Experience North Carolina's Mountains
The weather is turning cold here in Glenville, and I am finally making some time to work on the website. It’s embarassing to admit, but two new vacation rentals have been going for months and I am only just now adding them to the website. I also had awesome photos by Sar Sheehan of the…
When I was a kid, we went out to the old DuPont property on Cedar Mountain for a picnic. Earlier that day they were filming the movie The Last of the Mohicans, and there were still pieces of the set around. It would be many years before I came back. The DuPont Corporation sold the…
The closest hike to the cabins is High Falls on the north side of Lake Glenville. It is also my favorite hike in the Cashiers / Glenville area, taking you down to a stunning box canyon with a double drop waterfall. The lakeside entrance to the waterfall was put in only a few years ago…
The rugged mountains of western North Carolina slowed the settlement of the region, but by the late 1800s it was starting to bustle. The town of Glenville was actually the largest in Jackson County in 1891. Cashiers and Highlands were also growing as desirable escapes from the lowland heat. In fact at one point there…
Fall is my favorite season here in the mountains of North Carolina. The weather is usually crisp and dry with skies as blue as lapis. Once the leaves start to turn, the colors change almost overnight. On Monday, the leaves were green, and by Friday they had almost all begun their transformation. Brilliant yellow, vibrant…
Grouse are remarkable at camouflage. This NC spring they are quite plentiful if you know where to look. I have a friend who works for the Forestry service who says he has seen at least 20 this spring. My Dear Husband was out and about this week around Lake Glenville and found a grouse waiting…
Although the Glenville and Cashiers, NC areas are a tourist destination, some local residents still farm and raise cattle. Today I photographed some of the barns (mostly abandoned) on Cullowhee Mountain Road. This road goes from Lake Glenville down to Speedwell and Cullowhee, home of Western Carolina University. NC barn architecture is quite varied. Some…
River otters are elusive creatures, but they do live at Lake Glenville. I took a short walk to the dam in 8 inches of snow, quite difficult without snowshoes! After admiring the snow covered hills and mountains as well as the lake shore I started trudging back home through the snow. I decided to walk…
My goal for the next few days or weeks is to find and photograph the various kinds of waterfowl that inhabit Lake Glenville or the surrounding small ponds. Yesterday I saw Mallards and Redheads, photos coming soon. Today I took a walk along the lake because I could see two Canada Geese standing near the…
This week, Mike and I hiked Whiteside Mountain. It is a gorgeous hike along the ridge of a exposed rock face that overlooks parts of North and South Carolina. It is one of my favorite hikes for bringing my visitors, and it is only about 15 minutes from home. I have only done this hike…