ASH GROVE Cabins and Camping in Brevard, NC

Winter Hiking in Western North Carolina

2012-01-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

We have had some incredibly beautiful and mild weather this winter in Transylvania County--perfect hiking weather. In summer, with the trees loaded with leaves, the vistas can be limited, but this time of year, on a clear day you can see forever. Here are some shots from recent outings at East Fork Falls (just 5 miles from Ash Grove), Sassafras Mountain (the highest point in South Carolina, about 1/2 hour from Ash Grove) and Dupont State Forest (just 10 minutes from Ash Grove and home to 6 spectacular waterfalls and 90+ miles of hiking and mountain biking trails).

View from Sassafras Mtn, SC

The Best of 2011

2011-12-29T10:29:00.002-05:00

Fern Glen, Holmes State Forest

As a way to say "Happy New Year!", we thought we would share some of our favorite photos from 2011.

Looking Glass Rock, Pisgah Forest

Rainbow Falls, Near Gorges State Park

Horsepasture River, Near Gorges State Park

Winter Sky and Trees, Ash Grove

Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields. Pisgah Forest

Looking Glass Falls, Pisgah National Forest

Wintergreen Falls, Dupont State Forest

Connestee Falls, Brevard, NC

View of Mountains in Snow near Ash Grove Cabins, Jan 2011


Looking Glass Falls in Snow, Jan 2011

From a Recent Guest

2011-08-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

One of our recent (and repeat) guests wrote this review of Ash Grove on Yelp:

"Cabins? Yeah. RV sites? Yeah, those too... Tent sites? NOW you're talkin'! And while Ash Grove has a few tent sites with Wi-Fi, that's not the reason we go there... it's the walk-to sites below the bath house that we find most appealing.

Mark and Stephen bought this property and added these very campsites back in 2003. To access them, you need to take a walk in the woods... The trails to the sites are very well maintained and mulched; wheelbarrows are provided to help you lug your gear to the sites, and otherwise nature is left intact. Each campsite has a nicely leveled area for your tent, a fire pit and a picnic table. A few of the sites have a clothesline already strung, but I suspect those were just left by previous campers and not taken down. (I don't know how much good they'll do beneath the tree canopy, at least when trees are in leaf!)

The bathhouse at Ash Grove is meticulously well-taken care of. Each side has a couple of sinks, three commodes and two shower stalls, as well as electrical outlets. They even have a hair dryer on each side. Water pressure is ample, and the water is certainly hot enough. Just outside the bathhouse is a double sink for doing dishes, and there is a washer and dryer for your convenience. That said, this is NOT a KOA! You really get a sense of nature here, and depending on your campsite can actually get a workout walking up and down the trails.

The location of Ash Grove is also spectacular. It's about 6 miles south of Brevard - a wonderful city in and of itself, and WELL worth exploring - which just happens to also be the gateway to the Pisgah National Forest - with all of the wonders that that entails! Ash Grove is also about eight miles north of the best waterfalls that the DuPont State Forest has to offer. Additionally, Ash Grove is topographically more than a thousand feet above Brevard, and so the average temperature is perhaps 8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than Brevard.

With that in mind, Ash Grove also has a hot tub that is open roughly from October until early May(?), depending on the weather.

Another thing we found thoroughly delightful is that Ash Grove is a campground with *Rules*. No, we're not talking about a sign that says NO! ...followed by everything you want to do. The Rules at Ash Grove are Rules that you might make up to remind folks of the Golden Rule. Keep the place clean. Don't make excessive noise. Don't be a jerk. Remember you are sharing the forest with other living beings. You know, those sorts of things!

We're already looking forward to our next trip to Ash Grove. Oh yeah, you'll want to make your reservations early... they have fewer than 20 of the tent sites, so you know they'll go quickly!"

Graveyard Fields Hike

2011-07-28T18:25:00.000-04:00

I was able to get away from Ash Grove for a little while yesterday (27 Jul 2011) and went to Graveyard Fields for a hike. It has been hot here in the mountains, so I wanted to go to a high elevation where it is cooler, and the Fields, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, has an elevation of 5120'. It was 76 degrees in the parking lot.

Why the name Graveyard Fields? The sign at the beginning of the Graveyard Fields Trail reads: "A natural disaster occurred here 500 to 1000 years ago. A tremendous "wind-blow" uprooted the spruce forest. Through the years the old root stumps and trees rotted, leaving only dirt mounds. These odd mounds gave the appearance of a graveyard, and the area became known as Graveyard Fields.
The forest eventually recovered, only to be destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1925. This fire consumed the entire spruce-fir forest and the ancient mounds. The forest again is slowly recovering. The 1925 fire burned deeply, destroying the soils nutrients. Blackberry briers and other small plants have taken hold, adding decaying vegetation to the earth each season, gradually enriching the soil. With time, this process will establish larger plants and trees. A spruce-fir forest might once again flourish in Graveyard Fields."
There were a LOT of cars in the parking lot, but I knew that most people would be headed for the 2nd Falls, which is a great swimming spot, so I headed for the Upper Falls, less spectacular, but beautiful none the less. It is a hike of about 3.5 miles, round trip. The blackberries and blueberries that cover the mountainside were a little past their prime (and well picked over), but I managed to find a few succulent berries. You pass through a mixed grassland and small-treed river valley for much of the hike. The open grassland provides habitat for many wildflowers.

The clouds of honeybees on these golden flowers were so intent on gathering the nectar that they didn't even notice my passing. Further on were some Turks Cap Lilies, this one hosting a butterfly.

When first arriving at the waterfall, you are at the tail of the falls (you can't see the main part from there) and I heard a couple of people say, "We hiked all this way for THIS?!?" I wouldn't have been disappointed if the tail was the whole falls, but there is so much more. The main cascade is 50' or so. The other time that I hiked here was in our drought about 3 or 4 years ago, and there was hardly a trickle coming down, but I was rewarded this time.
This is a great moderately-easy hike that just about everyone could enjoy.

A Summer's Day Hike in Holmes Forest

2011-06-11T18:32:00.000-04:00

Trail through a fernery

Wide well-maintained trail

Instructional signs

Forest creature

First wild rhododendron bloom of the season

Wildflowers in the forest

Scenic vistas

Holmes Educational State Forest is about 15 minutes from Ash Grove, just on the other side of Dupont State Forest. The 235 acre forest has rock outcroppings, streams, scenic vistas and is a mixture of hardwoods and softwoods. Educational programs are its primary mission. In addition to ranger-led programs, they have an old firefighting helicopter on display, a fire tower, talking trees, and signs on the trails telling about the forest.
I hiked the "Demonstration Trail", a 4-5 mile loop. The trail starts at the Forestry Center, near the parking lot, which is in the Crab Creek valley. There is a 400' elevation gain in 0.7 mile on the trail, so while it's not extremely steep, it does take some work to get to the top. The trail is well-maintained and has steps on some of the steeper parts. It is a great hike to take by yourself or can be a fun outing for the whole family.

