else has ever before,” Warren said. “But in order

to say conclusively ‘This is what we think it is,’ we are going to have to be able to stand there on the mountain and not only document it close up but more or less predict when and where it will happen.”

Warren said that at this point he can predict the lights in the same way that meteorologists can predict lightning.

While they can predict the storm, they can’t predict the exact tree or building that the lightning will hit. “I can give you a handful of variables that will increase your chances of going there and seeing the lights,” Warren said. “But the mystery of Mother Nature is the very reason why this is so challenging. What we’re dealing with here is not something that is completely unique to Brown Mountain, but there are only a handful of places on the earth that seem to consistently produce these kinds of effects. We are very lucky to have one right down the road.”

Joshua Warren is president of LEMUR, League of Energy Materialization and Unexplained Phenomena Research, the research team that has been working on this project: “we’re looking at the relationship between energy and things that people can not explain.” Warren is also an author and radio host from Asheville, N.C.

October / November 2011

w

High Country Magazine

81

Perfection

A House That Has It All

82

gh h C Co ou un n tt rryy M Maaggaazzi innee H ii g

October / November 2011 October / November 2011

Story by Linda Kramer •

I

f first impressions are worth 1,000 words, let me speak some of them.

Sonny Johnston, a retired builder from Florida, and his wife, Kelly, fell in love with the High Country after a visit.

They spend three months of the year in Ft.

Photography by Todd Bush

Meyers, Fla., and the other nine months in their custom-built home at Glens of Grandfather in Banner Elk. This elegant and rustic development of 18 town homes and 18 single-family homes on the Watauga River and in the

shadow of Grandfather Mountain sits quietly in an environmentally considerate setting spread over 55 acres of some of the most picturesque land in the High Country.Â

October October/ /November November2011 2011

HHi igghh CCoouunnttrryy M M aa g g aa zz ii n ne

83

84

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

S

onny and Kelly, both avid outdoor and fitness enthusiasts, chose their one-acre site because of its convenience to Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk and the lack of a staid Country Club atmosphere.

The exterior of the home makes a big architectural statement driven by the owner’s lifestyle. The natural stacked stone and poplar bark siding is both rustic and contemporary in nature but reflects a loose craftsman style as well. Materials indigenous to the property are incorporated into the landscape so the house blends into the site organically.

Sonny started putting his ideas for the house together in 2003 and collaborated with designer Rick Palmer in Banner Elk. Construction began in 2005, and the 5,700-square-foot house with four bed-

The natural stacked

stone and poplar bark

siding is both rustic and

contemporary in nature... rooms, four baths, 2.5 powder rooms and four fireplaces spread over three levels was completed in 2006.

The home is simultaneously dramatic and soothing with large-scale spaces that are allowed to breathe. An easy relationship with the outdoors is expressed by many windows with shady views that take full advantage of the surrounding landscape.

A cedar deck with fireplace adjoins the great room and brings the outside in. Owners Sonny and Kelly Johnston spend nine months out of the year in their custom-built home at Glens of Grandfather in Banner Elk. October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

85

86

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Photos opposite page, clockwise from top: Downstairs, the Man Cave is Sonny’s private retreat, with a big screen TV, a small, fully equipped second kitchen and an adjoining outside deck.

Upstairs over the garage, a large, colorful fish tank adds life to Kelly’s favorite space to relax.

All of the bedrooms are lavishly furnished with soothing tones.

Sonny was sure to include in his designs an efficient den and office space where he can keep up with business affairs during his time in the High Country.

Lisa Adams, interior designer, translated beautifully the owner’s lifestyle to the interior. She says, “The house is really a combination of yin and yang, where masculine, dark interiors are balanced with lighter, more feminine areas.”

