The Southern Highland Reader

GSMNP–Congressman Heath Shuler recently helped secure a $13 million down-payment from the federal government to help put an end to the nearly-seven-decade controversy over a road once planned along the north shore of Lake Fontana.

The payment, part of a larger, undisclosed sum, would compensate Swain County for the federal government’s choice not to build the road, which was promised in 1943.

National Parks Traveler writer Danny Bernstein gives a history of the controversy here.

Here’s an excerpt:

The North Shore Road issue was revived again in 2001 when former Congressman Charles Taylor, a Republican from western North Carolina, obtained $16 million for further construction of the North Shore Road. This set off a process that looked into the environmental impact of a 35-mile road. The National Park Service held public input forums in various locations around the Smokies and accepted comments from anyone in the U.S. on various ways to resolve the 1943 agreement. Thousands of pages were generated, reviewed, and discussed. Descendants of the original settlers were the only ones who wanted a road in the park. Almost all comments were against the road and for a financial settlement with Swain County, where Fontana Dam is located, one of the four parties to the original agreement.

In December 2007, the Department of the Interior made a decision that officially called for a yet-to-be-specified multi-million-dollar monetary settlement to Swain County instead of a road through one of the most pristine and untouched areas in the East. Though the park is now protected and the North Shore Road will never be built, Congress still has to approve the funds to settle the 1943 agreement.

DILLSBORO–This story, in which Constance Richards writes up Barry Kennon’s tiki bar party spot outside his house on the Tuckasegee near Dillsboro, first ran in the August edition of swanky WNC Magazine.

It’s been posted online since, so, given that party journalism pieces are few and far between in the mountains, it obviously needed sharing.

Kennon, a championship kayaker, modeled his tiki bar after one he knew in Costa Rica, and built it around his boat takeout.

Here’s an excerpt:

As more decorations go up, including tiki totems and palm leaves, Dieter Kuhn, Sylva’s resident brewmeister and owner of Heinzelmännchen Brewery, takes the B.Y.O.B. standard to a master’s level and taps a keg of his seasonal Hoppy Gnome. The set-up crew continues their work with golden pints in hand.

“If you only eat your own food and drink your own beer, you’re selling yourself short,” says Kuhn. “We have so many great venues in this little area—people really come together and like to share what they have to offer.”

In the kitchen, [former Spring St. Cafe chef Karl] Engelmann is crisping slices of fresh ciabatta bread and sesame-covered filone from Annie’s Naturally Bakery in the oven, which will be served with a panoply of cheeses. For the early guests, he sends out a platter of thick triangles of farmstead cheeses from Yellow Branch Pottery & Cheese, globes of Dark Cove goat cheese covered in chopped chives, and crudités.

Moving on to the trout, he blends pork sausage from Nantahala Meats and Poultry in Franklin, chopped croutons, garlic, and herbs, and spoons the mixture into the whole trout before wrapping each with bright green banana leaves and tying them with string. “This will literally steam the fish, keep the moisture in, and enhance the flavors,” Engelmann says. He has another trick in mind, too. Shells from the boiled peanuts he’s serving with the Cobb salad will go into the grill flames to add a nutty flavor.

Read the whole story here.

STATEWIDE–When the state of North Carolina announced a new online reservation system for its state park campgrounds late last year, there was uncertainty about how the system would be received, and about how well it would work.

The Raleigh News and Observer reports that all is well. In fact, all is very well.

Over 1,300 reservations have been made for 2,000 available campsites for 2010, the paper reports.

An excerpt:

The new system was launched in July, making it easier for people to reserve spots up to 11 months in advance at any park. Reservations can be made for stays as short as one night or as long as two weeks.

The new system should eliminate what used to be long lines starting New Year’s Day at popular parks such as Kerr, Jordan and Falls lakes. Under the old system, about 2,000 campsites could only be reserved by paying in person at the park or taking the chance on the U.S. Postal Service. Visitors were permitted to reserve spots only up to a week in duration.