Spring Flowers

2011-05-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

Many of our spring wildflowers, flowering trees and our cultivated Iris are in bloom now or have just finished. Here is a sample:

Loving These Winter Hikes!

2011-02-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

In between snowstorms and some brutally cold visits from the jetstream, we have also had some great hiking weather! Super Bowl Sunday was crystal clear and in the lower 50s--perfect for a hike in Pisgah Forest to the top of John Rock.

Stream Alongside Cat Gap Loop Trail

I wanted a shorter hike (about 3 miles), so I made this a semi-loop hike, taking the Cat Gap Loop trail to John Rock trail, around to Cat Gap Loop trail again, then back to where I started. The route I took starts at the parking area for the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and the Fish Hatchery (both fun places to explore before or after a hike). A longer hike of about 5 miles, utilizes the other half of Cat Gap Loop trail.

Looking Glass Rock from John Rock

Standing on John Rock

Tiny Rivulets of Water & Ice on John Rock

Spring Hike--In the Middle of Winter!

2011-01-31T10:25:00.001-05:00

I had a fantastic hike yesterday in Pisgah Forest. It was sunny and 65 degrees--a BIG change from last week's hike (read blog post here: Winter Hike in Dupont Forest ). I hiked the Coontree Loop trail, a moderate 3.7 miles. Although there is nothing spectacular about the trail, it is one of my favorite shorter trails. The trail head begins across the road from the Coontree picnic area, about 5 miles after you enter the forest. It starts out in a hemlock cove, winds up and around hardwood coves and along creeks, then follows a ridgeline before descending along another creek. I hike the trail clockwise. The uphill portion is steeper, but a shorter distance. Here are a few photos.

Small (4') Waterfall on Coontree Loop

Rocks in a Stream on the Trail

Patterns and Textures in the Water

View From the Ridgeline Portion of the Coontree Loop Trail


Stream at the Junction of the Loop

A Surprise of Color Along the Trail (Partridge Berry)

White Christmas, 2010

2010-12-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

They changed the forecast a dozen times this week. We would either get an inch or so of snow, some snow/rain mix, or a "significant accumulation" of snow. It appears that the latter was the correct prediction. Here are a few shots from around Ash Grove's office, taken about 3:30pm on Dec 25.

Early Snow

2010-12-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Here in the southern part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC, we don't usually receive our first snowfall until after the new year, but this is the 2nd year in a row that we had snow before Christmas. Here is one of our cabins and a couple of campsites in the snowfall of 12 Dec, 2010.

Note that the teepee has a stovepipe coming out of it (but their fire went out during the night).

Hiking in the Mountains

2010-11-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

The leaves and fall colors are mostly gone, but it is still a beautiful time here in the mountains. Late fall and winter is the perfect time for hiking in the mountains--the vistas are at their best.
We have been experiencing warmer than normal temperatures, which is just icing on the cake. I went on a hike on 10 Nov. to the summit of Sam Knob. The trail head is off the Blue Ridge Parkway, between highways 215 and 276, near Brevard, NC. The trail crosses a grassy alpine meadow before beginning the ascent to the summit (elevation 6050'). The trail to the summit is a series of switchbacks, so it it an easy hike, even though there is an elevation gain of 570'. The breathtaking vista from the boulders at the summit is 360 degrees and includes the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pidgeon River Valley and Great Smokey Mountains in the distance. The hike is a little over 2 miles, so it make an easy morning or afternoon hike, plus there are other trails that connect to it if you are in the mood for a longer hike, looping back to the parking area.

Our (Busman's) Holiday

2010-09-24T19:02:00.000-04:00

We have had an extremely busy Summer, and with leaf season almost upon us, we decided that we needed a little break. We took a couple of days off this week and went camping. Our love of camping is one thing that led us to purchasing Ash Grove, but this is the first time that we have been camping since we bought a campground almost 8 years ago! It was also the first time that we have been tent camping in longer than that--we had a pop-up camper for several years.
We trekked to the Mt. Pisgah campground, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 45 minutes from us. It was the 2 of us and our 3 dogs. Ernie, a mini-doxie, is 11 and had been camping with us many times. This was the virgin camping trip for Max, the 2.5 year old Basset-Cocker mix and Mr. Henry, the 12 year old mini-doxie, a rescue (and a couch potato) that we have had for a couple of months.
The weather was perfect at 5000'+ elevation--low 70s in the day, upper 40s at night and not a cloud in the sky. Our tent was a castoff from some of our guests. They left it at Ash Grove because they found it to be a pain in the neck. It was too big for us, really, and was made to attach onto the back of a Jeep Liberty, but it was avaliable (and free). We practiced setting it up before we left (as every camper should do with a new tent!), so it went up pretty easily at the campground.

Our afternoon activity (after setting up camp), was a trip to Skinny Dip Falls (but no skinny dipping) on the Parkway. The hike was relatively easy and about 1/2 mile each way, plus a short detour on another trail. The dogs enjoyed all the smells and meeting other hikers and dogs (an older wire-haired mini-doxie and a perky long-haired doxie, among others). It was our first trip to the falls, a small waterfall but with a beautiful, deep, crystal-clear pool at the bottom. Mr Henry was starting to lag behind a little on the way back to the car.

Dinner was grilled pork loin, baked potatoes and campfire beans. One note here: when we used to camp frequently, we had lists of everything we needed to take with us and always had everything we needed. Those lists have long ago disappeared, so a few things like a can opener (Steven did have the one on his Swiss Army Knife, but it needed some sharpening!), a potholder and other necessities were missing, but we made do.
At bedtime, the dogs had their beds and we had an air mattress. Another note here: since it has been several years since we went camping and several years before that since we slept on an air mattress, we can tell you that the knack of sleeping on the ground does NOT come back to you after a long absence, like riding a bicycle does! These old bones did not like it one bit, and each of us got less than 2 hours of restless sleep. We did enjoy the sounds crickets, katydids and tree frogs. The coyotes howling in the not-too-distant distance, just before dawn, got the boys stirred up, so that really put an end to sleep.
After a leisurely breakfast, a walk around the campground and some time with a book, it was time to pack up and come back home. Unpacking and naps (for all 5 of us) was the order of the afternoon. The tent, which was a pain in the neck, is awaiting a trip to the Goodwill store. The dogs appeared to have a good time, but they really don't seem to be good camping dogs (they constantly paced around the campsite and tied each other up with their chains, rather than lying by the fire like a camping dog should). Between the bed/sleep situation and the dogs, we have decided that we probably won't go tent camping again--it's back to a pop-up or camper for us.

