How much gear does it take for 12 people to camp 8 nights while exploring North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains? A lot!

This week 3 Museum staff and 9 educators from across North Carolina have been gearing up for our Blue Ridge Institute. We’re packing tents and sleeping bags, oatmeal and pasta, nets and snorkels, long johns and swimsuits, and so much more as we prepare for an in-depth exploration of the North Carolina mountains. We’re looking forward to learning from experts in ornithology, herpetology, creative writing, Cherokee heritage and history, and ichthyology, among other topics. We’ll share strategies to invigorate our teaching with real life examples from our own backyard. We’ll hike and swim, learn and laugh; but most importantly, we’ll build a greater appreciation for the amazing diversity of the Blue Ridge Mountains and bring that home to share with our friends, families, and students.

Like the sun rising over the misty mountains as day begins in the photo below, this grand learning adventure is just about to begin! Meet the travelers and follow our daily blog as we travel down the spine of North Carolina.

Today was filled with serendipitous moments. We were greeted with a break in the clouds and fog revealing a beautiful sunrise, as we finished our drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A damper was put on our morning hike due to rain, but serendipity prevailed giving us the opportunity to view a herd of elk. A bull serenaded his harem by bugling. This was the first time many of our group had seen elk in the wild, because they have only been reintroduced to North Carolina in the last 20 years.

Freeman Owle, an elder of the Cherokee tribe, gave us a fresh perspective on the injustice that he and his people have endured. Most people in this situation would be bitter, but Elder Owle shared this message of hope. “If you’re trying to get even, you’ll never get ahead. “ He was very open to sharing the Cherokee’s sacred land, and he gave each of us a blessing by the Tuckasegee River. One of the special moments we had with him was when he sang “Amazing Grace” in the native Cherokee language, the song that thousands of Native Americans sang on the Trail of Tears.

On a personal level, Elder Owle connected with us as a fellow educator, reminding us that, “You can’t take possessions with you when you go, but you can leave a blazing trail behind you.” It is not solely the Native Americans’ responsibility to keep their culture alive; we all have a responsibility. Today’s experiences were unexpectedly powerful, moving, and magical.

Our morning started with a delicious breakfast prepared by our hardworking leaders!

We traveled to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and met Gary Kauffman, a botanist with the US Forest Service. He led us around the trail and into the old growth forest. Along the way, he shared a wealth of information with us about all the plants inhabiting the forest. Our two plus miles took us a few hours as we learned about all the greenery and such along the trail. He shared his passion and his poetry with the group. We were all in awe over the huge Tulip Poplar Trees which are estimated to be between 400 and 500 years old. It was an amazing feeling to be standing among such history and consider what all has happened in the world during the lifetime of these giants.

Learning about liverworts from botanist Gary Kauffman.

How many teacher armspans in circumference is a 500-year-old tree?

After lunch, we hiked to Yellow Creek Falls. The trail took us along the creek and we enjoyed the sounds and sights of the meandering water. As we approached the top, we all took in the beauty of the rushing water of the first large fall. We sat and spent time reflecting on the week as it comes to a close. We were challenged to a “writing marathon” while we sat by the waterfall. We each took at least a half hour to free write with intentionality. In addition to writing, we had the opportunity to spend time in the water and sitting on the rocks chatting about our Blue Ridge experience.

Wendy, Amy and Stephanie chatting by Yellow Creek Falls.

We returned to the yurts and ate dinner together. We spent the rest of the evening and into the night sharing with each other the highlights of our trip. We enjoyed our last night together and appreciated the time to build on relationships that have formed during this unique experience. We do not want to lose the connections with one another as we go back to “normal life” tomorrow. The changes that we intend to make both personally and professionally will be strengthened by our networking with one another. A campfire and stargazing on this beautiful night capped off the whole trip. It is bittersweet — we don’t want to leave, but we are ready to go home.

It was a bittersweet morning as we packed up our tents for the last time and left the Mount Pisgah Campground bound for our next destination, Cherokee, NC. We traveled the last leg of the Blue Ridge Parkway over the highest point at 6053 feet and then made a brief stop to check out some stunning views through the clouds at Waterrock Knob. The trail to the top was steep but our determination was strong, and after a challenging hike we were rewarded by the sweat on our brows and a breathtaking view!

Chris took a group picture at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s southern terminus.

Upon arriving in Cherokee, we ate a quick picnic lunch by the river and prepared for our guest speaker, Freeman Owle. Freeman Owle is an Elder of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. An educator himself, he shared his story of growing up and being systematically and forcefully stripped of his culture and how that impacts his work with children of the Cherokee tribe today. He educated, inspired, and left us with powerful words reminding us of our impact. These words will surely stick with us when we return home: “There is no job that is greater than what you do. No job is more important than what you do.”

Cherokee Elder Freeman Owle talks with us about growing up and becoming a teacher himself

After our experience one of our educators, Talicia Smith, was inspired to write a poem detailing the impact of our day saying:

“I stood where the mother town was.
Stories of family, faith and love
Stories of struggle, the war of men
Lesson we are still learning from them

I stood where the mother town was
Where trees were healing for the soul
The soil underneath my feet
Beaten by dances moving for peace

I stood where the mother town was
Where rivers flowed with ease
And elks track through the leaves
I stood where the mother town was.”

View from our final home – the Sky Ridge yurt village.

Finally we headed for the premier lodging of our trip, our luxurious yurts! After a week in the damp heat of the Appalachian mountain region, it was a very welcome treat! We have learned and experienced so much together and we ended the night with a heart-to-heart, tear-filled reflection of our day. Even though tomorrow is our last day, this experience will follow us into our classroom and beyond.

Last night brought boisterous winds and heavy rain, however we awoke to a new day. At 4:30 am we awoke, piled into the vans and began our trek up slippery rocks and muddy trails to the top of Black Balsam. The mist of the morning hid the rays of the sun but didn’t dampen our spirits. On top of the trail we experienced strong winds, strong coffee and created even stronger bonds with the team. Although we did not experience the sunrise we anticipated it was still an awesome way to begin the day.

Wendy catching one of the few glimpses of sunrise color from Black Balsam knob.

We left Black Balsam Trail and headed to Skinny Dip Falls where we spent time with our nature journals enjoying creative reflection. The beauty of the area and sounds of the falls behind us were meditative.

Group on bridge at Skinny Dip Falls

The day’s highlight was spent on the river learning about and looking for our most primitive salamander. With the help of a local biologist and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, we located the elusive Hellbender. This was an exhilarating experience, as we waded and swam through cold water, using snorkels and bathyscopes to see a Hellbender in its natural habitat.

The group preparing to get into the cold water to look for Hellbenders!

The day ended with ice cream from the local ice cream parlor before heading back to camp.

Ice cream at Dolly’s was a great finish to the day.