Lisa spread throughout the house furnishings that are luxurious but comfortable transitional pieces that wear a neutral

Resource Guide Rick Palmer, Rick Palmer @ Associates Builder/Designer PO Box 694. Banner Elk, NC 28604 828-898-4765 rvpa@skybest .com Lisa B. Adams PO Box 1954 Banner Elk, NC 28604 828-387-0280 lisa.adams624@gmail.com

color scheme punched up with dramatic accents. The simple-lined upholstered furnishings breathe an air of establishment and elegant leisure into the rooms.

The main level leads off with a great room with a 23-foot vaulted ceiling, custom built-ins, a wet bar and a commanding stone fireplace. A cedar deck with fireplace adjoins and brings the outside in.

Classic Stone Works 1710 Linville Falls Highway Linville, NC 28646 828-737-0040

A functional but minimal kitchen is highlighted by a dramatic globe lighting fixture, cherry custom cabinets, granite countertops, commercial appliances and gleaming hickory floors that spread throughout the house, demonstrating the owner’s desire for simplicity.

There are two lavish master bedroom suites on the main level featuring custom

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

87

... where

masculine, dark interiors are

balanced with lighter, more

feminine areas.

The floating marble custom-sculpted bathroom sinks were made by Classic Stone Works from Lisa’s designs and are present in one form or another in all bathrooms.

88

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Cherry custom cabinets, granite countertops, gleaming hickory floors and a dramatic globe light fixture bring warmth to the kitchen.

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

89

“ I have built many homes over the years and this is the first time I can honestly say that I

”

don’ t know of anything I would change.

built-ins, luxurious tactile fabrics and a cedar walk-in closet. An elegant and indulgent master bath warms feet with radiant heat flooring, and the spa tub is where you can find Kelly much of the time.

There is also a working den on the main level where Sonny conducts his business.

The lower level, an addition to the original plan, is what the owners refer to as the man cave. This richly-appointed media room is where Sonny goes to relax with a big screen TV, a small, fully-

90

High Country Magazine

equipped second kitchen, overstuffed furniture and an adjoining deck with a fireplace. Another bedroom and full bath make this space self-sustaining, As a bonus, this level also has a steam room and a fully-equipped exercise room where Sonny and Kelly work out, maintaining their healthy and active lifestyle.

The upper level over the garage is like a self-contained apartment with a bedroom area, small sitting area, full bath and small kitchenette. Originally designed for

October / November 2011

Kelly’s mother, plans changed, and now Kelly uses it as a place for a quiet escape.

Sonny says, “I have built many homes over the years, and this is the first time I can honestly say that I don’t know of anything I would change. It’s a home that is set up to enjoy the outdoors and all that the High Country has to offer with an ideal location. It has everything.”

Perfection.

w

Classic

Classic Classic Stone Works The Kitchen & Bath Gallery

1710 Linville Falls Hwy Granite Linville, NC 28646



Tile



Plumbing



Concrete

828.737.0040

www.classicstoneworksinc.com

Fred’s Mercantile Co. General s of business 32 year

Beech Mountain’s Favorite Where locals and visitors meet

“If we don’t have it … You don’t need it” Clothing and Mountain Gear Groceries • Hardware • Deli Snowsports Apparel & Accessories Ski & Snowboard Rentals 828-387-4838

Open from 7:30 am to 10 pm every day 501 Beech Mountain Parkway • Beech Mountain, NC www.fredsgeneral.com October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

91

PRIMLAND

A Wonderland Destination

By Harris Prevost

92

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

The magnificent Dan River Gorge encircles a high plateau called Primland, just north of Mt. Airy. God set the stage, and human inspiration took it from there.

O

ctober means beautiful fall color in the High Country, but it also means the seasons for Watauga and Avery County golf courses are drawing to a close. Some courses close in late October, but others hang on as long as they can into November.

Many High Country golfers aren’t ready to pack away their clubs, though. Several organized groups arrange winter memberships at off-the-mountain venues and they play there, weather permitting, two or three times a week. Those foothills courses work well for regular play, but there are times when something special—something really special—is in order. Such an outing can provide memorable, welcome winter rejuvenation for golfers as well as non-golfers.