Read the story here.

REGIONAL-The ongoing conflict over usage rights on the Chattooga River is worth following, if, for no other reason, as a harbinger of things to come.

In its December issue, Blue Ridge Outdoors writer Graham Averill does a nice job of making the issue clear, and the magazine throws in maps, a timeline and a “headwaters highlights” section.

Here is Averill’s lead:

For three decades, paddlers have yearned to paddle the pristine waters of the Upper Chattooga River. Earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service finally granted limited access of the Upper Chattooga to paddlers, but a flurry of legal threats—including a legal challenge from the paddling community—prompted the Forest Service to rescind their decision a few weeks ago, once again leaving boaters high and dry.

Paddlers have been banned from the entire 21-mile headwaters of the Chattooga and its tributaries since 1976, after the U.S. Forest Service divided the river in two parts due to a series of user conflicts. Citing fistfights, slashed boats, and gun play, the forest service separated the two user groups: Boating would be allowed on the lower Chattooga, but the upper 21 miles of the river and its headwaters would be reserved for fishing.

Another clip:

Many conservation groups, including Georgia Forest Watch and the Chattooga Conservancy, support the current zoning of the river into boating and non-boating sections. Other popular recreation areas like Tsali and Bent Creek are also zoned; some trails allow mountain bikes, ATVs or horses, while others are designated foot traffic only. Anglers also support the current zoning of the Chattooga, saying that it’s a more-than-equitable compromise: the 36-mile lower Chattooga is given to boaters, while the 21-mile upper Chattooga is protected for fishermen and hikers seeking a wilderness experience.

Ironically, no parties concerned in the Chattooga access issue seemed to be happy with the Forest Service’s recent decision. Soon after it was announced, the Forest Service was threatened with legal action from all sides: four separate appeals were filed by boaters, anglers, and conservation organizations. As a result, the Forest Service withdrew its decision to fully consider the concerns raised by the user groups.

Averill sources the Cullowhee-based group American Whitewater quite a bit in the story, and offers quotes from all sides.

Read the story here.

REGIONAL–Smoky Mountain Times outdoor writer Jim Casada continues his series of columns on literature of the Smokies with a piece about waterfall books.

An excerpt:

For people who find joy in the incredible beauty and majesty of waterfalls, visiting them is an ideal way to find peace of mind. Some may stand in wonder while listening to their music – perhaps the crashing crescendo of a powerful fall or the cymbal-like tinkling of a tiny one dripping and dropping across a rock face.

Recognizing the enduring appeal and magnetism of waterfalls, writers have produced a number of guidebooks to the ones in the Great Smokies as well as surrounding mountains. Have one (or several) of these available when planning a hike, seeking advice on photography, or seeking new destinations.

Read the column here.

Lower Falls (“Gulahiyi” photo)

CASHIERS–Ruminations from the Distant Hills shares a hike, some history and a few images from the Whitewater River, which flows south from Cashiers into the Palmetto State.

An excerpt:

The final stretch of the Whitewater River is the part that I will never see, since it is lost forever beneath the waters of Lake Jocassee, built by Duke Power in the 1970s. Among the worlds lost to the Jocassee damnation was the trail of the French botanist Andre Michaux who explored the Keowee and its headwaters in 1878 and 1788.

Somewhere between the Whitewater and the Toxaway Rivers, he took notes on one unusual plant. The subsequent efforts of botanists to find the Shortia galacifolia described by Michaux continued for a century before the mystery of the Oconee Bells was finally solved.

Read Gulahiyi’s post here.

OTTO–The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) has awarded its 2009 Ramsey-Brunner Land Conservationist of the Year Award to Myra Waldroop and family for their conservation work on family property at Rainbow Springs, in the headwaters of the Nantahala River in Macon County.

The award, which is given to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to land conservation in LTLT’s project area, was presented at LTLT’s annual Fall Celebration at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Otto.

