Happy New Year from the Swannanoa Valley Museum!

A new year, a new e-newsletter, new exhibits, new hikes and Daycations--it all adds up to an exciting time for members of and visitors to the Swannanoa Valley Museum.

Pathways, our new e-newsletter, gives us a better and more affordable way to let you know about all that is going on with the Museum.  We will be sending monthly updates and announcements of events, exhibits and programs.  We thank our sponsor, Black Mountain Savings Bank, for underwriting the cost of the e-newsletter.

If you prefer not to receive the e-newsletter, please go to the end of this one and unsubscribe. If you think your friends would be interested in receiving it, please click Send to Friend at the top of the e-newsletter.  They can subscribe by clicking that link at the bottom of the e-newsletter.

Remember, the Swannanoa Valley Museum is Buncombe County's primary museum of general local history.  We are a private nonprofit serving not only the Swannanoa Valley, but all of the county.  We are closed in winter, but can be visited by appointment.  The Museum will reopen April 10 with a new exhibit "Protecting our Natural Scenic Beauty" and a special program by quilter Stephanie Wilds who will present the map quilt of the Swannanoa Valley which she created over this past year.

Photo:  Handsome new facade of Historic Black Mountain Fire House--restored in 2008.  Come see it for yourself!

New!  Swannanoa Rim Explorer™ Hiking Series!

The Swannanoa Valley Museum is excited to present a program of 12 hikes during 2010 that will explore the ridgelines of the mountains that surround the Upper Swannanoa Valley and Black Mountain.

This is a truly unique opportunity for hikers hungry for challenge, adventure, and an in-depth understanding of the rich heritage that lies within the Swannanoa Valley.

The hikes will take place the third Saturday of each month of 2010, and are IN ADDITION TO our regular hiking program.  Each hike will cover a portion of the approximately 31 miles of the Swannanoa Rim, which runs from Jesse’s High Top, across Lakey Gap, over Ridgecrest and Montreat, across the Black Mountain and Great Craggy Ranges, up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and down to Cedar Cliff above Camp Rockmont.  These hikes will be led by experienced hikers who are also extremely knowledgeable about the history, topography, and ownership of the land.

Hikers will be issued a “Passport to the Swannanoa Rim” on their first hike, which will be validated at the completion of each segment.  Special awards will go to those completing the full course the first year.  There will be snow/rain makeup days, and the program is planned to extend into 2011 for those who wish to complete the course but who are unable to make it in the 2010 calendar year.

Recommended for experiencd hikers, the hikes in this series will be strenuous and at times will require bushwhacking.  Participation in each hike will be limited to 30 hikers plus the Museum team.  The cost for each hike is $20 for Museum members, $40 for non-members.  Those wishing to secure reservations on all 12 hikes may do so by paying in advance.  Those who reserve the full year by Jan. 16 will receive a 10% discount.  Advance payments are non-refundable.

Each hike will begin at 8 am the third Saturday of each month in the parking lot of Black Mountain Savings Bank, 200 E. State St, in Black Mountain.  Hikers should come prepared for a full day of strenuous activity.  Bring lunch, snacks and water, and wear sturdy hiking gear appropriate for the weather.  Hikers may be asked to assist with car shuttles.

An orientation meeting for hikers interested in participating in the Swannanoa Rim Explorer™ hiking series will be held on Thursday, January 7 at 7 pm in the Conference Room at the Black Mountain Savings Bank, 200 E. State St., Black Mountain.   The first hike will be Jan. 16.  Reservations will be on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please call the Museum, 828-669-9566, or send an email to swannanoavalleym@bellsouth.net for more information or to reserve a place on the hikes.

Please note that the Swannanoa Rim Explorer hiking series is IN ADDITION TO the Museum’s regular monthly hikes and walks, which offer less strenuous options.  See article below.

Photo by Wendell Begley: Big Right Hand Fork of Swannanoa Valley.

A Week in Spectacular Arches National Park

This spring, March 28-April 1, the Swannanoa Valley Museum is sponsoring a special guided camping trip to the "Sculptured Wonderland" that is Arches National Park in Utah.