Camping for a Cause II

2010-09-13T15:01:00.000-04:00

Ash Grove is having our 2nd Camping for a Cause event this Friday, 17 September, 2010. The money from campsite rentals will be donated to one of our favorite charities, Friends for Life's Forever Farm, a sanctuary for senior and special needs dogs and cats. "Our residents enjoy a home like environment consisting of both private and group living rooms, porches and large fenced grassy play areas. The majority of our residents will be adopted into loving homes, but some who may be very old or ill will remain at the Forever Farm for the rest of their lives.
Please help us with our mission to help these animals live the best life possible by supporting the Forever Farm. Volunteer your time, donate funds, appreciated stock and supplies; tell your friends and family, and come meet our residents when you are ready to adopt a pet."
Our first event, in May 2010, raised several hundred dollars for The Haven of Transylvania County, a temporary shelter for the homeless, that is in its design phase, and still raising money.

Flip FLOPS

2010-07-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

We know that flip flops are where it's at in footwear fashion, but there is a time and a place for everything, and the mountains are not the place for flip flops. Recently, one of our (adult) guests had been to town and was still wearing her "dressy flip flops" while at one of the RV sites. Her 18 month old granddaughter decided to run away from her and grandma had to chase her. On a downhill slope of one of the blacktopped driveways, she ran out of her flip flop and fell, sliding on the sloping blacktop. She had to go to the emergency room, have asphalt cleaned from her wounds and get stitches in her cheek and knee. OUCH! She said that she knew better that to be wearing the flip flops in the mountains, and had meant to change into her tennis shoes, but just didn't get around to it.

Flip flops are great for the beach or town, but for being in the mountains, athletic shoes, sandals with a heel strap or shoes made for hiking and climbing (like Vibram Five Fingers, pictured here) are where it's at!

Protected Lands

2010-06-06T10:53:00.001-04:00

More than 8000 acres, located on East Fork Rd. just a few miles from Ash Grove are going to be permanently protected, thanks to owner Charles Taylor, who sold the land to The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and The Conservation Fund. The groups hope to sell the land to North Carolina for recreation use.
When we first moved here, there were no "No Trespassing" signs on the property, so we frequently played in one of the waterfalls. Unfortunately, the property has been off limits the past couple of years. Here are some photos of East Fork Falls.

We are looking forward to being able to go there again!

Ash Grove Cabins & Camping Announces “Camping for a Cause”

2010-04-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Press Release

Brevard, NC April 20, 2010—Ash Grove Mountain Cabins & Camping has announced their “Camping for a Cause” program, in which they will donate all site-rental monies from their campsites on Saturday, May 8th, to the local non-profit The Haven of Transylvania County, which is building a new homeless shelter.

Steven Dugard, co-owner of Ash Grove, said, “One of the first things I do at the beginning of every month is make a donation to a charity, so this is just a natural extension of that policy”. He added, “ It saddens me that we have need for a homeless shelter in Transylvania County, but I am grateful to the folks at The Haven for their hard work in filling that need.” Mark Henry, Ash Grove's other owner, stated, “Our campsites are usually full on weekends this time of year, so we are hoping to provide a good donation to The Haven.”

Ash Grove is promoting the “Camping for a Cause” program on it's website, blog and Facebook page, as well as sending email announcements to their large customer base. “We are asking our regular guests to make a donation to The Haven, even if they can't come camping that night”, Mr. Henry said.

Plans are for 2 events per year, one in spring, the other in autumn. Ash Grove will choose a different charity or non-profit for each event. “On the worldwide front, we regularly contribute to Kiva, which makes micro-loans to entrepreneurs in impoverished areas, and Heifer International, which provides livestock and other animals to individuals and villages, helping them become self-sufficient, so we will probably make this an event to support local organizations”, Mr. Dugard stated.
The Haven is raising funds and finalizing the process required to build the shelter on land that they have leased from The Bread of Life on S. Caldwell St. in Brevard. More information, contact and donation information for The Haven can be found at www.thehavenshelter.org. To make reservations for Ash Grove Mountain Cabins & Camping's “Camping for a Cause” event in May, contact Ash Grove at www.ash-grove.com or 828-885-7216. The fall camping date will be announced later.

Signs of Spring

2010-04-17T15:18:00.000-04:00

Warm weather has brought spring flowers to the mountains. Here is a wild Mountain Iris (only a couple of inches across); blueberry flower buds; and our dog, Max, having a springtime nap.

Brevard--America's Coolest Small Town

2010-03-18T18:04:00.000-04:00

Budget Travel is conducting a search for the "America's Coolest Small Town". Brevard is in a race for the top spot for a lot of reasons: our 250 waterfalls; our vibrant arts scene (what other small town would have Arlo Guthrie and Yo-Yo Ma at it's summer music festival, and Steve Martin playing banjo at the Mountain Song Festival?); our white squirrels (and the White Squirrel Festival); the "Flight of the Vampires" 5K race (we ARE in Transylvania County, you know); over 1000 miles of hiking & biking trails; great restaurants; world-class trout fishing;....and lots more, but you get the idea. Click the link to VOTE FOR BREVARD, then come see us!

Our New Website

2010-03-18T17:51:00.001-04:00

Our website www.ash-grove.com has just had a makeover. New graphics, new navigation, more pages and info, a new categorized photo gallery, and more. Check it out!

Picture-Postcard Views

2010-03-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

I took this photo on the way to town today. In the extreme foreground is a snow covered field.

Our In-town Activities

2010-02-25T17:15:00.004-05:00

This Winter/Spring, Mark and Steven are both getting back to their artistic roots. Mark is directing a play for the Brevard Little Theatre. It is Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie". In his earlier life, Mark lived in Manhattan and worked--mostly designing sets and costumes, but some directing, too--for off-Broadway theatre. He actually got to work with Mr. Williams on one of his last plays, "Something Cloudy, Something Clear", so Mark will definitely bring something special to his direction of "Menagerie". Weekend performances are scheduled 2-11 April at the Brevard Little Theatre.
Steven, a former architect and graphic designer (among MANY other things) is taking a 6-week sculpture class at the Carlwile-Dodson Studio for Pottery Instruction. The class's first project is a bas-relief piece. In addition to the 6 week classes, they offer 3-week classes, Try-Pottery-for-One-Night, Pottery Camp (in Summer) and more. They are a part of Mud Dabbers Pottery, a great place for pottery lovers to shop.