Not many destinations can provide a “bucket list”-quality experience that gives you a buzz for several months, but one is not far away. It isn’t in the High Country, but you feel like you are in another country. In fact this resort is larger than some countries, one of them being Bermuda. It is called Primland.

Primland is a 12,000-acre resort owned by the Primat (pronounced Prima) family—eight brothers and sisters—from Switzerland. The property was purchased by their late father Didier Primat in 1977. His vision for Primland, said the resort’s vice president Steve Helms, “was for it to be developed for others to enjoy while being very environmentally conscious and striving to preserve the property’s natural beauty.” The Primat family enthusiastically shares the same vision for Primland as their father.

Helms said of Primland’s operations, “Mr. Primat always told us to ‘Do it right.’” Primat had the financial resources to do it right. His grandfather was a founder of Schlumberger, the largest supplier of oil field service products in the world. The company has more than 110,000 employees in 80 countries around the world.

Considered by Forbes as one of the world’s richest men, Pri-

mat began buying large tracts of land all over the world in the 1970s, and he was one of the largest landowners in France. Part of his holdings were 700 acres in Ireland that included the 15th century Guinness family castle, since sold, and an 8,000-acre shooting preserve and working farm in England. Primat had two holdings in the United States. One was 20,000 acres in Tyrrell County, N.C., next to the Outer Banks, which he sold at a bargain price to The Nature Conservancy. The other is Primland.

GOLF AT PRIMLAND

Primland is located between Meadows of Dan, Va., and Mt. Airy, N.C. A drive to the resort from Boone takes only a couple of hours; a drive across it takes over half an hour. Primland contains lowlands, highlands, the steepest of slopes and the flattest of lands. It contains woodlands and open fields, and it contains a golf course. Not just any course, but a masterpiece.

Primland’s Highland Course follows the rim of the spectacular Dan River Gorge, whose winding path provides a setting like no other. Golf Digest named the course the best new upscale public golf course in America in 2007, and it is ranked in Golf Digest’s and Golf Magazine’s Top 100 courses you can play.

The Highland Course was designed by Scotsman Donald Steel, who got his inspiration from St. Andrews. He is considered by many to be the finest links course designer in the world, and Primland, although located on a high plateau, has a links feel to it. Because of the universal respect of his work, Steel has been an architectural advisor to every course in the British Open rotation. He is in a way the UK’s answer to America’s so-called “Open Doctor,” Rees Jones.

Steel has designed courses in 70 countries, but only four are in the United States. His other three are Cherokee Plantation (S.C.), Carnegie Abbey (R.I.) and The Vineyard (Mass.). His October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

93

major redesign of Greensboro Country Club’s Farm Course was voted North Carolina’s best new course by the N.C. Golf Panel in 2010.

Steel says of his Highland Course, “There is a remoteness about Primland, a sense of escape, that is special. Primland sits on top of the world, enjoying scenic views that stretch the vocabulary and with a design of the course that is very different.

“Two things stand out straightaway,” he continued. “You drive well at The Highland Course or perish, and stunning views offer comfort if you don’t. This course design has been a highlight of my career. Once I strode over the plateau, with views which reminded me of the highlands of Scotland, I knew this would test the mettle of golfers who want to play courses that would challenge the professionals.”

The course is indeed very different, as Steel says. No hole is remotely similar to another. Steel says, “Golf is a better game played downhill than up,” and only nine fairway and tee shots during a round at Primland are uphill. The course measures 7,053 yards from the tips and around 6,300 yards from the regular tees.

The first hole is a downhill dogleg par 5 that introduces you immediately to the Dan River Gorge. The green is at the edge of

The first hole, a dogleg right par 5, begins a scenic journey where it will be difficult for a golfer to keep his eyes on the ball.

94

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

the 1,200-foot deep gorge, and arising out of the depths of the gorge are two massive rock pyramids called the Pinnacles of Dan that look like they qualify as one of the seven wonders of the world. Already, golf has taken a backseat to the scenery.