The 248-acre property conserved by the easement conveyed to LTLT by Waldroop and her family has numerous conservation values. It lies on either side of the Waterfall Scenic Byway which runs from Rosman to Murphy and is adjacent to National Forest System lands. There are prime farmland soils being farmed and productive forest land that is managed for timber harvest, and, last, but certainly not least, it has nearly 4,000 feet of Nantahala River flowing through it and over 700’ of Black Creek.

According to Myra Waldroop’s records, the family has owned property in Rainbow Springs since as early as 1853.

“My grandfather, C.W. Slagle, acquired land in Rainbow Springs over a number of years,” said Myra.

The family used the property for family vacations for many years. During the 20’s and 30’s the Ritter Lumber Company operated in one of the meadows complete with a thriving lumber town including post office, commissary, hotel and school. A railroad hauled lumber down the river to be shipped away.

In 1948, Myra’s father, Carl Slagle, retired to Rainbow Springs, and later, Myra inherited a portion of the her grandfather’s property where both of her daughters now live. There are many stories of four and five generations who have fished, hunted, and gathered with friends and family at “Rainbow”.

“Many family traditions live on,” says Myra. “With this long history, my family and I decided we wanted this property protected from development. The LTLT was our solution. We appreciate working with the folks at LTLT. A special thanks to Sharon for her patience as we worked out the details of the Deed of Conservation.”

In her presentation of the award to the Waldroop family, Sharon Taylor stated, “LTLT’s mission is to conserve the waters, forests, farms and heritage of the upper Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River valleys. However, we work with landowners on a purely volunteer basis, so it is somewhat opportunistic. When Myra Waldroop called to say she was interested in conserving a portion of the Family’s Rainbow Springs property, that opportunity fit our mission like a glove. I know that all of the conservation values are important to LTLT, and important to the Family, but the Waldroop Family conserved their land because of their love of the land and the heritage that the land represents.”

BRYSON CITY–Jim Casada churns out an amazing amount of outdoors writing for the Smoky Mountain Times, and his current series of book reviews is invaluable.

His most recent column takes a lengthy look at these hiking guidebooks of the Smokies:

Ken Wise’s “Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains.”

Russ Manning’s “100 Hikes in the great Smoky Mountains National Park”

“The Best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A Hiker’s Guide to Trails and Attractions” by Russ Manning and Sondra Jamieson

Danny Bernstein’s “Hiking the Carolina Mountains.”

“North Carolina Hiking Trails” by Allen de Hart

Johnny Molloy’s “Trial by Trail: Backpacking in the Smoky Mountains,”

Michal Strutin’s “History Hikes of the Smokies”

Casada’s closing paragraph:

By all means, seek some armchair adventure through works such as those mentioned above, but the ultimate adventure, whatever the season, comes through being on the trail. Whether it’s a leisurely walk up lower Deep Creek – the sort scores of folks make daily – or one of those strenuous 20-plus mile ventures my brother Don enjoys, to be afoot in the park is to tread paths of wonder.

Read Casada’s column here.

DILLSBORO–Dillsboro invites folks to experience Christmas spirit in early December as this walkabout mountain town glows in holiday splendor for the 26th annual Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries.

The four-night festival, which takes place Dec. 4-5 and Dec. 11-12, begins each evening at dusk when merchant “elves” illuminate the streets with 2,500 white paper bag luminaries. The merchants also flip the switches on strands of tiny white lights trimming the town’s buildings, many of which date to the 1800s.

Once the town is aglow, carolers fill the streets with music, musicians stroll the sidewalks playing Christmas favorites, and Santa visits with children in the town hall.

Shopkeepers add to the festivities by staying open late and serving holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa.

“If you’re having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, this festival will do wonders,” says Julie Spiro of the Jackson County Tourism Authority. “We’re often told that visiting the luminaries festival is like stepping into a Christmas painting.”