The Dogs' Great Adventure

2010-02-21T13:22:00.001-05:00

This happened in the Spring a few years ago. We didn't have the blog then, but it is such a good story, I am sharing it now. We owned Ash Grove, but weren't living on the property yet; we were house-sitting for Mark's sister and bro-in-law, closer to town...

I arrived at the house around 8pm, opened the garage door, and went into the house. Ozzie (60lb Basset hound) and Ernie (12lb Dachshund) were out front marking their territories. Ozzie came in, but Ernie stayed out. I was just getting ready to go get him, when he started barking like crazy. Ozzie followed suit, and tore out of the house. I went outside, just in time to see them disappear around the corner of the house in the direction of the woodpile. They were both barking furiously. Just as I started to go after them, Ozzie came flying back around the corner of the house, still barking furiously. Right on his tail was Ernie, still barking, and right on Ernie's tail was a bear! I yelled and waved my arms and the bear stopped in its tracks. The boys got behind me, each one peeking out from behind my legs, still barking furiously. The bear turned around and disappeared back around the corner. I got both dogs in the house, then phoned Mark to tell him the story (he was still at Ash Grove). I decided to see if the bear was still around, so I went out on the back patio and crept around to the gate to the side yard. There, by the woodpile, was the bear--and 3 cubs. Thinking they would leave, I yelled at them and the 3 cubs teleported up 3 trees, while Mom glared at me very menacingly. I went back in the house rather quickly. I went to a window overlooking the side yard just in time to see the cubs shinnying down the trees. I couldn't resist, so I yelled again, and back up the trees went the cubs. A few minutes later they came back down, and all 4 of them sauntered off thru the woods.

That was my only bear sighting since we have been here (we have never seen one--or sign of one--at Ash Grove). I would have enjoyed the sighting much more if Mama Bear hadn't been so close on my boys' tails. I definitely needed a cocktail (or 2) afterwards.

The Ferocious Bear-Chasing Dogs, Relaxing

Time for a Change

2010-02-16T10:45:00.002-05:00

This winter has been unusual, to say the least. Since Dec 1st, our high temperature has been well below average for 55 of the 76 days--bummer! We have had more snow this winter than in our previous 7 winters here, combined. Some of the natives say that it is the worst one in over 40 years. I know that we are not alone here--most of the rest of the country is the same way. The snow that we had on Valentine's Day was one of those very pretty, stuck-to-everything kind of snows, but fortunately, it melted off the roads and other surfaces yesterday. Maybe if we all meditate on this spring photo from years past, we can hurry spring along.

Ice Storm!

2010-02-06T11:04:00.001-05:00

We had the first ice storm in a couple of years this weekend. Three inches of new snow (on top of the couple of inches that were left from last weekend's snow storm), topped with a good 1/2 inch of ice, made for a harrowing afternoon and night on Friday. Every 20-30 seconds, what sounded like a rifle shot would echo through the mountains when a tree branch would snap and fall to the ground (or worse, get hung up in the tree, so that we will have to get the treeman here). Less frequently, would be the cannon-shot BOOM! of an entire tree giving up its struggle against the weight of the ice, crashing to earth. In surveying the damage, we found ourselves lucky. No trees or massive branches fell on any of the cabins, bathhouse, office or our vehicles, just lots of small stuff. The good news is that our campers will have mass quantities of free kindling this camping season, and there will be less leaves for us to blow and rake this October.

P.S. Our winter cabin special is on--mention this post and receive $20/night off the regular rate of any cabin (2-night stay or longer) until 4 March 2010!

Boy, Did It Snow!

2009-12-21T10:39:00.005-05:00

We ended up with about 8" of hard-packed snow. If it hadn't packed down so much, it would probably have been about 14". Here are a couple of pix. The cabin pic is Hickory Hideaway, our 2BR cabin, and was taken today, 21 December.

The other is on one of our trails, taken on the 19th.
P.S. Happy Winter Solstice!

Let it snow!!!!

2009-12-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken a couple of years ago at Ash Grove's little waterfall, but it it beginning to look like this now--we have about 2" so far, and the forecast is for snow the rest of the day today and much of tomorrow, too. Put your snow chains on and come on up to the postcard-beautiful Blue Ridge in the snow.

The Holidays in Brevard

2009-12-11T16:57:00.001-05:00

Our small town is big on holiday activities. The Christmas Parade is the first Saturday in December. There are usually 75+entries, making for a fun and festive afternoon. That is followed by Twilight Tour--downtown is festooned with over 1000 luminaria, entertainment in the courthouse gazebo, the shops provide refreshments, and more. The Festival of Trees is usually that weekend as well. And of course, Brevard's world-famous Aluminum Tree Museum provides kitchy fun for the whole family. The Holiday Tour of Homes, the Rosman (another town in Transylvania County) parade, concerts of all sorts at the Porter Center and more, make for a festive holiday season.

Fall's Other Colors

2009-11-21T10:50:00.004-05:00

After the leaves are gone from the hardwoods, late Fall/early Winter take on their own colors in the mountains. The evergreens, needle trees such as the pine and broad leaf trees like the mountain laurel, add their deep greens to the mountainsides. Lichen, and dozens of moss species enrich the palate with gray-green to chartreuse hues. Then there are galax, which turn red after the first freeze, dried flower pods still on the stalks, crimson berries of the mountain ash, ... and you get the picture (pun intended).

Fall Beauty

2009-10-28T10:38:00.003-04:00

The colors have been fantastic this year! October has been a bit rainy, which has knocked some of the leaves off the trees, but even so, Nature is still putting on a great show. And, heck, even the Brevard Wal-Mart looks good with the painted mountainside as a backdrop.

Mushroom Mania

2009-09-03T14:48:00.004-04:00

Late summer arrives and so do the mushrooms. The last 3 years have been so dry that there haven't been many, but this year...WOW...
I have identified 63 different varieties here on our property, some are deadly poison and some are choice edibles. Some are as small as the head of a pin with thread for a stalk, and others are larger than my head!

One of the strangest looking is the BLACK TRUMPET, it looks nothing like any other mushroom, there is no "cap" on it, it is shaped like the bell of a trumpet, an open vase from top to bottom. Three years ago I went out and picked a basket full and fixed them with a cream sauce and peas. MMMM so good! I didn't see any for the last two years and I had decided that I had over picked them and hadn't left enough for them to regrow the next year, boy was I wrong. It had to have been the drought and not my over picking because this year they are all over the place, I have tempura fried them, made homemade BLACK TRUMPET soup, and still have many many more to be able to try another recipe with them without over picking!