If it hasn’t by the conclusion of the par 3 fourth hole, where a shot straying right goes into the gorge, take your golf cart out to the end of the trail behind the green before teeing off on No. 5 and prepare to be awed. It’s like playing along the rim of Linville Gorge to Table Rock and then approaching the second green at Linville Ridge. By the fifth hole, we aren’t too concerned about our score; there are too many roses to smell along the way.

The downhill seventh plays to 494 yards from the back tees, but the drop in elevation makes it play shorter. As with many of Primland’s tee shots, danger lurks. Go left and you are off the world, go right and you are chipping out of the woods. The approach shot from the fairway is something to behold.

Great courses have great finishing holes, and Primland is no exception. A 484-yard (back tees) par four slight dogleg right along the rim of the gorge brings our roller coaster scenic round to a spectacular landing. Hit your tee shot too far right and trees, or worse, the gorge, gets you. Too far left and heavy rough plus more trees await. The ideal shot is a slight fade to a fairway

The 72,000-square-foot environmentally-friendly lodge has every modern convenience you can think of, plus some you never imagined. The top of the silo houses one of the East Coast’s largest private observatories.

plateau. There, a downhill shot with the gorge on one side and The Lodge on the other offer visual distractions.

The 18th green is tricky, as are all Primland’s greens. They challenge your green- reading ability and your judgment of distance, yet they are very fair. It would also be fair to say that it takes more than one round at Primland to get the hang of the greens. But, hey, playing another round there is a good thing.

The Lodge at Primland

Golf is certainly an important part of the Primland experience, but it is only a part. Its world class 26-room lodge, only a couple of years old, is well on its way to earning five-star status. Its “rooms” aren’t exactly rooms; they are more like suites with every imaginable amenity at your fingertips, plus a few you couldn’t imagine. “Room” sizes range from over 500 square feet to 1,800 square feet. Prepare to be spoiled!

The 72,000-square-foot eco-friendly lodge’s architectural theme combines a rustic elegance feel with a modern European influence. Didier Primat died a year before The Lodge was completed, but he lived to see its design and partial construction. At its grand opening, his son Harold, who is president of Primland, said, “This is a very important day for my family because it is a dream of my father. This was probably his vision 30 years ago when he purchased this land. This is the day the October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

95

“Primland was the dream of my father. It was his vision 30 years ago when he purchased this land. Now his dream has become reality. It is a very exciting time for all of us.” ~ Harold Primat, son of Primland founder Didier Primat dream has become reality. It is a very exciting time for all of us.

We’re thinking very strongly of him.”

Primat’s daughter, Berengere Primat Serval, said at the ceremony, “We have made every effort to meet the highest environmental standards in the design of our prized diamond lodge. We now have first-class accommodations that have been designed to world-class standards.” In keeping with their environmentally conscious beliefs, all the wood used in the lodge’s construction was reclaimed from other buildings.

The Lodge provides both fine and informal dining, a pub, a superb wine cellar, a movie theater, a fitness center, a recreation center and a swimming pool different from any you have ever seen. A silo-shaped observatory, a mandate from Didier Primat, helps give The Lodge a farm-like appearance. It houses one of eastern America’s larger telescopes, a Celestron GCE 1400, that

enables guests to view galaxies 27 million light years away. The observatory is one of only two of its kind on the East Coast. It opens for special programs throughout the year.

And then there is the spa! The American Indian-themed, 1,800 square foot spa also has a strong European flavor. It was designed by Garance Primat, one of the daughters, who said, “We wanted to take the spa experience to new heights and give our guests a feeling that will linger as long as their memories of this very special mountain getaway. To do this, we have taken a European approach and blended it with the holistic remedies used by the Indians of America. We are able to offer a variety of massages that will renew the body amid sounds and settings that will renew the spirit.”