There’s no admission charge for the Festival of Lights & Luminaries, and lodging is plentiful with more than half of Jackson’s County guest rooms located in Dillsboro or within 15 minutes.

For information, go to www.visitdillsboro.org, or call the Jackson County Visitors Center at (800) 962-1911.

ROBBINSVILLE-Zelerie Rose at the Graham Star writes that $120,000 of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act supports a program to control invasive plant species and support habitat of two federally-listed endangered species along the Cheoah River.

Here’s a clip from Rose’s story:

The three-year project started this fall, involves nine miles of river and will protect the Virginia Spiraea, a federally-threatened shrub, and the Appalachian Elktoe, a federally-endangered mussel.

The treatment of the non-native species such as mimosa, Oriental bittersweet, yam, privet, Japanese honeysuckle, princess tree, kudzu, and multiflora rose, is the collaborative effort of Western North Carolina Alliance, the Cherokee Environmental Natural Resource Office, and North Carolina National Forests.

“Our job is to work with the various organizations involved in the project and educate them about non-native invasive plants,” said Bob Gale, ecologist for WNC Alliance. “These plants were introduced both intentionally and accidentally and have no natural controls limiting their spread. Left untreated they can threaten or endanger native habitats and native wildlife species.”

Read the story from the Graham Star here.

HIGHLANDS–Bored with traditional Thanksgiving-weekend trappings? Then head to The Bascom this week with out-of-town guests for three eclectic visual art exhibitions on the art center’s six-acre historical campus. “American Art Today, Juried Works,” featuring more than 40 pieces from artists across the nation, is in the Main Gallery; “The Shopping Bag: Exemplary Art and Design” (above), featuring a collection of historical bag samples from the Newark (N.J.) Public Library, is in the Loft Gallery; and “Enchanted Forest,” featuring creations by The Bascom’s youth art students, is in the Children’s Gallery. Admission is always free. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day). While on-campus, also hike The Bascom’s Nature Trail or do some browsing in the Shop, which offers unique, handcrafted items by local and regional artists. For more information, call (828) 526-4949 or visit www.thebascom.org.

The Bascom

HIGHLANDS–The Atlanta Journal Constitution painted a technicolor picture on Tuesday of the mountain luxury home market.

Reporter Jeffry Scott’s lead:

The bidders came dressed like money on vacation, in polo shirts, sneakers, shorts, loafers without socks and khaki slacks. One wore a flowery print beach shirt; another, a straw cowboy hat, cowboy boots, black jeans and a snake skin jacket.

Into this crowd, the owner of a $4.8 million mountainside luxury second home, cast his plight. And, if you had to guess, you’re probably right. He didn’t get his $4.8 million. He got barely more than half that — $2.45 million.

In a lengthy story for the business section, Scott goes on to give a detailed description of the sluggish high-end real estate market in Highlands and Atlanta, and to make clear how some owners of these properties are turning to simple absolute auction.

Another clip:

Owners of multi-million-dollar estates and second homes built during the boom years who are trying to unload the homes now are watching as they languish, overpriced and unsold, on the market, sometimes for years, then resorting to the last resort: absolute auctions.

In an absolute auction there’s no minimum bid and the seller can’t pull out because the top bid is too low. Three bangs of the gavel and it’s gone. Half of what you hoped for? Tough.

Read the entire piece here.

SYLVA–The secret’s out about Asheville’s status as a beer town.

But the southwest mountains don’t fare poorly, either, with Sylva’s five-year-old Heinzelmannchen Brewery leading a three-pack that includes upstarts Nantahala Brewing Company and the Tuckaseegee Brewing Cooperative.

The brewers at each of these three have been kind enough to recommend their favorite beers to enjoy on a cool autumn night.

Dieter Kuhn from Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Sylva, NC:

Big Butte Smoked Porter from Highlands Brewing Co. This was a Pro-Am entry into the Great American Beer Fest this year. A dark rich, malty, roasty, and smoky porter that evolves as it warms in the glass. Flavors are intensive but never get harsh, and it has a smooth, big-body mouthfeel and somewhat noticeable hoppyness. Enjoy the various flavor layers and warming alcohol finish. 7% alcohol by volume.

Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic Brewing Co. This Rye IPA has won a handful of medals. It pours turbid amber with a frothy white head, the aroma is definitely hoppy, mostly citrus but some piney scents also. Mouthfeel is creamy and substantial due to a big rye malt load, and smooth. The taste is hop heavy, including grapefruit, citrus and pine flavor. Malt sweetness is present along with the chewyness of rye malt. The finish is a unique interplay of hop flavor and malt. ABV 8%.

Big Amber Gnome from Heinzelmannchen Brewery. This is a gold medal-winning amber ale at this year’s Carolina Championship Of Beers. A specialty ale brewed for our 5th anniversary this year is a compilation of 5 different malts and Chinook, Cascade, and Willamette hops that yield an exceptionally smooth, malty big-bodied mouthfeel. Several malt and roasty flavers are layered before a reserved hoppiness takes over in mid-swallow. Finishes with a pleasent sweet aftertaste and an alcohol warming in the stomach. Very drinkable to celebrate just about anything, including your favorite team’s victory. ABV 8.2%, available only at the brewery on Saturdays in 2L growler fills. Come early, as the 15 gal keg is usually sold out by 2pm!

Chris Collier from Nantahala Brewing Co., Bryson City, NC:

We have spent a good bit of time traveling back and forth from Atlanta to Bryson City for the startup of the new Nantahala Brewing Company. Whenever we travel, we are always in search of beers that we cannot get at home in GA.  NC has several breweries distributed in the state that have not yet made it to GA, so we typically stick to those treats when we are up here and we also love to bring some unique offerings from GA to share with our business partners.

When autumn comes around it’s time to start enjoying the beautiful colors of the season.  This includes the garnets and amber hues of the malty, sweet beers that begin to take the place of the bright, crisp thirst quenching pilsners and wheat beers of summer. Fall would not be complete without the rollout of seasonal Oktoberfest beers. We love to try them all. This year we have been enjoying  Boone Brewing’s Blowing Rock Oktoberfest Lager.  Typical of the style it sports a nice amber color with a toasty, malty balance with roasted caramel notes.  It serves as a great session beer.

We think big IPAs are good anytime.  But, this time of year, a higher gravity IPA really compliments the cool weather. Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale (7%) and Ska Brewing’s Modus Hoperandi (6.8%) are two IPAs that fit that bill.  Both have big floral, citrusy and pine hop characteristics balanced with a substantial malt backbone that imparts a nice residual sweetness and a little alcohol warming. While neither is from NC (Michigan and Colorado respectively), they are a local staple for us when in NC.

One of the most recent beers we have transported from Georgia is Terrapin’s Depth Charge.  This is the second in the Midnight Brewing Project series which is a collaboration between Terrapin Brewing Company (Athens, GA) and Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO).  This combination of a creamy milk stout and espresso roasted coffee beans is absolutely to die for and is a great companion for curling up with next to the fire on a cold rainy evening.  Terrapin beers are distributed in NC, but this is a limited, special release that may be a little hard to find, but is definitely worth seeking out.

Chris and Cristina Collier are BJCP National Beer Judges, beer travelers, award-winning homebrewers, and beer columnists for the Southern Brew News. Before the end of the year, they will be tag teaming the brewing duties at western North Carolina’s newest microbrewery – Nantahala Brewing Company.

Sean O’Connell at Tuckaseegee Brewing Cooperative, Cullowhee, NC:

Deschutes Black Butte Porter is my all time favorite fall beer for those cold high desert Idaho nights, but it isn’t available here, so I’ll move on to these three:

Black Mocha Stout from Highland Brewing Company. Deep, dark, complex, and warming.  A roasty beer with extra character to provoke the taste buds and fire up the soul.  Best for the colder fall nights.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. High alcohol, hoppy, and sweet.  Another warmer, but a good sipper for the day time as well as the evening.  Maybe best as a dessert beer.  I’d recommend the 120 Minute IPA, but that’s illegal to purchase in North Carolina — 20% alcohol by volume and 600 calories per bottle!