Zack and Judson, the kids of one of our "regular campers" did a mushroom walk with me earlier this year and we discovered a new one I hadn't seen before, I showed the boys how to check the spore print and color to determine what kind of mushroom it was and we discovered that it was an unappetizing looking edible mushroom. The SHAGGY STALKED BOLETE. I told the boys to go and pick three of them and we would saute them that evening and see what they tasted like. I took the skillet with some butter in it down to their campsite after our last camper checked in that night, I sliced the three mushrooms and stems and sauted them in the skillet over the campfire. The boys couldn't wait to see what they tasted like and as soon as they were cooked Zack tried the first piece, it was a slice of the cap, an he immediately exclamed that they tasted like cheese! He was right! Swiss Cheese! Judson then got a piece of the stem and said he thought it tasted like lemons! He was right too. None of us expected to have two totally different flavors come from the same 'shroom but we all agreed that they did really taste like cheese and lemons.

We had a TWO COLOR BOLETE come up and grow and grow and grow, I took a picture of it with my hand fully open and not able to cover the cap, three days later Steven took a picture of my face beside it....well you can see how big it got. It is one of the choice edibles but there are a couple of other 'shrooms that look similar to it that are not edible and Steven didn't want me to try this one in case it was not what I think it is. He just doesn't have the sense of adventure with wild food!

Well that's it from Mark the amateur mushroom mycologist.

The Campfire Gourmet

2009-08-10T15:33:00.002-04:00

One of our regular guests, Steve, emailed us this picture of the great dinner that he cooked at his campsite (one of our Stellar tent sites) on Saturday night. If we had known his cooking was this good, we would have managed to drop in on him around dinnertime!

Now It's the Middle of July!

2009-07-21T18:38:00.004-04:00

This has been our busiest year yet (working on our 7th year in business!) With over 45% of our guests coming back again and again, it has been great getting to visit with old friends and making new ones.
For the most part, the weather has been perfect for the past couple of weeks--daytime temps in the upper 70s with a nice breeze, and nighttime lows around 60--aaahhhh! life in the mountains.
I went on a great little afternoon getaway a week or so ago. I took a short hike on a little-used trail in Pisgah Forest to a waterfall that is off the trail. I sat by the waterfall with a book--it was so refreshing. I had a little picnic on a huge boulder at the edge of the river. The only thing missing was a nap (and maybe a bottle of wine!). The sun was reflecting off the water and rocks, so I wasn't able to get a good photo the falls--maybe next time.
Our last check-in of the day just arrived.......

What Happened to Spring!?!?!?

2009-06-29T17:48:00.003-04:00

Usually we ease into our busy season starting in late spring and peaking in July. We slammed into the busy season in April and haven't let up since, hence the lack of blog posts the past few weeks.
I hardly had time to enjoy spring and summer is here already. My weekly hikes have become monthly hikes. My June hike was last week and I did some trails in Pisgah Forest in the Turkey Pen Gap area. One trail, Riverside, had 8? 10? 12? river crossings of knee height or so. That kept me cool on a warm, muggy day. A nice picnic by the stream....if only I'd had time for a nap.

One of our campers wrote a wonderful review of Ash Grove, with some great photos. Here is the link http://www.squidoo.com/ash-grove-resort

Gotta run!

A Glide Through Nature

2009-05-09T10:11:00.003-04:00

The NC Arboretum, located just over 1/2 hour from Ash Grove, has a new program this spring, "A Glide Through Nature," Segway tours of the Arboretum's 65 acre cultivated gardens and 10 miles of trails on the 434 acre property. The 3 hour guided tour includes woodland trails, seasonal flora highlights and a history of the Bent Creek Watershed in Pisgah Forest. Instruction on the operation of the environmentally friendly--and fun--Segway precedes the tour. The Segways have all-terrain tires to navigate the non-paved trails.
Photo of the native Flame Azalea

Spring's Still Coming

2009-04-11T11:44:00.002-04:00

The Spring weather has been typical Spring weather--a few lovely, warm sunny days that you hope will last forever, followed by a few cold, windy, gloomy, rainy days that you are afraid will last forever. Today is one of the good ones, yesterday we had 2" of rain (which we still really need, so I'm not complaining--but our campers probably wouldn't agree!).
Here at 3000' the sarvis trees are in bloom; the leaves are out on the blackberry bushes; the buds on the trees are just beginning to open; and the foliage for irises & day lilies is shooting up. In Brevard (2200'), it is very green and filled with flowers.

Mountain Cabin Special

2009-03-22T09:42:00.003-04:00

We have a special on our cabins for this week only: Stay a minimum of 2 consecutive nights between 22 Mar and 29 Mar and take $20/night off any cabin! See our website www.ash-grove.com for details and more information about Ash Grove.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-09T11:17:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that I took this picture today, just 1 week after the snow pic in the previous post! The snow is long gone and today is the 3rd day of temps in the 70s. I know that it is just a tease--we will have more cold weather, possibly even another little snow--but everyone is enjoying it while it lasts. I have the office windows open and am being serenaded by some songbirds, a gentle breeze and an occasional caw from a crow. But, its back to work for me....

Let It Show!

2009-03-02T11:04:00.005-05:00

Yesterday/last night, we had our first real snowstorm in 4 years or so. It is absolutely gorgeous! There is about 6" on the ground and on the branches and evergreens near the ground, but all of it blew out of the tops of the trees (40mph winds!). It is a nice fluffy, powdery snow, not the hard icy kind that we sometimes get. Several vehicles have gone by this morning, so the roads are at least somewhat passable, but we haven't been out to see for our selves (and probably won't--there is no reason to go out on the road). My snow saucer is calling my name, so I'm cutting this post short. See more pix at our Flickr album.

What's New at Our Cabins, Camping and Brevard, NC

2009-02-20T12:24:00.002-05:00

In time for the (original) deadline for the digital TV changeover, we added satellite TV to our cabins. There is now a great variety of good quality television and XM radio available in the cabins. For our campsites, we are enlarging the tent pads on several of the sites to be able to accommodate the bigger tents that many of our guests want to bring. Also, new for this year is our "Rent-a-Tent" program. We will rent you a tent and have it set-up when you arrive, then take it down for you when you leave. We also have some other camping items available for rent (campstove, etc). You will have to bring your own bedding (sleeping bags, air mattress, cots, or whatever you want to sleep on). This service will start in mid-April.
A new restaurant, Marco Trattoria, just opened in downtown Brevard. We went there last night for Mark's birthday. It was excellent! I had an individual wood-fired pizza (the Bianco--ricotta cheese, fresh basil, garlic and red grapes). Mark had the special of polenta encrusted scallops over parmesan potatoes & leeks with Chianti sauce.