There are four treatment rooms, a relaxation room with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, a manicure,

Mountain Tile Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass, Natural Stone

1852 HWY 105, BOONE

828-265-0472 STORE HOURS

MONDAY - FRIDAY: 8AM TO 5PM SATURDAY: 9AM TO 2PM

www.mountaintilenc.com BOONE’S PREMIER TILE SHOWROOM 96

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

If you are not a golfer, or if you want to play golf one day and do something else the next, there are 11,500 more acres in your playground.

pedicure and hair-styling room and a women’s locker room with a Turkish bath and a Spa Horizon tub, the first of its kind in the United States. A special part of the spa is the Unity Suite, complete with a Jacuzzi designed for a couple. There is even children’s and early teens’ spa service, which are great for birthday parties.

The spa’s seven-member staff are trained by Sylvie Keo, one of France’s top therapists. She worked closely with Primat on the concept and creation of the spa. Turquoise stone is found throughout The Spa. It represents to the American Indian a piece of sky fallen to earth, building a link between spiritual energy and earth energy. The Spa, which provides over 50 treatment options, is considered one the finest, if not the finest, spa between New York City and Miami.

Recreation at Primland

You could easily have a memorable visit at Primland without leaving the Lodge, but remember, the place has a 12,000-acre playground. Primland’s summer green fees are $200, but if you are a guest of the lodge between November 14 and the end of March (except January and the first two weeks of February when the resort is closed), green fees are free—the only charge is for a cart. (Note: The aerification of the greens and fairways take

place in early November, but the course is still very playable.)

Primland’s elevation is 500 to 1,800 feet lower than High Country golf courses, and that means chilly days in the High Country can be quite pleasant at Primland. If you are not a golfer, or if you want to play golf one day and do something else the next, there are still 11,500 more acres in your playground.

Activities include hunting pheasant and quail (Primland has been an Orvis-endorsed wing shooting property for the past 20 years), sharpening your marksmanship with sporting clays, fishing, geocaching and tennis plus 90 miles of trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking.

The Land

Primland is a historically significant place. It was part of a 60,000-acre land grant in 1747, made almost 30 years before the United States became a country. Over the next 150 years, tracts were sold off in smaller parcels. Some of the land was used for farming until 1910, when a lumber company became its owner.

It sent logs all over the country from an Eastern Railway Company base in Mt. Airy.

In 1937, another lumber company purchased the property and moved its operations to nearby Stuart, Va., which was named after a locally born Civil War hero General J.E.B StuOctober / November 2011

High Country Magazine

97

The 1,800-square-foot spa is considered by some the finest between New York and Miami. It was designed with an American Indian theme, and its staff were trained by one of France’s top therapists. Prepare to be spoiled!

environment, and he doubled the U.S. Forest Service’s best management logging guidelines at Primland. In 1986, the company changed its focus from logging to farming, and outdoor recreation activities and it selected Primland as its umbrella name.

The Visit art. Timbering wasn’t the only action on the property at the time. Because of its remoteness and multiple sources of water, the property became a major source of moonshine. In 1966, the Georgia Southern Development Company purchased the property and began developing it as a very low-density wilderness area with residential sites of six to 12 acres.

When Didier Primat bought the land in 1977, he started building access roads into the foothills while developing a market for whole tree chips. Within four years, the company became the largest distributor of bundled kindling in the country under the name Primwood. Primat was a wonderful steward of the 98

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Jack and Frances Howard from Newland stayed at Primland last fall. Frances said, “It’s so different from here even though they are in the mountains. We don’t have the deep gorges like they do. The views are spectacular, just spectacular. Unbelievable.”

Jack added, “It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful. The food was excellent. Lots of attention to detail. They take care of you. It was like we were the only people there. It was so nice we didn’t want to leave. We’re going back!”

Boone’s Sam Adams remembers his round at Primland: “It was a unique golfing experience. The views into the gorge were

The Primland staff have incredible attention to detail. They think of everything. “They take care of you. It was like we were the only people there.