Spaten Oktoberfest from Munich’s Spaten-Löwenbräu Group. An all time favorite brew of mine and certainly one for this season.  Brewed in the spring and lagered until fall, this one is highly drinkable (5.9% ABV) and highlights the brewing powerhouse that is Germany.  Goes well with colorful leaves on and off the trees.

Sean O’Connell teaches biology at Western Carolina University an is a founding partner of the Tuckaseegee Brewing Cooperative.

GSMNP–Those thumps you heard earlier were tourism folks fainting dead away at the news that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close its wildly popular Cades Cove loop for three months in the spring for repaving and sprucing up.

An excerpt from the Knoxville News Sentinel:

The park examined a “full range of options” to do the work, according to Superintendent Dale Ditmanson.

All would have required unsuitable detours for the 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles that enter the cove each day, Ditmanson said.

Night-time work also was considered, but the road would have had to be closed for the rebuilding of the sub-base.

The park chose to close the road and recycle it in place as the most efficient and “environmentally responsible” way to complete the work, Ditmanson said.

Read the story here.

SYLVA–Don’t get me wrong, I like lists, too. In fact, I remember a teenage addiction to that eighties phenomenon called “The Book of Lists“.

But these days, when publications have less and less money but reader’s appetites for content are growing leaps and bounds, the lists come at you from every direction. US News and World Report, for example, which was a weekly news staple when I was a kid, is now a monthly publication that seems sometimes wholly devoted to lists of schools, hospitals and whatnot.

Sylva and Cullowhee made a couple of lists recently. Cullowhee got a controversial edge over Boone and Asheville in North Carolina as a “better sports town” in the Sporting News, and Sylva was named by the Mother Earth News as one of 11 “Great Places You’ve (Maybe) Never Heard Of”.

The Sporting News list ranks 399 “sports cities” in the U.S., using a methodology that is vague at best. That aside, the upshot is a 199th-place finish for good ol’ Cullowhee, 15 spots ahead of Asheville and 26 ahead of Boone. The howls of wonderment from the Asheville Citizen-Times sports desk will likely brings wails of  self-defense from Western, all amounting to a tempest in a teapot.

Update: Citizen-Times sports editor Bob Berghaus back-pedaled like a slow cornerback today, publishing parts of an op-ed from WCU’s Gibbs Knotts and arriving at the conclusion, more or less, that maybe Cullowhee is a great sports burg, who knows?

Sylva, meanwhile, is unaccustomed to the limelight. The Reader’s home base is a busy working town, described, out of context, by Edward Abbey as having “the life of a market center and the dignity of a county seat”. You can get just about anything you need on Sylva’s Main Street, from fresh-brewed beer to fresh-roasted coffee to fresh-baked bread to fresh fish. You can still get shoes fixed here, and the downtown dentist’s family has been at the same trade in the same place for well over a century.

But in this pre-packaged age, Sylva doesn’t fit the mold of a “destination” (a surprise to its many visitors), so the tourism folks don’t circulate its name much.

Of course, the Mother Earth News isn’t all that concerned with tourism. Here’s what it said about Sylva, which was one of two southern towns to make its list:

“Sylva embodies a vibrant small town that engages its citizenry in a variety of ways,” said John Rockhold, managing editor for the magazine. “Mother Earth News focuses on cool things you can do to live wisely and create community, and we think our readers will identify with a place like Sylva.”

Read about Sylva in the Mother Earth News here.

The Western North Carolina Pottery Festival returns for its fifth year on Saturday, Nov. 7, with an expanded lineup and a special clay “Olympics” competition.