Winter Camping

2009-01-31T10:12:00.005-05:00

In spite of the cold temperatures, (upper 20s at night, mid 40s daytime), we have several campers here this weekend--both tent and RV camping. Some regular campers, Mark and Michael, came a couple of weekends ago when the temp got down to 14 degrees on Friday night. When they made the reservation, they said that they new it was going to be cold. But, knowing the cold and tolerating it are 2 different things. On Saturday morning they stopped by the office and asked if we had a cabin available (we did), so they spent their 2nd night toasty by the gas log fireplace in the cabin.
This weekend, one of our tent campers, Tonya, is here for her 3rd visit since October. The Oct. trip was the first time that she had ever camped, and she loved it. She made the reservations for the 2nd visit while still here on their first. This is her birthday weekend--she said that there is nowhere that she would rather spend her birthday than at Ash Grove. We have had many cabin and camping guests that have returned to Ash Grove again and again for the special occasions of their lives. It makes us feel good that we are a part of their celebrations.

BRRRRRR!

2009-01-16T15:34:00.005-05:00

As is happening with much of the US, the coldest weather in years is upon us. Last night it got down to 7 degrees and today's high was only 28. It is supposed to get down to 4 tonight. Thank goodness for fleece and handwarmers! We haven't really had any snow this season--just a few flurries, enough to lightly cover the ground, but not the roads. We average 3 snowfalls per year here in Brevard, each with 4-6". The state of NC is really good about clearing the mountain roads after a snowfall. When snow is predicted, they park plows and sand trucks at the tops of the mountains and start clearing the roads before the snow has even finished. Most of the roads are cleared within 4 or 5 hours after a snow. The one exception was 4 (I think) years ago, when we had 6" of snow and Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city had 17". Every snowplow in the state headed there first, so it was about a day and a half before we had clear roads. Much of the time, it snows after we have had some warm temps, so it doesn't even stick to the roads, just on the mountainsides and valleys--absolutely gorgeous, but no problems getting around, then gone in a few days--my kind of snow!

(This is Hickory Hideaway, our 2 bedroom cabin during Martin Luther King weekend of 2008, in about 6" of snow)

The Santa Collection Update (see Dec post)

2009-01-16T15:26:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Brenda and Sylvia who read our post about having difficulty finding the Anorexic Santas--they sent us 4 of the duplicates from their collection! And I found a couple at Brevard's new Goodwill Store before xmas, so the collection does continue to grow.

Winter Cabin Special at Ash Grove

2008-12-18T16:02:00.011-05:00

This is our new ad for our winter cabin special:

Ash Grove
2009 Winter Cabin Special
$50 & MORE Gift Certificate(s) OR
Cash Discount up to $100

Get amazing savings at your favorite vacation spot! By staying with us in any cabin, for 2 or 3 nights in the months of Jan or Feb, 2009, you receive a $50 gift certificate that you can use on a future stay, or give as a gift to friends or relatives. If you stay 4 - 6 nights, you receive an additional $50 gift certificate. And, if you stay 7 nights or more, you get 3 gift certificates, for a grand total of $150 in savings! That's more than a night FREE in any of our cabins, but you can also use them for camping. OR take $30 off the price of a 2 or 3 night stay, $60 off 4-6 nights and $100 off a stay of 7 nights or more.Don't miss out on this amazing deal--call and book your cabin for a winter wonderland vacation at Ash Grove. Call Ash Grove at 828-885-7216 or visit our website www.ash-grove.com

Special applies to new reservations only.

Not valid with other specials or discounts.

The fine print for gift certificate use:
Reservations required & subject to availability. Valid for cabins or camping.
Not valid on :Memorial & Labor Day weekends, or stays including the days of
July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Eve.
Not redeemable for cash. No change given.
No expiration date, but if not used by 12/31/2010, certificate must be renewed

Brevard, NC Christmas Parade

2008-12-07T17:55:00.014-05:00

Brevard held its 2008 Christmas Parade on Sat, 7 Dec. Mark and I were 2 of the judges (thanks Kim, for being the 3rd). This was the best parade in Brevard that we have seen since we attended our first one in 2002--that year, there were fire trucks, Girl &Boy Scout troops and not much else. Some of this year's floats could easily hold their own in a big-city parade. We had 5 trophies to give out, but there were several additional deserving entries. A non-winner that we really liked was the Strykes Again Family Fun Center entry. It was a tinsel-covered old limousine, that the Strykes Again owners said should get the "Tackiest Float" award (unfortunately, that wasn't a category). After the parade, was Twilight Tour, where the downtown merchants hold open house, with refreshments, entertainment, etc. Over 1000 luminarias lit the sidewalks and our courthouse provided a backdrop for the festivities.

The Reluctant Santa (Collection, that is)

2008-12-07T17:21:00.010-05:00

I started putting up our holiday decorations at Ash Grove today. My favorite decoration is our collection of tall, skinny Santas (we call them our Anorexic Santas). We didn't start out to have a collection, it just sort of happened. Mark has always liked the Green Man/Tree Spirit/Woodspirit type of carvings, and one year I found a holiday-themed one for a stocking stuffer. Then, somehow, the next year we both had one in our stockings. Now, we have 45 of them, or so (depending if you count the ones that are permanently attached together as 1 or multiple Santas, and technically, a couple of them aren't Santas, but let's not get nitpicky). Personally, I think that they multiply in secret during the Summer while they are in their storage box. We have slowed down in acquiring them--in the past few years they have been hard to find. There are plenty of tall, skinny snowmen to be found, but we don't have a snowman collection, nor do we want to start one. Maybe the Santas will come back into fashion, since the Idea Police think that fat Santas are not good role models for kids.

Small Town Holidays

2008-11-24T11:36:00.008-05:00

Brevard is gearing up for the holidays. It is a charming small town with lots of activities. Come up and stay with us at Ash Grove, then rekindle your childhood memories or make new traditions with:

On Dec. 6th, the downtown streets of Brevard will be transformed into a magical world of holiday cheer during the Heart of Brevard's 21st Annual Twilight Tour.

The sidewalks will glow in the light of 1000 luminaries, and school children & the community choir & musicians will gather at the courthouse gazebo to fill the evening air with holiday song. You'll be able to roast your own marshmallows for making s' mores and decorate sugar cookies. For adults, the Merchant Open House offers a unique and wonderful holiday shopping opportunity. The retail stores will offer special discounts, refreshments and entertainment. And the Mistletoe Market is the perfect place to find a Transylvania Christmas tree, wreath or garland.

On 4-7 Dec, the Silvermont Mansion will house 35 extravagant decorated Christmas trees. Admission is $3, benefitting local charities.

Tour some of Brevard's most beautiful homes on 13 Dec at the annual Holiday Tour of Homes. Admission is $30, benefiting local charities.

