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Monday, January 16, 2012 |
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2012 Swannanoa Valley Rim Explorer Interest Meeting
The
Swannanoa Valley Museum’s exclusive Swannanoa Rim Explorer™ hiking
series offers eleven hikes that will take place the third Saturday of
each month of 2012. 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, 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.
Interested in finding out more? Join us on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 7:00pm
at the Black Mountain Savings Bank meeting room for a presentation by
some of our knowledgeable guides and advice from some of the intrepid
hikers who have completed all 31 miles of the Swannanoa Rim! You can
prepay (and get one hike free!) and register at the meeting.
RSVP online or by calling 828-669-9566. | |
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Tour Historic Riceville on Sunday, January 29th
 On
Sunday, January 29th, we will explore the history of the Riceville
area, the westernmost part of the valley with local historian and author
of Images of America: Riceville, Anne Chesky.
The tour will begin at the Riceville Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary and
then continue into the historic heart of the valley. Participants will
hear stories about Riceville’s founders and their descendants. The tour
includes stops at two cemeteries, several log cabin ruins, historic
businesses and post offices, and Camp Awaniko.
Meet
at the Black Mountain Savings Bank at 1:30pm to carpool to the church
or you may meet at 2:00pm at the Riceville Presbyterian Church
sanctuary.
Cost is $15 for Museum members; $25 for nonmembers. Please RSVP online or by calling 828-669-9566.
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| The Montreat Hydroelectric Hike: Our First Hike of 2012
 Join us on Saturday, February 11th at 9:00am, for our first hike of the year!
This
interesting hike focuses on the history of the hydroelectric generating
system that provided electricity for the town of Montreat until the
mid-1930s. After viewing the old generating station on Flat Creek, we
will hike up the new Sanctuary Trail and Graybeard Trail to the old
reservoir sites and then up to the Trestle Road (3,913 ft.) and follow
it to Long Gap (3,706 ft.) We will ascend the north face of Rocky Head
(4,019 ft.) for views of the Montreat Valley. As we descend Rocky
Head Trail, we will pass by the old holding ponds and end up at the
Montreat campground.
Meet: 8:00 AM in the Black Mountain Savings Bank parking lot, 200 East State Street, Black Mountain, NC.
Difficulty: This hike is a moderate 4-mile loop with a few rather strenuous sections.
Pack List: Please bring your lunch and plenty of water. Please wear good hiking boots and clothing appropriate for the weather.
Cost: $15 for Museum members, $25 for non-members. RSVP online or by calling 828-669-9566.
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| Now Hiring: Part-Time Visitor Services Coordinator
 As the museum has grown, our staffing needs have grown as well.
For the
2012 season (mid-April through the end of October) we will
still need our volunteer docents during the week, but will be
hiring a part-time Visitor Services Coordinator who will be
responsible for personally staffing the docent desk on Fridays and
Saturdays from 10-5 as well as scheduling volunteer docents to work
from 10-1:30 and from 1:30-5 on Tuesdays, Wendesdays, and
Thursdays. The Coordinator will have other responsibilities that
can be seen in the job description.
For more information or to apply please view the job descrition here. |
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Our Sponsor
 Since
the days when the buffalo and elk roamed the age-old migration routes
between the piedmont and mountains of North Carolina, our Valley has
been celebrated for its broad, fertile river plain, incredible
geographic beauty and yes, a rich history of wildlife.
In
fact, before our earliest settlers crossed the Eastern Continental
Divide in the 1780s, the Swannanoa Valley with its abundant wildlife was
a prized hunting ground used by the Cherokees and neighboring Catawba
tribes.
Later,
near the end of the eighteenth century, many of the world′s leading
botanists and geographers traveled to our Valley and surrounding
mountains. They declared the environment to be home to the most unique
and diverse flora and fauna that they had ever studied. Well, today
those of us who reside here can easily understand what was in the
hearts and minds of those earliest inhabitants, explorers, and pioneers.
We are so fortunate to call the upper Swannanoa Valley and the
encircling Swannanoa Rim our home.
As
Black Mountain′s oldest continuing business (since 1908) and its
only locally owned community bank, we are very proud to be the sponsor
of the Swannanoa Valley Museum′s e-newsletter.
Cheers!
M. Wendell Begley, President
Black Mountain Savings Bank
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"Enjoy long-range winter views on hikes with the Swannanoa Valley Museum"
Black Mountain Savings Bank, 200 E. State Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Phone (828) 669-7991/Fax (828) 669-6974, Email: mwb_bmsb@bellsouth.net
Our Board of Directors, who all live and work in the Swannanoa Valley:
M.
Wendell Begley, William H. "Bill" Christy, James E. "Ed" Neves, C.T.
"Tom" Sobol, Jr., Joseph M. "Joe" Tyson, David D. Duncan and C.
Roger Hibbard
Equal Housing Lender/Member FDIC
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Special thanks also to our Gold Level Corporate Sponsor:
To find out how to become a Corporate Sponsor please click here
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| The
mission of the Swannanoa Valley Museum is to preserve and interpret the
social, cultural and natural history of the Swannanoa Valley, a pathway
to Western North Carolina, by developing dynamic programs and engaging
exhibitions for the education and enrichment of the community, its
children and future generations.P.O. Box 306, Black Mountain, NC 28711 •
828-669-9566www.swannanoavalleymuseum.org • swannanoavalleym@bellsouth.net |
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