Event organizers continue to be surprised by the popularity achieved by the festival in a short period of time. With dozens of well-known applicants from across the nation, the number of juried potters has been expanded to 42 this year. Last year’s show had 36 exhibitors.

Dillsboro, NC

The 2009 festival includes potters from 13 states, including Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York and New Jersey, as well as North Carolina and surrounding states. The featured potter is Trent Berning of California.

“There are name potters in the show we never expected to have, and we had to turn away 30 potters, so there is competition to get in,” said organizer Joe Frank McKee of Dillsboro’s Tree House Pottery. “It’s become a premier event. We have potters from every type of clay medium.”

Berning, of Berning Clay Gallery in Fallbrook, Calif., has a master’s degree in ceramics from the University of Tennessee and is an instructor at two colleges. He is known for creating large pots featuring slip decoration, which uses fine clay in a variety of colors blended into liquid form and applied to pots.

Another artist of note is Richard Aerni of Rochester, NY. Aerni, a potter for 30 years, specializes in single-fired, wood-ash glazed functional stoneware. His work is sold in galleries across the country and is on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

New this year is the clay Olympics challenge from 1-3 p.m. Friday at Tree House Pottery. The competition is sponsored by Shimpo, a pottery equipment company, and includes 20 potters attempting to create the tallest cylinder and widest bowl in 10 minutes.

Saturday’s festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $2 per person and includes a ticket for a day-long raffle. Children under 12 are admitted free.

“All the smiling faces in Jackson County and the people supporting the WNC Pottery Festival make this a special event,” said McKee. “Our potters like interacting with people and are willing to share information. They’re not just here for money, they’re here to share their craft.”

CHEROKEE–In early September, the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Carly Harrington put together this overview of Qualla Boundary economic conditions, and talked to some folks that might not otherwise be heard in such a piece; among them, Leon Grodski and Natalie Smith, owners of Tribal Grounds Coffee and well-known multimedia artist Davy Arch.

The general theme: while the influence of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino has its pluses and minuses, the influx of cash that the casino brings is giving the Cherokee greater opportunity to control their economic destiny.

An excerpt:

While roadside shops continue to hawk their fake American Indian wares, locals say they are trying to get away from such “shot glass” tourist attractions, focusing instead on authentic Cherokee history and heritage.

“The tribe is spending money to create a nicer experience that’s more culturally oriented and authentic. The goal is to move away from the touristy trinkets from China,” Groski said.

After the park opened, people from other places were attracted to the area by the lure of tourism and its financial prospects. The tribe, in need of money, allowed them “to market their junk.”

“They wanted any kind of business they could get. We weren’t generating revenue to support the infrastructure,” Arch said, noting that there’s more tolerance and acceptance of the Cherokee culture today.

“Things are looking up. We have more control of our destiny now than the last couple hundred years. It’s changing.”

Read the piece here.

DILLSBORO–Western Carolina’s Jill Ingram writes here for The Reporter that Western Carolina University’s art department will partner with the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro to provide studio space for the study of energy-intensive artwork like glassblowing and metalworking.

Writes Ingram:

The university and the Green Energy Park are in the process of formalizing a collaboration agreement that will include graduate assistantships and classroom instruction based at the park, Tichich said. The park’s resources can help the School of Art and Design develop as “a fine arts center of a four-state area,” Tichich said.

Timm Muth, director of the energy park, said the collaboration is mutually beneficial. The park can provide resources not available at WCU, and new Western Carolina art graduates might take advantage of the Green Energy Park’s role as a business incubator by renting studio space as a step between academics and a career. “I feel that the park could prove to be an invaluable partner for WCU, offering students opportunities to put what they’ve learned into real-world practice,” Muth said.

Read the whole piece here.

REGIONAL–Two fascinating posts in a pair of regional blogs: one, from Dave Tabler at the amazing Appalachian History, describes efforts a century ago to push a railway up from Georgia to connect with the WNC railroad at Almond. Turns out they made it as far as Franklin, which is news to me.