Bluegrass Holiday at the Porter Center with Steep Canyon Rangers is on 19 Dec. 828-243-3496

Brevard Little Theatre presents "The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge" on 12-14 & 19-21 December. www.brevardlittletheatre.com

Holiday favorites by Vivaldi, Bach, Verdi, etc will be presented by the Carolina Concert Choir and Orchestra at the Porter Center on 20 Dec. www.carolinaconcertchoir.org

Throughout the holiday season, there are several choose-and-cut tree farms in the area where you can get a fresh tree. Also all during the holidays, the local arts center, arts guild, arts cooperative and our local potters and other craftsmen are hosting sales of great gift items.

More musical events are scheduled for the nearby cities of Hendersonville and Asheville, and other cultural events are happening during the week and on the weekends through Christmas in our area.

Slower Times

2008-11-17T09:47:00.005-05:00

Now that October is gone, business is slowing down a bit at Ash Grove. That gives us a chance to get maintenance and repairs done that we can't do during the busy season. Of course, leaf removal is our number one priority right now. Probably 95% of the leaves have fallen from the trees, so we are getting them off the roads, walkways, roofs, grass and gardens. I wonder how many tons of leaves fall on our 14 acres.....
Every season is different and beautiful, so it is still a wonderful time to come to the mountains. With many of the tourists and seasonal residents gone, there are fewer people on the roads and the hiking & mountainbiking trails and at the waterfalls. And with the leaves gone, the views are even more far-ranging and you can see many wateralls that are hidden by vegetation in the summer.
The weather is generally mild (average daytime temperatures are in the 50s and 60s in Nov and Dec). There is a slight chance for a light dusting of snow this time of year--enough to be pretty, but not enough to cause problems on the roads. After winter really arrives, we can expect average daytime temps for Jan and Feb to be in the upper 40s to lower 50s. On average we get 2 to 3 snowfalls per year, of 2-6 inches each.---breathtakingly beautiful, but still easy to get around on the roads.
With choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms, Brevard's small town holiday celebrations, a charming downtown for shopping, mild weather and beautiful views, this is a great time to come and visit!

Halloween and More Fall Color

2008-10-31T19:00:00.007-04:00

We had the 2nd annual Ash Ghoul, the Haunted Campground on Saturday, 25 Oct. One of our nature trails became a haunted trail. We had cabin and campsite decorating contests and a costume contest. Hot cider, cookies, treats, marshmallows, ghost stories and more were dished up by our bonfire. We all had a great time.

There is still plenty of fall color in the area. We are almost at peak here at Ash Grove, and as you drive the 15 minutes to Caesar's Head State Park, just over the NC-SC state line, you can see that there is problably another week and a half or 2 weeks of Autumn glory. Come and see it!

Kiva--Loans That Change Lives

2008-10-10T18:21:00.004-04:00

Kiva is a program in which you can loan as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in an underdeveloped country, to help them start or expand their small businesses. You can help them lift themselves, their families, even their entire villages out of poverty.
AmEx cardmembers voted for Kiva, and helped them get $300K, but more needs to be done.
Go to http://www.kiva.com/ and do your part to make our world a better place.

Fall Hike to Mt Pisgah

2008-10-09T16:28:00.007-04:00

On Tuesday, I hiked to the top of Mt. Pisgah (elev. 5170'), on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail is about 1.5 miles in each direction, with a climb of over 700'. The trail is very rocky, but in good repair. There is an observation deck at the tip. The colors at that elevation were still not at peak, so I would say that we will have another 3 to 4 weeks of great color in our area. Here are a couple of pix that I took, with more on our Flickr site

ht tp://www.flickr.com /photos/ash_grove_brevard/

Gasoline Situation--Updated 9 Oct

2008-10-01T15:06:00.004-04:00

Update 10/9/08: All the stations still don't have gas all the time, but more than half do at any given time, and there don't seem to be any lines any more.
Local officials say that it may be another week before everything is back to normal, but there is no reason to stay away because of the gas situation.

Beginnings of Fall, Part 2

2008-09-28T10:11:00.004-04:00

I took this photo on 28 Sep 08, from the front porch of our office. A few trees are getting some color. The official "Fall Color Guy" for the state of NC has predicted a very spectacular leaf season, due to the drought. There is a silver lining to every dark cloud. See the fall color report at http://www.visitnc.com/fallcolor/fallcolor_report.asp

Beginnings of Fall

2008-09-14T16:35:00.004-04:00

While the weather is still summer-like (daytime temps in the upper 70s), there is beginning to be a feeling of fall in the air. The katydids are singing a little softer at night, geese are beginning to fly overhead, the tree foliage is becoming a darker green and squirrels are frantically buttressing their nests and carrying acorns.

This is a perfect time to visit the mountains (actually, any time is the perfect time to visit the mountains). Most people have ended their summer vacations, so there is less traffic on the roads, the hiking trails hold more solitude, the waterfalls are uncrowded and the birds, celebrating the cooler weather, fill the air with song.

When the leaves change colors (usually beginning mid-October) the beauty of the mountainsides is unparallelled. There will be more people here then. It is often joked that there is no one left in the state of Florida during October--they are all here looking at leaves.

Mushrooms!

2008-09-03T11:06:00.021-04:00

The rains from Faye brought the mushrooms to life, but there are still fewer than in years past. In 2006, we identified 63 different varieties on Ash Grove's 14 acres. One of those varieties was the Black Tumpet Mushroom, a choice edible (and they were delicious!). Unfortunately, we didn't find any of those this year, but there are still lots of incredible ones.

See more at our Flickr album

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ash_grove_brevard/

YouTube Videos

2008-09-01T11:38:00.009-04:00

I took a couple of vids of Ash Grove's Stellar (secluded, carved from the forest, walk-to) campsites over the Labor Day weekend and posted them on our YouTube site.
Here is the link or click on the videos on the right side of this page:

http://www.youtube.com/AshGroveBrevard

There's a First Time for Everything

2008-08-30T10:12:00.012-04:00

One thing that we enjoy about owning Ash Grove is that there are always new experiences to be had. Most of the time this is a good thing. Today it was just appalling. On my way to the office I noticed that smoke was coming from the front yard of one of the cabins (I was on the walk behind the cabin) and I thought that they were grilling breakfast, even though all the cabins have full kitchens. Then I realized that it was a lot of smoke, so I investigated. They had moved the picnic table, gathered rocks from where we had placed them to direct rainwater away from the cabin, and built a bonfire!!!! We have a stone bonfire pit 50 yards from the cabin, and rules posted in the cabins about only having fires (other than charcoal in the grill) in that firepit. When I told them that this was totally unacceptable, they said that they didn't know that they couldn't build a fire there. I asked, "Would you build a bonfire in the middle of your front yard?" It is amazing the lack of respect and/or common sense that some people have.