Arches National Park straddles the boundary between two ancient cultures —the Anasazi and the Fremont—and is filled with one of the largest concentrations of rock arches in the world. Erosion and shifting layers of salt helped shape the area. It is a scenic and colorful landscape, sprinkled with rock spires and pedestals, as well as twisted pinon and juniper pine, making it look like a unique rock garden.

The trip will involve sampling this unique country through a series of day hikes from a base camp at Arches National Park. The tentative plan is to spend three days visiting favorite sites in Arches, two more days exploring side canyons outside the Park. Since this trip involves day hiking from a base camp, it is suitable for beginners. However, some of the trails are primitive and marked only by rock piles (cairns) and, hikes may involve roundtrip distances of 10 or more miles.

The event leader, Larry Odoski, has over 25 years of outdoor programming experience including leading trips and designing programs.  The co-leader, Mike Murphy, has led trips for groups in the High Sierra for the last 30 years, mostly taking hikers to the top of Mt. Whitney.  Both Larry and Mike have been involved with the Sierra Club's National Outing Program since 1991.

Cost for the week is $675 for Museum members, $725 for non-members.  This includes all camping fees, meals from dinner March 28 to breakfast April 2, all group cooking gear, 1 ranger led hike, and the services of the two leaders. Although all cooking and eating equipment will be furnished, partipants are expected to supply their own personal gear, including tents and sleeping equipment.

Transportation to and from the group site is the responsibility of participants.  Carpooling will be necessary for the planned day hikes. Complete details, including transportation suggestions, are available on the Swannanoa Valley Museum website.  Since participation will be limited to 16 campers plus the two leaders, it is recommended that reservations be made early.

Photo by Larry Odoski:  Arches National Park.

Hikes 'R Us!

The Swannanoa Valley Museum's hiking program has steadily gained popularity over the past eight years.  What makes our hikes different is the historical and ecological interpretation provided by our hike leaders.

This year, we've added some new hiking destinations and will be revisiting some old favoriites.  Please understand that these hikes are separate from and in addition to the Swannanoa Rim Hikes mentioned above.

Coming up on Sunday, February 7 is a tour of two of the oldest graveyards in Buncombe County, the Tabernacle Cemetery, located on Tabernacle Road in Black Mountain, and the Ingram Cemetary off Lake Eden Road. Leaders Robert Goodson and Tom Jones will talk about the history of the people who are buried here.  (Note:  This is really more of a "stroll" than a "hike," which will be easy for everyone.)  Participants will meet in the parking lot at Tabernacle Methodist Church at 2 pm.  Cost is $10 for Museum members, $20 for non-members.  Reservations can be made by calling the Museum, 828-669-9566, or sending an email to swannanoavalleym@bellsouth.net.

Our March hike will be to the Lower Catawba Falls in McDowell County.  Meeting times will be announced in the next e-newsletter, and in the Black Mountain News.  Visit our website for a complete calendar for 2010.

Photo by Wendell Begley.

February Daycation: A Visit to Asheville's

National Climatic Data Center

A couple of years ago, some of our membership expressed interest in visiting the many historical, cultural and environmental sites in Western North Carolina with the Museum, but either they couldn't or didn't want to hike. 

So we developed a series of field trips that require little or no hiking.  Our 2010 schedule of Daycations is chock full of great destinations!  Click here to see the complete schedule for 2010.

The first Daycation will be Feb. 17, when we visit the National Climatic Data Center in  Asheville. The NCDC is the world's largest archive of climate data, with data as old as 150 years, and as recent as a few hours. 

We have arranged for a guided tour of the Center, and plan to go to lunch afterward at a nearby restaurant. Cost is $10 for Museum members, $20 for non-members, and participants are responsible for their lunch expense.  Please make reservations by calling the Museum, 828-669-9566, or send an email to swannanoavalleym@bellsouth.net.

Photo:  NOAA National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service,  Image of Hurricane Ivan 2004.