The NorthMountains Community
NorthMountains.org is dedicated to preserving families, land and livelihoods in the "northmountains" of Western North Carolina, spanning Madison, Yancey, Mitchell and Avery Counties directly below the Tennessee line. It is a region that shares distinct geographic and demographic characteristics, a hardy and enduring mountain culture, and an economy overwhelmingly comprised of small, independent, largely family owned and operated farming, merchant, craft, and service enterprises. It is a region in which there is still time to reclaim, nurture, and protect the natural environment and commit to principles of sustainable development to meet the needs of both current and future generations. It is a region rich in clean, fresh, water, in unparalleled biodiversity, in pristine wilderness and abundant wildlife, in historic settlements and trails, in breathtaking vistas that stir the heart and nourish the soul--for now.
Traveling east to west, the Northmountains Corridor begins at Sugar Mountain in the middle of Avery County, follows Rte. 19 through Spruce Pine looping through Bakersville and Micaville on the way to Burnsville, then sweeps southerly across Mars Hill along Rte. 213 to Marshall and up along the French Broad River to where it meets the Appalachian Trail in Hot Springs. We then loop back across the northerly scenic route along the Laurel River and Big Laurel Creek, back through Mars Hill and down I-26 or Rte. 23 landing at Rte. 19 again. Along the way are breathtaking mountain vistas, thriving farms and forests, roaring creeks, year-round respite and recreational opportunities, and some of the most ecologically diverse plants and wildlife in the U.S.
Organic farming -- whether crops or livestock -- is still possible here, unlike vast regions of the rest of the country, or even the state for that matter, which have been permanently poisoned by pesticides and industrial waste. The mountain mists of daybreak and diamond-studded skies of night fuel the muses of our artists and writers, our poets and musicians. For generations these mountains have nourished both the bodies and the spirits of those who have nestled into their valleys, coves and hollers, respectful of the landscape and wildlife that sustain us.
Most of us remember how to be neighbors here, how to treat each other with respect and kindness, and how to offer each other a helping hand as we move through this life together. But, just as some of us have been taken over by hard times these last few years, others of us have been taken over by greed, dazzled and seduced by the glitz and glitter of the things and the power that money can buy. And these few would exchange the birthright of their own and their neighbors' children and grandchildren for the weak and hollow staves of fleeting material gain for themselves alone. Which road will we as a community choose?
Traveling east to west, the Northmountains Corridor begins at Sugar Mountain in the middle of Avery County, follows Rte. 19 through Spruce Pine looping through Bakersville and Micaville on the way to Burnsville, then sweeps southerly across Mars Hill along Rte. 213 to Marshall and up along the French Broad River to where it meets the Appalachian Trail in Hot Springs. We then loop back across the northerly scenic route along the Laurel River and Big Laurel Creek, back through Mars Hill and down I-26 or Rte. 23 landing at Rte. 19 again. Along the way are breathtaking mountain vistas, thriving farms and forests, roaring creeks, year-round respite and recreational opportunities, and some of the most ecologically diverse plants and wildlife in the U.S.
Organic farming -- whether crops or livestock -- is still possible here, unlike vast regions of the rest of the country, or even the state for that matter, which have been permanently poisoned by pesticides and industrial waste. The mountain mists of daybreak and diamond-studded skies of night fuel the muses of our artists and writers, our poets and musicians. For generations these mountains have nourished both the bodies and the spirits of those who have nestled into their valleys, coves and hollers, respectful of the landscape and wildlife that sustain us.
Most of us remember how to be neighbors here, how to treat each other with respect and kindness, and how to offer each other a helping hand as we move through this life together. But, just as some of us have been taken over by hard times these last few years, others of us have been taken over by greed, dazzled and seduced by the glitz and glitter of the things and the power that money can buy. And these few would exchange the birthright of their own and their neighbors' children and grandchildren for the weak and hollow staves of fleeting material gain for themselves alone. Which road will we as a community choose?