Our bonfire pit

Some Drought Relief

2008-08-28T11:15:00.001-04:00

From the remnants of Tropical Storm Faye, we received more than 8 inches of rain in 2 1/2 days. The French Broad River, down in the valley near Brevard, was so low that the rains didn't even swell it over its banks. The flatter areas to our east had flooding, but the mountains fared pretty well, for the most part.
Even with this rain, drought conditions still exist, so we are still agressive about conserving water.

Well-Traveled Guests

2008-08-23T18:47:00.007-04:00

Guests Maryanne and Burt arrived in

their homemade Gypsy wagon

Guests Lorraine and Phillip, who spent a couple of weeks here this summer, just sent us an email recounting their first week of their trip to Montevideo, Uruguay. Since it is not a big destination for English-speaking tourists, they are having some challenges, but are really enjoying it. It sounds like some place that I would like to visit.
We also recently heard from some other guests who have moved to Belgium for 2 years. I haven't really been to Belgium--only passed through a few times on the night train when I was going to university in Paris. We would head to Amsterdam on Friday night to party for the weekend, then take the Sunday night train back to Paris, arriving just in time for classes.
We have had guests at Ash Grove from all over the world--New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Japan, South Africa, Russia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Columbia, Mexico, British Virgin Isles, Canada, and probably some others that I have forgotten. That is one (of the many) things that I enjoy about owning Ash Grove--we get to meet so many great people from everywhere, with different ideas, different cultures and different takes on the world.
For the most part, we have a great group of guests. Another cabin resort owner and I were recently exchanging stories about our bad guests. He had banned more people this year from returning to his property than we have banned in 5 1/2 years. I firmly believe that you get back what you put out, so we strive to make Ash Grove a welcoming place for all and put a lot of positive energy out to the universe.

Drought, Part 2

2008-08-17T12:57:00.005-04:00

Well, my raindance must have worked yesterday (see previous post)--the rain shower lasted over 2 hours, and we had more during the middle of the night. The only bad thing was that since everything was bone dry, much of the mulch washed off the trails to the campsites. Mark is out re-applying it now.
It also looks as if we might get the remnants of Tropical Storm Faye later on this week. I hope that she doesn't slam the Carribean and Florida, but we could us a couple of days of soaking rain here.
Steven

http://www.ash-grove.com/

Drought

2008-08-16T13:09:00.007-04:00

More rocks than water in this stream

The drought in Western North Carolina continues, although we are getting a pretty good shower as I write this (per the radar, it probably won't last more than 15 or 20 minutes, though). The rivers are at historic lows, wells and springs are drying up, trees are stressed, crops are dying and we didn't have a good mushroom crop this year.
The larger waterfalls are still spectacular, although they are at a reduced flow. Some of the smaller ones are just a trickle. Normally, Transylvania County is the wettest county in NC (we are a temperate rain forest) and Asheville/Buncombe County, which is only about 20 miles from here is the driest--go figure. We are probably more than 20" below normal here at Ash Grove.
Our water supply comes from deep wells (1000' or more). We are conserving water by not pressure washing the cabin exteriors (although a couple of them could use it); not washing our vehicles; not watering any outdoor landscaping, etc. We are asking our guests to conserve by taking shorter showers (save 2 gal/minute); turning off faucet while shaving or brushing teeth (save 1+ gal/person); reusing their towels (save 60 gal/person per average stay). For some of our other energy saving policies check out our website http://ash-grove.com/policies.asp
I'm headed outside now to do my best raindance, and maybe this shower will stick around for a while longer! Steven

Hiking Graveyard Fields in Pisgah Forest

2008-08-13T16:44:00.008-04:00

Hiking is great here in Transylvania County. Dupont State Forest has over 90 miles of trails and Pisgah Forest has over 400 miles. I (Steven) try to do at least 1 hike per week, but sometimes business or weather get in the way.

Last week's hike was off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Graveyard Fields. It was about an 8 mile hike, my upper limit at this point. I hiked down from the parking area to the Lower Waterfalls, where several people were swimming to cool off--it was 82 degrees that day. Due to the extreme drought, the falls weren't as spectacular as usual, but still beautiful none the less. Near the falls is a short connector that gets you to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. It was my first hike on that section of trail. The forest in the Graveyard Fields area is fairly sparse, due to an extremely intense forest fire in the 1920s that not only burned the forest, but burned all the nutrients from the soil. The forest is coming back, but very slowly. Due to the sparseness of the undergrowth, you could see much further through the forest than in most other areas, and the views of the near and distant peaks--all the way to Tennessee--were incredible (of course, I forgot to take my camera).

Another perk of the Graveyard Fields area, was that I had chosen to hike during prime blackberry season. There were literally millions of ripe, lucious blackberries, growing so thickly on the bushes, that they looked like clusters of grapes from a distance. I ate my fill of them. The blueberries were almost ripe--still kind of pink, but there by the million as well. A few of them were ripe and very sweet, so they made a nice counterpoint to the tartness of the blackberries.

I then hiked to the Upper Waterfalls, my first time there. If the drought wasn't so severe, the falls would have been breathtaking. Since there is no such thing as a not-beautiful waterfall, I still thought that it was worth the trip--especially when I took off my shoes and socks and let the cool waters rush over my tired feet. Then it was back to the parking lot and the drive home to Ash Grove.

http://www.ash-grove.com/

Getting Started

2008-08-08T13:27:00.003-04:00

Greetings! We have finally decided to join the blogging world. We want to share what goes on at ASH GROVE Cabins and Camping, and the Brevard and Western North Carolina area.
We have been here 5 1/2 years now, and still find it a perfect place to work and live. We are in Transylvania County, which is known as "The Land of Waterfalls", with over 250 of them in the County. Dupont State Forest, Pisgah National Forest and Gorges State Park (under development/construction until 2009) take up almost 50% of the County land, so it will be tough to overdevelop the area, but I am sure someone will try. Ash Grove is located on 14 wooded, mountaintop (3000' elevation) acres, about 10-12 minutes south of downtown Brevard, near Cedar Mountain. We--Mark and Steven--are the owners, maids, maintenance men and general all-round flunkies. Ernie, our 9 year old 13 lb. mini-Daschund, is the official 4-legged doorbell for the office, greeter and guard dog, assisted by Max, our 7 month old Basset Hound/Cocker Spaniel mix. Cleo, our Calico Manx, lives in our apartment on the property, and keeps the moths under control.
Visit our website http://www.ash-grove.com
Just a brief introduction, written by Steven......