It was so nice we didn’t want to leave,” said Jack Howard after visiting last fall.

Julia Tyson DDS

Family and Cosmetic Dentistry www.juliatysondds.com Emergencies and New Patients Accepted We file insurance absolutely incredible. It was an enjoyable, challenging golf course with its rolling terrain.”

Tom Adams agreed. “It is a great layout, and it was in perfect condition,” he said, but he remembered something else. “They have 12,000 acres to work with, and they built their parking lot underground. That tells you something right there!”

Winter rates for rooms at The Lodge begin at $259 per room Sunday through Thursday and $275 Friday and Saturday nights. The best deal, though, is to rent one of what Primland calls its “mountain homes.” Three-bedroom rates are $295 per night, and four-bedrooms are $395.

If you do the math, you would realize

400 Shadowline Drive Boone • Suite 201-B 828.265.1112

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

99

Golf and an overnight stay at Primland can be an incredible experience and an incredible deal during the winter. Check the weather forecast first for pretty weather.

the full Primland experience is yours for less than it costs to spend the night in a mid-priced chain motel located on some strip in Anytown, N.C. If you do the math, you will be calling 866-960-7746 or going online to primland.com to arrange your “bucket list” outing!

As you plan your trip, here’s a good

100

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

idea to make it even more special. Allow a little more time either coming or going and include a stop in Surry County (Avery and Watauga counties were part of Surry in the 1700s) and Mt. Airy, “America’s Hometown.” Andy Griffith’s hometown is the inspiration for Mayberry. A ride in Andy’s squad car and a stop-in at

Floyd’s Barber Shop, the Bluebird Diner and the Snappy Lunch will take you back down memory lane.

Music is big there, too; Mt. Airy is also Country Music star Donna Fargo’s hometown. Listen to some great music at two outstanding jam sessions: Thursday night at the Andy Griffith Playhouse and Saturday morning at the historic Downtown Cinema Theatre.

The Yadkin Valley is home to some of the finest wineries in the country, one being the largest family owned winery in the state, Shelton Vineyards. There are about a dozen wineries

in and around the county. The whole town of Elkin, with its unique specialty shops, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information about this part of your trip, go online to verysurry.com.

When you arrive at Primland, expect to play one of the best golf courses in the country. Expect your accommodations to be inspirational, expect your dining and recreational experiences to be memorable, expect your service to be warm and genuine, and finally, expect all your expectations to be surpassed!

w

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

101

ADV E R T I S E R S I N D E X Please patronize the advertisers in High Country Magazine, and when you purchase from them, please be sure to mention that you saw their ad in our pages. Thank them for their support of this publication by giving them yours! Without their support, this magazine would not be possible. To all of our advertisers, a most sincere thank you.

All Area Codes are 828 unless noted.

