Come to Your Senses When you venture into the woods to celebrate North Carolina’s Year of the Trail, we want you to have the richest and most rewarding experience possible. That’s why we’ve enlisted the help of Torry Nergart, conservation easement manager at Conserving Carolina, to give us some insights on how you can get the most from your time on Transylvania County’s treasured trails. ​ Q&A Q&A: Torry, why is it important to try and engage all five senses when you’re enjoying the outdoors? ​ “When I think about engaging the senses, I think about all five of them working together collectively. You could call that ‘mindfulness,’ and one of the easiest places to do that is in the forest. When we find natural connections, it gives us what we’re missing from modern living.” “Personally, I have to burn off a little energy before I can be more mindful. So, I do a trail run or bike a little bit. Both of these activities have a way of burning off a little of the busy-ness. It kind of rattles out the distractions. Then, I’m prepared to take a deep breath and engage all my senses.” Q&A Q&A: What are some plant and animal smells and scents we should be aware of when in the woods? ​ “It’s interesting.  When you’re trying to disconnect from the real world, you’re not turning anything off – you’re actually turning on your senses. And that’s especially true for the sense of smell.... Read More

Going With The Flow. Often, people think of trails as winding routes across terra firma. Yet the truth is, rivers are the original trails – carved by Mother Nature over eons, they journey across the land following the path of least resistance, resulting in surprises around just about every bend. As we celebrate North Carolina’s Year of the Trail, we want to honor Transylvania County’s first trail: the French Broad River, third oldest river in the world, and its many tributaries. To take us on this journey, we caught up with Jack Henderson, MountainTrue’s French Broad Paddle Trail Manager. Enjoy this Q & A with a passionate advocate for the French Broad River. (Editor’s note: We have paraphrased and edited this interview for brevity.) Q&A Q&A: Tell us a little about yourself, Jack. I’ve been living in western North Carolina since 2010 and have worked for a variety of recreation and conservation groups with focus upon public access and natural resource protection. Prior to joining MountainTrue, I was with RiverLink. Along with Hartwell Carson, who is the Riverkeeper for the French Broad, I help manage the French Broad River Paddle Trail. Q&A Q&A: What makes the French Broad River such a significant, meaningful body of water? It flows from its headwaters within Transylvania County to the confluence with the Holston River where it forms the Tennessee River. It covers a wide variety of ecological, cultural, geological and topographical components in a relatively small physical space. Q&A Q&A: What makes... Read More