The second, from Gulahiyi at Ruminations from the Distant Hills, remembers a 1977 flood that killed 39 people at Toccoa Falls College.

First, the railroad; the Murphy branch of the Southern Railroad is a long, lonesome and fragile strand of rails. It is the only railroad line west of Asheville, and it connects a string of small towns that once depended on it for their existence. That the line itself still exists is remarkable. Southern says it is still profitable as far as Sylva, and the Great Smoky Mountains Railway owns the line on west to its terminus in Murphy.

As I understand it, state law says it can’t be abandoned, so if the GSMR were to close up shop, ownership would revert to Southern.

Coming west, the line leaves Waynesville and climbs up to Balsam, which once boasted the highest railroad depot east of the Rockies. Balsam is still home to a railroading throwback – the grand, century-old Balsam Mountain Inn. The 42,000 square-foot inn, which had 100 rooms when it opened, was one of many such grand hotels that the railroad served. The line then drops down a serious incline (for rail) into Sylva, crossing and re-crossing Scotts Creek over dozens of trestles as it comes.

Tabler’s description of the Tallulah Falls Railway describes similar countryside.

An excerpt:

Perhaps the most distinguishing single characteristic of the Tallulah Falls Railroad was its fascinating variety of trademark trestles. Forty-two of these massive wooden wonders had to be negotiated along the scenic journey, each having to bear the full weight of a 140,000 lb. locomotive and its heavy load. It is these forty-two trestles which created much of the line’s personality, and more than any other single feature dramatically reflected the type of country that the TF served – rugged, wild and often dangerous.

The trestles of the Tallulah Falls Railroad were quite varied. The shortest of the trestles was approximately 25 feet in length, while the longest is generally considered to be the 940 feet long scenic wonder which skirted the rooftops over the town of Tallulah Falls. The only exception to the wooden trestles along the line was the massive 585 feet long steel and concrete bridge spanning Tallulah Lake.

Read Tabler’s post here.

Recent wet weather — the first such weather in the southern mountains in a few years — brought to mind for Gulahiyi the dam break just over 30 years ago.

He has a link to video from Toccoa Falls this week, and some nice photography of his own.

Read his post here.

NANTAHALA-Western North Carolina’s largest outdoor gear fair will feature an unprecedented number of events, when NOC’s Guest Appreciation Festvial (GAF) kicks off September 25-27, at NOC’s headquarters on the Nantahala River.

This is the 26th year for the end-of-season sale and swap. A destination event, visitors can expect games, giveaways, video premieres, rafting, live music, restaurant specials and much more throughout the weekend.

The event begins on Friday, when NOC opens its Used Gear Marketplace. At the same time, the Outfitter’s Store opens its doors to blowout brand new bikes, boats, apparel, tents and more. NOC’s famous Outfitter’s Store is the biggest specialty retailer of whitewater gear in the country and also features a wide selection of general outdoor apparel, so expect to find a variety of sale items.

This installment of GAF features more live music than ever before, with Woody Pines, The HumBuckers, The Steve Wohlrab Jazz Trio and additional musicians performing throughout the entire weekend.

In addition to sales, live music and regularly-scheduled rafting trips, Saturday features a packed line-up of events, including The Subaru Sumo Thunder Challenge, the ShredReady/IR Pumpkin Pursuit, a Crowded Canoe Competition, the Jackson Kayak Big Trick Competition, Foamy Boat Building, free fishing and kayaking clinics, restaurant specials, games, video premieres, kids contests and more.

Also during GAF weekend, the International Whitewater Hall of Fame will hold its 2009 induction ceremony on Saturday evening at Relia’s Garden Restaurant. There are meetand-greet events with the honorees, open to the public on Saturday afternoon.

NOC’s Guest Appreciation Festival usually sees visitation around 2,000 people. Visitors should be prepared to use marked satellite parking lots east of NOC on Highway 19, and ride the NOC-provided, free shuttles to the event.