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

A Cleaner World............................................... 265-1888 �������������������������� 61 Abbey Carpet & Floor . .................................... 265-3622 ������������������������� 68 Anna Banana’s................................................. 865-2000 �������������������������� 19 Appalachian Energy ........................................ 262-3637 ������������������������� 25 Bandana’s Bar B Que & Grill............................. 265-2828 �������������������������� 46 Banner Elk Realty............................................. 898-9756 ������������������������� 24 Banner Elk Winery............................................ 898-9090 �������������������������� 87 Best Cellar, The................................................ 295-3466 ������������������������� .44 Blowing Rock Grille.......................................... 295-9474 �������������������������� 51 Blue Ridge Realty & Investments / Todd Rice.... 263-8711 ���������������������������� 4 Blue Ridge Vision ........................................... 264-2020 ������������������������� 13 Boone Drug Sundries....................................... 264-3766 �������������������������� 46 Boone Endodontics.......................................... 386-1144 �������������������������� 34 Boone Mall...................................................... 264-7286 ������������������������ 100 Boone Paint & Interiors.................................... 264-9220 �������������������������� 73 Broyhill Home Collections................................ 295-0965 �������������������������� 29 Café Portofino.................................................. 264-7772 ������������������������� 49 Canyons.......................................................... 295-7661 ������������������������� 48 Capone’s......................................................... 265-1886 �������������������������� 48 Carlton Gallery................................................. 963-4288 �������������������������� 60 Casa Rustica.................................................... 262-5128 �������������������������� 43 Cf Home by Charleston Forge........................... 264-0100 ������������������������� .27 Cha Da Thai..................................................... 268-0434 �������������������������� 44 Char................................................................ 266-2179 ������������������������� .47 Chick-fil-a....................................................... 264-4660 �������������������������� 42 Classic Stoneworks.......................................... 737-0040 �������������������������� 91 Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant.................. 295-3487 �������������������������� 45 Dande Lion, The............................................... 898-3566 �������������������������� 16 DeWoolfson Down ...................................... 800-833-3696 ������������������������ 7 Dianne Davant & Associates . .......................... 898-9887 ��Inside Front Cover Doe Ridge Pottery............................................ 264-1127 �������������������������� 24 Dos Amigos..................................................... 265-1674 �������������������������� 42 Eat Crow Restaurant......................................... 963-8228 �������������������������� 45 Echota......................................................... 800-333-7601 ��������� Back Cover Firethorn / Kohler Real Estate........................... 295-7777 �������������������������� 17 Firethorn / Thunderhill Trail.............................. 264-8062 �������������������������� 79 Foggy Rock Eatery & Pub................................. 295-8084 ������������������������� .47 Fred’s General Mercantile Co........................... 387-4838 ������������������������� 91 Gamekeeper..................................................... 963-7400 ������������������������� 49 Grandfather Vineyard & Winery......................... 963-2400 ��� Inside Back Cover Green Leaf Services, Inc................................... 737-0308 ���������������������������� 1 Hawksnest Zipline............................................ 963-6561 �������������������������� 99 Haircut 101...................................................... 262-3324 ������������������������� 37 High Country Dentistry..................................... 386-1033 �������������������������� 91 102

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

Jo-Lynn Enterprises, Inc................................... 297-2109 �������������������������� 34 Joy Bistro........................................................ 265-0600 �������������������������� 44 Julia Tyson, DDS.............................................. 265-1112 �������������������������� 99 Last Straw, The................................................. 295-3030 �������������������������� 35 Logs America, LLC........................................... 963-7755 ������������������������� 67 Los Arcoiris...................................................... 264-7770 �������������������������� 46 Main Street Antiques & Mercantile................... 898-8645 ���������������������������� 2 Maple’s Leather Fine Furniture ........................ 898-6110 ������������������������� 39 Mark Crowell Design........................................ 719.1550 ��������������������������� 78 Mast General Store .....................................866-FOR-MAST ������������������������ 9 Mellow Mushroom Blowing Rock 295-3399 / Boone 865-1515 ������� 41 Mountain Bagels.............................................. 265-4141 �������������������������� 46 Mountain Construction Enterprises, Inc............ 963-8090 ��������������������������� 4 Mountain Dog & Friends.................................. 963-2470 �������������������������� 78 Mountain Land............................................. 800-849-9225 ����������������������� 88 Mountain Tile................................................... 265-0472 �������������������������� 96 Mountaineer Landscaping................................ 733-3726 �������������������������� 11 Mountaineer Medical Services PLLC................ 386-1011 �������������������������� 60 Mr. Original Gyros............................................ 268-9899 �������������������������� 46 Nick’s Restaurant & Pub................................... 898-9613 �������������������������� 44 Organic Hair Design......................................... 898-8111 ���������������������������� 4 Page Dentistry.................................................. 265-1661 �������������������������� 37 Painted Fish Cafe, The...................................... 898-6800 �������������������������� 43 Papa Joe’s....................................................... 295-3239 �������������������������� 42 Pet Supplies Plus............................................. 266-2100 ���������������������������� 5 Piedmont Federal Savings Bank........................ 264-5244 ���������������������������� 3 Red Onion Café................................................ 264-5470 �������������������������� 50 Rug Company, The........................................... 295-4271 �������������������������� 69 Rustic.............................................................. 295-9033 ������������������������ 100 Rustic Rooster.................................................. 898-5161 �������������������������� 16 Seven Devils.................................................... 963-6561 �������������������������� 59 Shoppes at Farmer’s Hardware......................... 264-8801 ������������������������ 103 Ski Country Sports........................................... 898-9786 �������������������������� 13 Speckled Trout Cafe & Oyster Bar..................... 295-9819 �������������������������� 44 Splendiferous Gallery & Gifts........................... 386-1005 �������������������������� 68 Stick Boy Bread Company................................ 268-9900 �������������������������� 42 Stone Cavern................................................... 963-8453 ���������������������������� 4 Sugar Top Resort Sales.................................... 898-5226 �������������������������� 59 Table at Crestwood........................................... 963-6646 �������������������������� 50 Tatum Galleries & Interiors............................... 963-6466 ����������������������� ...15 Todd Bush Photography................................... 898-8088 �������������������������� 91 Vidalia Restaurant & Wine Bar.......................... 263-9176 �������������������������� 42 Watauga Insurance Agency, Inc........................ 264-8291 ������������������������� 11 Zuzda............................................................... 898-4166 ������������������� .......51

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

103

Lonnie Webster

Parting Shot...

By

James Fay

Shining Light on the Future

L

ast issue, High Country Magazine featured a story about the Appalachian Solar Decathlon team and its Solar Homestead, a student-designed and student-constructed solarpowered home that competed in an international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy in late September and early October.

While the team was in Washington, D.C., hoping to inspire future homebuilders, designers and energy specialists, Avery County was making the future a reality.

On September 29, developer O2 Energies and contractor Strata Solar officially opened Avery Solar, a one-megawatt solar power plant spanning six acres on Henderson Farms, a Christmas tree farm in Newland.

“This power plant is offsetting the electricity that 120 homes would use a year,” said Joel Olsen, managing director of O2 Energies. “That electricity is going into the grid.”

Mountain Electric Cooperative, a Tennessee Valley Authority affiliate, will buy the electric-

104

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

ity and renewable energy credits from the Avery Solar farm. The solar power supply will help Mountain Electric achieve state renewable energy requirements.

The $5 million solar power plant could be the first of several in the county. Avery County Christmas tree growers facing increased competition and falling prices are looking to diversify and find new sources of income. Mountain Electric is the only electric cooperative in North Carolina that purchases power from the TVA; most power in the state is supplied by Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Because the TVA is owned by the U.S. government, its renewable energy requirements are more aggressive than those in place for investor-owned utilities, providing unique opportunities for solar farm development in Avery County.

Photographer James Fay of Flying Rooster Photography captured the new solar array gleaming on a foggy morning just days before the opening and dedication ceremony.

w

October / November 2011

High Country Magazine

C

View of Grandfather Mountain from Echota

BREATHTAKING VIEWS. INSIDE AND OUT.

Experience blazing High Country color at its height during fall Mountain Window Weekends at Echota. You and your family will be mesmerized by Chalakee, Echota’s newest neighborhood, and it’s nine-foot ceilings, timber construction, interior upgrades and outdoor kitchens.

The view will take your breath away—before you ever set foot outside. Chalakee’s one-, three- and four-bedroom condominiums and townhomes are appropriately priced for today’s market from 199,900.

Interior of Chalakee condo

Condominiums and Townhomes $199,900 - $599,900

Visit one of our sales offices located at Hwy 105 S, the entrance to Echota at 133 Echota Parkway, Boone, NC or 1107 Main St, Suite C, Blowing Rock, NC for more information.

D

High Country Magazine

October / November 2011

Call 800.333.7601 to arrange a visit.

C HALAKEE THE BEST E CHOTA YET